Yura Melikyan and Other Heroes of the U20 EuroBasket (Division B)

On July 20, the 2025 FIBA U20 European Championship (Division B) concluded in Yerevan. The tournament was full of excitement and individual standouts, with one of the brightest performances coming from Armenian center Yura Melikyan. Despite Armenia’s modest 16th-place finish, Melikyan was one of the tournament’s true stars.

Yura Melikyan (C, 200 cm) — Tournament Stats:

• 1st in rebounds — 13.7 per game

• 1st in double-doubles — 6

• 2nd in points — 17.7

• 2nd in efficiency rating — 24.1

• 5th in field goal percentage — 52.5%

Average per game: 17.7 points, 13.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1 steal, 1.1 blocks. This was the final youth tournament for the BKMA Yerevan player, and he finished it in peak statistical form. Last year, he also led the tournament in rebounds — confirming his consistent place among Europe’s best in his age group.

However, Melikyan was not included in the tournament’s All-Star Five — a spot usually reserved for players whose teams reached the final stages and contended for medals. Here is the EuroBasket U20 All-Star Five:

EuroBasket U20 All-Star Five in Yerevan

• Rolands Šulcs (Latvia) — Tournament MVP. Leader of the championship-winning Latvian team, which earned promotion to Division A. Averaged 14.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.3 steals. In the final rounds — 19 points per game.

• Janis Žinemanis (Latvia) — strong Latvian center: 9.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.1 blocks. Double-double in the final: 14 points, 11 rebounds.

• Niko Sare (Croatia) — floor general of his team: 11.3 points, 5 rebounds, 4.1 assists. Croatia’s top performer by efficiency (14.1).

• Emre Melih Tunça (Turkey) — second-best scorer of the tournament (tied with Melikyan): 17.7 points, 5.7 assists, 4 rebounds. Quarterfinal vs Netherlands — 20 points, 8 rebounds, 11 assists.

• Luka Soroa Schaller (Switzerland) — one of the most versatile players: 17.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists. Switzerland didn’t reach Division A, but Schaller was their key figure.

Top scorer — Omer Suljanovic (Austria), with 21.7 points per game.

The Yerevan tournament served as a launchpad for many future stars of European basketball. And although Armenia did not fight for medals, Yura Melikyan’s performance remains one of the biggest sources of national pride.

See the full results HERE.