PORTLAND (USA) - Cooper Flagg guided a star-studded USA team including five FIBA youth world champions to a 98-75 victory over Team World in the 25th edition of the Nike Hoop Summit.

Flagg, who was selected to the All-Star Five of the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022, poured in a team-high 19 points to go with 11 rebounds and 2 assists as the Americans won their fourth straight Hoop Summit and improved their all-time record to 18-7 over the World select team.

"You have to be better than your excuses. I just went out with that mindset and just stayed positive," Flagg, who had foul troubles in the first half with three early fouls, told the USA Basketball website. "We have a really special group of guys. We had a lot of guys that sacrificed themselves and just played a role tonight.” 

Asa Newell, who was Flagg's teammate on the U17 World Cup winning team, added a double-double of his own with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Fellow U17 world champs Boogie Fland, Ian Jackson and David Castillo combined for 19 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists.

Jackson was also part of the USA team that finished fourth at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2023, along with Dylan Harper, who tallied 14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.

The game was tight for the first three quarters with 14 lead changes and 12 ties before the Americans blew the game open with a 30-15 fourth quarter.

“They came in with the right mindset and the right attitude," said Team USA playcaller  Sharman White, who was the head coach of the USA's U17 World Cup team. "They wanted to win this game really bad, they wanted to represent their country, they wanted represent themselves, their community, their families, and they came here, and they did that."

Team World's leading scorer was AJ Dybantsa with 21 points for the representative of Jamaica and Republic of Congo who played for USA and won the title at the FIBA U16 Americas Championship 2023.

France star guard talent Nolan Traore - an All-Star of the BWB Global Camp and Semi-Finalist at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2023 - had 18 points and 4 assists; and Bahamas guard V.J. Edgecombe added 17 points in the loss.

FIBA