LAUSANNE (Switzerland) - Usually the second volume of a Smart Power Rankings has a couple teams moving up or down a spot or two. The FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025 hasn't been a usual event - as you can see by the massive shifts by many teams in the review of the teams going into the Quarter-Finals.
We took stock of the teams and all the madness going on in Lausanne and re-adjusted the rankings.
Here is Volume 2 of the Smart Power Rankings.
16 Jordan ⏸️
Jordan were expected to struggle in their first appearance in the competition in 30 years and the Asians have done just that.
Jordan hung around with Dominican Republic for a while but they haven't been a real threat other than that.
15 China ⬇️4️⃣
Thoughts about China coming in were that the extensive preparations they had would pay off in victories. But that hasn't been the case.
The Asians were close in the first game against Canada and then had a rally versus New Zealand in the Round of 16, but it will be tough for them to register wins the rest of the way.
14 Mali ⬇️2️⃣
Mali pulled off a massive shocker to start the tournament with their win over Serbia.
But the Africans were not able to match that same mix of effort and success the rest of the way.
13 Dominican Republic ⬆️1️⃣
Dominican Republic have kind of been the unlucky losers so far, falling to Switzerland and Israel by four points in both games and then scoring 96 points against Australia but still losing the Round of 16 game.
12 Argentina ⬇️2️⃣
Argentina fall into that same category as Dominican Republic.
After losing to New Zealand in the opener, the South Americans beat Serbia and Mali. But they were unable to reach their third straight Quarter-Finals after losing in a heart-breaking defeat against Slovenia.
11 Cameroon ⬇️3️⃣
Some might question why Cameroon are so high after losing all four games so far and having never played in this competition.
But the Africans played tough in all three group games against basketball powerhouses France, Australia and USA and then missed a golden opportunity to beat Israel in the Round of 16 for a historic first win.
10 France ⬇️5️⃣
France must bounce back from the massive disappointment of losing to Switzerland in the Round of 16 - and missing out on the podium after three straight top-three finishes.
This is the second consecutive poor showing for France on the global youth stage after they lost to Puerto Rico in the Round of 16 at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024 and ended up taking ninth place.
9 Serbia ⬇️6️⃣
Serbia came to Lausanne with the hopes of finally getting back to the podium for the first time since they were second in 2013. And the chances seemed decent given they were second in the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2024.
But Serbia lost to Mali and Argentina in the group stage and then had to face Germany in the Round of 16 - a rematch of the U18 European title game from last summer. And they couldn't slow down the Germans. Now they are playing in Classification 9-16.
8 Israel ⬆️5️⃣
Israel have put together a valiant performance in their first appearance in the FIBA U19 World Cup, going undefeated in the group stage and then fighting off Cameroon in the Round of 16 to reach the Quarter-Finals.
7 Switzerland ⬆️8️⃣
Switzerland's magical run in their first-ever FIBA U19 World Cup continued as they shocked France in the Round of 16 with an 18-0 run spanning the fourth quarter and overtime.
The hosts have now won three straight games and believe in something great. They are a dangerous team to face right now with that kind of momentum.
6 Canada ⏸️
Canada and the Quarter-Finals of the FIBA U19 World Cup go hand-in-hand, now reaching the top eight for the seventh straight time.
But the Americas side has only picked up two wins at this stage of the competition in that run - going all the way to the title in 2017 and finishing third in 2021.
Canada face a tough battle against USA in the Quarter-Finals.
5 Australia ⬇️1️⃣
Australia have not been so lucky at this competition, reaching the top eight for the first time since 2015. The 2003 champions lost to USA in their opener and have lost since then - fighting back to beat Cameroon and then knocking off France and Dominican Republic.
The Emus next must face a very difficult matchup with Germany.
4 New Zealand ⬆️5️⃣
New Zealand are in the Quarter-Finals for the first time in history with just one loss thus far - falling to Serbia in the final group game though New Zealand were already secured first place in the group and Serbia last place.
New Zealand have a core of leaders who helped the country make history by finishing fourth at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024. Now they are hungry for success at the U19 level.
3 Slovenia ⬆️4️⃣
It's been a while since Slovenia have been among the top eight in world in this competition - the only other time was 2003 when they finished seventh. Slovenia started the tournament on a down note - losing to Germany and Canada.
The Europeans bounced back and beat China and then narrowly knocked off Argentina in the Round of 16. Now they are just a win over Israel in the Quarter-Finals to be in the top four in the world.
2 Germany ⏸️
Germany have done nothing for them to move from the No. 2 ranking. They had a bit of a subpar opener against Slovenia but have rolled since then.
Comfortable wins over China and Canada were followed by a strong showing against Serbia in the Round of 16 - a rematch of the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2024 Final.
1 USA ⏸️
USA have dominated in every game thus far in the competition, especially with their defense - not allowing more than 77 points in a game. The Americans, who have won this competition a record eight times, have a wealth of weapons who can step up and carry the team.
USA seem clearly set to reach the Final and the only question is if someone can keep them from a ninth crown.
Disclaimer: The Smart Power Ranking is not an official statement from FIBA. It is created solely to enhance the experience of the fans following the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025.
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