Goodman named MVP to headline All-Star Five of Sewell, Crate, Zhang, Alas  

DOHA (Qatar) - Oscar Goodman was named MVP of the FIBA U16 Asian Championship 2023 after a standout tournament with New Zealand.

The 1.99M (6'6") power forward was a consistent performer from start to finish for the Kiwis, averaging 14.0 points on 52.3 percent field-goal shooting while also adding 8.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. Among his best games of the competition was a 23-point, 9-rebound effort against host Qatar while also getting in 2 blocks and 2 steals.

Goodman is joined by teammate Lachlan on the All-Star Five which also includes Henry Sewell from Australia, Boyuan Zhang from China, and Kiefer Alas from the Philippines.

Crate led New Zealand in scoring with 15.2 points per game while also adding 4.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists for the Finalists. In the Semi-Finals where New Zealand defeated China, the 1.97M (6'6") shooting guard scored 23 points on 9-16 shooting to get the Kiwis to their first-ever Final appearance.

As the anchor in the paint for a well-balanced championship squad, Henry Sewell averaged 11.5 points and 7.2 rebounds throughout the competition while shooting 64.7 percent from the floor. The 2.04M (6'8") center had two double-doubles in Doha, notably an 18-point, 13-rebound outing against Jordan in the Quarter-Finals.

Boyuan Zhang was the second-leading scorer of the competition and among only three players to average at least 20 points per game. The 2.03M (6'8") versatile forward put up 20.5 points per game with high efficiency, shooting 52.9 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from beyond the three-point line. He saved his best performance for the last game, pouring in 34 points on 7 three-pointers to help China secure third place.

The Philippines were able to make it to the Semi-Finals because of the explosive performance of their rising star, Kiefer Alas. The 1.88M (6'2") scored 22 of his 29 points in the second half against Japan, willing them to a come-from-behind victory in the Quarter-Finals. He ended up leading the Philippines in scoring with 15.6 points per game while also being among the top rebounders in the competition with 8.6 rebounds per contest.

FIBA