AMMAN (Jordan) - Historic was the FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2018 as the tournament held in Thailand ended up as one of the most watched events ever.
For the uninitiated, the meet played in the beautiful cities of Nonthaburi and Bangkok was viewed by more than 10.5 million people across multiple digital destinations, which at the time set the record of viewers for a FIBA youth event.
It no longer came as a surprise, though. The interest was sky-high, given the amount of talent that graced the week-long tilt - the kind of talent which the fans have since been seeing strut their stuff in the seniors level. Here are some of them.
Yuki Kawamura, Keisei Tominaga (Japan)
Yuki Kawamura and Keisei Tominaga were the two best players of Japan in Thailand and that proved to be a prelude of what's to come for the backcourt duo.
The two have since proven themselves worthy to become pillars of AKATSUKI JAPAN for years to come, having been part of teams that competed in major tilts - from the FIBA Asia Cup, to the FIBA Basketball World Cup, and even to the Paris Olympics.
The recent Summer Games in the French capital, undeniably one of the best in recent memory, was a run to remember for Kawamura as well. The 2023 B.LEAGUE MVP starred for Japan with norms of 20.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game.
Playing that well should bode well for his stock also, especially after agreeing to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA earlier in July.
It's the same deal which Tominaga has with the Indiana Pacers, which has also led him to an upcoming stint with the G League United in the G League Fall Invitational in yet another milestone for the shooter of NCAA's Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Kai Sotto, AJ Edu (Philippines)
Right off the bat, expectations were high for Kai Sotto and AJ Edu. Being bigs as tall and talented as they are, it was inevitable that they're seen as the future of the Philippines, especially after performing solidly in Thailand.
It's safe to say that both men have delivered quite well since. Sotto and Edu have seen action for Gilas Men in various occasions, most notably in the 2023 World Cup in Manila where they helped the country book a ticket to the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Latvia.
They're proudly waving the Philippine flag outside of Gilas, too. Both have been playing in the B.LEAGUE, with Sotto set to suit up for Koshigaya Alphas after spending some time with the Yokohama B-Corsairs, where he played with Kawamura.
For his part, Edu, once a standout of NCAA school Toledo, will be playing for the Nagasaki Velca in the upcoming 2024-25 season.
Youssef Khayat (Lebanon)
Youseff Khayat was one of Lebanon's top youngster leading up to the 2018 meet and the 2.05 M (6'9") forward would eventually find his place in the seniors.
His best showing with the men's team happened in the OQT in Spain, where he tallied 12.7 points and 5.0 rebounds as he helped the Cedars reach the Semi-Finals.
Khayat will definitely have more campaigns in the coming years but for now, he's earning more stripes in the U.S college scene. After spending the last two seasons with the University of Michigan, he's transferred to Bowling Green State.
Xu Jie (China)
China took the bronze in 2018 by beating Sotto and the Philippines in the Third-Place Game and a reason behind that podium finish is Xu Jie. He was solid in the tournament and finished with 10.9 points, 3.9 boards, and 4.9 assists.
He would continue his fine play in the U19 World Cup the following year and soon, he'd find himself playing for Team Dragon in the senior level. So far, he's competed in one OQT, the 2022 Asia Cup, and in the 2023 World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
Jie has experienced playing in a FIBA club competition as well, when he and the Guangdong Southern Tigers competed in the 2019 Asia Champions Cup.
Lee Hyun-jung (Korea)
Some fans and pundits see him as the Korean Klay Thompson and that's well backed up. Lee Hyun-jung was one of the 2018 U18 Asia Cup's best players, so much so that he finished as the competition's leading scorer (28.0) and top assists guy (6.0).
Standing at 2.01 M (6'7") with impeccable shooting especially from long range, it was only a matter of time before he got called up to the men's squad.
Presently, the Davidson product is playing for the Illawara Hawks of the Australian NBL, carrying the experiences he gained from the G League and from the NBA Summer League, as well as playing in the B.LEAGUE for Osaka Evessa, before taking his talents to Australia in 2024.
Arvind Krishnan (India)
Arvind Krishnan was one of Tamil Nadu's consistent cogs in the FIBA West Asia Super League Final 8 2024 and that's all thanks to his experiences with India.
After playing well in 2018, which was his lone FIBA youth event stint, the 1.87 M (6'2") guard would get called up for the seniors team, where he would go on to represent the flag multiple times - from the continental level to global tourneys.
Flynn Cameron (New Zealand)
Flynn Cameron was a major reason behind New Zealand's bronze finish in the 2022 Asia Cup in Jakarta, despite it being his first foray with the Tall Blacks.
Well, he did earn his place in that team by showing growth during his time with the youth team, with the 2018 meet serving as his coming-out party of sorts as he posted 11.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game to help his team to a runner-up finish.
After playing college ball in the USA, he's presently making waves in the New Zealand NBL with the Taranaki Airs as one of the league's exciting players.
Being closer to home should make it easier for his national team duties, too, as he's expected to become a mainstay of the Tall Blacks for a long time.
Mosti Rashed, Zee Hamoda (Bahrain)
Both players have experienced playing in the States and that has boded well for Bahrain as Mosti Rashed and Zee Hamoda are now big pieces of the men's team.
Hamoda is still in the U.S. playing collegiate basketball, first with Utah State before transferring to Sacramento State after two seasons with the latter, bringing with him the swag - and talent, of course - that's endeared him to fans back home.
Together with Rashed, they attained their most important achievement with the program to date by conquering the Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Syria, which booked themselves a spot in the OQT proper in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Rashed, for his part, has been thriving in the pros in the Gulf. He led Manama to the inaugural FIBA WASL championship before taking his talents to Qatar.
It no longer came as a surprise that Rashed has been impressive in his career so far. The spitfire guard was Bahrain's best player in Thailand with 20.3 points a game.
Surely, Bahraini fans can't wait to see these two compete again for flag and country, like what they've been doing since their younger years in the youth stage.
Sam Froling (Australia)
Sam Froling starred for Australia's golden run in Thailand before capping off a successful stint in the youth team in the U19 World Cup the next year, and all those experiences would be his ticket to the vaunted Boomers program shortly after.
The 7-footer from Townsville, who's been a pro since 2019 after one season with NCAA school Creighton, has been rolling with the men's team for three contests now, including the 2022 Asia Cup where the Aussies went back-to-back.
FIBA