13–21 Jul
    2024

    Rising stars: Who were the men's Youth EuroBasket standouts in 2024?

    Review
    Israel's Ben Saraf dominated the scoring charts at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2024

    A number of impressive stat lines were achieved during Youth EuroBasket events in 2024.

    MUNICH (Germany) - As the FIBA Youth EuroBasket events wrapped up this summer, it's time to spotlight the standout individual performances from the young stars in Divisions A and B.

    There were a number of rising talents who seized the moment, delivering remarkable performances in scoring, rebounding, assisting, three-point shooting, steals, and blocks, firmly establishing themselves as future stars.

    Let's dive in and look at who led the charts!

    We will explore the leaders in women's competitions in an article that will be published on August 28.

    Points

    Israel's Ben Saraf dropped two 40-point performances

    As far as the putting the ball in the basket is concerned, Israel's Ben Saraf couldn't be matched. Saraf dominated the scoring charts at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket, averaging 28.1 points per game and winning the MVP accolade in the process. A 40-point performance at the U18 level had not been seen since 2010, but Saraf managed to do it not once, but two times.

    In Saraf's shadow remained Kasparas Jakucionis of Lithuania who put up 37 points against France at the same event. Two rising stars from the FIBA U16 EuroBasket event found themselves among the Top 10 - Türkiye's Omer Ege Ziyaettin lit up Latvia's basket with 35 points while Chrysostomos Chatzilamprou of Greece came up with 33 against Croatia.

    Player

    Points

    Opponent

    Event

    Ben Saraf (ISR)

    40

    Serbia

    FIBA U18 EuroBasket

    Ben Saraf (ISR)

    40

    Spain

    FIBA U18 EuroBasket

    Kasparas Jakucionis (LTU)

    37

    France

    FIBA U18 EuroBasket

    Nathan Missia-Dio (BEL)

    35

    Iceland

    FIBA U20 EuroBasket

    Savo Drezgic (SRB)

    35

    Israel

    FIBA U18 EuroBasket

    Omer Ege Ziyaettin (TUR)

    35

    Latvia

    FIBA U16 EuroBasket

    Julius Price (SWE)

    34

    Lithuania

    FIBA U18 EuroBasket

    Gabriel Pozzato (ITA)

    33

    North Macedonia

    FIBA U20 EuroBasket

    Chrysostomos Chatzilamprou (GRE)

    33

    Croatia

    FIBA U16 EuroBasket

    Hugo Gonzalez (ESP)

    32

    Israel

    FIBA U18 EuroBasket

    Division B high: Pedro Santos (POR) - 37 PTS vs Great Britain (FIBA U20 EuroBasket, Division B)

    Rebounds

    Germany's Hannes Steinbach made the rebounding his top priority

    Germany won the men's U18 title and was mainly powered by Hannes Steinbach's domination in the paint. The big man was the top rebounder of the event with 12.7 on average so it doesn't come as a surprise that Steinbach provided three of the Top 10 best rebounding performances this summer. The German grabbed the 19 boards versus Croatia, a summer-high he shares with Olavi Suutela of Finland, and also added 18-rebound and 17-rebound performances at the same event.

    However, the absolute best showing in grabbing the ball came at FIBA U16 EuroBasket, Division B where Montenegro's Djordje Djukanovic put up monster double-double of 18 points and 26 rebounds in the Group Phase.

