Israel advanced to the Round of 16 in the FIBA U20 World Cup Monday after a decisive 91-75 victory over Group A opponent Poland, wrapping up an undefeated group phase performance.
Double-doubles from center Alon Michaeli and point guard Omer Mayer were the keys to an Israeli victory. Michaeli, whose 19 points per game average is second-best in the tournament behind Spain’s Lucas Langarita (22.7), put up 28 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Mayer recorded 24 points, 11 assists, three steals and one rebound over Poland. His 6.3 assists per game are second-best in the tournament, and his 17 points per game are fifth-best. It’s a performance Boilermaker fans should be paying attention to — the 6-foot-4 18-year-old is suiting up for Matt Painter this season.
The Israeli native signed with Purdue back in April. With Painter’s group expected to lead the Big Ten conference this year, the incoming freshman is joining a competitive program.
Luckily, he’s no stranger to pressure. This is the point guard’s sixth FIBA tournament representing Israel, and he’s steadily improving with each outing.
Mayer added eight points Saturday in Israel’s first win over Spain (79-74) and 19 points in Sunday’s 88-69 victory against Finland. In three games played, he’s averaging 42.1% (8-for-19) on 2-point field goals, 45.5% (10-for-22) from beyond the arc and 71.4% (5-for-7) on free throw attempts.
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In 2021, the Purdue commit averaged 8.8 points per game with a 9.4 overall efficiency rating at the FIBA U16 European Challengers tournament, held in place of the usual championships due to COVID-19. Just a few weeks ago, Mayer recorded an average of 20 points per game with a 20 overall efficiency rating in a seventh place finish with Israel at the FIBA 2025 U19 Basketball World Cup.
His work isn’t done yet. Mayer and the Israelis will face Romania in the Round of 16 Wednesday, at a time to be announced.