Toppling Japan and securing a World Cup ticket... 'Korea's Rising Star' Yoon Ji-hoon named among the top 5 at the U-18 Asia Cup

*This content was translated by AI.

Yoon Ji-hoon of Kyungbok High School, the ace of South Korea's under-18 men's national basketball team and a rising star in Korean basketball, has been selected for the tournament's best five after delivering outstanding performances on the Asian stage.

FIBA announced the 'All-Star Five' — the tournament's best five players — on the 23rd (Korean time) following the conclusion of all matches at the 2026 FIBA U-18 Asia Cup. Guard Yoon Ji-hoon was among those selected from South Korea.

Yoon Ji-hoon averaged 18.8 points and 6.8 assists in this tournament, serving as a key asset for South Korea. His scoring and assist totals were both the highest on his team.

Led by Yoon Ji-hoon's performances, South Korea reached the semifinals for the first time since the 2022 tournament, four years later, and finished in fourth place overall. The team also secured a berth in the 2027 FIBA U-19 World Cup main tournament, which is awarded only to the top four teams in the competition.

Under head coach Shin Jong-seok, South Korea defeated Kazakhstan and India in succession during Group D of the group stage before facing Japan in their final group match. After a closely contested game, South Korea defeated Japan 67-64 to achieve a perfect three-game record in the group stage.

Yoon Ji-hoon was at the center of the victory. He scored an impressive 27 points against Japan, shouldering responsibility for South Korea's offense. With Yoon Ji-hoon leading the charge, South Korea finished first in Group D and advanced directly to the quarterfinals.

His performances continued into the tournament knockout stage. In the quarterfinal match against Taiwan, Yoon Ji-hoon poured in 26 points, contributing to South Korea's decisive 107-79 victory.

FIBA, which announced the All-Star Five, also highly praised Yoon Ji-hoon's performances. FIBA stated, "Yoon Ji-hoon delivered particularly impressive individual performances early in the tournament and played a decisive role in helping South Korea return to the semifinals for the first time in four years."

It further explained, "Guard Yoon Ji-hoon, standing at 1m82, scored 27 points against Japan, leading South Korea directly to the quarterfinals. He also recorded 26 points in the match against Taiwan, helping South Korea reach the semifinals."

Yoon Ji-hoon has a special teammate who is also being watched as a future of Korean basketball. He is his twin brother, Yoon Ji-won, with whom he plays at Kyungbok High School. Both players served as key members of this year's U-18 national team.

Yoon Ji-won averaged 17 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in this tournament. In particular, his rebounding total was the highest among all South Korean players.

Last year, Yoon Ji-won also received the Mirastar Award at the '2025 Futures Star Awards,' an event established by StarNews to promote the development of Korean sports and revitalize amateur athletics.

In June, he led Kyungbok High School to victory in the NBA Rising Stars Invitational tournament and was named the tournament MVP. The NBA Rising Stars Invitational is a youth basketball tournament organized by the NBA to allow promising high school players from Asia and the Pacific region to compete and exchange skills on an international stage. A total of 24 boys' and girls' high school teams under 18 years old participated in this year's tournament.

While Yoon Ji-won was the protagonist at that time, it was Yoon Ji-hoon who left a strong impression at this Asia Cup. Although South Korea failed to win a medal, Yoon Ji-hoon's performances were recognized until the very end of the tournament.

The tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP) was Yahia Basaran, a center from the champion team Australia. Standing 214cm tall, Basaran averaged 16.2 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks throughout the tournament, leading Australia to back-to-back titles.

The All-Star Five included Basaran, along with his Australian teammate Jaye Fale, Chinese power forward Zhang Yize, New Zealand's Jackson Ball who finished third, and South Korea's Yoon Ji-hoon.

Championship went to Australia. Australia defeated China 89-79 in the final to claim the title. New Zealand finished in third place, while South Korea concluded the tournament in fourth place.

Japan, which South Korea had defeated during the group stage, finished in fifth place overall. Since World Cup berths are awarded only to the top four nations, Japan missed out on advancing to the global stage by just one position.

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*This content was translated by AI.