    Player

    Rebounds

    Opponent

    Event

    Hannes Steinbach (GER)

    19

    Croatia

    FIBA U18 EuroBasket

    Olavi Suutela (FIN)

    19

    Lithuania

    FIBA U18 EuroBasket

    Hannes Steinbach (GER)

    18

    Lithuania

    FIBA U18 EuroBasket

    Krzysztof Kempa (POL)

    18

    Slovenia

    FIBA U20 EuroBasket

    Hannes Steinbach (GER)

    17

    Denmark

    FIBA U18 EuroBasket

    Paulius Murauskas (LTU)

    16

    Türkiye

    FIBA U20 EuroBasket

    Nathan Missia-Dio (BEL)

    16

    Iceland

    FIBA U20 EuroBasket

    Krzysztof Kempa (POL)

    16

    Italy

    FIBA U20 EuroBasket

    Vangelis Zougris (GRE)

    16

    France

    FIBA U20 EuroBasket

    Multiple

    15

     

     

    Division B high: Djordje Djukanovic (MNE) - 26 REB vs Netherlands (FIBA U16 EuroBasket, Division B)

    Assists

    Oliver Kullamae from Estonia came up with 14 assists at U18 EuroBasket, Division B

    FIBA U20 EuroBasket was the the stage for some of the best playmaking displays with three of the top five marks coming form in Gdynia, Poland. Alexandre Bouzidi provided a summer-high 13 assists in France's win over Poland, while Noam Yaacov, who led the event with 7.2 assists per game, dished out 12 of them against Türkiye.

    Serbia's Savo Drezgic and Nolan Traore found themselves in Yacoov's company as they once managed to dish out 12 assists each at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket.

    However, once again, the top performance in this area came from Division B, with Oliver Kullamae from Estonia dishing out 14 dimes at FIBA U16 EuroBasket, Division B.

    Player

    Assists

    Opponent

    Event

    Alexandre Bouzidi (FRA)

    13

    Poland

    FIBA U20 EuroBasket

    Daniel Halldorsson (ISL)

    12

    North Macedonia

    FIBA U20 EuroBasket

    Noam Yaacov (ISR)

    12

    Türkiye

    FIBA U20 EuroBasket

    Savo Drezgic (SRB)

    12

    Israel

    FIBA U18 EuroBasket

    Nolan Traore (FRA)

    12

    Greece

    FIBA U18 EuroBasket

    Noah Meeusen (BEL)

    11

    Iceland

    FIBA U20 EuroBasket

    Nolan Traore (FRA)

    11

    Lithuania

    FIBA U18 EuroBasket

    Elhadji Dame Sarr (ITA)

    11

    Israel

    FIBA U18 EuroBasket

    Reino Saivosalmi (FIN)

    11

    Serbia

    FIBA U16 EuroBasket

    Multiple

    10

     

     

    Division B high: Oliver Kullamae (EST) - 14 AST vs Bosnia and Herzegovina (FIBA U18 EuroBasket, Division B)

    Three-Pointers Made

    A familiar sight of Andrej Bjelic celebrating a made three-pointer

    Three-point shooting is the name of the game in modern basketball and FIBA U16 EuroBasket proved this. Players in the youngest category shot the lights out and no one came close; Andrej Bjelic from Serbia, Omere Ege Ziyaettin of Türkiye and Greece's Chrysostomos Chatzilamprou all managed to knock down eight threes in a match at the same event.

    No one else made it above six in a single game, but seven players did come up with big shooting performances - Jakub Necas, Hilmir Arnarson and Shachar Doron to name just a few.

    Player

    Three-Pointers made

    Opponent

    Event

    Andrej Bjelic (SRB)

    8

    Finland

    FIBA U16 EuroBasket

    Chrysostomos Chatzilamprou (GRE)

    8

    Croatia

    FIBA U16 EuroBasket

    Omer Ege Ziyaettin (TUR)

    8

    Latvia

    FIBA U16 EuroBasket

    Jakub Necas (CZE)

    6

    Lithuania

    FIBA U20 EuroBasket

    Hilmir Arnarson (ISL)

    6

    North Macedonia

    FIBA U20 EuroBasket

    Shachar Doron (ISR)

    6

    Türkiye

    FIBA U20 EuroBasket

    Almar Atlason (ISL)

    6

    Montenegro

    FIBA U20 EuroBasket

    Jack Kayil (GER)

    6

    Slovenia

    FIBA U18 EuroBasket

    Julius Price (SWE)

