Who was the MVP for each team in the third window?

MUNICH (Germany) - The First Round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers has concluded and there were plenty of standout individual performers from the third and final window.

We've taken a look through each nation to decide their MVP from June-July's action as the stars came out to play for their national teams with lots at stake on the long road to next year's global tournament.

Group A

Latvia 

Andrejs Grazulis - PF / 2.02m / 1993
Statistics: 14.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.0 SPG

Grazulis played an important role for Latvia off the bench as they closed out Group A action with two wins to take a 5-1 record into the Second Round. The 28-year-old contributed an efficient 10 points in a low-scoring win over Serbia before putting up 19 points on 9-of-11 shooting along with 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals as Latvia cruised to a 33-point victory on the road against Slovakia with Davis Bertans also showing out.

Belgium 

Ismael Bako - C / 2.08m / 1995
Statistics: 13.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 63% FG

Bako returned to action for Belgium, and they too could not have asked for a better finish to the First Round as they recorded wins over Slovakia and Serbia. The center scored 10 points in a dominant home win against Slovakia, which secured qualification, and then posted 17 points and 6 rebounds as Belgium claimed a stunning double over Serbia with a thrilling one-point triumph in Nis as Retin Obasohan also impressed during the window.

Serbia 

Aleksa Avramovic - PG / 1.92m / 1994
Statistics: 13.5 PPG, 2.5 APG

When Avramovic had amassed 16 first-half points in Riga, Serbia looked on course for a strong start to the final window. However, things quickly went down hill as they struggled to put points on the board in the second half in a seven-point loss and then proceeded to fall to another loss to Belgium - this time on home soil. Avramovic led Serbia in scoring through the First Round and added another 11 points in the final game as the offense struggled to flow.

Slovakia 

David Abrham - SG / 1.93m / 1996
Statistics: 9.0 PPG, 50% 3PT

Two heavy defeats sent Slovakia into the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Pre-Qualifiers without a win to their name from a challenging group. It was a final window to forget as they were brushed aside by Belgium and Latvia in emphatic fashion. Abrham showed some promise with 15 points including 4-of-8 shooting from three-point range on the road against Belgium with few positives to take for Slovakia.

Group B

Greece 

Georgios Papagiannis - C / 2.17m / 1997
Statistics: 14.0 PTS, 10.0 REB, 2.0 BLK

Papagiannis put in a powerful display inside during Greece's win at home to Great Britain. The seven-footer posted a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds in just 22 minutes of action in their 22-point success to take further momentum into the Second Round. Papagiannis also added 2 blocks in the win having asserted his authority in the paint with a strong performance.

Turkey 

Shane Larkin - PG / 1.82m / 1992
Statistics: 22.0 PTS, 3.0 REB, 6.0 AST

Larkin continues to enhance his reputation as one of Europe's best guards after another controlled performance to lead Turkey to an important road win. The 29-year-old top scored with 22 points and handed out 6 assists against Great Britain having averaged 17.5 points per game across four appearances in the window. Larkin holds the key for Turkey and they will hope to add further firepower around him in August to boost their World Cup hopes.

Great Britain 

Myles Hesson - F / 1.98m / 1990
Statistics: 20.5 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 3.5 APG

This window marked a first appearance of the campaign for Hesson, though GB were still missing some key players as they dropped both of their final two games. Hesson was back in action after a season in Japan and showed why he has been a key member of the team in recent years with his all-round performances. The 32-year-old contributed 18 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in the loss at home to Turkey having top scored with 23 points in Greece.

Group C

Finland 

Lauri Markkanen - PF / 2.13m / 1997
Statistics: 20.5 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 2.5 SPG

Markkanen was the Finnish hero - and Sweden's - in the final window after a triumphant return to the Susijengi. The Cleveland Cavaliers forward dropped 22 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals to lead Finland past Sweden in their opening game and then added 19 points, including a game-winner to eliminate Croatia in a crushing late blow. Markkanen's impact helped propel Finland to a 5-1 record to take into the Second Round.

Slovenia 

Luka Doncic - SF / 2.01m / 1999
Statistics: 26.0 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 8.0 APG

Luka doing Luka things. Doncic averaged a near triple-double for the window to help Slovenia to two crucial wins, whilst reuniting with FIBA EuroBasket 2017 MVP Goran Dragic. The 23-year-old needed little time to adjust back into international basketball after finishing with 21 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists in an emphatic win over Croatia. Doncic then fired in 31 points on 50-percent shooting in a close-fought victory in Sweden, whilst collecting 10 rebounds and adding 6 assists and 2 steals.

Sweden 

Simon Birgander - C / 2.10m / 1997
Statistics: 12.0 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.5 APG

Birgander showcased his versatility for Sweden in the final window as they celebrated moving onto the Second Round without needing to pick up a win. The 24-year-old center finished with 9 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists - having not registered more than one in the previous four games - in the loss to Finland before shooting 6-of-8 from the field in a 15-point outing as Sweden came up narrowly short at home to Slovenia.

