BEIRUT (Lebanon) - Another window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers means that we got to see again some of those who stood out in the previous one months ago.
But there are also fresh faces that should be watched out for. Who are they, you ask? Take a look and read on the names worth anticipating in next week's games.
Jacob Furphy (AUS)
Australia made changes to their lineup a week before Window 2 and one of the new additions is rising star Jacob Furphy, who's making his seniors debut.
It is, without a doubt, an immense honor for the 18-year-old, who introduced himself to the region through his fine play for the Emus last September that enabled the program to secure a back-to-back in the FIBA U18 Asia Cup in Jordan.
There, the combo guard from Centre of Excellence finished with per-game averages of 16.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, helping the Aussies to a mighty six-game sweep of the tournament - and earned himself a spot in the All-Star Five, too.
The addition to Coach Jacob Chance's lineup has made Furphy one exciting figure to watch out for in years to come, with the men's team oriented toward a fresh start.
Mosti Rashed (BRN)
Back in Window 1, only two players scored 28 points, which is the most in a game in the ongoing Qualifiers. One of them is Bahrain's rising star in Mustafa Rashed.
The 22-year-old marksman is never afraid to let it fly and he showed as much when he unloaded that many points to power his side to a 70-64 victory over UAE. There, he shot an efficient 55-percent from the floor, including a trio of triples.
Eventually, he would finish the window as its third-best scorer with a 23.0-point average on 42.1-percent field goal shooting, showcasing the same form that's made him a FIBA WASL champion - and one of the top young guards in this region.
Will he keep his scoring ways in the upcoming window? That remains to be seen. What is certain, however, is that 'Mosti' won't ever be shy to shoot. Never.
Hu Jinqiu (CHN)
China have hardly fallen short of reliable big men and that has lived on presently, thanks to the steady presence being provided by Hu Jinqiu.
The 2.10 M (6'11") center was undeniably the rock that Team Dragon leaned on Window 1, posting impressive norms of 21.5 points and 10.0 rebounds. He's one of only 9 players to have finished the window with a double-double average.
China will be playing against Guam and Mongolia, respectively, in the second window and Hu, surely, will yet again impose his might inside - something that the traditional powerhouse would need as they aim to sweep both of those assignments.
Lee Hyunjung (KOR)
One of Korea's top young players will be back in the fold after a long while as Lee Hyunjung is named part of the 12-man roster for this window.
It will be the 2.01 M (6'7") deadshot's first tour of duty with the men's team since the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in 2021 in Lithuania.
The first time Lee saw action in the senior level was in that same year in the Asia Cup Qualifiers, wasting no time showing his potential as a cornerstone of the program by posting numbers of 17.3 points and 7.5 rebounds in 23.3 efficiency in four games.
Now, his national team return will be in another edition of the Continental Cup Qualifiers, but armed with much more experience gained from his time in the US NCAA with Davidson, to his stints as a pro in the Australian NBL and B.League.
Margad Erdenetsetdeg (MGL)
Among the players on this list, Margad is probably the most "fresh" face of all as he has yet to play for a Mongolia national team. The 20-year-old is an exciting talent, however.
Generally listed at 1.96M (6'5") Margad has displayed outstanding athleticism while playing in the USA in high school and college. Mongolia are already and exciting fun team in transition and adding a player like Margad to that mix should mean even more fun.
Oscar Goodman (NZL)
Oscar Goodman hasn't played for the senior team of New Zealand. But that may change soon as he's been included to the Tall Blacks roster for Window 2.
The 17-year-old emerged as one of the Junior Tall Blacks' top players, as evidenced by his MVP run in the 2023 FIBA U16 Asian Championship in Qatar.
The 1.99 M (6'6") forward registered all-around stats of 14.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.3 steals to help his side to a runner-up finish.
It's worth noting, too, that he was part of the All-Star 5 of the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024 just last June, joining Tournament MVP Cameron Boozer and AJ Dybantsa of USA, Maikcol Perez of Italy, and Kaan Onat from Türkey.
Now, he will look to contribute whatever he can to a New Zealand side that is starting afresh with a new coach in tow, with Judd Flavell taking over from Pero Cameron.
