29 Jun
    7 Jul 2024

    10 reasons to get excited for the U17 World Cup

    4 min to read
    Long Read
    Türkiye will play at home

    The seventh U17 World Cup is just more than a week away. Here are 10 reasons to get excited!

    MIES (Switzerland) - The calendar is quickly nearing June 29, meaning the start of the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024. The teams are in training camp, the players are dreaming of winning the crown, and the world is waiting to get a glimpse of the future stars of the game.

    1: Will USA go undefeated ... again?

    Cameron and Cayden Boozer

    United States enter the seventh U17 World Cup with a perfect 44-0 record at this event and six titles. Will the Americans make it 7-for-7 or can someone finally beat them? That is the question for this group, which will be led by the twin brothers Cameron and Cayden Boozer - sons of former NBA star and Olympic gold medalist Carlos Boozer.

    As if the Boozers were not enough, this team is absolutely loaded though. Koa Peat will actually be making his return to the U17 World Cup after he was named to the All-Star Five of the FIBA U17 World Cup two years ago in Spain, and AJ Dybantsa is the number one player in his high school 2025 class and played at the 2024 Nike Hoop Summit for the World Select team due to his Jamaican and Congo roots. And Tyran Stokes, Brandon McCoy and Caleb Holt are three of the top five players of the 2026 class.

    2: After breaking curse, Spain want top stop of podium

    Spain took second place at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022

    Spain basketball fans finally saw their young hopes break their curse of losing in the Semi-Finals in 2022 - after falling in 2012, 2014 and 2016 and then also missing out on a podium finish as well.

    But after grabbing second place in 2022, the Iberians would love to actually beat the United States and become the first country other than the Americans to win the crown. Spain will be coming to Türkiye as the FIBA U16 EuroBasket champs and Gildas Giminez will be the leading man.

    3: Who are the next France superstars?

    Hugo Yimga

    France could be considered the hottest nation in the world in terms of developing young players - considering that Victor Wembanyama was the number one pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and the duo of Zaccharie Risacher and Alexandre Sarr are expected to go one-two in the 2024 draft.

    Who are the next big names for France? Watch out for Hugo Yimga as well as the 15-year-old Nathan Soliman among others. One thing is sure with France, all the talent makes them a serious threat to USA's supremacy.

    4: How will Türkiye do in front of their home fans?

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    Türkiye will be hosting the FIBA U17 World Cup for the first time - and the first of two straight events followed by the 2026 tournament - and the country has traditionally played well in front of their home fans.

    Türkiye finished second at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2010 and FIBA EuroBasket 2001 and won the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2014 and took second place at the same age group in 2022 - all four times as host nation. Can the Istanbul fans help Kaan Onat and Derin Can Utsun?

    5: What can we expect from debutants Guinea?

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    There was a major surprise at the FIBA U16 AfroBasket 2023 as Guinea defeated Angola in the Semi-Finals and then knocked off two-time reigning champions and six-time winners Egypt in the Final to win their first crown - and book their first U17 World Cup ticket. It was the first time since 2013 that a team not called Egypt or Mali won the championship and just the second time in eight editions.

    Guinea had four players who dominated with Most Valuable Player Nour Gassim Toure nearly averaging a triple-double with 20.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 8.1 assists while Araphan Diane collected 17.4 points, 17.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks, Mohamed Toure had 10.3 points and 17.3 rebounds and Sekou Toure added 12.7 points and 6.0 assists. What can the western Africans do in their first U17 World Cup?

    6: The next Daniels for Australia - Dash dreams of dazzling for the Crocs

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    Dash Daniels has some big family shoes to fill as his older brother is Dyson Daniels, who has played the last two seasons in the NBA with the New Orleans Pelicans and also is a probable to make the Boomers team for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

    Dash Daniels was the leader for Australia at the FIBA U16 Asia Cup 2023 and also was named the MVP of the recent Australian U18 national championship. One of the top players alongside Daniels in Türkiye will be Harrison Beauchamp, who helped Victoria Metro to the domestic U18 crown with 31 points in the Final. The Crocs have twice reached the podium - in 2012 and 2014. Will a third top-three finish come 10 years later?

    7: Argentina's experienced duo of Kropp and Minzer

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    Argentina have only reached the Quarter-Finals of the FIBA U17 World Cup once - taking sixth place in 2012. This summer's Argentina team will feature a dynamic duo who accomplished some major history for the country just a couple of weeks ago.

    Tyler Kropp and Felipe Minzer were playing a year younger but carried Argentina to a second placed finish at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup 2024 - Kropp averaging 22.0 points and 11.3 rebounds and Minzer tallying 12.7 points and 8.7 rebounds. No other Argentina player scored 9 points or grabbed more than 3.2 rebounds. Thanks to Kropp and Minzer, Argentina reached the Final for the first time since 2006. Now the duo gets to star against their own age group.

    8: How far can Duru and Kayser carry Germany?

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    Germany are one of the most up-and-coming countries in basketball - both at the senior and youth ranks - and veteran head coach Dirk Bauermann has the team at the FIBA U17 World Cup for the first time since 2010.

    And there is plenty of excitement about this German side - topped off by Real Madrid star talent Declan Duru as well as 2009-born star prospect Fabian Kayser. But this group also includes players like Jervis Scheffs, Luka Stoic and Kenan Reinhart.

    9: Can US-based Huan Sinan help Zhang Boyuan get back to top eight?

    Huan Sinan

    China three times reached the top eight in the world - taking seventh place in 2010, 2012 and 2014. But the Asians picked up just one victory for a 15th place finish in 2018 and then missed the tournament in 2022. The Chinese are back with one of the country's next top prospects Zhang Boyuan, who was named to the All-Star Five of the FIBA U16 Asia Cup 2023.

    This team will also be highlighted by 7-footer Huan Sinan, the United States-based big man whose mother is former Chinese women's basketball player Chengqing Ma, who played at the 1996 Olympics and FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 1998. China's task will not be easy with France, Guinea and USA in their group with a Round of 16 crossover against Lithuania, Spain or Puerto Rico most likely.

    10: Will Italy's U17 team repeat the U19 success from 2017?

    Italy took second place at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2017

    Italy have only played at the FIBA U17 World Cup previously in 2014 when they took ninth place. Many were surprised the Italians grabbed second place at the FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2023, and the question some in Italia are asking is can their youngsters continue to raise the eyebrows and match the country's surprising success of second place at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2017.

    Back in Egypt in 2017, Italy were missing the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2016 hero Davide Moretti, who helped the team shock Germany and take third place. Still, Italy reached the Final - where they lost to Canada. The possible Italy heroes this time around are Diego Garavaglia, Maikcol Perez and Adian Mathis.

    If you want to know what happened in the friendly tournament in Spain last week:

    France send message with win over Spain, Lithuania hand Germany third loss

    FIBA

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