The USA Team dominated the FIBA U17 level once again, with the closest game being a 23-point victory in their opening game versus France and the second closest being a 41 point victory in the finals over Italy. In the 3rd place game, host Turkey defeated New Zealand. The USA team dominated the NBA level prospects and in fact many of the top international talent also play in USA high schools, or AAU programs. Below are the top 10 international prospects and then 10 more honorable mention:
Top 10 International Prospects:
Dash Daniels 6’5 CG Center of Excellence (Australia) 2007 Born Australia Highlights
Dash Daniels (pictured) led the tournament in steals with 3.6 per game and 5.0 per 40 minutes. He had a nearly 2 to 1 assist to turnover ratio, 4.1 assists to 2.1 steals. Younger brother of Dyson, he’s been on the radar among scouts for a while now, given, like his brother, he has great positional size, and can pressure quick, small guards for the full length of the court. In addition, on the defensive end, his size makes him very switchable, and he was able to get 5 rebounds per game. All these metrics should make him stand out in the analytics department of teams. Many of his scoring opportunities came off of steals and deflections that he created and all in all, he averaged 14.3 points per game in 29 minutes of playing time. In half court sets, he showed an ability to run the team’s offense and demonstrated some ability to play off the ball as a strong cutter. He was effective getting downhill and finishing plays or getting to the free throw line, where he shot 21/26 for the tournament. One concern off the ball is that he isn’t a good outside shooter at this stage of his career, and this comes through statistically in this event as he went 7/26 from three. He will need to continue to work on that aspect of his game in order to increase his chances as a prospect.
Arafan Diane 6’11 C Dynastie Prep (Canada) 2007 Born Guinea Highlights
We first watched Arafan Diane as he dominated FIBA U16 Africa last year (write up here) After a season with Dynastie Prep in Canada he is now one of the top centers in the high school class of 2026. At 6’11, with a fully mature frame, Diane is a load to stop in the post. This was reflected in his stats, as he was 4th in scoring at 19.1 point per game while shooting 54.8% from the field, and led the tournament in rebounds at 11.7. He also was in the top 10 in blocks, averaging 1.4 per game. Around the rim, he features nice, soft hands and good touch. He likes to create contact and finishes plays with a baby hook. For a post player, he shot the ball well from the free throw line, going 31/42 and perhaps there is some potential as a pick and pop option down the line. When he gets momentum, he looks like Baby Shaq, finishing plays off with powerful two hand dunks, but he lacks ideal lift that you usually see from NBA level centers, for example most of his offensive rebound put backs end up being layups instead of dunks. That and the lack of good lateral quickness are the biggest concerns for him as a top-level prospect.
Oscar Goodman 6’8 Forward NBA Global Academy 2007 Born New Zealand Highlights
Oscar Goodman was voted in the top 5 of the tournament, averaging 17 points and 6.3 rebounds in 26.6 minutes per game helping lead the New Zealand team to a semifinal appearance. Oscar has a mature body and is very much a hybrid forward who can score both in the post or on the wing in triple threat. From the perimeter, he was best in catch and shoot situations. On occasion, on a too quick closeout, he would pump fake and then drive baseline and finish the play off with a one handed or two-handed dunk. Off the ball, he’s an excellent cutter, scoring a few points each game with back cuts and /or finding the dunker spot to finish plays off. In the post, he punishes smaller opponents. At the top level there may be some issues in terms of positional size. His play and athleticism are more like a 4 but his height and length is ideal for a three, thus limiting his long-term potential as a prospect. He will need to continue to work on his shooting and increase his efficiency given those anthropometric and athleticism limitations, as he was 9/30 from three and 24/36 from the charity stripe. Defensively, he does not get blocked shots, but anticipates plays well and gets in the passing lanes, leading to 1.4 steals per game. A high IQ player who should have an immediate impact at the NCAA level.
