MANILA (Enzo Flojo's Asia on my Mind) - The FIBA Asia Cup 2017 will offer intense action for all basketball fans around Asia, and I'm sure a lot of the highlights will come from the rising stars in the continent.

Sure, veterans like Fadi El Khatib, Micheal Madanly and Jayson Castro are all set to take centerstage in Beirut, Lebanon when the tournament commences fro 8-20 August, but there is no doubt that a number of other talents are going to emerge as the next big names in FIBA Asia and Oceania. Let's look at this new wave of hoopsters who should take the FIBA Asia Cup 2017 by storm - provided they make their respective countries' final rosters!

Mohammed Al-Khafaji (Iraq)

This burly 2.06m center from Baghdad took the FIBA Asia Challenge 2016 by storm when he averaged nearly 11 points and 6 rebounds per game. He was rock solid as Iraq's main man in the middle, and will probably play that role again for them in the FIBA Asia Cup. He has shown a great ability to carve some space around the basket and finish strongly at the rim. He runs the floor really well, too, which means he will likely be the perfect complement to Iraq's new naturalized player, Demario Mayfield.

Hu Jinqiu (China)

There is a chance China will not be at full strength at the FIBA Asia Cup, but it's almost certain that their future cornerstone, Hu Jinqiu, will be present. Since leading their youth teams a few years ago, Hu has blossomed into one of the most promising young players in China. Many are already comparing him to Yi Jianlian and believe that he can also follow in the footsteps of Yao Ming, Yi and Zhou Qi into the NBA one day. That's how good Hu is, and we'll all witness it in Beirut.

Chou Yi-Hsiang (Chinese Taipei)

Local fans call him Taipei's version of LeBron James mainly because of his build and how he uses speed and heft to barrel into opposing defenses. Chou is seen as somewhat of an heir apparent to Lin Chih-Chieh, at least in terms of how he can be Taipei's primary playmaker and perimeter threat. At 26 years old, he is approaching his physical prime, and that will help him as he goes up against much more experienced and much bigger wingmen at the FIBA Asia Cup. Chou, however, should be able to utilized his high basketball IQ and excellent ability to finish in traffic as Chinese Taipei hope to finish among the top 8.

Yudai Baba (Japan)

Many Asian hoop nuts are raving about Rui Hachimura's recent exploits at the FIBA U19 World Cup, but Yudai Baba is maybe the most promising native talent right now in Japan. Baba was a revelation for Japan at the recent EABA Championship 2017, putting up around 8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals per game while shooting 57% from the field. Oh, and did I mention that he's not even in the B. League yet? This 21-year-old has the makings of the next Takuya Kawamura, and he should form an extremely lethal trio with Hachimura and another strong young Japanese talent, Yuta Watanabe, in the near future.

Heo Hoon (Korea)

The son of current national team head coach Hur Jae is slowly coming into his own. Since 2011, Hoon has been among Korea's elite youth players, but now that he's about to turn 22, he's ripe and ready to hang with the big boys. With iconic playmaker Yang DongGeun possibly never seeing action at the Asian level again, the onus is on Hoon to take his place and be Korea's top floor general for the foreseeable future. He won't hurt you much with his scoring, but it's his playmaking and defense that will really make Korean basketball fans swoon. He normed 5.0 assists and 1.5 steals per contest in the EABA Championship 2017.

Mac Belo (Philippines)

Belo has finally recovered from an injury he sustained early in the 2016-2017 PBA season, and he seems fit to perform at a high level again for Gilas Pilipinas. He was the second-leading scorer at last year's FIBA Asia Challenge, and with the prospect of not having Calvin Abueva around very real, Belo may just get the opportunity to really make his mark at the Asia Cup. The 1.91m forward has proven that he has the quickness, athleticism, range and finishing ability to matchup well with Asian's finest, and coach Chot should be able to maximize someone with his enviable skill-set.

Mitch Norton (Australia)

Norton is not the first name that comes to mind when it comes to Australian basketball, but sans household names like Ben Simmons, Andrew Bogut and Patty Mills, the door has been opened for Norton to make a big splash at the Asia Cup. The 24-year-old 1.96 wingman possesses a decent outside shot, but it is his aggressiveness when attacking the basket and his defensive awareness that really make him a dangerous foe. Of course, if ever he makes it, this will be his first tour of duty with the senior Boomers, so some adjustments will be expected.

Callum McRae (New Zealand)

The big man from Palmerston North made waves at the very recent FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2017, and he could be a major contributor for a Tall Blacks squad lacking many of their biggest names. He just turned 18, but he is already 2.12m tall and is built like a brick wall. He still needs to really polish his offensive game in the paint, but there is no questioning his potential. It will be very interesting to see how he fills the void left by the likes of Isaac Fotu, BJ Anthony and Robert Loe, but as long as he is able to haul down a few boards, occasionally block a shot and put himself in easy spots to score, he will be able to contribute significantly.

Enzo Flojo

FIBA

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