MIES (Switzerland) - The 2024-25 NCAA season has tipped off and more and more international players are coming into the competition and having an impact - and that after they already left their mark with their national team system.
FIBA reviewed the NCAA rosters and found some of the top players in NCAA basketball who have a successful past in FIBA competitions and came up with 30 names. This is the second installment of the series.
This is the second installment of the series, following an alphabetical order.
Cooper Flagg - USA - Duke
1st place - FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022
Flagg came to the FIBA U17 World Cup two summers ago as a rather unknown but he certainly showed the world what he can do. He started the tournament with just 3 points but added 13 rebounds and 3 blocks and just took off from there. In the Final over Spain, Flagg tallied 10 points, 17 rebounds, 2 assists, 8 steals and 4 blocks.
All told, his performance earned Flagg a spot on the All-Star 5. And that was the jumping board for a future superstar. He is expected to be the No. 1 pick of the 2025 NBA Draft as he stars at Duke. But what a performance in his sole FIBA competition thus far.
You want to know more? Check this complete portrait of this next superstar.
Tomislav Ivisic - CRO - Illinois
2 games - FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Pre-Qualifiers 1st place - FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2018 8th place - FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2019 14th place - FIBA U20 EuroBasket 2023
Ivisic was a regular for Croatia's youth national teams, helping the country win the FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2018 and working all the way into the senior national team in FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Pre-Qualifiers.
Ivisic, whose twin brother Zvonimir is also a highly regarded prospect, played many years with SC Derby in Montenegro before moving to NCAA basketball this summer and is playing for University of Illinois.
Ian Jackson - USA - North Carolina
1st place - FIBA U16 AmeriCup 2021 1st place - FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022 4th place - FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2023
Jackson played for USA's youth ranks three times - twice winning the title. He helped USA win the FIBA U16 AmeriCup 2021 and then rolled to the crown at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022. Jackson played a year younger the next summer at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2023 where USA slumped to fourth place.
Jackson starred in high school basketball in New York and this season is debuting in college basketball with the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Akira Jacobs - JPN - Hawaii
11th place - Paris 2024 Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament 2nd place - FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2022 8th place - FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2023 2022 BWB Asia Camp
Jacobs is considered one of Japan's biggest hopes for the future. He starred at the FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2022 in helping Japan take second place. He played the following summer at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2023 and this past summer even played at the Paris Olympics at just age 20.
Jacobs is spending his second season at the University of Hawaii.
Kasparas Jakucionis - LTU - Illinois
1st place - FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2022 11th place - FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2023 6th place - FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2024 2024 BWB Global Camp
Jakucionis in 2022 played a major role in Lithuania winning the FIBA U16 EuroBasket for the first time since 2008. He played the following two summers at the FIBA U18 EuroBaskets and also was a participant at the 2024 BWB Global Camp.
Jakucionis moved to NCAA basketball after two seasons with FC Barcelona in Spain and is playing at the University of Illinois. The point guard could soon become a leader at the Lithuanian senior national team.
Youssef Khayat - LBN - Bowling Green
No place awarded - FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 Spain 2nd place - FIBA Asia Cup 2022 6 games - FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifiers 2nd place - FIBA Asia U16 WABA Qualifier 2017 No place awarded - FIBA Asia U18 WABA Qualifier 2018 8th place - FIBA U16 Asia Cup 2017 No place awarded - FIBA Asia U16 WABA Qualifier 2018 No place awarded - FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2018
Khayat is considered one of the brightest talents for the future of Lebanese basketball at just 21 years old. The forward played multiple years for the country's youth national teams before graduating to the senior team for the FIBA Asia Cup 2022, where as a 19-year-old he averaged 5.3 points.
He also played six games in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifiers before collecting 12.7 points and 5.0 rebounds at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 Spain. Khayat spent three years in France playing for Limoges and then played at the University of Michigan for two seasons. This year he is playing for Bowling Green State University.
Kerr Kriisa - EST - Kentucky
19th place - FIBA EuroBasket 2022 2 games - FIBA EuroBasket 2022 Qualifiers 2 games - FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers 13th place - FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2016 12th place - FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2017 5th place - FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2019 Division B
Kriisa has already been playing three years with the Estonian senior national team despite being only 23 years old. The point guard played at the U16 and U18 national team level and then significant member of the team at FIBA EuroBasket 2022.
Kriisa spent three seasons at the University of Arizona before playing at West Virginia University last year and now plays at the University of Kentucky.
Miro Little - FIN - Utah
No place awarded - FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 Spain 21st place - FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 7th place - FIBA EuroBasket 2022 6 games - FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers 3rd place - FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2019, Division B 13th place - FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2022, Division B 2023 BWB Global Camp
Little will not turn 21 until the end of this season but he already has assumed a strong role with Finland's senior national team. He played at the FIBA EuroBasket 2022, FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 as well as the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 Spain, gaining more responsibility each summer.
This is his second season in NCAA basketball, playing for the University of Utah after competing for Baylor University in 2023-24.
Khaman Maluach - SSD - Duke
17th place - FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 9th place - Paris 2024 Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament 2024 BWB Global Camp 2023 BWB Africa Camp
Maluach has risen to great heights despite only turning 18 on September 14. He was one of the youngest players in the history of the FIBA Basketball World Cup last summer and then played at the 2024 Olympics for the up-and-coming South Sudan national team. He also was named the MVP of the 2023 BWB Africa.
And playing in the Basketball Africa League, Maluach has moved to NCAA basketball and is playing at the esteemed Duke University.
Augustas Marciulionis - LTU - Saint Mary's
7th place - FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2018 7th place - FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2019 6th place - FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2021 2nd place - FIBA U20 EuroBasket 2022
Marciulionis played four summers for the Lithuania youth national teams, including at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2023. His biggest achievement was taking second place at the FIBA U20 EuroBasket 2022.
The son of the legendary Sarunas Marciulionis has been playing college basketball in the United States since 2021, now spending his fourth season with Saint Mary's College of California.
Part 3 will be published in the coming days.
FIBA