Sinan Huan 7’1 C Windermere Prep (FL) 2007 Born China Highlights
Sinan Huan is currently in the 2026 high school class at Windermere Prep in Florida. The lefty showed good mobility for a center, getting up and down the court. Averaging 13 points per game, 6.3 rebounds, and leading the FIBA U17 WC with 3.8 blocks in 20.7 minutes per game. He averaged 7.3 blocks per 40 minutes which more than doubled any other player in the top 25 in that category. On offense, Sinan Huan is most comfortable as a post player on the right block where he can go middle, and finish plays off with his left hand with a half hook. On half court pick and roll sets, he will dive and has good hands to finish plays off on lobs. He also showed some flashes as the high man at the top of the key, where he finished plays off, going left baseline with his left hand. He has some agility, showcasing a Euro step to avoid a charge. He showed great form from the free throw line going 13/14 for the tournament (only played 4 games). He needs to get stronger on the block where he can get pushed around from time to time. This affects both his touches in the post and his rebounding numbers. Very left hand dominant still, and needs to work on some counter moves with his right hand. Has some potential as a pick and pop player, which needs to continue to develop.
Hayden Jones 6’6 SG Nelson Giants (New Zealand) 2007 Born New Zealand Highlights
Hayden Jones averaged 11.6 points and 6 rebounds in almost 28 minutes per game. He was a very physical wing, often bullying his opponents around the rim. A great post player, he flashed drop steps and up and unders to score around the basket. When he gets downhill, he likes to do a jump stop and use his advanced footwork to score around the help defender. A very good rebounder for a wing, he averaged 2 offensive rebounds per game. He went to the free throw line nearly 5 times per game, going 30/34 from the charity stripe (88.2%). While he is always on attack mode near the hoop, he sometimes goes away from taking the open jumper. And while he has excellent free throw numbers, his lack of shot taking and shot making from range allows defenders to anticipate his penetration. On the defensive end of the ball at 6’6/6’7, he has great size for a wing and some ability to defend the quicker point guards, due to his strength and athleticism. He however lacks the deflections, steals, or block shots you would like to see in a wing, but he is an effective team defender and a very good defensive rebounder. He is a wiling passer, but again his assist to turnover ratio is porous due to him frequently forcing the issue, and over-penetrating when the shot is there to take from the perimeter.
Tyler Kropp 6’8 PF Olentangy Liberty High School 2007 Born Argentina Highlights
Tyler Kropp, after a great FIBA U18 Americup showing, played well once again in Türkey, ending up being the third leading scorer for the tournament, at 20 ppg and 8th leading rebounder at 7.4 rebounds, in 31 minutes per game. Very crafty, he scores most of his points at the high post, or on the block. He uses head fakes, up and unders, and excellent footwork to score in the high post and has a drop step and up and under move on the block, while slithering around taller opponents. A solid free throw shooter, going 37/50 (74%), his ability to draw fouls is an asset. He will take an occasional three, but is not currently the attribute he uses to score, as he shoots it at a low volume, 5/16 in 7 games. Defensively, he’s a bit of a liability as he steps up level as he doesn’t get steals or blocked shots. His lack of ideal size (6’8) for a power forward and lack of elite athleticism, to compensate for his lack of length, makes it likely he will sooner or later have to transition out of the post and become a perimeter player if he wants to play at the higher levels. This may be why he is only viewed as a 3-star 2025 class prospect by national recruiting services. However, he has absolutely excelled in both FIBA tournaments in which he played in this summer.
Felipe Minzer 6’6 SG Casademont Zaragoza 2007 Born Argentina Highlights
As a 6’6 SG, Felipe Minzer was one of the more efficient players in Türkey. With a stat line of 17.1 points (7th), 7.1 rebounds (11th), 4.6 assist (6th), and 3 steals (4th) in 31.5 minutes, he was affecting play on both ends of the floor. In addition, he shot 55% from the field (41/75), 42% from three (8/19) and was able to get to the free throw line 7 times per game (32/49). A husky guard, he uses his strength and solid handles to create space for his shot and to allude full court pressure from opponents. A primary creator for the Argentinean team, he was able to post a 1.39 assist to turnover ratio for the event. In half court sets, he is very good in catch and shoot situations, but also uses the pick and roll to shed opponents off him and take a mid-range shot. Felipe has a good nose for the ball and was able to average 3 offensive rebounds per game. He has very good shooting mechanics, when he has time. He lacks ideal athleticism, or burst to get downhill and needs momentum or just shields his body to get to the rack. He lacks ideal vertical ability. On defense he rotates well as a help defender and gets his hands in the passing lanes to average his 3 steals per game. He isn’t a very good point of attack defender in open space when he can’t use his strength to push the offensive player away from the basket. Despite this lack of athleticism, the numbers speak for themselves.
