Izan Almansa named TISSOT MVP after helping Spain win historic silver medal

MALAGA (Spain) - Izan Almansa may have come up one step short of his ultimate dream of winning the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022 title, but the Spanish big man was named TISSOT Most Valuable Player after helping the host team make history by reaching the Final.

Almansa collected 9 points, 15 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals as he and Spain gave a valiant fight against the United States before eventually losing 79-67 in the Final. Almansa was a dominant force in the middle all tournament for Spain, and his performance helped the hosts advance past the Semi-Finals for the first time in U17 World Cup history and win their first medal.

 

Almansa finished the tournament averaging 12.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.6 blocks per game  while hitting 55.7 percent from the field.

"I'm so proud of getting the award. I wasn’t expecting to get it, but for me it means a lot, and it means a lot for my teammates and the work of all the staff and all the coaches. Right now we are sad, but we will think about what we did in the future," Almansa said.

Izan Almansa - the TISSOT MVP of the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022

"Almansa is an amazing kid, amazing worker. He's trying to do his best all the time," Spanish coach Javier Zamora said. "The most important thing for the team is the group. He was important in the locker room, on the court, every day. And he’s an example for other guys."

Almansa was joined on the All-Star Five by the USA duo of Cooper Flagg and Koa Peat, Spanish teammate Lucas Langarita and Ilane Fibleuil of France.

Cooper Flagg of USA

Flagg played a major role in USA winning the Final with 10 points, 17 rebounds, 2 assists, 8 steals and 4 blocks. For the tournament he averaged 9.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 2.4 steals and 2.9 blocks per game. Peat for his part had 3 points, 4 rebounds and 1 block in the title game. Over the seven games, he picked up 9.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 blocks per contest.

Ilane Fibleuil of France

Langarita meanwhile collected 11.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game for Spain, and Fibleuil tallied 12.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per contest for France.

 FIBA