GDYNIA (Poland) - The FIBA U20 EuroBasket will take place in Gdynia, which will mark the first time a men's U20 Division A event is hosted in Poland.
There will be no shortage of talent in this year's edition of the tournament, and we selected 11 players who are primed to shine. 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 B EuroBasket, which will be taking place in Pitesti, Romania.
Zacharie Perrin - France
Power Forward
Birth Date: August 30, 2004 (19 years old) Height: 2.07m (6ft 9in) Club: Antibes Sharks (FRA)
It's easy to think about what could've been for France. After all, they will be missing a grand total of eight players who were drafted by NBA teams over the past two years, including Victor Wembanyama, Zacharie Risacher and Alex Sarr who would be eligible. As the young standouts continue their careers in the States, let's not lose sight of what's in front of us: the reigning FIBA U20 EuroBasket champions will have a ton of talent on the roster once again, and Zacharie Perrin might be primed for a tremendous tournament.
Perrin, who was named to the All-Star Five in last year's FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup, will provide France with a strong presence in the paint for interior scoring and rebounding, but he's versatile enough to make an impact in the perimeter with ball-handling and passing ability. After a 13-year drought, France returned to glory in last year's FIBA U20 EuroBasket. Considering that they'll be one of the most talented teams in attendance in Gdynia, they might not have to wait that long for their next title.
Noam Yaacov - Israel
Point Guard
Birth Date: October 20, 2004 (19 years old) Height: 1.86m (6ft 1in) Club: Lyon ASVEL (FRA)
After a stellar performance in last year's FIBA U20 EuroBasket, where he was named to the All-Star Five and led the tournament in assists, Yaacov took yet another leap this year, playing 62 games as the back-up point guard for French powerhouse ASVEL. The 19-year-old guard stands out with his creative ball-handling ability, which allows him to beat defenders in the perimeter, get to the rim and create space for pull-up jumpers. Yaacov is also a solid playmaker for others, who consistently looks to get teammates involved and makes the right plays with the ball in his hands.
Israel is in the middle of a historic run at the FIBA U20 EuroBasket, as the team has reached the Final in four of the last five editions of the tournament, including back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019. Yaacov's experience, both at the professional level and with the Israeli senior national team, will undoubtedly be one of the keys for Israel to keep the hot streak alive.
Vangelis Zougris - Greece
Power Forward
Birth Date: October 14, 2004 (19 years old) Height: 2.02m (6ft 8in) Club: Peristeri bwin (GRE)
Zougris had a breakout FIBA U20 EuroBasket last year, being named to the All-Star five after leading Greece to a third-place finish. His performance in Heraklion also earned him a call-up to the senior national team, where he made his debut at the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers earlier this year. Zougris is a strong interior presence who can finish pick-and-roll plays and generate extra possessions for his team with his offensive rebounding; a statistical category in which he led the U20 EuroBasket last year. Defensively, Zougris is an imposing presence in the paint with his ability to block shots and collect defensive rebounds.
With the talented frontcourt duo of Zougris and Alexandros Samodurov, Greece will look to build upon last year's podium appearance and capture their first U20 title since 2017.
Filip Jovic - Serbia
Power Forward
Birth Date: February 1, 2005 (19 years old) Height: 2.04m (6ft 8in) Club: KK Mega Basket (SRB)
Nikola Topic certainly took the spotlight in Serbia's gold-medal run at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2023, however, Filip Jovic was equally as masterful. He averaged 12.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game on tremendous shooting efficiency during the Group Phase, before suffering an injury in the first quarter of their Round of 16 game against Denmark, which kept him on the sidelines for the rest of the tournament.
Jovic is a strong interior presence who is able to finish pick-and-roll plays around the basket with his size and strength, but he's also fluid and creative enough to score on post ups. Defensively, he shows impressive moments as a rim protector, being able to contest and block shots both as a primary and helpside defender. The 19 year old forward can also contribute in the perimeter with his tremendous fluidity as a driver and an improved shooting stroke.
Jacob Ensminger - Germany
Shooting Guard
Birth Date: February 4, 2004 (20 years old) Height: 2.03m (6ft 8in) Club: Santa Clara University (USA)
Germany will be looking for that elusive first U20 EuroBasket title in Gdynia, and they'll have plenty of experience on the roster, with several players returning from the team that reached the sixth place in the competition last year. Among a balanced roster, Jacob Ensminger stands out with his combination of size and perimeter skillset. Standing at 2.03m, Ensminger is a big wing who can handle the ball and create his own drives, being a mismatch for smaller perimeter defenders. The 20 year old wing also makes an impact with his passing, being quick to find teammates on the move and having an unselfish approach to the game.
Ensminger is coming off a productive season in the NCAA ranks for Santa Clara, and he’s primed for a breakout FIBA U20 EuroBasket, as few players in the tournament provide a similar level of offensive versatility at his size.
