TRENTINO (Italy) - The trend of success continued for Slovenia at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket.
Just two weeks after winning its first FIBA U20 EuroBasket title in more than two decades, the country also claimed its first-ever U18 crown, propelled by the standout play of tournament MVP Stefan Joksimovic.
However, Joksimovic was far from the only elite prospect in attendance, as many players made a significant impact and delivered standout performances in Trentino.
Before the basketball world's attention shifts to the FIBA U16 EuroBasket, which tips off on August 7 in Oradea, Romania, we look back at the 10 players who made the biggest impact in Trentino.
Stefan Joksimovic - Slovenia
Point Guard
Birth Date: November 16, 2008 (17 years old) Height: 2.04m (6ft 8in) Tournament Stats: 23.1 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Joksimovic entered the competition with huge expectations, regarded as one of the top prospects for the 2027 NBA Draft, and his performance certainly lived up to the hype. He was named MVP in Trentino after finishing as the competition's leading scorer and, most importantly, leading Slovenia to its first-ever U18 title.
The 17-year-old made an impact throughout the tournament, but seemed to hit another gear in the moments his team needed him most, including a 24-point, 8-rebound, 5-assist performance in the Final.
Joksimovic was the driving force behind the championship team, and his performance in Trentino showed that he should be a difference-maker for the Slovenian national team for years to come.
Cheickh Niang - Italy
Forward
Birth Date: September 16, 2008 (17 years old) Height: 1.96m (6ft 5in) Tournament Stats: 16.1 PPG, 3.6 APG, 3.3 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 0.9 BPG
Niang was named to the All-Star Five after a masterful performance in the Final, where he put up 27 points and 4 assists. The 17-year-old, however, was a key player throughout the tournament for Italy, making an impact on both ends of the floor with his high-flying athleticism.
Despite falling short of the title, it was a tremendously successful tournament for Italy, who reached the Final for the first time since 1992 and will return to the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup for the first time since 2017. With Niang emerging as one of the best young wings in Europe, they should be one of the teams to watch in Pardubice next year.
Hugo Yimga - France
Small Forward
Birth Date: July 3, 2008 (18 years old) Height: 2.04m (6ft 8in) Tournament Stats: 17.3 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.3 BPG, 0.1 SPG
Yimga lived up to expectations in Trentino, earning All-Star Five honors after leading France to a third-place finish and continuing a trend of consistent success at the U18 level for a team that has finished in the top six in every edition since 2015. The Nanterre prospect finished the competition in the top five in scoring and contributed on both ends of the floor with his unique combination of size, strength, ball-handling ability, and flashes of shooting.
After his performance in Trentino, Yimga should remain one of the European players to watch ahead of the 2027 NBA Draft.
Diego Niebla - Spain
Forward
Birth Date: January 18, 2008 (18 years old) Height: 2.02m (6ft 8in) Tournament Stats: 16.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.6 BPG
Spain continued their successful run at the U18 level in Trentino, reaching their fifth Semi-Final in the past six editions of the tournament. That success was due in part to the all-around scoring of Diego Niebla, who was named to the All-Star Five.
The Joventut forward made an impact with his combination of size, smooth ball-handling ability, and flashes of versatile shooting, and delivered one of the best performances of the tournament with a 32-point, 7-rebound, 4-assist outing in the Semi-Final.
With Niebla emerging as one of the most skilled players in his age group, alongside talented passer Hugo Alonso and elite lob target Chiek Diallo, Spain should have plenty of firepower to contend for the title at next year's FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup.
Leonard Kroger - Germany
Center
Birth Date: December 2, 2008 (17 years old) Height: 2.05m (6ft 9in) Tournament Stats: 11.3 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.9 BPG, 0.7 SPG
Kroger earned an All-Star Five nod as an important piece of Germany's fifth-place finish. The 17-year-old was prolific on the glass, finishing as the competition's third-leading rebounder, while also contributing with efficient interior scoring, shooting 71.7 percent from the field.
Germany will return to the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup after a historic runner-up finish in last year's edition. With one of the best backcourts in the competition in Lucai Anderson and Fabian Kayser, along with Kroger's strong interior presence, they should be considered one of the contenders.
David Musis - Israel
Center
Birth Date: July 21, 2008 (18 years old) Height: 2.11m (6ft 11in) Tournament Stats: 22.7 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 1.6 BPG, 0.7 APG, 0.4 SPG
Musis was one of the most productive players in the tournament, finishing as the leading rebounder and second-leading scorer in Trentino, while also contributing as a rim protector and three-point shooter. The Florida Atlantic commit formed one of the most dangerous duos in the competition alongside Aviv Aronov, helping lead Israel to the Quarter-Finals, where they fell to eventual champions Slovenia.
With his unique combination of elite size, rim protection, and three-point shooting, Musis should be one of the international players to watch in the NCAA next season.
Ignas Stombergas - Lithuania
Center
Birth Date: February 21, 2008 (18 years old) Height: 2.08m (6ft 10in) Tournament Stats: 16.3 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 2.6 BPG, 1.7 APG, 1.1 SPG
Stombergas emerged as one of the best two-way interior bigs in the competition, finishing in the top ten in scoring and the top five in both blocks and rebounds per game. The Zalgiris center showcased a unique combination of size, footwork, and touch that made him one of the most efficient scorers around the basket, shooting 68.8 percent from the field, while also possessing the tools, instincts, and motor to make an impact defensively, particularly as a rim protector.
It wasn't the return to contention that Lithuania had hoped for, as they were eliminated in the Round of 16 for the third consecutive year, but Stombergas' emergence and long-term potential as a difference-maker in the paint are certainly silver linings.
Chrysostomos Chatzilamprou - Greece
Forward
Birth Date: July 12, 2008 (18 years old) Height: 2.00m (6ft 7in) Tournament Stats: 17.1 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 2.7 APG, 0.7 SPG
Despite just missing out on qualification for the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup, Greece's sixth-place finish was their best result since 2019. A key factor in that success was Chatzilamprou, who finished in the top ten in the tournament in both scoring and rebounding, while also establishing himself as one of the best shooters in Trentino, making 37.3 percent of his three-point attempts on 8.4 attempts per game.
Chatzilamprou’s combination of interior presence and perimeter shooting allowed him to impact the game at multiple levels and should make him a player to follow over the next few years.
Roman Avdejev - Estonia
Center
Birth Date: February 2, 2008 (18 years old) Height: 2.03m (6ft 8in) Tournament Stats: 10.9 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 2.1 BPG, 1.3 APG, 1.1 SPG
Avdejev finished in the top five in both rebounds and blocks per game, providing the interior presence that was key to Estonia's successful return to Division A, as they finished 10th, their best-ever result at the U18 level.
Avdejev, who will play high school basketball at DME Academy next season, will be one of the top European recruits in the American high school ranks. With his combination of size, strength, interior scoring, and rim protection, he should be making an impact at the college level before long.
Darius Karutasu - Türkiye
Shooting Guard
Birth Date: March 30, 2009 (17 years old) Height: 2.01m (6ft 7in) Tournament Stats: 13 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Despite playing one year up in age, Karutasu led Türkiye in both scoring and rebounding, stepping up in a major way for a team that lost one of its best players, Omer Ege Ziyaettin, to injury just days before the tournament.
Karutasu, who had already established himself as one of Türkiye's key players at last month's FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup, will be eligible to play in next year's FIBA U18 EuroBasket and, alongside fellow 2009-born standout Omer Kutluay, makes Türkiye a way-too-early favorite to win the title in 2027.
FIBA