SKOPJE (North Macedonia) - It’s a familiar setting for the FIBA U18 EuroBasket, Division B, as the tournament will take place in Skopje: the same city that hosted the past two FIBA U16 EuroBasket editions.
There will be plenty of talent on display across the 22 teams that will contend for the Division B title and for one of three promotion spots to next year’s U18 Division A tournament.
We have selected eight players who will make an impact in the tournament. You can vote below for which player you think will make the biggest impact in this year's competition.
Make sure to also check out the players to watch in the Division A tournament, which will be taking place in Tampere, Finland.
Maruan Cicic - Montenegro
Center
Birth Date: July 14, 2006 (18 years old) Height: 2.11m (6ft 11in) Club: SC Derby (MNE)
The expectations will be high for Montenegro this year, as the team has finished in the top five in each of their last seven appearances at FIBA U18 EuroBasket, Division B. This year, they will have 2.11m center Maruan Cicic who will provide a level of size, interior scoring and rim protection that few other teams in the tournament can match. Montenegro will have a deep roster once again, and the dynamic duo of Cicic and guard Vladimir Komnenovic will have the task of leading the team back to Division A.
Tymoteusz Sternicki - Poland
Power Forward
Birth Date: June 10, 2006 (18 years old) Height: 2.01m (6ft 7in) Club: University of Denver (USA)
Poland returns after a two-year stint in Division A, and they'll look at Sternicki's two-way impact to make a quick return to the top division. The 2.01m forward combines perimeter offensive skills such as driving to the basket and shooting jumpers off-the-catch, with his versatile defense, being able to rebound the basketball, contest and block jumpers in the paint, as well as utilizing his length to disrupt plays in the perimeter.
Nathan Noronha - Portugal
Guard
Birth Date: January 13, 2006 (18 years old) Height: 1.86m (6ft 1in) Club: Archbishop Mitty HS (USA)
Noronha has split time between his high school career in California and his appearances with the Portuguese youth national teams, with this being his fourth FIBA Youth event in as many years. The 1.86m lead guard combines his advanced passing vision and creative playmaking for others with a fluid handle ability which allows him to get to the rim in traffic. Portugal has been a consistent contender in recent years: they are coming off four straight top ten finishes in Division B and they should be one of the candidates for a promotion spot in this year's edition of the tournament.
Fynn Schott - Austria
Center
Birth Date: April 13, 2006 (18 years old) Height: 2.03m (6ft 8in) Club: Gran Canaria (ESP)
Schott has been making an impact in the European youth basketball scene for a number of years, being one of the top prospects in Gran Canaria's academy and a stand out for the Austrian youth national team. The 2.03m big was the top rebounder in last year's FIBA U18 EuroBasket, Division B, and he was able to provide Austria not only with size, rim protection and interior scoring, but also with playmaking for others, as he was able to find teammates out of the post and the short roll.
Endurance Aiyamenkhue - Netherlands
Center
Birth Date: June 1, 2007 (17 years old) Height: 2.09m (6ft 10in) Club: BBU 01 Ulm (GER)
Aiyamenkhue didn't exactly set the world on fire in last year's FIBA U16 EuroBasket, Division B, but he was efficient in the opportunities he had, shooting 71.4% from the field and averaging 1.7 blocks per game in just 12 minutes per contest. The Ratiopharm Ulm prospect will play one year up in age at Skopje, but few players in the tournament have the mix of elite size and length, touch around the basket and defensive production that he possesses.
Andrej Acimovic - Bosnia Herzegovina
Center
Birth Date: March 15, 2006 (18 years old) Height: 2.07m (6ft 9in) Club: Igokea (BIH)
Acimovic is coming off an impressive 2023-24 campaign for Igokea, where he was a standout in the U19 ABA League and was named to the All-Star Five in the Youth Basketball Champions League. The 2.07m center is a productive interior player who can score around the basket with his combination of size, strength and smoothness. Acimovic will be the key factor for a Bosnian squad who will be looking to return to Division A for the first time since 2018.
Thor Grissom - Iceland
Guard
Birth Date: January 8, 2007 (17 years old) Height: 1.90m (6ft 3in) Club: The Colony High School (USA)
Grissom, who is playing high school basketball in the state of Texas, will make his debut in FIBA events in Skopje, but he was excellent at the recent Nordic U18 Championship, where he showed his tremendous shooting ability, having converted 40% of his three-pointers on 6.0 attempts per game. With his lack of experience in FIBA competitions, the 1.93m guard will be one of the wildcards for an Icelandic squad that will be looking to return to Division A for the first time since 2006.
Martin Minarovjech - Slovakia
Shooting Guard
Birth Date: September 20, 2007 (16 years old) Height: 1.94m (6ft 4in) Club: Inter Bratislava (SVK)
Slovakia has failed to reach the top 10 on each of their last three appearances at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket, Division B. With his experience, Minarovjech will be one of the players that Slovakia will rely on to break the losing streak. The 1.94m guard will be one of the youngest players in the tournament, but he has vast experience, having led Slovakia to a seventh-place finish in last year's FIBA U16 EuroBasket, Division B, and having become an important piece off the bench for Inter Bratislava in the Slovak Basketball League.
FIBA