The Top 10 Players from the Asian Qualifiers' first window

MANILA (Enzo Flojo's Asia on My Mind) - The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers captured the hearts and minds of basketball fans all over the continent, and I'm here to look at the ten players who impressed the most.

Jeon JunBeom (Korea) 

One of the biggest upsets of the first window was Korea's unexpected triumph over the Tall Blacks in Wellington on Day 1, and Jeon was the biggest reason for that. The Korean hotshot drained 4 three-pointers on his way to a game-high 22 points, propelling his squad to an all-important win that may have implications not only for this round but for the second round as well.

Jayson Castro (Philippines) 

Castro came out of retirement this year to help Gilas Pilipinas at the Asia Cup, but his strongest impact was felt in the Asian Qualifiers, where he finished as the most efficient player in the continent. He scored 20 points in both of the Philippines' wins over Japan and Chinese Taipei, and he served notice that despite being 31 years old and having to compete against many younger and quicker guards, he still has what it takes to be the most dominant floor general in this corner of the world.

Anton Ponomarev (Kazakhstan) 

The one-time teenage phenom has had inconsistent performances since first seizing the imagination of Asian hoop nuts in 2007, but it seems he has rediscovered his potency after the Steppe Wolves went 2-0 in the first window. The 29-year-old center unloaded 23 points on the back of 6 triples in a blowout win over Qatar before dropping 16 points in a comeback victory at home against an upstart Iraqi quintet. It's safe to say Ponomarev has become the Kazakhs' best big man again.

Demario Mayfield (Iraq) 

Iraq finally debuted their new naturalized player in the first window, and the 26-year-old point guard did not disappoint. He was unstoppable as the Iraqis recorded a home win against fancied Iran on Day 2, tallying 24 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals, and then he followed that up with an impressive 19-point, 6-rebound and 4-assist showing against Kazakhstan on Day 4. He was the main reason why the Lions of Mesopotamia nearly took a second win home, and he will surely be their main man moving forward.

Sun Minghui (China) 

Everyone was focused on Ding Yanyuhang and Wang Zhelin as the main men for China in the first window, but 21-year-old, 1.87m Sun stole the show by averaging 16 points and shooting 69% from the floor in Team Dragon's two Ws. Sun did well with 11 points in a home win over Hong Kong, but he exploded for 21 points as China ambushed Korea in Goyang. For quite some time, China have been looking for a suitably solid option at shooting guard, and if Sun can be consistent with this kind of production, then he may just fit the bill.

Dar Tucker (Jordan) 

Jordan started their Asian Qualifiers campaign strong by winning against both West Asia rivals Syria and Lebanon, and, not surprisingly, naturalized guard Dar Tucker was at the forefront of their efforts. The 1.90m combo guard was his usual explosive self, scoring 15 points against the Syrians before popping the cap for 32 points on 10-of-15 field goal shooting in Al Nashama's triumph over the Cedars. As long as he remains healthy, Tucker should be a thorn on the side of any opponent standing in Jordan's plans of making it to the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Quincy Davis (Chinese Taipei) 

Yes, Taipei went home with two losses after the first window, but it wasn't for Davis's lack of trying. The 2.03m center may have already hit 34 years old earlier this year, but he was still quite effective for coach Chou Chun-San, averaging 18.5 points, 7.0 rebounds. 2.5 steals and 1.0 block per game while shooting 65% of his field goals. He finished the first window second only to Castro in efficiency, and he is someone that should not be overlooked by any of Taipei's foes.

Wael Arakji (Lebanon) 

Losing to Jordan was a big disappointment for Lebanon, but that was cushioned a little bit by their earlier win over India and the fact that Arakji continued his growth as the country's new basketball superstar. He battled Tucker as best as he could and held his own, registering 21 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds and 2 steals for Lebanon despite falling short. The loss notwithstanding, the future remains bright for Lebanon, and Arakji is a big reason why.

Daniel Kickert (Australia) 

Yes, we probably won't see Andrew Bogut, Aaron Baynes and Thon Maker till the third Asian Qualifiers window in June/July 2018, but the Boomers don't really need any of them right now given how well 2.09m Kickert is playing. Like Davis, Kickert is already pushing 34, but age has not slowed him down one bit. The Brisbane Bullets veteran averaged 18.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.5 three-pointers per game for Australia, shoring up the middle and lifting them to an immaculate 2-0 slate.

Shea Ili (New Zealand) 

Yes, the Webster brothers returned to the national team after missing the Asia Cup, but Ili remained the Tall Blacks' best player through their two games in the first window. The 25-year-old point guard had 10 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals in their shock loss to Korea, and he was their best player in their easy win over Hong Kong with 14 points, 8 assists and 5 boards. Overall, Ili shot 67% from the floor and was ultra effective on both ends of the floor. He was among the best five players at the Asia Cup, and he proved how he was deserving of that status once again by how well he played at the Asian Qualifiers.

Enzo Flojo

FIBA

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