Players to Watch FIBA U20 EuroBasket 2025 Division B
The FIBA U20 EuroBasket 2025, Division B runs from July 11 to 20 in Yerevan, Armenia. Here are some of the players to watch for the tournament.
The FIBA U20 EuroBasket 2025, Division B runs from July 11 to 20 in Yerevan, Armenia. And Türkiye are probably the biggest favorites as they play in Division B for the first time. Here is a breakdown off all the teams with the players you should be looking at.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria finished 10th and 9th after three straight Quarter-Finals appearances. Back from last summer’s team are Ivo Korestilov, Momchil Kadiev and Maxim Bochev, who all teamed up at U18 in 2023 as well. Korestilov also has played the last two seasons in the FIBA Europe Cup with Balkan Botevgrad.
Ivan Dimitrov has FEC experience with Rilski Sportist and had a strong U18 campaign in 2024 while Stefan Mihaylov appeared in FEC games the last two seasons and played in two U18 tournaments. Stanislav Hinkov played in the Youth Basketball Champions League for two seasons with German club Ludwigsburg and also played at the U16 and U18 levels.
Croatia
Croatia managed only 10th last summer in their first appearance in Division B since 2017 and will be back for a second year.
The leader of this team should be Niko Sare, who was on the U20 squad last summer alongside Vigo Bart, who played the previous two summers at the U18 level.
The trio of Josip Pavkovic, Andro Mirceta and Toni Torbarinau will be out to make good for being unable to avoid relegation from Division A at the U18 level last summer while Noa Zemljic played at U18 in Division A in 2023.
Great Britain
Great Britain are in their third straight summer in Division B and have a couple of players back from 2024. One of them is Nedas Cholevinskas, who has had a strong youth national team career. Tyreese Perry-Huggins and Edward Onyia also played U20 last summer. Re'Ale Basquine and Amarlie Wilkinson both come into the U20 team after having solid showings at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2024 Division B, and Benjamin Michaels is another name after two U18 campaigns in 2022 and 2023.
Portugal
Portugal have reached the Quarter-Finals in the last two events since returning to Division B and have an interesting squad. Jhonathan Andrade makes the jump to U20 and should lead after two excellent U18 campaigns. Pedro Santos is back after playing U20 last summer and also has two U18 summers under his belt.
Salvador Gomes played two U18s as well and also appeared in the FIBA Europe Cup in 2024 and 2025 with Sporting CP. This team also includes 2007-born gem Joao Panzo, who played two U16 competitions and last summer played for the U18 and U20 teams.
Salvador Victo, Afonso Coelho, Yago Carrera and Nathan Noronha all have at least two summers of youth national team experience.
Slovakia
Slovakia reached the Quarter-Finals last summer, their best result since 2007. The team will be highlighted by Peter Kovacik, who dominated the Youth Basketball Champions League for Nymburk in 2023 and will be playing his fifth summer for Slovakia and second U20 competition.
Robert Hudec has been with Kovacik the last four summers at three different age groups. Marek Simonides had a strong U18 Division B campaign last summer while Martin Pospisil moves to U20 after two summers at the U18 level. Also back from last year’s U20 team are Benjamin Dostal, Lukas Luttmerding and Lukas Jendrichovsky
Armenia
Armenia are back for a second straight U20 Division B and have put together a team for the future including a naturalized American.
Four players are back in Tigran Mkrtumyan, Hayk Karakhanyan, Marat Mikaelyan and Yura Melikyan. One of the team’s best players last summer was Melikyan who averaged 16 points and 17 rebounds. Melikyan, Mkrtumyan and Mikaelyan all also played in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Pre-Qualifiers along with Daniel Kirakosyan. And Karakhanyan had 15 points and 7 rebounds in the U18 Division C last summer.
Amari McCall is an American who plays for the Thomas Jefferson High School basketball team in Richmond, Virginia. Sebastian Hatsakorzian averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds at the U18 Division C last summer and is 2007 born as are Deniel Sanamian and Xavier Kilislian.
