MIES (Switzerland) - The FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025 tips off on June 28 and all 16 teams are dreaming of hoisting the trophy on July 6. Here is a look at why each team could win the tournament in Switzerland.
This is a breakdown over two articles going through the teams in alphabetical order. This is the second installment.
Israel
Israel will be making their debut at the FIBA U19 World Cup after the country reached the Semi-Finals of the FIBA U18 EuroBasket 2024 - their first top-four finish at the junior European event since fourth place in 1972. Israel will be missing one of their top players - Ben Saraf - which will give other players a chance to step up and show why Israeli youth basketball has been rising so much in recent years.
Omer Mayer will be the main leader for the team in Switzerland and the strong athletic guard already played eight games in Europe this season for Maccabi Tel-Aviv. Mayer will have a chance to take over a lot of the scoring from Saraf and he can certainly light it up from outside and on the drive.
Rany Belaga will also be needed to step as a tall point guard to assume the playmaking. He has good size and build and can also drive to the basket. Yaron Goldman meanwhile can fill a number of roles for the team. Israel will not have great size meaning the likes of Tamir Gold, US college-based Joul Karram and Gabriel Artmenko will be especially important for the team's chances.
The Israelis will, however, be extremely motivated first of all because they are on the junior global stage for the first time. And then they will be hungry to show they can play too and not everything from last summer was because of Saraf.
Jordan
Jordan are returning to the U19 World Cup for the first time since 1995 when Zaid Alkhas was the star of the team - before he played for the country's senior team for more than a decade. Jordan reached the junior global stage by knocking off Korea in the Quarter-Finals of the FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2024. Now they look ahead to making history by the very least getting their first win in the competition.
The leader of the team will be Saif Al-Deen Saleh, who averaged a double-double last summer. The USA-based forward will need to be a real force for Jordan to have a realistic opportunity to challenge. One of his main running mates will be Rawhi Zeid, who can run the show with the ball and also shoots and creates for others. The Spain-based Zeid also has already debuted with Jordan's senior national team, playing in the February 2024 window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers.
Jordan big man Kadi Alshami was a solid force around the paint at both ends last summer and plays together with Saleh in the United States. Two other important players for the Asian side will be Omar Hijazi and his rebounding ability and Omar Salman for his three-point shooting.
One ex-factor for this Jordan team will be their coach Sam Daghlas, who played for more than a decade with the country's senior national team. He competed at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2010 as well as five FIBA Asia Cups from 2005 to 2015 - taking second in 2011 and third in 2009. The 45-year-old also coached the Jordan senior national team at the FIBA Asia Cup in 2017. And that experience will be extremely valuable for the team.
Mali
Anybody who sleeps on Mali had best beware because this African team will be ready to challenge any and every team and hungry to shine again on the biggest stage. It was Mali of course who finished second at the FIBA U19 World Cup 2019 for the best ever result for an African team at a global event. Oh, and Mali will be extra motivated after missing out on the FIBA U19 World Cup in 2023. Mali bounced back from a third place finish at the FIBA U18 AfroBasket 2022 to win the crown in 2024 - their third title in the last four editions.
Youssouf Traore was the MVP of the U18 AfroBasket and added another season of experience in Spain where he played three games in the Spanish ACB league for Zaragoza and otherwise dominated in the third division. He is a force around the basket at both ends.
Mali can be considered the team of the Traores - though there is no relations among the players. The athletic big man Amadou Traore also played in Spain, competing in the fourth division in Real Madrid's second team. Mamadou Traore is another versatile and athletic forward with a Spanish background who gives Mali's opponents nightmares.
The backcourt will be led by Sekou Bagayoko, who is a fearless scorer who can also playmake. With all the low post depth, the 2008-born Bagayoko will be very important to help handle the ball. Ibrahim Doumbia is another guard who can score and is an unconscious shooter. Mamadou Diarra will also be there to help score and Chectare Baradji is a guard who played in Spain this past season after competing in France in 2023-24.
Mali cannot be taken lightly as they have all the weapons to go deep in the tournament - though outside shooting might be one weakness. Still, with all their athleticism around the basket, they will get their share of offensive rebounds. The Traores and co. would love to match the history made back in 2019 - or even move up one step on the podium.
New Zealand
New Zealand return to the FIBA U19 World Cup for the first time since 2019 after they missed the last two editions for reasons out of the control of the players. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic cancelling the FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2020, the spots for the 2021 global event were handed out based on FIBA ranking among Asian teams and they were not in the top four. And New Zealand missed out on the 2023 U19 World Cup because the country did not play at the FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2022 out of security concerns because it was held in Iran. But the Oceanians are back on the global stage and teams should not be underestimated them since their roster includes a number of players who made history last summer.
The leader of this New Zealand team will be Tama Isaac, who was named to the All-Star Five of the FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2024, where the Junior Tall Blacks lost only to Australia in the Final. Isaac lacks a bit of height but has great playmaking and scoring instincts and a great basketball IQ. He already has played two games with the New Zealand senior national team at the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers.
Oscar Goodman was named to the All-Star Five of the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024, where New Zealand made history by reaching the Semi-Finals - matching the country's best-ever global showing with the fourth place at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2002. Goodman has not played that much this season as he joined the US college Michigan in January but did not compete in games with them.
Another major star who has not played much of late is 7-footer Julius Halaifonua, who suffered a fractured left ankle playing for Georgetown in the NCAA in early December and did not return. His presence will be a major factor in the paint for Matt Lacey's team.
