Leadership Role for Ben Saraf at U18 Euros with Blue-and-White

The Israel Under-18 National Team is making waves at the European Championship in Tampere, Finland, currently holding a 1-1 record in Group C with a victory over Latvia and a loss to Italy. Central to this campaign is Ben Saraf, who scored an impressive 31 points to help the blue-and-white mount a second-half comeback against Latvia. With scouts from around the globe watching, Saraf continues to turn heads with his stellar play.

The 18-year-old starlet, standing at 1.97 meters, was recently named Up & Coming Israel Basketball Player in the Premier League while playing for Kiryat Ata. Last season, he averaged 10.7 points, 3.7 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and one steal in over 23 minutes per game. Saraf has also signed a two-year deal with Ulm in the German League, where he will have the opportunity to compete in the EuroCup.

Just before the tournament in Finland, where Israel will also face Serbia and Italy, Saraf spoke about his excitement and readiness. As a co-captain alongside Omer Mayer, Saraf returns to the European Championship after missing last year's event due to injury. In 2022, at the Under-16 European Championship, he led the tournament with 24.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2.3 steals per game, earning a spot on the Team of the Tournament.

“I’m very excited, it’s a really great honor to be the captain of the team together with Omer,” Saraf shared. “Last year I didn’t play, so this year I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve been waiting for this for two years now. There’s a ton of excitement.”

Saraf is also eager to reunite with Omer Mayer, who played with the Maccabi Tel Aviv senior squad last season. The two have a strong on-court chemistry from their time with the Under-16 team in 2021 and 2022. “It’s great to play together again as we haven’t done that for a long time, really, since the Under-16 team. I think we understand each other, we know how to share the ball and it’s just really fun,” Saraf remarked.

Playing under Sharon Avrahami, who also coached him at Kiryat Ata, has been a boon for Saraf. Avrahami, named Coach of the Season after leading Kiryat Ata to the State Cup final and the Premier League playoffs, has a strong rapport with Saraf. “Sharon really knows what he wants from me and the communication between us is good, so it’s great that he is coaching our national team now,” Saraf noted.

One area Saraf aims to improve is his three-point shooting. Despite a challenging season with Kiryat Ata, where he hit 25.3% of his shots from beyond the arc, he is confident in his progress. “I really feel that this summer I did a really good job in this regard, I improved my 3-point shooting a lot and really worked on it and I think we’ll see that in this tournament,” he said.

Looking ahead, Saraf's future is bright with Ulm, known for developing young talents, especially point guards. He sees Ulm as the perfect place to hone his skills and aims to enter the NBA draft in 2025. Saraf is also looking forward to playing against top-level Israeli athletes like National Team guard Yam Madar and Bayern Munich's Sabra goalkeeper Daniel Peretz in Germany.

Adapting to life in a new country at such a young age can be challenging, but Saraf will have his family’s support. “My mother will come with me and stay for at least the beginning of my time there and my brothers will also be around a bit as well,” he said.

As Saraf and Ulm prepare to face Hapoel Tel Aviv in the EuroCup, he reflects on his journey and the goals ahead. The most famous person he has met so far is David Robinson, and he looks forward to continuing his development and contributing to Israel's success on the global stage.

Israel's goal for the U18 European Championship is clear: finish in the top 5 to earn a ticket to the Under-19 World Championship next summer. Saraf is determined to lead his team to achieve this milestone. “We want to finish in the top 5 and that will earn us a ticket to the Under-19 World Championship next summer. That is what we want to accomplish in Finland,” he concluded.

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