MADISON, Wis. – A pair of Wisconsin men's basketball freshmen stole the show on the world stage this summer as Hayden Jones led New Zealand to a top-four finish at the FIBA U-19 World Cup, while Alex Bieliauskas led Lithuania to a silver medal at the 2025 Eurobasket Under-20 Tournament.
Jones averaged a team-high 14.6 points across seven games, leading New Zealand to a fourth-place showing, the country's best finish ever at the tournament. He also notched 7.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.
The 6-7 guard's best performance of the tournament came against host Switzerland as Jones tallied 26 points, nine boards and five dimes.
Thanks to his showing, Jones earned a call-up to the senior national team for the FIBA Asia Cup, August 5-17, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It is his second career call-up after becoming New Zealand's fourth-youngest debutante in 2024.
Bieliauskas paced Lithuania to a runner-up showing at the Eurobasket Under-20 Tournament. The 6-9 forward averaged 12.4 points per game, while his 8.3 rebounds were the second-best mark of any player in the tournament.
One of his best games came in the gold medal game against Italy when Bieliauskas recorded a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
