Team USA, Kentucky targets advance to U17 FIBA World Cup semifinals

With another blowout victory in hand, Team USA is now just two wins away from locking up another gold medal.

On Friday in Spain, the U17 Team USA squad took down Serbia in quarterfinal action by a final score of 106-80. The 26-point win for the Americans was actually the closest contest of the event so far, the second-highest being a 33-point victory against Slovenia during group play. Team USA will face Lithuania on Saturday, July 9 in the semifinals. The title and third-place matches are set for Sunday, July 11.

Of the 12 players on the roster, seven of them are receiving significant interest from Kentucky men’s basketball, headlined by a pair of ’23 five-stars in DJ Wagner and Ron Holland. And while those two have performed well throughout the event, it was actually the rising sophomores who took control in the quarterfinals.

We'll see ya at the semifinals! 🤗@Cooper_Flagg 18 pts, 11 reb@kpeat10 17 pts, 6 reb@NewellAsa 12 pts, 3 reb

🇺🇸 #USABMU17 pic.twitter.com/4HXXy4qWtB

— USABJNT (@usabjnt) July 8, 2022

Team USA was powered by Cooper Flagg’s 18 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals, and three blocks in 23 minutes. Flagg is widely considered as one of the frontrunners to snag the title of top overall recruit from the ’25 class and showcased exactly why against Serbia. He was joined by another fellow rising sophomore, Koa Peat, who added 17 points and six rebounds in 24 minutes of his own. Peat is also expected to contend for that top spot. Neither prospect has heard from the Kentucky coaching staff just yet, but that contact expects to come sooner rather than later.

SCARY HOURS 🤯🤯 @Cooper_Flagg

🇺🇸 #USABMU17 pic.twitter.com/7q6FXT1DDt

— USABJNT (@usabjnt) July 8, 2022

As for the current Kentucky targets, Holland and ’24 five-star PF Asa Newell put on the best showings among the group. Holland posted 10 points and five rebounds as a starter, although he played just 15 minutes. Newell came off the bench with authority, pouring in 12 points on 4-4 shooting (2-2 from deep) to go along with three boards in under 11 minutes of play.

Another ’24 five-star, Johnuel “Boogie” Fland, was the next highest scorer with a Wildcat connection, finishing with 11 points on 4-6 shooting (3-4 from deep) while adding two rebounds, three assists, and a steal in just under 14 minutes. Complementing him in the backcourt, Wagner recorded five points, four rebounds, four dimes, and zero turnovers in his 20 minutes, although he did shoot a poor 1-11 from the field overall and 0-5 from beyond the arc.

Rounding out the Kentucky targets who played in the win are Ian Jackson and Karter Knox. Jackson, a five-star ’24 PG, went for five points, three rebounds, and three assists on 2-6 shooting while Knox added nine points, six rebounds, and two steals on a 3-6 shooting clip.

Team USA will be the overwhelming favorite to take home another gold medal in this event by the end of the weekend. The U17/16 program has yet to fall short of a gold medal across 13 total World and Americas Championships since 2009. Lithuania will present a threat in the semifinals but considering they’re ranked No. 6 in the latest FIBA Power Rankings (Serbia was ranked No. 4 prior to Friday’s loss), it shouldn’t be too much of an issue for the Americans.

The two biggest threats remaining for Team USA will be No. 2 ranked Spain and No. 3 ranked France, which are both still currently alive but on the same side of the bracket. France has already advanced to the semifinals after beating Slovenia 83-63 on Friday morning. Spain just finished up a tight win over Australia, 70-68, and will face France in the semifinals on Saturday.