Pecarski, Guo, Louzada, Curbelo bring plenty of experience to World Team at Hoop Summit
REGENSBURG (David Hein's Eye on the Future) - The World Select Team will have plenty of experience on the international stage coming into the 2019 Nike Hoop Summit with players like Marko Pecarski, Guo Haowen, Marcos Louzada and Andre Curbelo.
The Serbian big man, Chinese and Brazilian wings and Puerto Rico guard are among the 12 players selected to represent the world at the showcase on April 12 in Portland.
| Roster for the World Select Team at the 2019 Nike Hoop Summit | |||
| Precious Achiuwa (Mali) | Matthew Alexander-Moncrieffe (Canada) | Kofi Cockburn (Jamaica) | Andre Curbelo (Puerto Rico) |
| N'Faly Dante (Mali) | Guo Haowen (China) | Josh Green (Australia) | Marco Louzada (Brazil) |
| Nico Mannion (Italy) | Joshua Obiesie (Germany) | Marko Pecarski (Serbia) | Oscar Tshiebwe (Congo) |
Pecarski and Germany’s Joshua Obiesie are the only two World team players who are playing in Europe with Pecarski playing in the EuroCup for Partizan Belgrade and Obiesie competes in the FIBA Europe Cup for s.Oliver Würzburg, who reached the Semi-Finals.
German talent Joshua Obiesie helped s.Oliver Würzburg reach the FIBA Europe Cup Semi-Finals.
Pecarski was on the top of Europe last summer as he led Serbia to the title at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2018 - winning the MVP award by averaging a monster double-double of 24.7 points and 110 rebounds. It was the second straight U18 European crown for Pecarski, an alum of the Basketball Without Borders Global Camp 2018 who will be one of Serbia’s leaders at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2019.
All told, six players would have the possibility of playing at this summer’s U19 World Cup in Greece from June 29-July 7. The others are Canadian Matthew Alexander-Moncrieffe, Andre Curbelo of Puerto Rico, Mali’s N’Faly Dante, Guo and Australian Josh Green.
Guo Haowen made his senior national team debut in the final FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers window
Guo played a huge role in China taking third place at the FIBA U18 Asian Championship 2018 after being named the Nike All-Asia Camp 2018 Most Outstanding Player. And the long, athletic forward was rewarded by getting two appearances in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers, missing both of his shots in 14 minutes with 1 assist combined against Jordan and Syria in the final window last month.
Marcos Louzada playing for Brazil in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Americas Qualifiers
Louzada also took part in the World Cup Qualifiers in the Americas as the 1999-born forward played in four games - all in the Second Round. He averaged 6.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists, including picking 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal against Virgin Islands. At the club level, Louzada averaged 12.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 steals for SESI/Franca in the DIRECTV Liga de las Americas, where the Brazilian club reached the Semi-Finals.
Curbelo meanwhile was named to the All-Star Five of the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2018 as he guided Puerto Rico to their first-ever U17 World Cup podium finish by picking up 13.6 points, a tournament-high 5.9 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 2.9 steals. Curbelo, who did not play at the FIBA U18 Americas Championship 2018, followed the U17 World Cup by winning the New York AA state high school title with Long Island Lutheran.
Looking at the other players who have the possibility of playing at the U19 World Cup, here a couple of notes:
Matthew Alexander-Moncrieffe playing at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2018
Alexander-Moncrieffe played last summer at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2018 and helped Canada to fourth place, though they lost to the United States in the Semi-Finals and then Puerto Rico in the Third-Place Game.
Dante did not play for Mali at the FIBA U18 African Championship 2018, which Mali won at home for their first U18 crown. But he would give Mali another major force in the paint along with Oumar Ballo and Abdoul Karim Coulibaly.
Dante is one of three players returning to the World Select Team, the others being Australian Josh Green and Jamaican Kofi Cockburn.
Green on the other hand is on the outside looking in right now in terms of the Australia team at the U19 World Cup. The star prospect is based out of the IMG Academy in Florida and was not included in Darren Perry’s 12-man roster for this summer. It remains to be seen if Green could possibly work his way into the team.
Nico Mannion is another player with international experience as the Arizona guard choose to play for Italy at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2017 after not making the United States team for the FIBA U16 Americas Championship 2017. Mannion was also the fourth-youngest player to play for the Italian senior national team as he debuted at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers in the July 2018 window.
The World Select Team will be looking to defend its win from last year, which improved its record to 7-14 against the United States Select Team.
David Hein
FIBA
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