TBILISI (Georgia) – The FIBA U16 EuroBasket returns for its 37th edition and once again, is stacked with talent.
Known as the launching pad for many of Europe’s brightest stars, the tournament serves as a consistent showcase for the next generation of elite players who are poised an impact at the professional, college and NBA levels over the next few years.
We highlight 10 standout prospects who could make a major impact in Tbilisi, and potentially shape the future of European basketball.
Nathan Soliman - France
Small Forward
Birth Date: May 14, 2009 (16 years old) Height: 2.01m (6ft 7in) Club: Pole France (FRA)
France will be looking to defend their title in Tbilisi after beating Spain in the Final in 2024, claiming their fourth U16 crown. One of their main weapons this year will be Nathan Soliman who, despite his young age, has been one of the top prospects in France for several years, and played a key role for the team in last year's FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup and the U16 EuroBasket 2023.
The French forward is a two-way force who can finish at the rim off cuts, rolls, and transition opportunities, but also makes an impact on the defensive end, creating events on all levels of the floor with his size, length, and mobility.
Nikola Kusturica - Serbia
Shooting Guard
Birth Date: April 30, 2009 (16 years old) Height: 2.02m (6ft 8in) Tournament Stats: FC Barcelona (ESP)
After finishing 7th in 2023 — which caused them to miss the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024 — Serbia got back on track in last year's U16 EuroBasket, earning a bronze medal in the process. One of the most promising players on this year's Serbian roster is Nikola Kusturica, who has made an impact for Barcelona at invitational tournaments across Europe over the past year.
The Serbian forward shows an impressive combination of size, mobility, ball-handling ability, and shooting touch, which makes him one of the most intriguing wing prospects in Europe. If Kusturica plays to his full potential, it's easy to project Serbia as a serious candidate to win it all in Tbilisi.
Omer Kutulay - Türkiye
Point Guard
Birth Date: March 27, 2009 (16 years old) Height: 1.93m (6ft 4in) Tournament Stats: Real Madrid (ESP)
Türkiye will return the leading scorer from last year's U16 EuroBasket in Kutulay, who is regarded as one of the top prospects in his age group, after showing tremendous potential both with the junior national team and in the youth ranks of Real Madrid. Despite his high-scoring performance in 2024, the Turkish guard is also one of the best passers in his age group, displaying excellent vision, creativity, and quick-decision making as a playmaker for others.
With Kutulay as their offensive engine, Türkiye will have a real shot at claiming their first U16 title since 2012 in Tbilisi.
Lucai Anderson - Germany
Point Guard
Birth Date: February 28, 2009 (16 years old) Height: 1.93m (6ft 4in) Tournament Stats: Trinity Christian (USA)
Germany returned to Division A after winning the 2022 Division B tournament, led by a masterful performance from Christian Anderson, who was named MVP in Sofia. Three years later, it's Christian's younger brother, Lucai, who seems poised to make an impact for Germany.
One of the top-rated guards in the high school class of 2027, Anderson stands out with his combination of optimal positional size, shooting touch, and creative ball-handling ability. Germany will certainly miss Fabian Kayser, one of the top prospects in Europe who won't be in the competition due to an injury, but Anderson certainly has the talent to carry his team deep into the tournament.
Gabrielius Buivydas - Lithuania
Guard
Birth Date: March 28, 2009 (16 years old) Height: 1.88m (6ft 2in) Club: BC Rytas (LTU)
Lithuania is always a team to watch at the U16 level, having won the most recent of their two titles in 2022. This year, they should contend once again with a roster loaded with talent.
One of their key players is Gabrielius Buivydas, who is coming off a strong season at the junior level for Rytas, where his efficient scoring around the basket, elite shooting off the catch, and smooth ball-handling ability made him one of the team's top contributors during their Youth Basketball Champions League title run.
Simone Ventura - Italy
Guard
Birth Date: June 6, 2009 (16 years old) Height: 1.96m (6ft 5in) Tournament Stats: Acqua S.Bernardo Cantu (ITA)
After nearly three decades, Italy returned to the U16 podium in 2019 and followed that up with a second-place finish in 2023. They'll look to continue that momentum this year, and one player expected to make an impact for them is Simone Ventura.
The 16-year-old wing has been one of Italy's best players in the friendly matches leading up to the tournament, where he has shown a combination of optimal positional size, ball-handling ability, multi-level shot-making, and even some passing chops, as a reactive playmaker on the move.
Lun Jarc - Slovenia
Power Forward
Birth Date: January 26, 2009 (16 years old) Height: 2.06m (6ft 9in) Tournament Stats: Mega MIS (SRB)
Jarc already showed impressive moments in last year's edition of the tournament, where he averaged 5.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, while shooting an efficient 53.8 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from three.
The 16-year-old forward has a rare profile for his age. He has elite size but moves and plays like a wing who is able to create drives, knock down threes, and contest shots around the basket with his size and length. With his elite positional size, scoring ability, and offensive versatility, Jarc should be one of the most intriguing long-term prospects in Tbilisi.
Humberto Ruiz - Spain
Shooting Guard
Birth Date: February 7, 2009 (16 years old) Height: 1.97m (6ft 6in) Tournament Stats: Club Joventut Badalona (ESP)
Spain enters Tbilisi as one of the tournament favorites, having reached the Final in each of the last five editions of the tournament, winning two of them.
One player who stood out for Spain in the warm-up games ahead of U16 EuroBasket was Humberto Ruiz. The 16-year-old wing has impressed with his performances for Joventut Badalona in invitational tournaments across Europe. His combination of size, smooth three-point shooting, and pesky perimeter defense makes him a versatile player who could develop into an impactful contributor in a 3-and-D role for Spain.
Terell Hopkins - Finland
Small Forward
Birth Date: June 4, 2009 (16 years old) Height: 1.95m (6ft 5in) Tournament Stats: Redondo Union (USA)
Hopkins was already an important piece for Finland in last year's U16 EuroBasket, where he averaged 7.1 points per game and made an impact with his versatile shooting. His flashes of ball-handling in Heraklion were also impressive. It will be interesting to see if he can step into a larger on-ball role this year, but his experience will be valuable for a Finnish team aiming to improve on last year's 11th-place finish.
Spyridon Papaioannou - Greece
Forward
Birth Date: April 3, 2009 (16 years old) Height: 1.95m (6ft 5in) Tournament Stats: Olympiacos BC (GRE)
While Greece hasn't won a U16 title in more than 30 years, the team is on an upward trajectory, having reached the Semi-Finals in two of the last three tournaments. If they're able to take the next step this year, a key player will be Spyridon Papaioannou, who has been Greece's most productive player in the friendly games leading up to the event.
The Olympiacos product is a two-guard who can space the floor as an off-ball shooter, but create off-the-dribble, getting to the rim against defensive pressure and making plays for teammates on the move, taking advantage of the gravity he generates as a driver.
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