Was Gonzaga's Mario Saint-Supery snubbed for EuroBasket Rising Star award?

Miikka Muurinen was named EuroBasket Rising Star over the Gonzaga guard

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Mario Saint-Supery | Photo courtesy of Gonzaga University Athletics

The 2025 EuroBasket tournament wrapped up on Sunday, with Germany winning the gold medal over Turkey.

Awards were given out following the tournament, with guard Dennis Schroder earning the MVP award after scoring 14 of his 16 points in the second half of the championship game to lead Germany to their first EuroBasket title since 1993.

One of the new awards given out for the first time this year was Rising Star, an award given to the best player born in 2004 or later. 18-year-old high school senior Miikka Muurinen, who plays at Compass Prep in Arizona, was given the Rising Star award for his performance with Finland, getting chosen over Gonzaga guard Mario Saint-Supery and others.

Muurinen played a key role in Finland's fourth-place finish, the furthest the country has ever advanced at EuroBasket, averaging 6.6 points and 1.9 rebounds in 11.1 minutes across eight games.

Those numbers are impressive for an 18-year-old, especially one who is still in high school, but they don't stack up to the impact Saint-Supery made with Spain.

Saint-Supery averaged more points (8.4 compared to 6.6) in more minutes (16.9 to 11.1) than Muurinen, while also averaging 2.8 assists compared to just 1.2 turnovers. Muurinen did not record a single assist in his eight games, although the 6'10 big man did average 1.9 rebounds and 0.6 blocks.

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Mario Saint-Supery | Photo courtesy of Gonzaga University Athletics

Finland surpassed expectations at EuroBasket, while Spain failed to advance to the Round of 16 after winning the event back in 2022, which likely contributed to Muurinen winning over Saint-Supery and fellow Spanish guard Sergio De Larrea, who averaged 5.4 points and 4.4 assists as a 19-year-old.

Muurinen may not have been as successful statistically as Saint-Supery, but he did drop 12 points in 18 minutes in a near-upset over Germany in the semifinals and had five points in 10 minutes in the bronze medal win over Greece. He also shot a whopping 87.5% (14-16) on two pointers and 35.3% (6-17) from deep, showing excellent range for a player his age and size.

Saint-Supery was a late addition to the Spanish national team, becoming the youngest player to represent Spain at EuroBasket since Ricky Rubio back in 2009. His steady presence at point guard eventually resulted in him earning a start against Cyprus, and playing over 15 minutes in four of Spain's five games. He racked up 14 assists, six turnovers, and five steals while shooting 53.3% (8-15) on twos and 33.3% (5-15) from beyond the arc.

The 6'4 guard is back in Spokane getting ready for his first collegiate season with Gonzaga, where he's expected to handle a big role playing both on and off the ball alongside Braeden Smith, Adam Miller, Emmanuel Innocenti, and Jalen Warley in Mark Few's loaded backcourt.