2024-07-28
Article by: dwyane3
First Division Highlights
Taiwan's Dominance
Taiwan entered the tournament as favourites and did not disappoint. Known for their disciplined play and strong team coordination, despite the tough competition, Taiwan remained unbeaten. This victory is a testament to their strong basketball program and training.
Coach Bibi224 commented: "This was quite unexpected. I knew we had a strong team full of growing talent, but I didn’t expect to get such an excellent ranking. My original goal was just the top four. So this is brilliant. We were very surprised by Poland, they simply crushed the low post, but fortunately our shooters seized the opportunity. For us, Huang Yingshuo, and Tu Jianshend were the most important role players.
Poland's Impressive Run
Poland, initially ranked as the 5th strongest team, exceeded expectations by finishing second. Polish basketball has been growing steadily, and this achievement is a significant milestone for them. Their strong defence and strategic plays helped them secure a silver medal, bringing pride to their nation.
A proud coach Szulim commented: "As everybody knows, Taiwan was ranked as the top team of the tournament, it’s no surprise that they got the gold medal. Our Polish team stood up against them during finals. The final match was great - the last 3 minutes was basket after basket and we gave great performance for the fans. We ended up second - great congrats to Taiwan team.
Latvia was the dark horse. I gave my congrats to their manager right after the finals, what a run for this team! It's a kind of story you can share with your children! On the other side - Argentina making only 18th spot being 9th ranked team it’s very surprising, but I have to give some appreciation for manager of Slovenia (Polish manager Smokey) for beating Argentina during group stage and making them to fight for life to stay in 1st division.
I have to thank our community for great preparation. Even though we didn’t have any player with 9 or 10 potential, we still have great group of players that fight in every game till the end.
Personally I think that our MVP Nikoś Borek and our PG Wahadło are already in very high level regarding skills and they will be strong assets in teams and national teams in the future."
Latvia's Miracle
Latvia shocked everyone by finishing third. Initially ranked 11th, Latvia's performance was nothing short of miraculous. Known for their resilient and never-give-up attitude, the Latvian team demonstrated excellence and determination, earning a well-deserved bronze medal.
Coach ptedoraktils had a huge smile on his face during the interview: "The 1st place was as expected. Taiwan was one of the leaders. The 2nd and 3rd places are a surprise. Poland and Latvia were ranked several places below the final results. Lithuania possibly had bad luck in important play-off game against Poland.
I was very pleasantly surprised with my team's performance. I did not expect medals! Clubs trained players really well, which fit my playing style and there were no significant gaps to fill PF/C positions. My team was relatively balanced. I expect that all Latvia U-16 players will have more achievements.
Also Poland surprised positively. They have active and growing community, which is showing results. Negative surprise was China's performance. Something was sub-optimal either with player selection or strategy settings."
Hong Kong's Consistency
Hong Kong, ranked 4th strongest, finished in 4th place. Their consistent performance throughout the tournament earned them a respectable finish. Hong Kong has been steadily improving in basketball, and this result is a reflection of their hard work and dedication to the sport.
Coach Fanling3 commented: "We could have achieved a better result, but we had a tough disadvantage to overcome of not having a good coach. I think Hong Kong national teams still have to be patient until a strong Hong Kong coach is properly trained. I think 徐景北 performed pretty well in this tournament with 4 leading records. I look forward to his growth.
Congrats to other teams, they did well in this tournament. Latvia for sure the biggest surprise. They got a pretty decent result with the resources they have. Congrats!"
Lithuania's Streak Comes To An End
Lithuania, a traditionally strong basketball nation, was expected to finish in the top three but ended up in 5th place. Known for their rich basketball history and strong players, this finish was below their expectations. Despite this, Lithuania remains a formidable force in international basketball.
Coach Darys commented: "The final standings sadden me, because Lithuania is not where I wanted. I had prepared some surprises for the semi-finals or the final if we had to play with stronger national teams (Taiwan or Hong Kong), but unfortunately those surprises remained unused. Well done to Poland I really didn't expect them to go all the way to the finals."
China's Surprising Finish
China, ranked as the 2nd strongest team, finished 6th. This was a surprising result for such a strong team. China has a robust basketball infrastructure and produces many talented players, so this finish was unexpected. However, it provides an opportunity for the team to reflect and improve for future tournaments.
Spain had a mediocre performance as well. We caught up with Spain assistant coach Dan Titan for his feedback on the tournament: "The truth is that at the beginning, we saw that we clearly had a problem. In recent years there have not been so many young prodigies to lead the U16 team. In a few seasons this effect will be diluted with the great players that Spain already has in the senior teams, but we are very in need of that new blood. We know that with this push in scouting that we have in Spain, in a short time we will obtain very good players.