Estonia
Estonia are spending a second straight summer in Division B after they were in Division A in 2023.
They have four guys back from the U20 team last summer in Jorke Aav, Edvard Marius Herter, Karmo Kilk and Espen Mägi with the Germany-based Aav expected to be the main leader.
The Spain-based Gert Suvi played at two U18 tournaments with the rest of the team not having much experience.
Ireland
Ireland’s best recent finish was ninth in 2022.
Back from last summer’s U20 team are main leader Aivaras Uosis, Jack Kehoe, who also played in two U18 tournaments, Daryl Cuff and Philip Anthony Kearney.
The team includes a number of players from the U18 last summer including top guys Harry Scully, Fortune Igbokwe, Joshua Osayanrhion and Declan Gbinigie while Anthony Ezeonu played in two U18s.
Latvia
This is now the fourth straight Division B summer for Latvia and a good core of the team is back and the generation helped Latvia jump to Division A in 2023 at the U18 level.
The main guys will be the returnees Edvards Egle, Germany based big man Janis Jünemann, Rudolfs Svitins, Kristaps Soldatenoks and Francis Neilands.
Juris Filips Vītols played two U18 events but did not compete last summer - the same going for Francois Nkoy-Eale. Rolands Sulcs meanwhile helped the country reach Division A at U18 in 2023 along with Egle, Svitins, Vitols, Nkoy-Eale, Toms Salnajs and Edvards Svalbe.
Montenegro
Montenegro went down from Division A this past summer for the first time since it won the Division B in 2016. The 2005 generation helped Montenegro finish third at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2023 Division B but the country didn’t go up because relegated Finland did not go down in 2023 as they were designated U18 hosts for 2024.
Back from the U20 team are Lazar Mirotic, Petar Radonjic, Petar Strugar and Milorad Brajovic.
Lazar Carapic will be a leader after a strong U18 last summer while Luka Djurovic had two U18 campaigns. The team also includes Marko Radunovic, who had 16 points and 9 rebounds at the U18 level last summer.
Austria
Austria are back in Division B after not having a U20 team last summer. And this team includes a number of the country’s top future hopes.
Fynn Schott plays for Spanish side Gran Canaria and played for the senior team in the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Pre-Qualifiers and FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Pre-Qualifiers and also averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds at the U18 tournament last summer.
Italy-based Omer Suljanovic starred at U18 tournaments in 2022 and 2023 and has also played in the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Pre-Qualifiers and FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Pre-Qualifiers. Another player from the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Pre-Qualifiers is Benjamin Schuch, who had a strong U18 campaign in 2024.
The team also includes Nico Zeleznik and Sebastian Muchitsch, who had good U18s in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Denmark
It’s welcome back to the Division B for Denmark, who haven’t played in the competition since 2012. The reason is because of the country’s strong 2005 generation which played in Division A at the U18 in 2023 and stayed in the league, only to have the country drop to Division B in 2024.
Four players were on the 2023 Division A team in Gabriel Vogel, Niklas Polonowski, Tyrese Dada and William Bloch. Ogbemudia Uagboe meanwhile was with the 2024 U18 team.
Georgia
Georgia registered fifth place in 2024, the country’s best showing since returning to Division B in 2014 and the team has solid chances of advancing to Division A for next summer.
Five players are back from that team including star 2007-born talent Avtandil Bakhtadze, who already has put together a massively impressive youth career. He played the FIBA U20 European Challengers 2021 as a 13-year-old and then played two U16 events, the U18 Division B in 2023 and 2024 and last summer’s U20 tournament.
Big man Luka Lomtadze will be playing his third U20 tournament while Luka Alavidze and Anri Beltadze both played two U18 summers. Also back is Gega Tsulaia.
The trio of Nikoloz Abuladze, Alexandre Daushvili and Temuri Kapanadze all played at least one U16 tournament and two U18 events.