Croatia 

Ivica Zubac - C / 2.16m / 1997
Statistics: 17.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.0 APG

Zubac averaged 17.5 points and 7.5 rebounds across the two games for Croatia, but was unable to help lift them through to the Second Round with Bojan Bogdanovic and Mario Hezonja also back with the national team. The LA Clippers big man did struggle at the foul line in both games and was kept to 14 points in a heavy loss against Slovenia before having a bigger impact with 21 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists against Finland with a late three curtailing their World Cup ambitions.

Group D

Germany 

Dennis Schroder - PG / 1.88m / 1993
Statistics: 26.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 7.0 APG

Schroder set a new World Cup European Qualifiers scoring record with a scintillating 38 points which not only secured Germany their fifth win from the First Round, but eliminated Poland in the process. The experienced point guard netted seven triples and added 7 rebounds and 5 assists to his record-breaking performance. Schroder's first appearance back in a German jersey resulted in 14 points and 9 assists against Estonia to lock up qualification.

Israel 

Yovel Zoosman - SG / 1.99m / 1998
Statistics: 12.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 4.5 APG

Zoosman was back in action for Israel in the final window with the Germany-based shooting guard helping his team advance to the Second Round. The 24-year-old contributed 10 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists as Israel fell to defeat in an overtime epic on the road against Poland before netting 14 points to go with 8 rebounds as they secured second place in the group with a convincing win over Estonia.

Estonia 

Maik-Kalev Kotsar - F / 2.08m / 1996
Statistics: 13.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG

Kotsar stood out for Estonia for the second window in succession as they endured mixed emotions after making it through, despite falling to back-to-back losses. The forward netted 13 points in both encounters with Estonia advancing to the next phase following Poland's loss to Germany. Kotsar finished the First Round as his team's leader in scoring, rebounding and efficiency with more encouraging displays from the 25-year-old.

Poland 

Mateusz Ponitka - SF / 1.98m / 1993
Statistics: 18.5 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 5.5 APG

Ponitka - and Poland - left it all on the floor as their attempt to recover from losing their first three games fell short in the final window. The 28-year-old was making his first appearances of the campaign and adopted his usual role as a leader on the team with 23 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 6 steals in an all-round effort during their overtime triumph against Israel. Ponitka then scored 14 points to go with 5 rebounds and 5 assists as AJ Slaughter dropped 32 points in vain as their World Cup hopes were dashed in a 10-point defeat to Germany.

Group E

France 

Theo Maledon - PG / 1.91m / 2001
Statistics: 15.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.5 APG

21-year-old Maledon stood out for France in a mixed window for Les Bleus. The talented point guard scored 16 points and added 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals in a loss to Montenegro on his return to the national team. Maledon then added 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the dominant win over Hungary having been +35 on the court in just 19 minutes of action, while the likes of Elie Okobo and Vincent Poirier also had solid contributions on their returns.

Montenegro 

Nemanja Radovic - PF / 2.08m / 1991
Statistics: 13.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 65% FG

Radovic scored what turned out to be the game-winner for Montenegro in a memorable victory at home against France to secure their spot in the Second Round in style. It was the first of two wins as Radovic finished with 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting in just 18 minutes of action before adding 11 points as they brushed aside the challenge of Portugal on the road.

Hungary 

Mikael Hopkins - C / 2.06m / 1993
Statistics: 6.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG

It was a tough window for Hungary as they survived a scare at home to Portugal to advance with a single-point victory before enduring a difficult evening on the road against France as they were held to just 40 points. Hopkins put up 9 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Portugal having shown glimpses of the potential impact on the team, before being held to just 4 points as France sent out a statement with their defense.

Portugal 

Miguel Queiroz - PF / 2.04m / 1991
Statistics: 16.5 PPG, 9.0 RPG

Queiroz raised his level in the final window for Portugal as they bowed out from the First Round. The experienced 31-year-old produced a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds against Hungary before setting his personal scoring best with 17 points in defeat to Montenegro. Queiroz increased his overall scoring average into double figures for the First Round as Portugal proved they could be competitive in spells without being able to collect a win.

Group F

Lithuania 

Ignas Brazdeikis - SF / 1.98m / 1999
Statistics: 14.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG

Brazdeikis is the new kid on the block for Lithuania having made his senior debut for the team after previously representing Canada at junior international level. The 23-year-old was Lithuania's leading scorer during the window in which they saw their unbeaten record come to an end. Brazdeikis scored 13 points in the win over Bulgaria - despite going 0-of-6 from three-point range - before netting 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting  with three triples in the loss to Czech Republic.

