2014 3rd FIBA U17 World Championship

[carlo]

Italy met twice Argentina in exhibition games.

Game1: ITA-ARG 62-57 (Moretti 11, Bolpin 10 for Italy)

Game 2: ITA-ARG 55-60 (Moretti 12, Costa 10)

No Argentina scores available.

Andrea La Torre not in Italian roster.

[christodoulou76]

Greek roster is in flux because some players (Koniaris, Mouratos, Charalampopoulos, Papagiannis) will join the team at the last minute after playing in the U18 Euro. Most likely roster at the WC will be:

1: Antonis Koniaris, Dimitris Flionis, [Iakovos Miledijevic]
2: Vasilis Mouratos, [Nikos Diplaros]
3: Antonis Pefanis, Athanasios Douzidis
4: Vasilis Charalampopoulos, Ioannis Michaloutsos, Nikos Kamaras
5: Giorgos Papagiannis, Theodoros Psychidis

The team above is exactly the same as the team that won the bronze at last year's U16 Euro Championship except that Fragkiadakis (SG) and Skoulidas (SF) will be missing due to injury. Not sure who will replace them but based on prep results, it might be the players listed in brackets above. Things will clarify in a week or so.

[carlo]

Greek roster is in flux because some players will join the team at the last minute after playing in the U18 Euro. Most likely roster at the WC will be:

1: Antonis Koniaris, Dimitris Flionis, [Iakovos Miledijevic]
2: Vasilis Mouratos, [Nikos Diplaros]
3: Antonis Pefanis, Athanasios Douzidis
4: Vasilis Charalampopoulos, Ioannis Michaloutsos, Nikos Kamaras
5: Giorgos Papagiannis, Theodoros Psychidis

The team above is exactly the same as the team that won the bronze at last year's U16 Championship except that Fragkiadakis (SG) and Skoulidas (SF) will be missing due to injury. Not sure who will replace them but based on prep results, it might be the players listed in brackets above. Things will clarify in a week or so.

I like Psychidis...

[christodoulou76]

I like Psychidis...

You remember him from the U16 Euro last year? He plays with a lot of passion. Undersized for his position so he has to compensate with energy.

[carlo]

You remember him from the U16 Euro last year? He plays with a lot of passion. Undersized for his position so he has to compensate with energy.

Yes, I remember him from U16, but honestly mainly for his name rather than for his play. I watched GRE last year and was mostly impressed by Charalam, Papagiannis and Koniaris. Anyway it seems he's giving it all in the game !

[christodoulou76]

Yes, I remember him from U16, but honestly mainly for his name rather than for his play. I watched GRE last year and was mostly impressed by Charalam, Papagiannis and Koniaris. Anyway it seems he's giving it all in the game !

Yes, in Greek we would say he is a psychara (a passionate guy or a good-hearted guy; roughly translated), which is an epithet that matches his name!

[carlo]

USA final roster finalized:

Tyus Battle, G
Malik Newman, G
Terrence Ferguson, G
Devearl Ramsey, G
Jayson Tatum, G
Josh Jackson, G/F
VJ King, G/F
Harry Giles, F
Ivan Rabb, F
Caleb Swanigan, F
Henry Ellenson. F/C
Diamond Stone, F/C

http://www.usab.com/news-events/news/2014/07/2014-usa-mens-u17-team-finalized.aspx

Battle, Ellenson and Swanigan are new entries, the others were already members of the 2013 U16 team.

Pity that PF Thomas Bryant didn't make the final team, he proved to be a tremendous shot-blocker at the 2013 tournament (18 blocks in 5 games) and imo would have fit very well for the WC. Hope that newcomer Swanigan can do the same (but I have some doubts) .

[Toxicity]

Italy met twice Argentina in exhibition games.

Game1: ITA-ARG 62-57 (Moretti 11, Bolpin 10 for Italy)

Game 2: ITA-ARG 55-60 (Moretti 12, Costa 10)

No Argentina scores available.

Andrea La Torre not in Italian roster.

Considering Cattapan and Curtis will probably join the team after the U18 Euros, i hope there's a chance La Torre can recover for this important competition!