Mason Amos (PHI)
He has so far seen limited action for the Philippine men's team but that may change in this window for Mason Amos, given Gilas' frontcourt problems.
The FIBA U18 Asian Championship 2022 standout could be utilized more by Coach Tim Cone this time, with AJ Edu doubtful to see action due to a knee injury.
If ever he does, the 2.01 M (6'7") forward should be a huge help in extending the floor for the Filipino dribblers with his sweet shooting, which may allow more room to operate for the bigs inside such as June Mar Fajardo and Japeth Aguilar.
For sure, it's an opportunity that Amos has long been wishing for, especially now that he has presumably become quite accustomed to the scheme of things of Cone as he's been back in the men's team pool since the 2024 FIBA OQT in Latvia.
Brian Halums (PLE)
Brian Halums has long been known by fans in the Gulf and West Asia regions in the professional circuit, but this will be the first time that he's set to play in a national team competition as the 27-year-old guard will represent Palestine.
The Ole Miss product will be bringing his experiences from the time he's spent in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Lebanon, and Qatar to a team looking to breakthrough after going 0-2 back in February following losses at the hands of Jordan and Iraq.
If ever his name rings a bell among FIBA WASL fans, that's because Halums served as a reinforcement for Indian side Tamil Nadu in the Final 8 in Qatar last May.
Mousa Bros. (QAT)
Qatar have been building toward the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 hosting and part of their preparations are developing the best possible team for the global tilt.
Among those seen to be playing roles in Qatari hoops' future are Mousa Bros. Hamad and Abdullah, both of which began representing the country in youth competitions.
Hamad, who's playing for Dayton in the US NCAA, shone back in Window 1 when he contributed 10 points in their near-upset of Iran, 74-76, in a game that went into overtime - a game that's arguably one of the most thrilling in the current Qualifiers.
It remains uncertain if he would be able to play this window given his commitment in the States but if ever he won't, this could be a chance for Abdullah, 16, to deliver.
One thing that we're so sure of is Abdullah won't ever shy away from moments whether small or big, just like what he did in the 2023/2024 FIBA WASL season that saw him become the youngest to ever play in the pan-regional competition.
Martin Breunig (THA)
One of the more intriguing players in this window comes from Thailand as Martin Phongniwatt Breunig is potentially making his debut with the team in a FIBA meet.
Some fans in the Southeast Asian region have been quite familiar with the 32-year-old bruiser, for he led the Thais in securing a bronze in the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia. He finished with 21 points and 8 rebounds in an 83-69 win over Indonesia.
Now, the 2.01 M (6'8") forward-center - a veteran of the Basketball Bundesliga in Germany - is set to test his mettle in a bigger stage, providing as well some needed upsize in a frontcourt that's long been led by Chanatip Jakrawan.
Thailand will be battling Australia and the Indonesians again in Window 2. And Breunig, whose mother is Thai, would love to help his side (1-1) submit a strong showing in an aim to strengthen their chances of making it to the Asia Cup.
Pongsakorn Jiamsawad (THA)
Aside from Breunig, Thailand are also expecting to get more injection of fresh talents with the looming debut of Pongsakorn Jiamsawad on the horizon.
The 1.85M (6'1") guard was a key piece of the youth national teams from the U16 Asia Cup 2015, U18 Asia Cup 2016, and U18 Asia Cup 2018. In particular, he was the leading scorer for a Thai team that played at home for the U18 Asia Cup in 2018 with 12.7 points per game.
Most of the other players from that U18 Asia Cup class have moved on to being stars for their national teams (plenty of them on this list!), so could Jiamsawad be next?
Benson Lin (TPE)
Chinese Taipei are hoping for a major turnaround after a winless Window 1 campaign and help may be coming now that Benson Lin is set to run it back with the squad.
Also known as Ting-Chien, the 1.90 M(6'3") combo guard is part of the official 14-man pool, indeed a big boost as the team will have one of their best players in the 2022 Asia Cup, wherein he put up 17.0 points with an efficiency of 16.7.
His return, furthermore, should create a problem for the opposing defenses after Liu Cheng carried much of the load for them on offense with 16.5 points.
FIBA