The Rising Star of the FIBA ​​U19 World Cup in 2021-Ibu Yamazaki, Small Forward, Japan

Considered by many as Japan’s next big hopeful coming up, Yamazaki flashed his shooting prowess in Latvia. His 18 made three-pointers ranked second in the competition – to 23 from Spain’s Ruben Dominguez – but the Japanese sniper needed just 41 attempts to Dominguez’s 67. Yamazaki’s 43.9% from long range ranked third in the competition and he also made all eight of his free throws.

Yamazaki led Japan in scoring and showed in the final game against Korea that he can really light it up, pouring in 32 points. The tournament was a great proving ground for Yamazaki, who went to the same Meisei High School as his idol Rui Hachimura.

Yamazaki got to face basketball powerhouses such as Canada, Lithuania, Serbia and Turkey as well as dominant African sides Senegal and Mali. And he showcased some of his skills in each of the games. He has solid length for a wing and understands spacing and hesitation on offense and is a solid passer.

Japan hope he can continue to develop but it seems like the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 might be too early for him to make the team. But his future still has the look of a quality player who’s game is blooming before our eyes.

source：FIBA