Berke Buyuktuncel - Türkiye
Small Forward
Birth Date: September 2, 2004 (19 years old) Height: 2.06m (6ft 9in) Club: University of Nebraska (USA)
Buyuktuncel is almost a veteran when it comes to FIBA tournaments, as he will be playing in his sixth competition representing Türkiye. Last year, the 19 year old forward played at both the FIBA U20 EuroBasket and the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup, leading his team to a bronze medal in the latter.
Buyuktuncel stands out with his versatile game on both ends of the floor. On offense, he's able to convert catch-and-shoot jumpers, put the ball on the floor, score around the basket and move the basketball. Defensively, he's a multi-position defender who can make his presence felt both in the paint and on the perimeter with his strength, length and mobility. It's been 10 years since a Cedi Osman-led team took the last U20 title for Türkiye, with Buyuktuncel on deck, it shouldn't be a surprise if this is the year where they get back to the top.
Paulius Murauskas - Lithuania
Forward
Birth Date: February 14, 2004 (20 years old) Height: 2.04m (6ft 8in) Club: St. Mary's (USA)
Murauskas averaged 20.7 points per game in his last FIBA event, the 2022 U18 EuroBasket, where he led the tournament in scoring. The name of the game for the recent St. Mary's commit is versatility, as he can put the ball on the basket on a different number of ways. His combination of size, strength, fluidity and touch allows him to create his own shot in the post and score in traffic, but he's also a threat from the perimeter, being able to score on drives to the basket and catch-and-shoot opportunities behind the three-point line.
Lithuania will have one of the most talented rosters in Gdynia, with several players who are making an impact for high-major programs in the NCAA. Murauskas will have the opportunity to cap off a productive individual career in FIBA youth competitions with Lithuania's first U20 title since 2012.
Lucas Langarita - Spain
Point Guard
Birth Date: January 5, 2005 (19 years old) Height: 1.95m (6ft 5in) Club: Casademont Zaragoza (ESP)
Langarita is coming off a breakthrough season for Zaragoza, where he became an important piece in their rotation, both in the Spanish ACB and the FIBA Europe Cup. A combo guard with optimal size for the position, Langarita can play on and off the ball with similar prowess. He's a lethal shooter who can convert jumpers both off-the-catch and off the dribble, and he's extremely difficult to stop for defenders when he gets downhill, as he slashes with a great combination of speed and power. Langarita is also excellent at getting teammates involved, showing vision and accuracy in drive-and-kick and pick-and-roll passes.
Last year, Spain finished outside the FIBA U20 EuroBasket top eight for the first time since 2006. Fortunately for La Roja, Langarita will bring a winning pedigree to the team, having earned an All-Star Five nod at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022 and a gold medal in last year's U19 Basketball World Cup.
Urban Klavzar - Slovenia
Point Guard
Birth Date: May 27, 2004 (20 years old) Height: 1.85m (6ft 1in) Club: UCAM Murcia (ESP)
Despite his young age, Klavzar is already an experienced player who will be playing in his third-straight FIBA U20 EuroBasket and has already seen minutes for the Slovenian senior national team. The former Real Madrid prospect is a true offensive engine who can create for himself in the perimeter via drives and pull-up jumpers, utilizing his combination of speed and creative ball-handling. Klavzar has also shown impressive flashes as a pick-and-roll playmaker, finding teammates with advanced reads and deliveries.
Klavzar is coming off an excellent season in the Spanish second division, where he provided a spark off the bench for CD Estela Cantabria. Slovenia will need him to lead the team with his offensive creation in order to capture their first U20 title since 2004.
Almar Atlason - Iceland
Power Forward
Birth Date: December 28, 2004 (19 years old) Height: 2.02m (6ft 8in) Club: Bradley University (USA)
Atlason is coming off an outstanding freshman campaign in the NCAA, where he became a starter for Bradley and was named to the Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman Team. The 19 year old forward fits the mold of a modern-day four, as he possesses enough size and strength to make an impact as a rebounder and interior scorer, but he also adds a level of perimeter skill, being a lethal shooter from the three-point line and a fluid ball-handler who can attack closeouts and finish around the basket with soft touch.
Atlason was one of the leaders of last year's Iceland squad who finished 12th in their first year back in Division A. With multiple players returning for this year, Iceland will have enough firepower and experience to not only aspire to stay in the division, but also to be a competitive team that can surprise a lot of people at Gdynia.
Motiejus Krivas - Lithuania
Center
Birth Date: December 1, 2004 (19 years old) Height: 2.18m (7ft 2in) Club: Arizona Wildcats (USA)
Krivas was one of the top players in last year's FIBA U20 EuroBasket, where he finished the tournament ranked in the top three in both blocks and rebounds per game. The 19 year old continued his ascendant trajectory at the University of Arizona, where he quickly became a contributor off the bench for one of the top teams in the NCAA.
Krivas stands out with his massive size, which makes him an imposing presence around the basket and allows him to collect rebounds, block shots and finish plays against contact, but he also possesses a tremendous level of coordination and mobility for his size, which makes him also a threat in transition and as a self-creator in the low post. The dynamic duo of Krivas and Paulius Murauskas will be one of the keys for a Lithuanian team that hasn't won the U20 title in more than a decade.
FIBA