The positive points of this edition have been the teams from the United Kingdom, Norway and Latvia. The first has managed to consolidate itself in the middle of the classification table and has a great future ahead of it. The second, Norway, had many chances to return to National League 2, but its players and technical team have managed to save themselves. And the biggest surprise has been the Latvian team, which has deservedly climbed to third place by beating the powerful Hong Kong in the semifinals.
On the negative side, I have been a little disappointed with the Argentina and Italy teams, and the poor form of the Serbian home team.
The one player who has surprised me the most has been the Torrellas Corsaris player Iñaki Sendeño, he fit in very well with the team, by playing quite aggressively, continued to unsettle his opponents, drawing many fouls. Other mentions would be the Black Sheep player, Jesus Martin; Francisco Berlioz from BC High Five and the only two triple jumpers Antonio Lagrana from Pronator and Rolando Riopedre from Generation.
Of the entire championship, little has been said about French Joakim Noah of the Puppetz Blazers. He has scored a championship of 10 and in the last game against our team, it was impossible to stop him. He has a lot of potential and I think it will not take him long to reach the senior team. France has a diamond in the rough that will give much more to talk about."
Joakim Noah was voted Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament, showcasing his incredible talent and bright future.
Second Division Highlights
Turkey's Triumph
Turkey, ranked 3rd strongest, won the gold medals and finished the tournament undefeated. Turkey's basketball has been on the rise, and this victory is a significant achievement. Their solid teamwork and tactical plays were key to their success.
Turkish coach Alphan commented: "We were one of the favorite teams to achieve promotion, but despite being the third team in the power rankings; we managed to get the championship while remaining unbeaten. Whilst we beat them with 2 points at the earlier stage of the tournament, we beat Czechia with 18 points at the final with 62-44; defensive side was the key of our success.
Şinasi Acar was our leader in field; and get the best PF award of the tournament; he will be a good big man I suppose; and although coming from bench Polat Aksoy was an important scorer of our team; he may be a key player in the future.
And a demand for 100th season for devoted managers like me; a bonus for devotion should be given to all managers to fight with financial trouble regarding the seasons the managers play BasketPulse with devotion."
Czechia's Strong Performance
Czechia finished second, losing only to Turkey and Belarus. Their form throughout the tournament was commendable. Czechia's basketball program has been developing, and this performance is a positive sign of their progress.
Coach Jardabudy said: "I think India has to be the biggest surprise, being ranked 16th, but finishing 5th - without a head coach!
I was really impressed with Arpasi from Peru, but he has a potential of 5. I want to say that Brouček from our team will become a star in the future."
Peru's Achievement
Despite being the strongest team in the second division, Peru finished with bronze medals. Peru's result is a proud moment for the nation. They are eager to compete in the top division and continue their upward trajectory.
Belarus' Promotion
Belarus finished 4th, securing some key victories and earning promotion to the first division. Belarus has been working hard to improve their basketball, and this promotion is a reward for their efforts and determination.
Polish coach Jopencjusz had an in depth analysis "In Division 2 we avoided major upsets at the very top of our torunament standings. Only minor surprise here is lead by me with Belarus. Not big one, since we were around 6th/7th place in rankings, but still, we managed to beat some strong and well managed teams on our way here, for example in TOP12 group stage we won against great Czechia team, (which ended at 2nd place). It was a fun tournament, but my biggest gripe is very low interest from managers to manage NTs at this level - only 9 teams out of 24 were managed. I wish for next tournaments more managers would join the fun of playing with any NT.
For the players, that impressed at this tournament, for sure I have to mention here Arpasi (Peru NT), he might not be top prospect, but played really well and might be solid big man in the future, from Turkey Aksoy, who is only 15 but has great potential and long road ahead to greatness, his teammate Acar looks promising, Erik Kassai could be big time player in future, he played well and was signed to contract only 8 days before first games played at tournament, Broucek from Czechia looks like another strong big man for the future, Ignatov from Bulgaria is another big with bright future, Shah from Singapore. As for the guard/forwards it goes the most impresive was for me Campos from Philippines, who was scary scoring machine. As for Belarus team it goes, I liked what Sexton presented at this tournament and I really liked Khatsevich, but he might get problems on higher levels due to his height."
India's Surprise
India's team, predicted to finish 14th, managed to secure a 5th place finish despite initial setbacks, including starting the tournament without a head coach. This surprising result highlights the potential of Indian basketball and the resilience of their young players.
Philippines' Disappointment
As the host nation and one of the strongest teams, the Philippines finished a disappointing 13th. Known for their passion for basketball, this result was unexpected. However, it serves as a learning experience and an opportunity for the team to come back stronger.
Jeronimo Arpasi was named the MVP of the second division, highlighting his outstanding performance.
This year’s Basketball World Cup U-16 tournament was full of surprises, remarkable achievements, and memorable performances. Congratulations to everyone involved.
