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FIBA U17 Worlds: USA wins another Gold

USA Basketball 's 17U Gold medal winning team
USA Basketball 's 17U Gold medal winning team
USA Basketball

Make it four out of four tries for Gold for the USA in the FIBA U17 World Championships. Led by five-star combo guard and tournament MVP Collin Sexton, USA Basketball trounced Turkey 96-56 to claim another gold medal and move to 30-0 all-time during the every other year event's history.

Today, we take a look at some of the Team USA standouts as well as some players from the International teams that caught our attention while playing in the 2016 U17 World Championships.

SEXTON BACKS UP STATUS

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Collin Sexton
Collin Sexton
USA Basketball

Recently upgraded to five-star status as the No. 12 player overall in the 2017 Rivals150, explosive combo guard Collin Sexton may not have been moved high enough in the rankings. After leading Nike's EYBL in scoring, all Sexton did was lead the USA in scoring with 17 points a game while grabbing four rebounds and dishing out four assists per game.

For his efforts, Sexton was named the tournament MVP and it was well deserved.

Explosive off the dribble, Sexton got into the lane at will, ignited fast breaks and hit time and again from mid range. His enthusiasm is infectious and while programs like Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Iowa State, Kansas, Georgia Tech, Texas are among those to have already jumped into the fray, his recruitment should get dialed up another level during July.

CARTER SOLID IN THE PAINT

Wendell Carter
Wendell Carter
USA Basketball

Ranked No. 3 overall in the class of 2017, Wendell Carter was named to the five man All-Tournament team with Sexton. His stat line of 10.1 points and 7.6 rebounds for the tournament doesn't leap off the page. However, consider that he did his damage in only 15 minutes per game and that his presence in the lane softened up defenses and discouraged opponents from attacking the basket on the offensive end.

Carter is a prime target for programs like Duke, Kentucky, Harvard and North Carolina among others.

TRENT SHOWS OFF DIFFERENT SIDE OF GAME

Gary Trent Jr.
Gary Trent Jr.
USA Basketball

A five-star prospect ranked No. 16 overall in the class of 2017, shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. didn't shoot the ball from deep like he's accustomed to doing. With his three ball not dropping (7-27 for the tourney), Trent used his strong 6-foot-5 frame to attack the rim and score through contact. He ended up as the team's No. 2 scorer at 12.7 points per game and played the second most minutes on the trip.

Trent Jr. visited UCLA in early June and appears pretty wide open in his recruitment with others like Michigan State, Ohio State, Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, Arizona and Alabama being involved to one degree or another.

KNOX A SMOOTH OPERATOR

Kevin Knox
Kevin Knox
USA Basketball

Ranked No. 6 in 2017, 6-foot-7 wing Kevin Knox showed off his smooth, all-around game while averaging 11.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while hitting on 56% of his shots from the field.

Knox doesn't take a lot of deep jump shots, but he's a smooth transition player who is money from the mid range and has the tools to finish inside against traffic. His father played football at Florida State and they're trying to fight off the big boys like Duke, North Carolina and Kentucky.

BROWN LEADS THE REST

Troy Brown
Troy Brown
USA Basketball

Given that the Team USA won their seven games by an average of 47 points per outing and scored 743 total points, there was no shortage of chances for everybody on the team to get buckets.

However, after watching many of games online and on television, utility guard Troy Brown leads a final trio of standouts. The No. 10 ranked player in the class of 2017, the 6-foot-6 guard led the team in minutes and steals and was third overall in rebounding an assists while chipping in 10 points per game. He's a high school Swiss Army Knife who does a bit of everything and he does it all well.

Delivering from deep for Team USA was their only player from the class of 2016, Marquette bound four-star combo guard Markus Howard. Though he has size that is more suited to the point, Howard is an absolutely lights out shooter with his feet set which should allow him to player either the one or the two in the Big East. He made 18 of Team USA's 46 threes during the tournament.

Finally, 2018 big man Carte'Are Gordon was a spark plug each and every time he hit the floor. The No. 20 ranked player in his class, the 6-foot-8 240 pounder simply dump trucked any International player in his way while chipping in with 11.6 points and 5.6 rebounds in just 14.1 minutes per game. He showed touch and efficiency while converting on an impressive 72% of his field goal attempts.

INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS IMPRESS

R.J. Barrett
R.J. Barrett
FIBA

Playing for the Canadian team, wing R.J. Barrett looked like arguably the best prospect at World Championships. A class of 2019 prospect who currently attends Montverde (Fla.) Academy, Barrett has legit 6-foot-6 size, well above average athleticism and a nose for the basket. We've discussed Charles Bassey at length as the potential No. 1 player in 2019, but Barrett is the other name currently in that conversation.

Barrett's teammate on the Canadian squad, four-star forward Ignas Brazdeikas looked every bit as good as he did when we saw him playing for the CIA Bounce in the EYBL. A strong 6-foot-7 shooter who can play as either a three or a four, he has all kinds of game.

Leading the event in scoring was 6-foot-8 wing Dzanan Musa of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was good for 34.4 points, eight rebounds and three assists per outing and impressed with his creativity around the rim. A good, but not great, shooter from deep he uses his size and skill off the dribble to get into the lane and finish with either hand from a variety of angles. As college programs continue to look overseas, he is one that could draw big attention.

A member of the French U17 team, Jaylen Hoard is a smooth looking wing prospect with length and athleticism. He sees the floor very well, the ball comes off his hand with touch on jumpers and he's a natural in the open floor. He put up 22.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists during the tournament and told Scout.com that he will be moving to the States as a class of 2018 prospect.

Finally, we only got to watch him once but Arnas Velicka of the Lithuanian squad was impressive. The 16 year old has good size (6-foot-4) for a point guard, sees the floor well, can score and plays with loads of confidence.


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