Wael Arakji named TISSOT MVP, joined on All-Star Five with Maker, McCarron, Smith-Milner, and Zhou
JAKARTA (Indonesia) - Wael Arakji was named TISSOT MVP of the FIBA Asia Cup 2022 following an outstanding performance from start to finish for Lebanon.
The 27-year-old was the tournament’s leading scorer at 26.0 points per game, highlighted by 28 points in the Final, 15 of which were in the fourth quarter. Arakji also averaged 3.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.8 steals per game for 24.4 Efficiency while shooting 51.7 percent from the field, 45.8 percent from the three-point line, and 84.4 percent from the free-throw line. In what was Arakji’s third Asia Cup, he stepped up to another level of superstardom to the cheers of the packed crowd at the Istora Senayan.
Joining Arakji in the FIBA Asia Cup 2022 All-Star Five are Thon Maker and Mitch McCarron from champions Australia, Tohi Smith-Milner from third-place New Zealand, and Zhou Qi from China.
Teammates Thon Maker and Mitch McCarron were instrumental to Australia’s championship run.
Maker ranked among the top 10 in both scoring and rebounding with 17.8 points and 9.0 rebounds while also averaging 1.3 blocks per game. Maker’s biggest game of the Asia Cup came against Japan in the Quarter-Finals where he recorded 21 points and 13 rebounds.
McCarron was fourth in assists among all players in assists with 5.6 per game while also putting up 8.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per contest. He is also the only member returning from the Asia Cup 2017 championship squad, making this his second Asia Cup title in as many appearances.
Tohi Smith-Milner was one of returning players from Asia Cup 2017 for New Zealand and provide the young team with big time performances, namely the 25-point outing in the third-place game. He ended up with averages of 9.6 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 48.4 percent from the three-point line on the way to winning his first Asia Cup medal.
Zhou Qi was a force for China, averaging 15.0 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. The big man had one of the biggest game of Asia Cup 2022 with 22 points, 21 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
FIBA