HERAKLION (Greece) - The first three days of competition at the FIBA U16 EuroBasket in Heraklion have left us with a number of memorable moments and individual performances front the continent's future basketball stars.
As we head into the Round of 16, it's time to look at 10 players who stood out during the Group Phase.
Marcos Zurita - Spain
Guard
Birth Date: March 24, 2008 (16 years old) Height: 1.91m (6ft 3in) Tournament Stats: 17.7 PPG, 2.3 REB, 2.0 AST, 1.7 STL
The reigning champions appear poised to make another deep run, having gone 3-0 in the Group Phase - beating opponents by an average of 35 points per game. Zurita is the leader of an offense that is firing on all cylinders, ranking among the top-five scorers in the tournament and doing so on tremendous efficiency, as he's shooting 48.6 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from three.
Spain was one of the candidates coming into the tournament and they looked the part during the Group Phase. Their quest for a seventh U16 title begins with a Round of 16 matchup against Bulgaria.
Cameron Houindo - France
Power Forward
Birth Date: January 10, 2008 (16 years old) Height: 2.02m (6ft 8in) Club: 10.7 PPG, 6.3 REB, 3.0 STL, 2.3 BLK, 0.7 AST
France has made five straight Semi-Finals and it certainly doesn't look like this year will be an exception: the team is off to a tremendous start, having won all three of their Group Phase games. The key for France has been a defense that is holding opponents to just 54.7 points per game, an area in which Houindo has made an impact with his versatile defense, ranking in the top five in blocks and leading the competition in steals per game.
France will face Croatia in the Round of 16, and their dominant Group Phase performance makes them strong contenders for the title in Heraklion.
Ricards Aizpurs - Latvia
Forward
Birth Date: August 1, 2008 (16 years old) Height: 1.98m (6ft 6in) Tournament Stats: 13.7 PPG, 5.0 REB, 2.3 AST, 1.7 BLK, 1.0 STL
Latvia holds a 2-1 record after the Group Phase and they look like one of the deepest squads in attendance at Heraklion. While Krists Ozers and Gunnars Grinvalds have been impressive, Aizpurs' versatile game has stood out the most during the Group Phase, as he leads the team in points, rebounds and blocks. The 1.98m forward has been able to put pressure on the rim with his driving ability, while also making an impact as a three-point shooter.
This is shaping up to be a special generation of talent for a Latvian team that will head to the Round of 16 with a winning record for the first time since 2017, after losing all their Group Phase games over the previous three U16 EuroBasket editions.
Andrej Bjelic - Serbia
Guard
Birth Date: March 17, 2008 (16 years old) Height: 1.94m (6ft 4in) Tournament Stats: 20.3 PPG, 6.3 REB, 1.7 AST, 1.3 STL
Serbia has come out undefeated from a tough Group B, in part due to the prolific scoring ability of Bjelic, who is currently leading the competition in points per game. The 1.94m guard has shown the ability to create his own shot from every level of the floor, utilizing his ball-handling ability to create separation from defenders and his touch to convert shots both in the paint and from three-point range.
After a strong start, Serbia is one of the top candidates in Heraklion, where the team will look to take their first U16 title since 2008.
Ignas Stombergas - Lithuania
Power Forward
Birth Date: February 21, 2008 (16 years old) Height: 1.98m (6ft 6in) Tournament Stats: 10.3 PPG, 11.0 REB, 2.3 BLK, 1.3 AST, 0.7 STL
Lithuania is coming off back-to-back Semi-Finals appearances and they are in good shape to make another run in Heraklion, finishing the Group Phase with a 2-1 record. Lithuania has a balanced roster and Stombergas, the leading rebounder and a top-five shot blocker in the tournament, has provided a key interior presence, fitting extremely well with the perimeter skills of star teammate Emilis Zibuda.
Lithuania will need Stombergas to deliver yet another dominant performance around the basket in their Round of 16 match-up against Türkiye, where they will face one of the tournament’s top offensive duos in Omer Kutulay and Omer Ege Ziyaettin.