Netherlands
Netherlands took fourth place last year for their best result since returning in 2011. A major core of the team will be back giving them a chance to reach Division A.
Returning from the U20 team last summer are Timothy George, Dyami Marvin Janeck, Evan van der Plas, Ryan van Eyck, Noah Slingerland, Joris Metz and Tjall de Vaal.
Jairo van den Berg and Wamba Ngouateu teamed together in the U18 last summer while 6-11 big man Florian Rijkers appeared in Basketball Champions League games for Heroes Den Bosch last season. The team will also include first-time nationa team player Edney Francisco Manuel.
North Macedonia
North Macedonia return after one summer in Division A. And they hope they can make the jump right back up.
The top leader of this team will be center Marko Lukanoski, who was on the U20 team last summer and also played at the U18 level as well. Wing Pavel Ivanov is also back as well as guard Angel Kechovski.
Stefan Stojkovic played at the U18 level the last two summer, playing with Kosta Kirilovski last year and Bojan Velichkovski in 2023. Also on the team is Dimitar Zetov, who appeared in the FIBA Europe Cup with MZT Skopje Aerodrom.
Switzerland
Switzerland finished seventh in 2024 and will hoping to ride the wave of enthusiasm after the country finished a sensation eighth at the FIBA U19 World Cup 2025.
Back from the team last summer are Nikola Aleksic, Zachary Biku and Lukas Keredzin while Diego Roman had a big U18 tournament last summer. The team includes many players making their Swiss national team debut.
Albania
Albania are playing in the U20 for the ninth straight summer.
The main player will be Viktorio Hida, who played for the senior team in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Pre-Qualifiers and also played in the U18 Division C last summer.
Another of the leaders will be Virtus Bologna’s Daniel Bylyku, who palyed in the U20 in 2023 while Ksavi Spahiu was Hida’s U18 Division C teammate last summer. Another player who will be one of the main guys is Ajet Cahani.
Hungary
Hungary were sixth last summer but might have problems this year.
Three players are back on the team: Gabor Bor, 7-footer Benjamin Kaye and Barna Buglyo ulm from German club ratiopharm ulm. There is not really that much experience otherwise.
Kosovo
Kosovo are appearing in their ninth straight U20 tournament.
Norik Binqe and Jon Ismajli both played in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Pre-Qualifiers with both of them now playing their third U20 tournament.
Rron Dahsyla meanwhile has played in the U20 event in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Eris Zeneli will be playing in his second U20 while Arlind Konjuhi competed in two U18 events.
Sweden
Sweden finished 15th last summer after taking 5th and 4th places the previous two summers.
The most talented player on the team will be Samuel Obenjo, who starred last summer playing his second U18 tournament. Sweden will also have three players who are back from the U20 team.
Kaspar Martenson is a 6-11 big man while Anton Johansson had 9 points and 4 rebounds last summer and William Holmstrom chipped in 9 points. Add to the the versatile Nathaniel Nzonyansi, who had a fine U18 event last summer.
Türkiye
Türkiye were relegated to Division B for the first time and they have put together a team that should contend to immediately go right back up.
Emre Melih Tunca will be the absolute go-to guy having played at the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers as well as taking third at the FIBA U19 World Cup 2023 and being part of the disappointing U20 team last summer.
Also back from the U20 side in 2024 are Ozgur Cengiz, Salih Altuntas, Arda Sivas, Kaan Berk Tarla and Berk Can Akin.
Cengiz has loads of experience, having played 17 games in the Basketball Champions League in 2024 with Tofas and then 11 FIBA Europe Cup games in 2025. He also helped Türkiye finish second at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2022 and third at the FIBA U19 World Cup 2023. Sivas was on those teams as well while Altuntas also has played in two U18 EuroBaskets . Yagiz Aksu meanwhile has BCL experience and played at two U18 EuroBaskets
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