The 2012 FIBA Asia A-Z - Part 1

KUALA LUMPUR (Mageshwaran’s AsiaScope) – It’s that time of the year when Janus, the Roman god of transitions, comes calling, and introspection in retrospect is the order.

As another year comes to an end, it’s also the time to put together my annual A-Z to describe and depict the people who made an impact on our sport during the year.

Only this time, all the people – with the obvious reference point being what they did during the year – in their late teens or early twenties. Simply put, I have chosen to catch them young. Let’s together watch how they grow.

Here’s my Young A-Z for FIBA Asia 2012:

A for…Ahmad Ibrahim
Our first person for the year is somebody who has been a star in the waiting for more than four years. Ibrahim was earmarked for stardom ever since he made his international debut in the 19th FIBA Asia U18 Championship in Tehran, Iran in 2008, but went into distraction since.

The year 2012 saw him move from Rice University Owls to Lebanon’s very own Al Riyadi Beirut and straight away hit the right straps leading the Beirut giants at the 23rd FIBA Asia Champions Cup in Beirut, Lebanon.

Ibrahim is at the vanguard of Riyadi’s quest to regain the Lebanese League title even as we speak, and surely will play a vital role in the Cedars’ attempt to qualify for the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

B for…Behnam Yakhchali
The rise in fortunes of Iran basketball – including their triumphs at the 24th FIBA Asia Championship in Tokushima, Japan in 2007 and 25th FIBA Asia Championship in Tianjin, China two years later – has revolved around speedy, skilled and sharp-shooting guards. Yakhchali is a great advert for continuing this trend.

An average of 17 points per game in Iran’s bronze medal at the 22nd FIBA Asia U18 Championship in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia clinched him a place in the senior team for the 4th FIBA Asia Cup in Tokyo, Japan, where too he played the role of standing in for Hamed Afagh superbly.

Yakhchali is certainly one of the reasons Petrochimi are unbeaten in this year’s Iranian Super League so far.

C for…Choi Junyong
A 2.00m shooting guard from Korea! Something remarkable and refreshing in the trends that are emerging in FIBA Asia. That is exactly what Choi is. That exactly is why we’ll hear more of him in the very near future.

Choi averaged 15.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game as Korea went on to play the Finals of the 22nd FIBA Asia U18 Championship and was the All-Star pick for his position.

D for…Dai Huaibo
In Dai Huaibo, China have found their third 2.00m plus No 4-No 5 position player which should go a long away in helping China realise their dreams of success beyond Asia. The manner in which Dai combined with the other two giants in the team – Wang Zhelin and Zhou Qi, whom we’ll talk about in this piece when their turn comes – was a treat to the eye.

Statistics of 16.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game were quantifying this youngster’s potential.

E for…Evelyn Mawuli
Our first player on the women’s side. Also the only player who didn’t figure in any FIBA Asia event in 2012. The 1.80m Okha HS center more than made up for the latter with a sterling performance in the 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship for Women in Amsterdam, Netherlands leading Japan to an unprecedented Semi-Final finish, missing the bronze medal by a whisker.

Coach Tatsushi Isshiki thought she was too young and left her out of his roster for the 21st FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women in Johor Bahru, Malaysia but to me Mawuli was indeed one of those small details which came between Japan and their gold medal dreams.

F for…Fan Shin-En
Another example for the changing approaches in FIBA Asia thinking, the Taipei youngster is a classic No 4. Although forced to play as No 5 in the team formation given his 1.99m height, Fan often played to his natural instincts and finished with an average of 12.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game at the 22nd FIBA Asia U18 Championship.

G for…Cheon Gibeom
This player is a classic playmaker. With skills suitably available and an attitude that is remarkably refreshing, Cheon is sure to play a pivotal role in Korea’s fortunes in the future.

Dishing a tournament-high 6.0 assists per game, the 1.87m guard also had a 41% conversion rate from beyond the arc for his tournament average of 14.4 points per game in Korea’s silver medal at the 22nd FIBA Asia U18 Championship.

H for…Luo Hanchen
The unanimity in choice for the point guard position when the All-Stars were drawn at the 22nd FIBA Asia U18 Championship more than speaks for this Chinese playmaker’s ability to set plays for a supremely gifted front court.

With a penchant for style and panache – as seen in his Mohawk hairstyle – Luo caught the eye for his playmaking skills as well as returning averages of 8.9 points and 3.6 averages per game. But then the very presence of Luo in the backcourt, more often than not, was more crucial to China’s 10th gold medal triumph in FIBA Asia U18 Championships than the statistical figures themselves.

J for…J-Jay Alejandro
If improvement is a yardstick for measuring potential, this Filipino youngster stands head and shoulders above many of his peers. There was a visible progress in the Manila National University student’s skills in the time between the 2nd FIBA Asia U16 Championship in Nha Trang City, Vietnam in October 2011 when I first saw him and the 22nd FIBA Asia U18 Championship in Ulaanbaatar. Now I only hope physically too, he keeps growing.

Next week, we look at the remaining letters in the alphabet.

So long…

S Mageshwaran

FIBA Asia

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