Czech Republic 

Tomas Satoransky - PG / 2.01m / 1991
Statistics: 17.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 7.0 APG

Satoransky was back for Czech Republic and helped lead his country to two vital victories as they stamped their place in the Second Round from a 0-3 start. The wily guard dished out 10 assists to go with 13 points for a double-double in the win over Bosnia and Herzegovina to set the tone for the window. Satoransky then contributed 21 points and 4 assists as their turnaround was complete was an impressive road win in Lithuania to advance.

Bosnia and Herzegovina 

Dzanan Musa - SF / 2.02m / 1999
Statistics: 14.5 PPG, 4.5 APG, 3.0 SPG

Musa on the money. A dagger three-pointer in the final seconds to spark jubilant scenes in Sarajevo as Bosnia and Herzegovina's place in the Second Round was secured. With Czech Republic winning, they were in danger of elimination in case of a double-digit defeat to Bulgaria and Musa wiped out the possibility of overtime with a clutch shot at the death. The 23-year-old also added 6 assists to his 13 points, whilst scoring 16 points in their opening loss in the window.

Bulgaria 

Aleksandar Vezenkov - PF / 2.06m / 1995
Statistics: 29.0 PTS, 11.0 REB, 2.0 STL

Vezenkov put on a show for Bulgaria with a determined display as they came up just short of a famous win at home to Lithuania. The skilled forward posted 29 points and 11 rebounds with Bulgaria beaten by just two points in their pursuit of a Second Round spot. Vezenkov then sat out the following game on the road against Bosnia and Herzegovina as their dreams were dashed.

Group G

Spain 

Sebastian Saiz - C / 2.02m / 1994
Statistics: 11.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.3 BPG

Saiz joined up with the Spanish national team for the final window and was a standout in their opening win over North Macedonia with 19 points on 9-of-11 shooting to go with 9 rebounds and 2 blocks in a dominant display. The 27-year-old also hit double figures in scoring against Ukraine with 10 points as they came through a stern test with Saiz coming up with the game-saving block in the dying seconds to deny their opponents victory and push Spain to 5-1.

Georgia 

Tornike Shengelia - PF / 1.88m / 1987
Statistics: 16.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.5 APG

Shengelia's passion for the national team was on full show once again after helping Georgia to victory over the reigning World Cup champions Spain. Going up against his head coach from club level, Shengelia finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals in the win as Georgia claimed a major scalp to take forward into the Second Round. The forward had also scored 21 points in defeat to Ukraine in their first game of the final window.

Ukraine 

Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk - SG / 1.99m / 1997
Statistics: 18.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG

It was almost a perfect window with three wins from three for Ukraine, but for the outstretched fingertips of Sebastian Saiz in the final game. Mykhailiuk netted 16 points in Ukraine's 13-point victory over Georgia in Riga before firing in 24 points for a national team career best with six triples on the road against North Macedonia. The NBA guard couldn't quite find his range against Spain, but still managed to score 15 points in the agonizing defeat.

North Macedonia 

Andrej Jakimovski - F / 2.00m / 2001
Statistics: 15.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.0 APG

Another 21-year-old stepping up for their country, Jakimovski produced two solid performances as North Macedonia were unable to make it out of the group to the Second Round. The Washington State sophomore played big minutes in both games of the final window with 14 points and 6 rebounds against Spain as well as a near double-double with 17 points and 9 boards along with 2 blocks in defeat to Ukraine.

Group H

Italy 

Simone Fontecchio - F / 2.03m / 1995
Statistics: 22.0 PTS, 4.0 REB, 2.0 BLK

Fontecchio made an instant impact on his return to the national team with the Azzurri with 22 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks against the Netherlands. The 26-year-old helped Italy get the job done on the road with an 11-point victory to ensure they head into the Second Round with a 3-1 record to their name. Fontecchio converted 7 of his 10 attempts from the field, whilst not missing from beyond the arc with a perfect 4-of-4 accuracy.

Iceland 

Tryggvi Hlinason - C / 2.15m / 1997
Statistics: 20.0 PTS, 11.0 REB, 3.0 BLK

It may not have big as his performance in their win over Italy, but Hlinason's display against the Netherlands was not any less important for Iceland. The towering center came alive in the second half to finish with another double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds - as well as 3 blocks - to help his side secure a one-point victory as they head into the Second Round with a 3-1 record to build upon in pursuit of a World Cup spot.

Netherlands 

Yannick Franke - SG / 1.95m / 1996
Statistics: 22.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.0 APG

Another tough window for the Netherlands, but Franke's 30-point haul against Italy was one of the bright notes as they continue to look for a first win in the campaign. Franke was held to only 6 points in the previous meeting against Italy, but got into a rhythm with 69-percent shooting from the floor including 5-of-8 shooting from three-point range to keep his side in contention before falling by 11. Franke also scored 14 points in their one-point defeat to Iceland.

FIBA