Mario Saint-Supery drew his first start for Spain at EuroBasket on Sunday, playing 21 minutes and scoring nine points with a team-high five assists and four rebounds in a resounding 91-47 win over Cyprus.

The incoming Gonzaga freshman is the youngest player to represent Spain at EuroBasket since Ricky Rubio back in 2009. Saint-Supery was 19 years and 136 days old when he made his debut a few days ago, while Rubio was 18 years and 334 days old when he debuted in 2009.

Rubio averaged 5.9 points, 3.9 assists, and 1.4 steals in 22.7 minutes across nine EuroBasket games in 2009, including dropping 10 points in the championship victory over Serbia.

Saint-Supery has appeared in three games so far for Spain and has even better numbers, averaging 7.3 points, 3.7 assists, and 1.3 steals in 17.2 minutes per game.

Rubio is one of the most dominant European guards of all time, representing Spain in the 2008 Winter Olympics and winning the 2008 Mr. Europa Award. He made himself available in the 2009 NBA draft and was taken No. 5 overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He stayed with Barcelona until 2011 and then embarked on a 13-year NBA career with stops in Minnesota, Utah, Phoenix, and Cleveland, leaving after the 2023-24 season and returning to Spain to continue his playing career.

That’s not to say Saint-Supery will have the same level of success necessarily, but it’s not common for a country like Spain — which has a rich talent pool to choose from — to roster a teenager at a major international event, never mind insert them into the starting lineup.

Saint-Supery and Rubio have drawn comparisons on the court as well. Both have been labeled as pass-first point guards with elite floor vision and handles, both are crafty drivers and finishers at the rim, and both have question marks about their outside shooting skills.

Saint-Supery gaining this kind of international experience is a massive win for Mark Few and Gonzaga, even though it is costing him time he could be spending with his new teammates and coaches in Spokane.

As important as team bonding is, not to mention getting used to a new school in a new country, starting for a gold medal caliber Spanish team against NBA and EuroLeague veterans — many who are 10+ years older than him — is an incredible experience for Saint-Supery and will make him better for Gonzaga right away.

Saint-Supery is likely to handle an off-ball role early in his freshman season with the Zags, which will be similar to the role he played with Maxi Banresa last season, but his bread and butter is as a pure point guard, especially in this high-octane Gonzaga offense.

It’s too early to proclaim Saint-Supery as a top-five NBA draft pick and Spanish basketball legend, but the similarities between him and Rubio are also hard to ignore at this point – and Gonzaga is the perfect place for Saint-Supery’s game to continue developing.

Next up for Spain is a matchup against Italy on Tuesday, Sep. 2 at 11:30 AM PT.

MORE GONZAGA NEWS & ANALYSIS