[carlo]

FIBA Official Site News featuring Italian young star Davide Moretti.

http://www.fiba.com/world/u17/2014/news/ITA-Basketball-runs-in-the-family-for-Moretti

[carlo]

Canada final roster:
...

Surprisingly, Justin Jackson out. Washington Jr late addition, Murray best known and (probably) most talented.

http://www.basketball.ca/cadet-men-s...ounced-p156686

FIBA Official Site News' feature of Jamal Murray and of Canadian team (also explaining the absence of Justin Jackson).

http://www.fiba.com/world/u17/2014/news/CAN-Murray-tops-Canada-U17-team-Jackson-to-miss-Dubai

[tallwestman]

I only support West nations. So, USA, Canada, Serbia, Greece, France, Italy and Australia. Go for it!

[JGX]

US-Greece game should be really interesting, since Greece has the size to match up better than most teams do at this age group.

[carlo]

US-Greece game should be really interesting, since Greece has the size to match up better than most teams do at this age group.

USA-Greece should for sure be the top opening game, opposing two among the favorite teams.

A possible problem for Greece could arise from fatigue of some of its best players who are now competing in the long U18 Euro tournament that will end just few days before WC starts.

Opposite to this, US coach main task will be to blend together 12 young stars into a team (the ex U16 players have previously been together in 5 games).

[carlo]

Considering Cattapan and Curtis will probably join the team after the U18 Euros, i hope there's a chance La Torre can recover for this important competition!

Sharing the hope that Andrea La Torre can be at the WC.

About players currently competing at the U18 Fiba Euro and who could join their teams at the U17 WC, here's an overview:

Spain - Jaume Sorolla (C), 5 games so far and 3.6ppg. He was in the 2013 U16 champ team.

Serbia - Stefan Peno (G), 9ppg and 2.4apg in 5 g. - Vanja Marinkovic (G), 8.2ppg - Both played in the 2013 U16 and Peno named MVP

Greece - Vasileios Charalampopoulos (F) 20.2ppg, 9.6rpg and 3.5apg - Antonios Koniaris (G) 7.0ppg - Vasileios Mouratos (G) 6.6ppg and 2.4ap - Georgios Papagiannis (C) used sparingly, decent performance just with Turkey and Spain - D. Skoulidas injured. Charalam is an All-Tourn candidate. All were in the 2013 U16 team.

Italy - Curtis Nwouhuocha (F) 2.6ppg and 5.4rpg - Riccardo Cattapan (C) and Leonardo Toté (F) saw very little play so far. Cattapan was in the 2013 U16 team. All could add some size/strength in the paint to the U17 team, nothing more.

France - None

[carlo]

Some more info on USA team, hope of some interest.

Considering the Year of Class, 2014 team is the youngest so far. Seven members are from 2016-Class and five of 2015 (players of 2012 team were evenly split by 2013 and 2014-Class, 2010 team had nine players from 2011 and three from 2012-Class).

Several 2014 team players are highly ranked in their YoC.

This an overview of most recent overall rankings by: ESPN, Prospect Central, Rivals and Slamonline Fresh25 (2015) and Fresh10 (2016):

2015-Class:

Malik Newman: #3, #3, #2, #1
Ivan Rabb: #1, #2, #4, #2
Diamond Stone: #4, #4, #6, #5
Henry Ellenson: #5, #37, #17, nr
Caleb Swanigan: #17, #26 (2016 ranking), #20, nr

2016-Class:

Josh Jackson: #2, #3, #1, #1
Harry Giles: #5, #2, #2, #2
Jayson Tatum: #3, #4, #4, #4
Terrence Ferguson: #10, #9, #10, #9
VJ King: #18, #7, #14, #7
Tyus Battle: #19, #16, #25, #8
Devearl Ramsey: #33, #50, #44, nr

Since I've mentioned them in previous posts, here's the ranking of Thomas Bryant (2013 U16 top blocker, one of 17 finalists didn't make the final roster) and Seventh Woods (2013 U16 best in assists, injured he couldn't compete in 2014 trials):

Thomas Bryant - 2015: #10, #12, #34, #13

Seventh Woods -2016: #20, #13, #12, #20