    6

    Lithuania

    FIBA U18 EuroBasket

    Omer Mayer (ISR)

    6

    France

    FIBA U18 EuroBasket

    Eleftherios Liotopoulos (GRE)

    6

    Sweden

    FIBA U18 EuroBasket

    Division B high: multiple players with five three-pointers made

    Steals

    Slovenia's Stefan Joksimovic took his defensive duties seriously

    The aforementioned Saraf didn't only provide a scoring punch on his way to becoming the MVP of the U18 EuroBasket. Israel's next big thing provided value on the defensive end also with tournament-high 8 steals against Serbia in the Semi-Finals. It was also a joint-high mark of the summer with Slovenia's Stefan Joksimovic putting up the same number against Bulgaria at the FIBA U16 EuroBasket. However, Saraf also had the 7-steal game against Slovenia and showcased his talent on both ends of the floor.

    In Division B, Aaron Towo-Nansi of Netherlands matched this number as he also picked opponents' pockets seven times in a win over Croatia at FIBA U16 EuroBasket.

    Player

    Steals

    Opponent

    Event

    Ben Saraf (ISR)

    8

    Serbia

    FIBA U18 EuroBasket

    Stefan Joksimovic (SLO)

    8

    Bulgaria

    FIBA U16 EuroBasket

    Ben Saraf (ISR)

    7

    Slovenia

    FIBA U18 EuroBasket

    Aaron Towo-Nansi (FRA)

    7

    Croatia

    FIBA U16 EuroBasket

    Jakub Andrzejewski (POL)

    6

    Czechia

    FIBA U20 EuroBasket

    Leonardo Faggian (ITA)

    6

    Israel

    FIBA U20 EuroBasket

    Isaac Nogues Gonzalez (ESP)

    6

    North Macedonia

    FIBA U20 EuroBasket

    Hugo Gonzalez (ESP)

    6

    Croatia

    FIBA U18 EuroBasket

    Boyan Kyosev (BUL)

    6

    Slovenia

    FIBA U16 EuroBasket

    Multiple

    5

     

     

    Division B high: Tycho Zwijnenberg (NED) - 8 STL vs Kosovo (FIBA U18 EuroBasket, Division B)

    Blocks

    Aday Mara from Spain recorded six blocks against Montenegro

    There were a number of block parties in the 2024 edition of Youth EuroBasket, with four big men leading the rim protection movement with a shared summer-high of six swats. Spain's Aday Mara did it at the FIBA U20 EuroBasket in Poland, with his younger peers - Cameron Houindo, Ignas Stombergas and Irakli Kardava - replicating the feat at the U16 event.

    The highest blocking statline, was recorded at the U18 EuroBasket, Division B where Norway's Ludvik Bergseng provided a stellar protection of the rim with seven blocked shots against Great Britain.

    Player

    Blocks

    Opponent

    Event

    Aday Mara (ESP)

    6

    Montenegro

    FIBA U20 EuroBasket

    Cameron Houindo (FRA)

    6

    Serbia

    FIBA U16 EuroBasket

    Ignas Stombergas (LTU)

    6

    Poland

    FIBA U16 EuroBasket

    Irakli Kardava (GEO)

    6

    Slovenia

    FIBA U16 EuroBasket

    Rene D’Amelio (ITA)

    5

    Poland

    FIBA U20 EuroBasket

    Andreas Patrikis (GRE)

    5

    Türkiye

    FIBA U18 EuroBasket

    Oskar Giltay (BEL)

    5

    Türkiye

    FIBA U18 EuroBasket

    Wojciech Bloch (POL)

    5

    Georgia

    FIBA U16 EuroBasket

    Ignas Stombergas (LTU)

    5

    Slovenia

    FIBA U16 EuroBasket

    Lukas Klein (GER)

    5

    Lithuania

    FIBA U16 EuroBasket

    Division B high: Ludvik Bergseng (NOR) - 7 BLK vs Great Britain (FIBA U18 EuroBasket, Division B)

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