Taiwan's Dominance
Taiwan entered the tournament as favourites and did not disappoint. Known for their disciplined play and strong team coordination, despite the tough competition, Taiwan remained unbeaten. This victory is a testament to their strong basketball program and training.
Coach Bibi224 commented: "This was quite unexpected. I knew we had a strong team full of growing talent, but I didn’t expect to get such an excellent ranking. My original goal was just the top four. So this is brilliant. We were very surprised by Poland, they simply crushed the low post, but fortunately our shooters seized the opportunity. For us, Huang Yingshuo, and Tu Jianshend were the most important role players.
Poland's Impressive Run
Poland, initially ranked as the 5th strongest team, exceeded expectations by finishing second. Polish basketball has been growing steadily, and this achievement is a significant milestone for them. Their strong defence and strategic plays helped them secure a silver medal, bringing pride to their nation.
A proud coach Szulim commented: "As everybody knows, Taiwan was ranked as the top team of the tournament, it’s no surprise that they got the gold medal. Our Polish team stood up against them during finals. The final match was great - the last 3 minutes was basket after basket and we gave great performance for the fans. We ended up second - great congrats to Taiwan team.
Latvia was the dark horse. I gave my congrats to their manager right after the finals, what a run for this team! It's a kind of story you can share with your children! On the other side - Argentina making only 18th spot being 9th ranked team it’s very surprising, but I have to give some appreciation for manager of Slovenia (Polish manager Smokey) for beating Argentina during group stage and making them to fight for life to stay in 1st division.
I have to thank our community for great preparation. Even though we didn’t have any player with 9 or 10 potential, we still have great group of players that fight in every game till the end.
Personally I think that our MVP Nikoś Borek and our PG Wahadło are already in very high level regarding skills and they will be strong assets in teams and national teams in the future."
Latvia's Miracle
Latvia shocked everyone by finishing third. Initially ranked 11th, Latvia's performance was nothing short of miraculous. Known for their resilient and never-give-up attitude, the Latvian team demonstrated excellence and determination, earning a well-deserved bronze medal.
Coach ptedoraktils had a huge smile on his face during the interview: "The 1st place was as expected. Taiwan was one of the leaders. The 2nd and 3rd places are a surprise. Poland and Latvia were ranked several places below the final results. Lithuania possibly had bad luck in important play-off game against Poland.
I was very pleasantly surprised with my team's performance. I did not expect medals! Clubs trained players really well, which fit my playing style and there were no significant gaps to fill PF/C positions. My team was relatively balanced. I expect that all Latvia U-16 players will have more achievements.
Also Poland surprised positively. They have active and growing community, which is showing results. Negative surprise was China's performance. Something was sub-optimal either with player selection or strategy settings."
Hong Kong's Consistency
Hong Kong, ranked 4th strongest, finished in 4th place. Their consistent performance throughout the tournament earned them a respectable finish. Hong Kong has been steadily improving in basketball, and this result is a reflection of their hard work and dedication to the sport.
Coach Fanling3 commented: "We could have achieved a better result, but we had a tough disadvantage to overcome of not having a good coach. I think Hong Kong national teams still have to be patient until a strong Hong Kong coach is properly trained. I think 徐景北 performed pretty well in this tournament with 4 leading records. I look forward to his growth.
Congrats to other teams, they did well in this tournament. Latvia for sure the biggest surprise. They got a pretty decent result with the resources they have. Congrats!"
Lithuania's Streak Comes To An End
Lithuania, a traditionally strong basketball nation, was expected to finish in the top three but ended up in 5th place. Known for their rich basketball history and strong players, this finish was below their expectations. Despite this, Lithuania remains a formidable force in international basketball.
Coach Darys commented: "The final standings sadden me, because Lithuania is not where I wanted. I had prepared some surprises for the semi-finals or the final if we had to play with stronger national teams (Taiwan or Hong Kong), but unfortunately those surprises remained unused. Well done to Poland I really didn't expect them to go all the way to the finals."
China's Surprising Finish
China, ranked as the 2nd strongest team, finished 6th. This was a surprising result for such a strong team. China has a robust basketball infrastructure and produces many talented players, so this finish was unexpected. However, it provides an opportunity for the team to reflect and improve for future tournaments.
Spain had a mediocre performance as well. We caught up with Spain assistant coach Dan Titan for his feedback on the tournament: "The truth is that at the beginning, we saw that we clearly had a problem. In recent years there have not been so many young prodigies to lead the U16 team. In a few seasons this effect will be diluted with the great players that Spain already has in the senior teams, but we are very in need of that new blood. We know that with this push in scouting that we have in Spain, in a short time we will obtain very good players.
