International basketball prospects just lately competed within the FIBA U19 World Cup, having an unimaginable alternative to showcase their expertise and achieve publicity. Spain heart Izan Almansa took dwelling the match MVP award after recording a median of 16.9 factors and seven.1 rebounds, capturing 61 p.c from the sector and 89.5 p.c from the charity stripe. Almansa isn’t a stranger to shining towards excessive degree expertise, including this trophy to a case with the U17 World Cup MVP and U18 European Championship MVP in 2022.

Almansa performed an incredible position in serving to Spain seize its first youth World Cup trophy since 1993. Spain was undefeated all through all the match behind Almansa’s effectivity and high-IQ performances. He was first amongst all facilities in factors per recreation, effectivity, free throw proportion, and area purpose proportion. The 18-year-old from Murcia was the very best participant on the courtroom every time he checked into the sport. Spain’s offensive and defensive units ran straight via the center with Almansa setting the tone. He would recurrently rating the primary six to 10 factors to start out the sport and pressure an early turnover on the opposite finish.

The dominance that Spain delivered to the match was unmatched. In a few qualifying video games, Spain produced a few of largest win margins, taking down Lebanon 102-20 and Argentina 85-47. Almansa was the driving issue, creating pictures for different stars like Baba Miller, Jordi Rodriguez, and Lucas Langarita. Spain completed the match second in three pointers made, second in steals per recreation, fourth in rebounds per recreation, and fourth in assists per recreation. With Almansa opening up the ground, there have been loads of alternatives for Spain’s guards to knock down threes and tackle defenders one-on-one.

Heading right into a deeper dive of his true ability set, Almansa might be in comparison with a participant just like the Miami Warmth’s Bam Adebayo. At 6’9 he runs the ground with ease, getting reps at each heart and ahead. The workforce had confidence in letting Almansa dribble the ball up the ground at instances and he performed very effectively off the wing, having the ability to get to his candy spots on offense. He can knock down a hook shot and has glorious footwork across the block. A number of the distinctive facets are Almansa’s potential to sink in a floater and doubtlessly a fade off one leg inside 15 ft. He was challenged towards among the greatest gamers within the match, having to protect guys like Alexandre Sarr, Hansen Yang, and Lee Aaliya. There could also be some thought that he’s barely undersized on the heart place, however his athletic potential and flexibility at his present top are precisely the traits that NBA scouts are in search of.

Almansa spent the previous two years with the Time beyond regulation Elite League in Atlanta, Georgia. In the course of the match he introduced the choice to affix the NBA’s G-League Ignite roster for subsequent season. With OTE, Almansa averaged 9.9 factors and 9.0 rebounds for the YNG Dreamerz. Following the information, Izan mentioned “I made that call as a result of I wish to play within the NBA, so I feel that’s the very best step to take now to get to the league, to work on my ball dealing with, on my capturing, and all the pieces towards good competitors.” He’s at the moment a projected first spherical decide within the 2024 NBA draft and the No. 18 obtainable prospect, in accordance with ESPN.

The Spanish large man is just going to get higher as he performs with among the greatest younger expertise within the G-League. He’ll be practising alongside high prospects like Matas Buzelis, Ron Holland, and Babacar Sane. Almansa is a really younger participant, however he has a powerful resume going up towards skilled expertise for the previous few years, each within the U.S. and internationally. He talked concerning the U19 match having the ability to put together him for the following step, stating: “It’s going to arrange me as a result of right here they play very onerous, very bodily. Within the NBA, the G-League they play very onerous to so that they’re going to arrange me for that.”

Almansa may even play his identify into the lottery dialog in 2024 if he’s capable of polish his shot and increase his recreation to the three level line. If he can change into a menace from lengthy distance he can be a high 5 prospect, which doesn’t need to imply that he’s hitting 4 threes a recreation, however simply having the ability to catch and shoot now and again would assist skyrocket the hype round him. Almansa is in an awesome place to flourish with Ignite subsequent season and this years World Cup match was only a preview to how good the worldwide prospect can actually change into.