Hugo Yimga Moukouri 6’8 PF Pôle France 2008 Born France Highlights
A 2008 born player, Hugo Yimga Moukouri averaged 15.4 points on 51.2% shooting from the field and 6.3 rebounds in 19.6 minutes at the FIBA U17 WC. Hugo scores most of his points on fast break opportunities or in the post. He’s a good athlete who can, at this level, guard 1 through 4. Often guarding though the primary offensive perimeter player of the other team. Offensively, he bullies smaller opponents in the post, in particular on the offensive glass, where he averaged 4.3 per game. From three, he shoots it best on catch and shoot opportunities in the corner. When on the wing, he likes taking one dribble and taking a shot at the elbow extended. He cocks his shot a little behind his head making it slightly unorthodox but also tends to slow his release. Between getting offensive rebounds among the trees and his slow release he tends to get his shot blocked more than a high-end prospect should. A good wing defender he can cause some steals that allows him to finish plays with two feet two handed dunks. His handles are a little clunky and with his shot being a little unorthodox it makes him look at times mechanical and unlikely to be much of a self-creator for himself or for others. Working on being more fluid would help him tremendously as a prospect as he has ideal natural athleticism.
Guillermo Del Pino 6’5 PG Unicaja (Spain) 2007 Born Spain Highlights
Guillermo Del Pino averaged 11 points, 1.4 steals, and 0.9 blocks in 20 minutes per game. Guillermo has great positional height for a point guard and is a very savvy point guard. With over a 2 (2.3) to 1 (1.1) assist to turnover ratio, Guillermo proved to be very efficient when setting teammates up in the half court set. There has been an adjustment, however from U16s last year where he was able to penetrate on demand. A high IQ basketball player who uses change of pace, momentum and spacing as an offensive weapon, he still is very much a scoring threat with the ball in his hands. And while he can still get downhill and finish around the rim (54.1% from 2) because of the before mentioned attributes, he doesn’t quite have the same number of opportunities he had against younger competition. Therefore, he is transitioning to more of a perimeter-oriented scorer where it has been a bit clunky and far less efficient. In Turkey, he shot just 9/36 from three (25%). These long-distance shots were primarily taken off the dribble or off the pick and roll. He will need to become more efficient from there, as he moves up levels and the opportunities to score downhill diminishes. Or change his shot distribution from pick and roll situations to less threes to more assists to teammates rolling. Almost half the shots he took for the tournament were from three, which negatively affected his field goal percentage. A smart defensive player, he was able to get his hands in the passing lane and disrupt offensive flows. Nearly averaged a block per game (0.9) his ability to get deflections and affect shots is encouraging as a defender.
Nathan Soliman 6’7 Forward Pôle France 2009 Born France Highlights
As a 2009 born, Nathan Soliman was one of the youngest players to participate at this event. Averaging 7.3 points and 1.7 steals in 15.4 minutes per game, he more than held his own. Nathan Soliman played a lot of 4 for the French team, but his long-term position is at the three, where he showed a nice repeatable shot. He has good strength and vertical, despite playing against opponents who were usually two years older than him. In half court sets, he’s a good catch and shoot option on the wing, and has his spots at the high post area or at the top of the key. He has a strong base, which allows him to play in the post at this level. On fast breaks, he runs the floor well and will finish plays off with dunks. Still at this early stage, he can create a little for himself. On defense, he has good length, which allows him to jump the passing lanes, leading to 12 steals in 7 games. He moves well laterally for a player his size. Due to his strong base, he may end up guarding power forwards rather than small forwards, but he is a true hybrid forward. Nathan Soliman is probably the international player with the highest long-term potential at FIBA U17 WC.
