Eight players to watch at FIBA U20 European Championship 2022, Division B

 

MUNICH (Germany) - After a two-year break, the FIBA U20 European Championship, Division B returns to its usual format, with the 2022 edition of the competition played in Tbilisi, Georgia. 

The 19 participating teams will once again be competing for promotion to Division A, with three tickets up for grabs for the teams that finish on the podium. 

Here is an overview of eight leading players who will shape this tournament.

Be sure to also check out the top players to watch in the Division A tournament, which will be taking place in Podgorica, Montenegro.

Mihailo Musikic – Serbia

Center

Birth Date: March 25, 2002 (20 years old)
Height: 2.09m (6ft 10in)
Club: KK Mega Basket (SRB)

Serbia's presence in Division B feels like an anomaly, a glitch in the system, and the Serbian youngsters will be determined to prove that it's nothing more than that. They'll be led by big man Mihailo Musikic, who already was an integral part of the U19 squad, which barely missed out on a medal at the World Cup in 2021. The center had his best performance of the tournament in the Third-Place Game against Canada, where he dropped 25 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists while making 3-of-7 shots from downtown. Since then, he's had a significant amount of experience playing against grown men, combining for over 1000 minutes in the Serbian KLS and Liga ABA this season. At 2.09m, Musikic is a reliable interior scorer, who can also stretch the floor and knock down the occasional three-pointer. Most importantly, he's an excellent passer from the post and on the short roll. With him in the middle, his teammates on the perimeter will be enjoying countless open shots and cutters especially, will be thriving.

Yannick Kraag – Netherlands

Forward

Birth Date: October 16, 2002 (19 years old)
Height: 2.04m (6ft 8in)
Club: CB Prat Juventud (ESP)

Although he ultimately didn't stay in the 2022 NBA Draft, Yannick Kraag will have a lot of eyes on him, because he was on the Early Entrant-list. The Dutchman shows tremendous potential and has been consistently improving over the past couple of years with Joventut Badalona and its partner team CB Prat. At 2.04m, Kraag is a high-level athlete, who thrives as a slasher and in transition. Furthermore, he's always a threat to throw down a spectacular alley-oop dunk. The 19-year-old has also been getting more consistent as a shooter and possesses plenty of upside on the defensive end as well. While Kraag still has to get more consistent in many areas of his game, his tools, ball-skills and recent development curve indicate that he'll be a very good pro for a long time. At this tournament, the forward will lead an intriguing Dutch team with a handful of really talented players: while they aren't favorites for promotion into Division A, they shouldn't be counted out either.

Konstantin Kostadinov – Bulgaria

Forward

Birth Date: March 25, 2003 (19 years old)
Height: 2.03m (6ft 8in)
Club: Palmer Alma Mediterranea Palma (ESP)

Konstantin Kostadinov, who just completed his first season as a pro, has already seen extended minutes for Bulgaria's senior national team. The big forward has been a dominant force whenever he played in youth competitions, and he's expected to be one of the best players in this tournament as well. At 2.03m, he's a dominant slasher and transition scorer, who can overwhelm defenders physically but also get to the basket with a nice crossover move, often followed by strong finishes. Additionally, the Bulgarian thrives on the offensive glass and consistently makes an impact on defense as well. While the three-pointer is an area-to-improve for Kostadinov, he should comfortably finish among the competition's top scorers. In Tbilisi, he'll be supported by skilled post player Emil Stoilov, another staple of the senior national team. Together, they'll be looking to lead Bulgaria back into Division A for the first time since 2015.

Kriss Helmanis – Latvia

Forward

Birth Date: March 25, 2002 (20 years old)
Height: 2.12m (6ft 11in)
Club: Club Joventut Badalona (ESP)

Kriss Helmanis will be one of the most skilled bigs in either U20 competition. The 20-year-old returns to FIBA play after an inconsistent performance at last year's FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup. On one hand, he had a brilliant 30-point, 11-rebound performance against South Korea and dished out an impressive 3.1 assists a game, but on the other hand, he struggled with scoring efficiency all tournament (36.6% FG, 47.8% FT). Helmanis will certainly look to improve on those marks, as he'll be the centerpiece of the Latvian team once again. The big man is an effective roll man, who also shows good touch on hook shots from the post, has a reliable floater in his arsenal, and can occasionally even knock down a three-pointer. Furthermore, he displays impressive passing vision from the post, which will allow him to make his teammates better. Among them will be sharpshooter Freds Bagatskis, son of long-time player and coach Ainars Bagatskis. Led by Helmanis, Latvia will make a run for promotion into Division A.

