FIBA U19 World Cup’s top-10 men’s basketball players, ranked
The future of basketball was on display at the FIBA U19 World Cup. Let’s rank the 10 best players.
The 2023 U19 FIBA World Cup gave fans, coaches, and scouts an opportunity to see the next group of stars from around the world. There was no shortage of talent and potential in many of the growing prospects, but the top-10 players listed seem to be the most polished athletes.
10. Tobe Awaka (USA)
Tennessee’s Tobe Awaka was the muscle behind Team USA, being their most important contributor. They entered the tournament as the No. 1 contender, being double-digit favorites in a majority of their matches. Despite being arguably the most talented team in Debrecen, Hungary, they regularly underperformed, yet Awaka was consistent in his role.
Awaka averaged 11.6 points and 1.4 steals, closing out the tournament with the No. 2 in rebounds per game at 10.6. He was a bright spot for a USA team that was lacking experience and size. Awaka and Villanova guard Mark Armstrong were the leaders of the young roster. Awaka didn’t get high volume minutes in his first season with Tennessee last year, but he’s clearly improved his offensive game and his confidence seemed grow each and every day.
9. Berke Buyuktuncel (Turkey)
Turkey came into the scene as one of the most prepared teams on the market. They had just about every skill set in their back pocket, having one of the largest lineups in the tournament, while being able to knock down catch and shoot threes with ease. The most valuable piece to their puzzle was 18-year-old Berke Buyuktuncel.
He was always one of the highest IQ players on the court, having an extremely high efficiency rating throughout the World Cup. Buyuktuncel ended his U19 campaign with an average of 11.4 points and 8.3 rebounds. At 6’9 he was also able to stretch the floor, adding 3.7 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game.
8. Reynan Santos (Brazil)
It didn’t matter who was on the other end of the floor, Reynan Santos always had the highest motor and was willing to run through anybody. Santos is a clear winner who gets better as the game progresses. He had one of the best performances of the week in a gutwrenching loss to Argentina, registering 25 points, 12 rebounds, and two steals. Brazil was down 77-57 with 5:22 left in the game and Santos put the team on his back to fight for a potential comeback, but they ultimately lost 87-85.
Santos concluded his U19 campaign averaging 16.6 points and 5.6 rebounds. He has pro-level size and speed, but he needs to find a comfortable three-point stroke that would allow him to be a Swiss Army knife. Aside from that tweak, Brazil has a great athlete in their hands that can wreak havoc on both ends of the floor.
7. Tajon Akira Jacobs (Japan)
At 6’8 Akira Jacobs was an undersized big in nearly every matchup. He basically served as Japan’s only force in the paint, but despite the constant attention he was more than successful. Jacobs finished the tournament with an average of 17 points and 5.6 rebounds.
He showed incredible versatility, being able to stretch the floor and knock down three’s consistently. Jacobs had back-to-back games with four made shots from downtown against Team USA and Serbia. The Hawaii commit was able to make great decisions with the ball in his hands, noticeably having an extremely high IQ.
6. Jan Vide (Slovenia)
UCLA commit Jan Vide has a knack for scoring inside of the arc and always seems to find adequate spacing to get hit shots off in rhythm. Vide has a slower first step than other guards in the tournament, but he’s very good at reading gaps and changing speed when the time comes to score. In seven games, he averaged 17.9 points and 1.6 steals.
Slovenia was one of the streakiest teams in the early days, but Vide’s impact was highlighted in each matchup. He could be a real threat with the Bruins, but a change of scenery is also going to come with adjustments in his game. Vide shot 22.7 percent from three and 66.7 percent from the free throw line. Following a win in the qualifying rounds Vide said “Of course I need to improve on my shot out of the range… I don’t know what percentage I have now, but this is the thing I need to improve a little bit more.” He’ll likely need some time in UCLA’s system to get adjusted to the game in the United States, but he’s in a great place to keep growing.
5. Zacharie Perrin (France)
France had two dominant forces throughout the tournament, with Zacharie Perrin being their main source of scoring inside the paint. There weren’t many players that used their size and strength as a bigger advantage than Perrin. He’s a hefty player that knows how to move around the box and find an angle to score or create contact to put others in foul trouble.
Perrin was tested on various occasions, having to face some of the largest lineups presented, including China, Serbia, and Spain. Time and time again he proved that him finding his way toward the basket was inevitable. The French product had an admirable 65.2 pecent field goal percentage, shooting just one three in the entire tournament. Despite his limited offensive attack, Perrin cemented his name as one of the top players with 15.4 points and 10.9 rebounds in seven games, leading his team to a silver medal.
4. Lee Aaliya (Argentina)
Argentina made a name for themselves as one of the loudest, peskiest teams in the tournament. They were extremely undersized so most of their success came from traps, double teams, and a quick first step on the offensive end. While guards Lucas Giovannetti and Dylan Bordon were able to consistently find the bottom of the basket, Argentina’s anchor was by far Lee Aaliya.
He was absent in the quarterfinals, posting just four points and one rebound, but a bounce back came with big numbers for Aaliya. In a matchup against Canada, Aaliya pushed his team to a comeback victory with 31 points and 20 rebounds, recording one of the largest double-doubles in FIBA U19 history. He was the team’s leading scorer in a majority of their games, ending the contest with a 17.1 points per game average.
3. Melvin Ajinca (France)
France entered the tournament with a couple of intriguing prospects, but small forward Melvin Ajinca left as the country’s most “pro-ready” player. Ajinca was extremely efficient throughout the entire week, finishing second in average points per game, with 19.3.
He shot 58.8 percent from two-point range and 48.9 percent from three. At 6’7, Ajinca proved to be one of the best three-point shooting forwards in the tournament, knocking down three or more baskets from deep in six of his seven games.
2. Mathias M’Madi (Madagascar)
M’Madi was the leading scorer of the tournament, averaging 26 points in the qualifying round and 24.1 to finish the week. His Madagascar squad was never able to truly compete with a tremendous lack of size on their roster, but M’Madi was must-see TV each and every game. He started the tournament tallying 28 points against the U.S. and followed that with a 34-point performance against Lebanon.
The 18-year old prospect had one of the most promising skill sets in the tournament. M’Madi was able to find ways to score around the rim unlike any other player. He has a smooth touch around the basket, working as a lethal scorer within 15 feet and he’s an extremely crafty ball handler. Once he’s able to add three-point shooting to his arsenal, ending the tournament with a 16.1% average, he’ll be hearing his name called on draft night.
1. Izan Almansa Perez (Spain)
The best player on the best team was Spain’s Izan Almansa. He was able to set the tone on offense and defense right off the tip. Almansa opened up the floor for Spain, leaving space for their guards who were always searching for shots from three-point range. The recent G-League Ignite commit led all centers in average points (16.9), field goal percentage (61.0) and free throw percentage (89.5).
Almansa has a phenomenal feel for the game, being able to pick the shots that he’s comfortable taking while playing at his own pace. He’s able to play through his guards and forwards, gaining most of his points through pick and roll or lob action plays. Almansa was asked about his decision to join Ignite, and said “I made that decision because I want to play in the NBA, so I think that’s the best step to take now to get to the league, to work on my ball handling, on my shooting, and everything against good competition.” The flashy center should be considered one of the top available prospects in next year’s draft.