College Basketball Recruiting: Four Breakout Stars at the FIBA U19 World Cup

The evolving NCAA basketball landscape has led many international players to play college basketball instead of playing overseas. This year’s FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland features plenty of international players who will suit up for an NCAA basketball program in 2025-26.

Let’s dive into four players who have had strong performances thus far that we’ll see in college basketball next season. This won’t include American prospects, as all of them are already or will play college basketball very soon.

Hannes Steinbach, F, Germany 

NCAA basketball team – Washington Huskies

Steinbach has dominated the FIBA U19 World Cup for a loaded Germany team that didn’t drop a game in group play. The 6’9 forward is Germany’s engine, averaging 18.3 points, 13 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game on a sparkling 76.7% true shooting. Through four games, Steinbach ranks eighth in the tournament in points per game and second in rebounds per game.

Few players at the youth level exhibit Steinbach’s touch around the hoop, letting him convert an absurd 75% of his 2-pointers so far. Strong hands, crafty footwork and a solid handle make Steinbach a nightmare to cover on offense and his effort on the glass only boosts his effectiveness inside.

Without a reliable outside shot or the size and explosiveness to consistently defend as a center, Steinbach could face some issues translating his game to the NBA level one day. His dominant interior play, sturdy positional defense and smart passing should be enough to help him dominate college basketball next season in Seattle.

Christian Anderson, G, Germany 

NCAA basketball team – Texas Tech

Steinbach’s running mate is building off a promising freshman season at Texas Tech with a dominant showing in Switzerland this summer. Anderson was one of college basketball’s best shooters last season, but passing has been his main form of impact in the tournament. He’s averaging an excellent 6.8 assists (2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio) so far, tied for first in the entire field,

It’s rare for guards with Anderson’s shooting talent to pass and dribble as he can. Anderson whizzes passes around defenders from all spots of the floor, showcasing next-level feel, court mapping and creativity. A tight handle lets Anderson split defenders and navigate the floor to set up teammates.

texas tech soph guard christian anderson has dominated the fiba u19 wc so far, his combination of ball control, quick twitch movement and passing vision makes him extremely tough to guard

certainly a breakout candidate next year if he can improve his driving pic.twitter.com/DJV7Thnh1o

— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) July 3, 2025

He’s still scoring effectively, averaging 14.5 points per game and making 35.7% of his seven 3-point attempts per game, though his size leads to some struggles as an interior scorer (and defender). Anderson is contributing significantly to a dominant Germany squad, priming him for a breakout sophomore season in Lubbock.

Jacob Furphy, G, Australia

NCAA basketball team – UConn Huskies

The tournament’s fourth leading scorer has played like an offensive force for a 3-1 Australia team. Furphy has averaged 21.3 points on 60.4% true shooting. He’s a skilled combo guard with scoring ability at all levels of the floor, though he’s most effective in intermediate areas and from beyond the arc.

He’s converted 42% of his 8.3 triples per game so far, shooting the ball off the dribble and off movement. Furphy’s versatility as an on and off ball shooter blends with his impressive handling and feel, letting him attack off the catch and punish defenses who play his jumper too heavily.

i’ve enjoyed watching uconn commit jacob furphy excel on offense for australia so far at fiba u19 wc, supremely skilled 6’4 guard with great ambidextrous touch, feel and ball skills

furphy ranks fourth in the tournament in scoring (21.3 ppg) on an impressive 60.4% TS pic.twitter.com/TAg8TwtXzH

— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) July 3, 2025

Furphy’s shooting, finishing touch with both hands and passing feel make him an ideal fit for Dan Hurley’s motion offense, where he’ll thrive playing off of screens and handling the ball. Without standout athletic tools or interior scoring chops, Furphy may struggle to translate his game to the NBA level, but he has the makings of a strong college basketball player.

Thiago Sucatzky, G, Argentina

NCAA basketball team – FIU Panthers

Argentina is led by two high-profile prospects — Tyler Kropp and Felipe Minzer — but Sucatzky is showing his importance as their table setter. The 5’10 point guard has only averaged 5.8 points and 4.0 assists per game, but his playmaking and paint pressure helps boost his offense’s productivity even without box score recognition.

Sucatzky’s incredible vision, passing creativity and dribbling make him a challenging player to defend on the perimeter. He isn’t much of a scoring threat, but Sucatzky will find pick-and-roll passing angles and windows that most players can’t while probing with a live dribble.

His lack of size and outside shooting can cause problems at higher levels of competition, but Sucatzky has the passing talent to impact winning at the mid-major level. He’s a pesky, active defender (2.3 steals per game), adding value with his energy and instincts on defense as he does on offense.