Honorable Mention
Patrick Anamali 6’6 Forward Edge Prep (Canada) 2007 Born Canada
Patrick Anamali is a 6’6 with a 7’2.5 Wingspan (Measurements come from the 2024 Americas BWB) which is the ideal length that we typically see in defensive pro forwards. In addition, he displayed flashes of good verticality (34.5 max vert at BWB) and quickness; these attributes were on full display at the FIBA U17 WC where he was often the player at the top of the key disrupting opponents’ offenses. In fact, he was 3rd in steals per 40 minutes at 6.0 per 40 behind Brandon McCoy Jr at 8.2 and Akram Naji at 6.2. On offense he’s best at finishing plays on the fast break with dunks or put backs on offensive rebounds. He does not project as a scorer and needs some work even at the free throw line. And while he has the tools to be a great defender, he still needs a lot of work even in that area. His block and rebound rate were not good at FIBA U17 WC and for him to overcome his lack of scoring potential (3.4 points in 18 minutes) he’s going to have the consistent mindset to be the lock down defender. There were times where he had defensive lapses on out-of-bound plays that just cannot happen even at his current level but he’s a high upside bet and perhaps as he plays against higher level competition that it will lead to more growth as a player.
Arturas Butajevas 6’9 PF Barcelona 2007 Born Lithuania Highlights
Arturas Butajevas averaged 14.4 points 11.3 rebounds (2nd) and 1.4 blocks per game. At 6’9 he lacks the ideal height for a post player but is continuing to work on his perimeter game. He has shown promise as a shooter going 28/37 from the free throw line (75.7%) and 5/19 from three (26%). If he can even add an inch or two to his height it would drastically change how scouts view him as a prospect. If he cannot he will need to continue to work on his outside shooting and become more proficient off the dribble.
Declan Duru 6’7 SF Real Madrid 2007 Born Germany Highlights
Declan Dura averaged 10.8 points, 8.6 rebounds (5th), 2.4 steals, and 1.2 blocks. His numbers were very good on the defensive end of the ball using his elite length to cause deflections and alter shots. Many see him as one of the top 2007 born prospects and may be surprised to be in honorable mention. For one his shooting was not up to par in Türkiye, always a streak shooter, he went 2/21 from three and 12/20 from the free throw line. Secondly, he had an opportunity with Germany that he didn’t have with Real Madrid to be a bit more of an offensive creator, as a result he had 4.8 turnovers to 2.8 assists. Given his body has been fully developed for a few years now there is a need for him to become a more efficient basketball player at this level.
Gildas Gimenez 6’5 Forward Real Madrid 2007 Born Spain Highlights
Gildas Gimenez after playing just a minor role on a stacked Real Madrid U18 team this season finally was able to get extensive playing time for Sapin where he averaged 10.4 points and 5.1 rebounds in almost 22 minutes per game. Not a high-volume shooter he was efficient from the field going 28/48 and even 5/13 from three. He did not shoot the ball well from the free throw line and will need to show more of an ability to create for himself this upcoming season.
Fabian Kayser 6’8 Wing Paderborn 2009 Born Germany Highlights
Fabian Kayser is one of only two 2009 born players mentioned in this recap. He averaged 7.5 points and 1 steal in the 6 games he played. He was very fluid handling the ball and at times showed flashes for things to come. At 6’8 he will create for himself stop on the dime and hit a mid-range shot. Has a nice repeatable shooting stroke where he went 6/6 from the free throw line. Needs to add strength and improve his efficiency but he’s a name that NBA scouts will be tentatively watching these next 3 years.
Maxence Lemoine 6’2 PG Sig Strasbourg 2007 Born France Highlights
The lefty Maxence Lemoine is a very crafty point guard who does an excellent job with change of pace dribbles, and a herkie jerky style that opens the floor up for his floater. A good shooter, he shot 9/23 from three and 16/17 from the line and averaged 10.4 points, 3.6 assists and 2.4 turnovers. At 6’2 he lacks ideal height and athleticism to be considered a high-end prospect.