Bobi Klintman – Sweden

Forward

Birth Date: March 6, 2003 (19 years old)
Height: 2.04m (6ft 8in)
Club: Wake Forest (USA)

After not participating in last year's FIBA European Challengers, Sweden return to the competition with a strong team, headlined by skilled forward Bobi Klintman. The 19-year-old started gaining traction in the basketball world in 2020 because of his impressive offensive skill set at 2.04m, which earned him a scholarship to Wake Forest for the coming season. Klintman is everything you want a modern forward to be: Athletic, skilled, and smart. He's a reliable jump shooter, who displays impressive fluidity attacking the basket in transition and even in pick-and-roll. Additionally, he's a tremendous decision-maker with a good eye for the open man, and he still has plenty of upside left. Klintman has represented Sweden at the Baltic Sea Cup and the Nordic Championships, but he has never competed in a FIBA tournament, which makes him one of the most anticipated debutants of the summer. If he continues improving at a good rate, Klintman has the chance to become a centerpiece for the Swedish senior national team for a long time.

Rashaan Mbemba – Austria

Forward

Birth Date: October 15, 2003 (18 years old)
Height: 1.97m (6ft 6in)
Club: SKN St. Polten (AUT)

Rashaan Mbemba is an unorthodox player, but that's part of why he's so fun to watch. The big forward loves to work the post, where he displays impressive footwork and some ability on hook shots and post-fadeaways. Against U20 competition, he should not only be able to score effectively on the interior, but he'll also make a living at the line, given his physical playstyle. When he gets a clear lane to the basket, for example as a roll-man, there's also always potential for a big highlight dunk. In addition to his scoring on the interior, Mbemba has also been getting more comfortable stretching the floor, taking more threes, and hitting them at a solid rate thus far. Despite his youth, Mbemba has already gained significant experience against adult competition as well: he's represented the Austrian senior national team at the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Pre-Qualifiers, averaging an impressive 10.8 points and 5.6 rebounds, and he played 30 games in the Austrian Bundesliga this season.

Luca Colceag – Romania

Small Forward

Birth Date: June 22, 2003 (19 years old)
Height: 2.00m (6ft 7in)
Club: U-BT Cluj Napoca (ROU)

Last year, Luca Colceag made a name for himself at the FIBA U18 and U20 Challengers, where he impressed with his versatile game, and earned a spot with Basketball Champions League team Cluj Napoca. Colceag excels especially on the defensive end, where he covers ground quickly, reads the game well and uses his size and length effectively to impact shots at the rim and make plays in passing lanes. At the Challengers in 2021, he played nine games in total and collected 14 steals and 13 blocks in the process. On the offensive games, he's rawer, but he flashes interesting long-term potential. At 2.00m, he's a fluid slasher and shows upside as a shooter as well, even if he still needs to become more consistent. This tournament will be another opportunity for the 19-year-old to showcase his talents to a European audience, before he moves to the USA to play college basketball for Division 1-school Montana State.

Andrej Mitrevski – North Macedonia

Guard

Birth Date: September 17, 2003 (18 years old)
Height: 1.90m (6ft 3in)
Club: Feniks 2010 (MKD)

Andrej Mitrevski is a professional scorer. At the FIBA U16 European Championship 2019, he was the competition's second-leading scorer at 19 points per contest. Despite his youth, he's also already a starter in North Macedonia's top league, where he averaged a remarkable 13.7 points per game this season, the 31st best mark in the whole league. At 1.90m, Mitrevski is a capable shooter, who can make defenses pay for going under ball-screens. While he lacks elite explosiveness, he uses screens well to get to the basket, where he displays some acrobatic abilities with impressive hangtime, and he can make plays for others as well. With this offensive skill set, Mitrevski is expected to be one of the leaders of the North Macedonian squad, which will be looking for their first Top-10 finish in Division B since 2015.

FIBA