TAMPERE (Finland) - The Group Phase of the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2024 is right behind us and there were lots of exciting moments during the first three days of competition.
As teams get ready for their Round of 16 matchups, we've selected 10 players who made a strong impression during the Group Phase in Tampere.
Mario Saint-Supery - Spain
Point Guard
Birth Date: April 14, 2006 (18 years old) Height: 1.90m (6ft 3in) Tournament Stats: 23.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 6.3 APG, 2.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG
It's definitely a rare sight to see Spain holding more losses than wins after the Group Phase. Their 1-2 record, however, has nothing to do with Saint-Supery, who has been the most impactful individual player in the early stages of U18 EuroBasket. The Unicaja guard is the tournament's leading scorer, while ranking in the top five in both assists and steals and also being an efficient three-point shooter, having converted 43.8 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Saint-Supery delivered one of the most impressive individual performances in the competition, with a 25-point triple double in a close loss against Slovenia. Spain will need him to be equally as masterful during their next few rounds, as they'll face a Ben Saraf-led Israel during the Round of 16, which could set up a potential Quarter-Finals showdown against either France or Türkiye.
Ben Saraf - Israel
Guard
Birth Date: April 14, 2006 (18 years old) Height: 1.95m (6ft 5in) Tournament Stats: 22.7 PPG, 6.3 APG, 4.3 RPG, 2.3 SPG, 1.0 BPG
We knew coming into the tournament that Ben Saraf really knows how to put the ball in the basket, a task in which he certainly excelled during the Group Phase, finishing as the second-leading scorer while maintaining a good level of efficiency, shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from three. The breakthrough for the recent Ratiopharm Ulm signee, however, have been the passing, as he ranks in the top 5 in assists in the tournament and the defensive contributions, where he's averaging 2.3 steals and 1.0 block per game.
Saraf was masterful in Israel's sole win during the Group Phase, with a 31-point, 8-assist performance against Latvia. His team will need him to be on the top of his game yet again if they want to make it past their tough Round of 16 match up against Spain.
Nolan Traore - France
Point Guard
Birth Date: May 28, 2006 (18 years old) Height: 1.92m (6ft 4in) Tournament Stats: 9.7 PPG, 9.7 APG, 4.0 RPG, 2.7 SPG
Traore's output during the Group Phase of the FIBA U18 EuroBasket has been a masterclass of knowing one's role and executing it to perfection. France needed an offensive orchestrator who could push the pace and distribute the ball to their many offensive weapons and Traore has been absolutely masterful at it, leading the tournament with 9.7 assists per game. When he calls his own number, the Saint-Quentin guard has been tremendously efficient, shooting 46.4 percent from the field and converting exactly half of his three-point attempts.
France went three-for-three during the Group Phase, but they will face a strong Türkiye team that has one of the best players in the tournament in Kaan Onat, only to then move on to face the winner of the game between Spain and Israel. It's a tough task, but if there's a team with enough depth and overall talent to run through that type of gauntlet, it's France.
Hannes Steinbach - Germany
Forward
Birth Date: May 1, 2006 (18 years old) Height: 2.03m (6ft 8in) Tournament Stats: 15.7 PPG, 12.7 RPG, 1.7 BPG, 0.7 SPG, 0.3 APG
Currently averaging a double double, Steinbach is dominating the paint, providing Germany with efficient interior scoring, rim protection and especially, with rebounding on both ends of the floor. The Wurzburg forward is the leading rebounder of the tournament, while also collecting 5.7 offensive boards per game, giving his team much-needed extra possessions.
Everything seems to be clicking for Germany as they move on to the Round of 16 after three straight wins during group phase. With Christian Anderson and Jack Kayil providing the perfect combination of playmaking for others, self-created buckets and three-point shooting from the back court, Declan Duru as their two-way x-factor and Steinbach anchoring the paint, Germany has more than enough firepower to come away from Tampere with their first-ever U18 title.
Savo Drezgic - Serbia
Point Guard
Birth Date: August 11, 2006 (17 years old) Height: 1.92m (6ft 4in) Tournament Stats: 16.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 2.0 SPG
Serbia has cruised through the Group Phase in what has certainly been a team effort, with five different players in their line-up averaging double digit points. As important as Andrej Kostic's shooting and Aleksa Dimitrijevic's two-way interior dominance have been, it's Drezgic who elevates the ceiling of this team with his versatile scoring ability. The Georgia commit possesses a level of ball-handling creativity, touch in tough shots around the basket and versatile shooting ability that few, if any, players in the tournament can match.