Kaan Onat 6’5 CG Anadolu Efes 2007 Born Turkiye Highlights
Kaan Onat was voted on the tournament top 5 where he averaged 18.9 points (5th), 5.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists (5th) and 1.1 steals leading the host country to a bronze medal finish. Kaan is a very physical guard who was able to get to the free throw line 7.4 times per game and shot from the charity stripe 37/52 (71%). He shot the ball well from long distance here 11/27(41%) as it was long his question mark as a high-level prospect. The team and he played better when he was a shooting guard rather than the primary ball handler. He lacks elite athleticism or lateral quickness but loves contact and if he can consistently shoot it from long distance as he did here then he has a real chance,
Maikcol Perez 6’8 PF Orange 1 Bassano 2007 Born Italy Highlights
Maikcol Perez helped lead Italy to the world cup final against the USA and was voted into the tournament’s top 5. He averaged 14.6 points, 8.6 rebounds (5th), 4.3 assists (10th) and 1.1 steals in 28.3 minutes. At 6’8 he’s a bit of a conundrum, as he has some skills of a 4, some skills of a 3, but lacks some things in both at both positions to be effective at the higher levels. Maickol passes well for a 3 or a 4 as he was top 10 in assists and has a positive assist to turnover ratio. He is excellent around the basket scoring at a highly efficient rate of 59% (41/70). However, he’s a sub 50% free throw shooter (20/41) and did not make a three limiting him when he plays small forward. At 6’8 he’s a relatively short power forward who did not block a shot in his 7 games played.
Felipe Quinones 6’6 CG IMG (FL) Puerto Rico 2008 Born Highlights
Felipe Quinones who is in the class of 2026, had a signature game versus France where he scored 42 points in the first round of single elimination. That game almost accounted for half of his total points in the 7 games he played. Overall he averaged 13 points, 3.9 assists, and 1.4 steals in 24.6 minute per game. He shot the ball well from the free throw line going 27/31 and had a 2.29 assist to turnover ratio.
Abdou Toure 6’5 SG Notre Dame (West Haven CT) 2007 Born Guinea Highlights
Abdou Toure led the tournament in scoring at 23 points per game. He was highly efficient around the rim shooting 70.1% from two (54/77). His signature game was against China where went for 50 points (vide above) but he also had a 36 point outburst in his last game versus Australia. He showed good form on his shot and was able to score a few times per game at a 71% clip. His worst offensive output was versus team USA where he scored 8 points and went 4/15. He is viewed by recruiting publications as a 4-star recruit.
Derin Can Ustun 6’4 PG Cedevita Olimpija 2007 Born Turkiye Highlights
Derin Can Ustun played his best game in the bronze medal game win against New Zealand where he was their main offensive weapon. In that game he scored 27 points while going 6/10 from three. Derin has good size for a point guard and excellent handles with the ability to get downhill with either hand. He averaged 13.1 points per game and 3.4 assists in the 7 games. A bit of a streak shooter, becoming more consistent where the lows aren’t so low would be helpful for him as a prospect. A very passionate player, as a lead guard he needs to take care of the ball better as he had 20 turnovers in 7 games.
Boyuan Zhang 6’8 Forward Shanxi Fenjiu Basketball Club 2007 Born China Highlights
The lefty was a very good offensive player at this tournament averaging 17.1 points while going 22/54 (40.7%) from three and 16/19 from the free throw line (84.2%) in 7 games. Boyuan Zhang has a fluid stroke and takes his shots within the scope of the offense. He can create for himself off one or two dribbles and on half court, sets is a good cutter. He has a strong frame and will finish plays off with dunks. As a small forward you would like to see Boyun have a little bit more ability to set other players up, given he had one of the top centers in the tournament with Sinan Huan. On defense he isn’t much of an asset. He does not rebound particularly well, he had 0 block shots and only 4 steals in 7 games. He has the offense to play small forward at a high level, but scouts need to see if he can be any kind of defensive deterrent for any pro level forward.
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