OPTQ's: Five players who lit it up and three ballers who broke out in Syria

DAMASCUS (Syria) - The FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament 2023 in Syria saw some stellar performances from some of the best players in Asia.

Here are the top five players who shone the brightest in Damascus and three other players who posted breakout tournaments in a national team jersey.

Five Players Who Lit It Up

Mohammed Alsuwailem - Saudi Arabia

Tournament Statistics: 29.2 EFF; 19.8 PPG; 13.2 RPG

Standing at 2.08m, the  25-year-old Saudi center registered double-doubles in 4 of their 5 games. He also shot 65.5% from the field and added 2.4 assists and 1.4 blocks per game. He was simply unstoppable as Saudi Arabia finished with the second-best record overall.

Marques Terrell Bolden - Indonesia

Tournament Statistics: 25.6 EFF; 23.4 PPG; 9.2 RPG

Bolden tipped the tournament off with a bang, scoring 40 points and grabbing 10 rebounds against Kazakhstan. His performance, however, dropped in the next three games. He was still a double-double threat, but it seems he ran out of gas against India, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain. Despite that, Bolden was among the tournament's finest big men. He led all players with 3 blocks per game while also having just 1.6 fouls per contest.

Devon Dwayne Chism - Bahrain

Tournament Statistics: 23.2 EFF; 14.2 PPG; 8.6 RPG

Chism may not have scored as many points as some of the other guys on this list. However, what he may have lacked in terms of scoring punch, he more than made up for in terms of rebounding and defense. Chism had 9 or more rebounds in 4 of their 5 games. He also finished third overall in steals per game (2.0) and second overall in blocks per game (2.6).

Mustafa Rashed - Bahrain

Tournament Statistics: 19.6 EFF; 21.8 PPG; 3.6 APG

Given Rashed's scoring prowess and chutzpah, it's hard to believe he's just 21 years old. He finished second overall in scoring just behind Bolden. Not surprisingly, he led the entire field in three-pointers made per game (4.6). That's thanks largely to his scintillating performance against the home team when he hit 10 shots from beyond the arc.

Muzamil Ameer Hamooda (BRN)‎

Tournament Statistics: 19.2 EFF; 17.6 PPG; 6.6 RPG

Having one elite 21-year-old just isn't enough for Bahrain. With Hamooda on board alongside Rashed, Bahrain certainly seems to have their formidable one-two punch for the foreseeable future. Like Rashed, Hamooda can also hit from the outside (2.2 triples per game), though the latter is also a terrific rebounder and defender. Take note, too, that Hamooda shot flawlessly from the free-throw line in 3 of their 5 games.

Three Breakout Ballers

Robert Pan - Kazakhstan

Tournament Statistics: 17.0 EFF; 15.2 PPG; 8.2 RPG

Entering this tournament, Pan was not exactly a household name for the Steppen Wolves. In fact, he averaged just 3.7 points per game in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifiers. He also had a slow start, scoring just 7 points against Indonesia on Day 1. Since then, however, Pan has been on a tear. He averaged 17.3 points and 2.8 triples in the next four games while also shooting 39.3% from beyond the arc. Now that's what a breakout performance looks like.

Yudha Saputera - Indonesia

Tournament Statistics: 16.2 EFF; 14.0 PPG; 6.0 APG

Indonesia were without some of their marquee guards at this tournament. This meant that someone had to step up big time to take some of the load off of Marques Bolden's shoulders. Enter the diminutive Saputera, who never averaged more than 6.8 points per game in past tournaments for Indonesia. He more than doubled that output in Damascus, tallying 14.0 points, helped by 2.2 triples per game. He also handed out 6 assist per outing for good measure.

Pranav Prince - India

Tournament Statistics: 14.6 EFF; 12.4 PPG; 6.0 RPG

Prince may be just 20 years of age, but he sure packs a punch. He has always been on the cusp of greatness for India, averaging between 8-9 points per game in previous tournaments. However, the versatile 2.00m forward showcased his true scoring chops in Damascus. He opened the tournament with 21 points in a win over Syria. He then put up double-digit scoring in the next three games. India may have found the heir apparent to Amjyot Singh right here.

FIBA