SKOPJE (North Macedonia) - Despite not winning the FIBA U16 EuroBasket, Division B title, Belgium's Aaron Ona Embo can celebrate winning MVP honors as he leads the All-Star Five.
The Belgian is joined in the All-Star Five by Czechia's Marek Houska, Poland duo Hubert Swirydowicz and Lukasz Lysek, as well as Miguel Sousa of Portugal.
MVP: Aaron Ona Embo (Belgium)
Ona Embo's overall performances and scoring outbursts have earned him MVP honors in Skopje. The skilled point guard led the tournament with 24.5 points and also dished out 5.3 assists, ensuring his nation gained promotion to Division A next year. He played all 40 minutes in the Final, collecting 14 points in a valiant effort. He will be heartbroken that his potential game-winning three would have dropped, but regardless, he was an offensive firecracker in North Macedonia.
Marek Houska (Czechia)
Marek Houska's double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds was enough to secure Czechia an 85-67 win over Portugal in the Third Place Game, which secured promotion for his team. Houska secured two double-doubles in the tournament and he averaged 12.1 points, 5.4 assists and shot 39 percent from three-point land. He was a problem for the opposition all-tournament long.
Hubert Swirydowicz (Poland)
Hubert Swirydowicz might have struggled to score in the Final, but his high basketball IQ took over, and the Slask Wroclaw forward found other ways to impact the game, as he pulled down 9 rebounds and got 2 blocks. He posted 13.6 points and 9.1 rebounds a game. He was the anchor for the victorious Polish side.
Miguel Sousa (Portugal)
Division B's rim protector, Miguel Sousa, led all by averaging a stunning 3.4 blocks a game and, despite losing to Czechia in the Third Place Game, swatted away eight attempts. The power forward also averaged a double-double of 10.7 points and 10.6 rebounds a game on 45 percent shooting. A stellar performance throughout.
Lukasz Lysek (Poland)
An intelligent, big man with a bright future, Lukasz Lysek made all the right moves defensively and rarely put a foot wrong in the tournament, as one of the glue players in Poland's success. Hard working and efficient, he shot 58 percent from the field and averaged 5.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks a game. His 14 points and 12 rebounds against Montenegro in the Quarter-Finals and 13 points in the Semi-Finals against Czechia were his standout showcases.
FIBA