8. Brizuela

Darío Brizuela Arrieta (born 8 November 1994 in San Sebastián) was educated as a player in the youth system at CB EASO, his hometown club. He stood out throughout his time at the Basque Country club, particularly at junior level, qualifying for Spanish championships and proved one of the most important players.

He joined the Estudiantes youth system in 2010/11, playing with the junior side and alternating with the EBA. The following season, and now an EBA player, he achieved promotion to LEB Plata, playing a key role and showing his scoring skills. He also made his debut for the first team in the ACB that season.

2014 saw him loaned to Peñas Huesca for minutes in the LEB Oro, but he returned to Madrid that same season to play the final four ACB match days.

He became a permanent fixture in the Primera division during the 2015/16 season, where he got minutes and earned trust in Estudiantes, responding with self-confidence and great offensive skills. A particular highlight came during ACB match day four, when he scored 25 points, 6 out 6 three-pointers, had 4 steals, and a 33 Performance Index Rating.

The 2019/20 season saw him join Unicaja in Malaga, where his performances improved further and he quickly adapted to coach Luis Casimiro's system. During his second season at Malaga, Darío became one of the most fearsome perimeter players in the league, averaging 14 points per game and was capable of changing the flow of a game through his scoring runs.

During his final season at Unicaja, Brizuela won the Copa del Rey in Badalona, scoring 27 points in the quarterfinal against Barça. Furthermore, the side coached by Ibon Navarro ended the season as a Champions League finalist, with Darío included in the Star Lineup, and they reached the semi-final of the Liga Endesa.

The Basque player joined Barça for the 2023/24 season.

As well as representing Spain through the youth categories, Darío won gold at the 2022 Eurobasket after overcoming France in the final.

Technical profile

Darío Brizuela is a guard with very strong scoring capabilities from all distances. He is great at shooting and creating play, and can change the flow of a game with his scoring runs.