The positive points of this edition have been the teams from the United Kingdom, Norway and Latvia. The first has managed to consolidate itself in the middle of the classification table and has a great future ahead of it. The second, Norway, had many chances to return to National League 2, but its players and technical team have managed to save themselves. And the biggest surprise has been the Latvian team, which has deservedly climbed to third place by beating the powerful Hong Kong in the semifinals.
On the negative side, I have been a little disappointed with the Argentina and Italy teams, and the poor form of the Serbian home team.
The one player who has surprised me the most has been the Torrellas Corsaris player Iñaki Sendeño, he fit in very well with the team, by playing quite aggressively, continued to unsettle his opponents, drawing many fouls. Other mentions would be the Black Sheep player, Jesus Martin; Francisco Berlioz from BC High Five and the only two triple jumpers Antonio Lagrana from Pronator and Rolando Riopedre from Generation.
Of the entire championship, little has been said about French Joakim Noah of the Puppetz Blazers. He has scored a championship of 10 and in the last game against our team, it was impossible to stop him. He has a lot of potential and I think it will not take him long to reach the senior team. France has a diamond in the rough that will give much more to talk about."
Joakim Noah was voted Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament, showcasing his incredible talent and bright future.
Second Division Highlights
Turkey's Triumph
Turkey, ranked 3rd strongest, won the gold medals and finished the tournament undefeated. Turkey's basketball has been on the rise, and this victory is a significant achievement. Their solid teamwork and tactical plays were key to their success.
Turkish coach Alphan commented: "We were one of the favorite teams to achieve promotion, but despite being the third team in the power rankings; we managed to get the championship while remaining unbeaten. Whilst we beat them with 2 points at the earlier stage of the tournament, we beat Czechia with 18 points at the final with 62-44; defensive side was the key of our success.
Şinasi Acar was our leader in field; and get the best PF award of the tournament; he will be a good big man I suppose; and although coming from bench Polat Aksoy was an important scorer of our team; he may be a key player in the future.
And a demand for 100th season for devoted managers like me; a bonus for devotion should be given to all managers to fight with financial trouble regarding the seasons the managers play BasketPulse with devotion."
Czechia's Strong Performance
Czechia finished second, losing only to Turkey and Belarus. Their form throughout the tournament was commendable. Czechia's basketball program has been developing, and this performance is a positive sign of their progress.
Coach Jardabudy said: "I think India has to be the biggest surprise, being ranked 16th, but finishing 5th - without a head coach!
I was really impressed with Arpasi from Peru, but he has a potential of 5. I want to say that Brouček from our team will become a star in the future."
Peru's Achievement
Despite being the strongest team in the second division, Peru finished with bronze medals. Peru's result is a proud moment for the nation. They are eager to compete in the top division and continue their upward trajectory.
Belarus' Promotion
Belarus finished 4th, securing some key victories and earning promotion to the first division. Belarus has been working hard to improve their basketball, and this promotion is a reward for their efforts and determination.
Polish coach Jopencjusz had an in depth analysis "In Division 2 we avoided major upsets at the very top of our torunament standings. Only minor surprise here is lead by me with Belarus. Not big one, since we were around 6th/7th place in rankings, but still, we managed to beat some strong and well managed teams on our way here, for example in TOP12 group stage we won against great Czechia team, (which ended at 2nd place). It was a fun tournament, but my biggest gripe is very low interest from managers to manage NTs at this level - only 9 teams out of 24 were managed. I wish for next tournaments more managers would join the fun of playing with any NT.
For the players, that impressed at this tournament, for sure I have to mention here Arpasi (Peru NT), he might not be top prospect, but played really well and might be solid big man in the future, from Turkey Aksoy, who is only 15 but has great potential and long road ahead to greatness, his teammate Acar looks promising, Erik Kassai could be big time player in future, he played well and was signed to contract only 8 days before first games played at tournament, Broucek from Czechia looks like another strong big man for the future, Ignatov from Bulgaria is another big with bright future, Shah from Singapore. As for the guard/forwards it goes the most impresive was for me Campos from Philippines, who was scary scoring machine. As for Belarus team it goes, I liked what Sexton presented at this tournament and I really liked Khatsevich, but he might get problems on higher levels due to his height."
India's Surprise
India's team, predicted to finish 14th, managed to secure a 5th place finish despite initial setbacks, including starting the tournament without a head coach. This surprising result highlights the potential of Indian basketball and the resilience of their young players.
Philippines' Disappointment
As the host nation and one of the strongest teams, the Philippines finished a disappointing 13th. Known for their passion for basketball, this result was unexpected. However, it serves as a learning experience and an opportunity for the team to come back stronger.
Jeronimo Arpasi was named the MVP of the second division, highlighting his outstanding performance.
This year’s Basketball World Cup U-16 tournament was full of surprises, remarkable achievements, and memorable performances. Congratulations to everyone involved.
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