Stefan Joksimovic - Slovenia
Shooting Guard
Birth Date: November 16, 2008 (15 years old) Height: 1.94m (6ft 4in) Tournament Stats: 14.7 PPG, 6.3 REB, 3.0 AST, 0.7 BLK
Slovenia heads into the Round of 16 with a winning record, thanks in large part to Joksimovic. The 1.94m wing has made an impact across the board, leading his team in points, rebounds and assists. Joksimovic provides more than just volume stats for Slovenia: he has also been tremendously efficient, shooting 45.7 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from three-point range.
Slovenia faces a tough Round of 16 matchup against Italy, potentially setting up a Quarter-Finals game against candidates Spain. Joksimovic will need to continue to carry Slovenia if they want to reach their first-ever U16 Semi-Finals.
Lukas Klein - Germany
Center
Birth Date: October 6, 2008 (15 years old) Height: 2.13m (7ft 0in) Tournament Stats: 8.0 PPG, 9.7 REB, 3.3 BLK, 2.0 AST, 0.7 STL
Despite having one of the most talented rosters in the tournament, Germany is sitting at a 1-2 record after a tough draw placed them in Group B with Serbia and Lithuania. Even with the losing record, Klein made a tremendous impression during the Group Phase. The 2.13m center possesses a level of size that few other teams in the competition can match, which has made him dominant in the paint, as he's leading the tournament in blocks while also ranking second in rebounds.
Germany will have a challenging path to the Finals, facing a tough Latvian squad during the Round of 16, but with Fabian Kayser, Lars Danziger and Klein on roster, they have enough talent to make a deep run in Heraklion.
Chrysostomos Chatzilamprou - Greece
Forward
Birth Date: July 12, 2008 (16 years old) Height: 1.98m (6ft 6in) Tournament Stats: 19.7 PPG, 8.0 REB, 2.0 AST, 1.0 BLK, 0.3 STL
Chatzilamprou gave us one of the top moments of the competition so far, with his full-court buzzer beater against Croatia. That single shot serves as a representation of how lethal he has been as a shooter in Heraklion, where Chatzilamprou has converted 50.0 percent of his threes during the Group Phase on 8 attempts per game. The 1.98m wing has shown a versatile scoring ability where he's not only able to convert jumpshots, both off the catch and on the move, but also getting to the rim with his combination of size, length and ball-handling ability.
Home court has been an advantage for a Greek squad that is still undefeated in their quest for their first U16 title in 30 years.
Aviv Aronov - Israel
Shooting Guard
Birth Date: April 4, 2008 (16 years old) Height: 1.96m (6ft 5in) Tournament Stats: 18.0 PPG, 4.3 REB, 2.0 AST, 1.7 STL, 0.3 BLK
Another youth tournament, another dynamic perimeter scorer from Israel that breaks out. This time it's Aviv Aronov, who ranks as the third-leading scorer in the tournament while also being tremendously efficient, shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 46.7 from three on 5.0 attempts per game.
Israel finished second in a challenging Group D that featured Greece, Italy and Croatia. Now they will face Georgia in the Round of 16 aiming to reach the top eight of the U16 EuroBasket for only the second time in the last 17 years.
Omer Ege Ziyaettin - Türkiye
Point Guard
Birth Date: May 20, 2008 (16 years old) Height: 1.87m (6ft 2in) Tournament Stats: 18.0 PPG, 4.3 REB, 3.3 AST, 1.3 STL
Türkiye holds a 1-2 record after the Group Phase despite having one of the best offensive duos in the tournament with Omer Kutulay and Ziyaettin, and ranking as the top three-point shooting team in the competition. Ziyaettin is one of the reasons for Türkiye's offensive firepower, the 1.87m guard is the third-leading scorer in the tournament and he's been on fire from beyond the arc, shooting 41.7 percent from three on 8.0 attempts per game.
Türkiye will face a tough Lithuania team in the Round of 16, but with Ziyaettin's ability to take over games, like he did in his 35-point performance against Latvia, they very much remain a strong contender in Heraklion.
FIBA