2 incoming Wisconsin freshman are set to take the stage in Fiba U18 Asia Cup

While the rest of Wisconsin Badger basketball is on break, pausing practice for the moment and getting some rest before gearing up for a long camp followed by a long season, two Badgers remain in action. Freshman guard Jackson Ball and freshman forward Isaac Riddle are headed to India, competing in the FIBA U18 Asia Cup.

Ball, representing his home country of New Zealand, and Riddle, representing Australia, will both play three round-robin games within their pools over the course of four days before competing in the final tournament. More is at stake than just gold in the Asia Cup, too, as if either Australia or New Zealand finishes in the top four of the tournament, they will qualify for the FIBA U19 World Cup next summer — a much larger feat.

Nonetheless, both men will get a chance to prove themselves as players for their countries while also getting some game reps before heading back stateside for the 2026-27 season with Wisconsin. Both men should be given a fair bit of opportunity as well, especially given their recent history competing in FIBA.

Jackson Ball is set to Dominate

Ball has spent a fair amount of time competing at the youth level, playing up with New Zealand's U19 squad last year, where he averaged 9.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. He also got some time with the senior team in World Cup qualifiers, albeit in a reserve role where he saw virtually no serious minutes.

With that said, that experience in that environment, coupled with his history of solid youth play, sets Ball up for what could likely be a big-time week. He should be one of, if not the, go-to guys on his squad, giving him the usage necessary to put up some big-time numbers and build some hype for himself when he returns to Madison.

Isaac Riddle will Pack a Punch

Riddle, on the other hand, likely won't put up the same level of production as Ball, but still should have the chance to put up some solid numbers. Last summer, when he competed in the FIBA U17 Oceania Cup, he averaged 14 points and three rebounds a game while shooting an impressive 67.4% from the field. In all fairness, the competition in this tournament wasn't exactly the cream of the crop, but it still gave a glimpse at what kind of role Riddle could be playing.

Now, after a year of development, he should be entering with a bit more confidence as a shooter and more physicality on the inside, two things he lacked gravely in his last stint. Australia is undoubtedly going to be one of the better rosters there, meaning that his playing time may be a bit scarce if he doesn't produce early on.

With all this said, both men should be primed for big-time weeks, representing Wisconsin well on a global stage.

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