Serbia is undefeated heading into the Round of 16 where they will face Finland. While the home court advantage could make this a tough match-up, the dominance that Serbia put on display during the Group Phase and Drezgic's individual brilliance are encouraging signs in their quest to repeat as U18 EuroBasket champions.
Elhadji Dame Sarr - Italy
Guard
Birth Date: June 4, 2006 (18 years old) Height: 1.96m (6ft 5in) Tournament Stats: 14.7 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.7 APG, 3.7 SPG
Italy has not been the most efficient offensive team in Tampere, but they make up for it with the versatile defensive contributions of Diego Garavaglia, the perimeter defense of Samuele Miccoli and the defensive rebounding and shot-blocking of their massive center Luigi Suigo. In a similar vein, the shooting efficiency has not been there for Elhadji Dame Sarr, but the Barcelona wing has been able to make an impact with other areas of his game, leading the tournament in steals per game, while also acting as Italy's primary playmaker for others.
The Azzurri will face a tough Lithuanian team in the Round of 16, and they will certainly need to hit an extra gear on offense, but the size, athleticism and two-way impact of Sarr might be what puts them over the top.
Kasparas Jakucionis - Lithuania
Forward
Birth Date: May 29, 2006 (18 years old) Height: 1.98m (6ft 6in) Tournament Stats: 19.0 PPG, 5.3 APG, 4.3 RPG, 0.7 SPG, 0.7 BPG
It hasn't been exactly smooth sailing for Lithuania so far. With a roster composed of multiple key pieces from their FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2022 title-winning team, the Baltic Giants unexpectedly dropped their first two games of the Group Phase, before coming away with a gutsy win in a close game against Spain.
Lithuania heads for a tough Round of 16 match up against Italy, and they will rely on Kasparas Jakucionis, who is ranking in the top five in points per game, and has provided his team with a scoring punch and with a steady presence in multiple areas of the floor, leading his team in assists while also shooting the lights out from three-point range and creating defensive events at a good rate.
Panagiotis Pagonis - Greece
Power Forward
Birth Date: June 30, 2006 (18 years old) Height: 2.04m (6ft 8in) Tournament Stats: 18.0 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Greece has no shortage of aggressive scorers with Neoklis Avdalas and Eleftherios Liotopoulos on the roster. Pagonis however, takes things to another level. The 2.04m forward is able to make an impact both as an off-ball shooter and as a driver, attacking opposing defenders with his combination of size and fluidity. His relentless motor also allows him to make an impact on the boards, ranking in the top five in rebounds per game.
Pagonis closed his Group Phase performances with two straight double-doubles, this type of productivity, combined with his ability to score from multiple levels of the floor will be crucial for Greece heading into their Round of 16 game against Belgium.
Urban Kroflic - Slovenia
Shooting Guard
Birth Date: March 28, 2006 (18 years old) Height: 1.98m (6ft 6in) Tournament Stats: 14.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, 1.0 BPG
Slovenia finished the Group Phase with a 3-0 record, after running through powerhouses Spain and Lithuania, as well as hosts Finland. Within the context of a balanced roster, where Zak Smrekar, Vit Hrabar, Mark Morano Mahmutovic and Mark Padjen have all made an impact with their offensive efficiency, Kroflic has been the one to stand out the most. He set the tone early with a masterful 15-point, 11-rebound, 7-assist performance versus Spain and he has continued to make an impact for Slovenia with his combination of size, versatile defense, three-point shooting and playmaking for others.
Slovenia head into their Round of 16 matchup against Latvia with an offense that is firing on all cylinders, averaging 91.7 points per game while shooting 50.8 percent from the field and 44.8 percent from beyond the arc — all tournament-leading marks.
Julius Price - Sweden
Guard
Birth Date: October 8, 2006 (17 years old) Height: 1.93m (6ft 4in) Tournament Stats: 21.3 PPG, 4.7 APG, 2.7 RPG, 1.0 SPG
With Casper Pohto converting three-pointers at an impressive rate and Samuel Obenjo making an impact with his interior scoring and rebounding, Sweden is sitting at a 2-1 record and they'll head into the Round of 16 looking to secure their first top-eight finish since 1988. The star of the show for the blue and gold, however, has been Julius Price.
The 17-year-old ranks as the third leading scorer of the tournament and he has done it on impressive efficiency, shooting 52.2 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from three-point range. Price is also able to get teammates involved, averaging a team-best 4.7 assists against just 1.7 turnovers per game.
FIBA