Hayden Jones was one of the stars of the U17 World Cup team last summer and his multifaceted game helps his team in many ways. Troy Plumtree was also on the cadet team and will be a factor on this side in Lausanne. Carter Hopoi meanwhile is a big man who averaged a double-double plus 1.5 blocks at the U18 Asia Cup and Kahu Treacher is a deft shooter from the ouside. Coach Lacey will also get excellent production from Jackson Ball, Will Blight and Lachlan Crate.
Add up all that talent and this is probably the strongest Junior Tall Blacks team in history. The team doesn't have outstanding athleticism but it has playmaking, smart decision-makers, shooters and impact-making bigs. All that makes New Zealand a team nobody should be happy about having to play in a knockout game.
Serbia
Serbia will be coming to Switzerland hungry to finally get back on the podium - winning the title in their first FIBA U19 World Cup appearance in 2007 at home and then finishing second in 2011 and 2013. But the last three editions have only seen a fourth-placed result in 2021 to show from reaching the Quarter-Finals all three times. And all that despite Serbia collecting three titles, one second and one third place finish at the last six FIBA U18 EuroBaskets - including second place in 2024.
Serbia will have a loaded team with a number of guys who can take the leadership role. Savo Drezgic probably gets the biggest billing, having already played for Partizan and possessing a versatile game at the guard spot. But the backcourt is stacked with the likes of Ognjen Radosic, Andrej Kostic and Marko Tofoski.
Mitar Bosnjakovic is the consummate leader who does whatever a team needs and just is a winner. There is also the USA-based power forward Nikola Bundalo as well as Aleksa Vlajic, Aleska Stanojevic and Milos Sojic. It's unclear if massive center Aleksa Dimitrijevic will recover from his injury in time but Serbia certainly have enough talent depth to challenge any team.
There is no drop-off from one player to the next on this Serbia team and with a group of hungry players looking to finally end the country's drought, the Balkan side must be considered one of the top title challengers.
Slovenia
Slovenia are on the junior global stage for the third time and making back-to-back appearances for the first time after previously playing in 2003 and 2023. Slovenia have become an emerging figure on the youth scene, also making their debut at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup in 2022. The Balkan nation have reached the Semi-Finals in three of the last four FIBA U18 EuroBaskets - taking third place in 2019 and 2023. At the 2023 U19 World World Cup, Slovenia lost to United States by only 5 points in the group stage and then were defeated by Canada in the Round of 16 before finishing off with three wins for ninth place.
Slovenia have a roster stocked with big guards who can handle the ball and lead the team. Urban Kroflic is by far the biggest name of the bunch as he already was a leader this season with Mega Belgrade in Serbia, playing a major role in the ABA League.
But this team is much much more than Kroflic. Mark Padjen has already played two windows with the Slovenia senior national team for the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers, and stands out as a good sized point guard. Zak Smrekar has also played one window for the senior team and he showcases as a good scorer who also has good hands on defense.
Talking about Vit Hrabar after those other players doesn't at all reflect in a drop in quality as the long forward has completed his third season in Spain with the youth ranks for Baskonia and is considered a great talent. Also right up there in star status is Mark Morano Mahmutovic, who is an elite scorer. Add to that bunch the power forward Lovro Lapajne, who along with center Aljaz Menic are just as crucial as they are really Slovenia's two best players around the basket.
Slovenia have traditionally performed better than the sum of their parts thanks to a great spirit and chemistry. Now that those parts have improved to among the best in Europe, that makes this team a darkhorse candidate.
Switzerland
Switzerland will be making their debut on the global stage in their first appearance in the FIBA U19 World Cup as tournament hosts. Swiss youth basketball have never had a men's team in the Division A of a Youth EuroBasket - which will change this summer after the country finished third at the FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2024, Division B to earn promotion.
The biggest name to watch will be Dayan Nessah, an athletic and all-around skilled wing who played with Barcelona's youth ranks before moving to college in the United States. The Swiss team has other names to watch as Lucas Maniema just finished his second season in Spain and the guard also debuted with the Swiss senior national team at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Pre-Qualifiers.
Another big name to follow is Andrin Njock, another good-sized athletic forward who can hurt opposing teams in various ways. The team will also include shooting guard Oliver Sassella, who spent his first season outside the federation youth program Centre National du Basket Suisse (CNBS) and played with Lugano in the Swiss first division, even registering a triple-double in March. Most of the country's top players and nearly the entire team in Lausanne went through the CNBS. One of them who didn't was Marko Aleksic, a guard who was one of the leaders of Baeren Kleinbasel - winners of the Swiss division NLB to earn promotion to the top flight.
Dario Cokara, who finished as the CNBS's leading scorer this season in the second division, also made history for the country as the point guard was one of the leaders of the U16 national team that finished third at the Division B last summer. Like Cokara, Klark Riethauser is 2008-born later and would be two years younger than the rest of the competition. Riethauser already spent his second season in France with the youth ranks of Elan Chalon.
Swiss youth basketball has seen a big push in recent years and the team in Lausanne hopes the home fans can push them to a tournament to remember.
USA
United States enter the tournament in the unusual spot as not the reigning champions. The record eight time winners crashed out to fourth place in 2023 in Debrecen and the team will be hungry to get back to the top of the podium. And with the talent coming to Switzerland, it wouldn't be a surprise at all if the Americans win the whole thing.
The prospect most people cannot wait to see is AJ Dybantsa, who starred for the USA team that won the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024 in record-setting fashion. The wing is ultra-talented and does it all for his team, and he is the front-runner to be the number one pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
The USA team at a FIBA U19 World Cup often is headlined by a number of players from the previous summer's U17 team. And this group will be no different as Koa Peat, Tyran Stokes, Brandon McCoy, Caleb Holt and JJ Mandaquit are all expected to make the team. Peat would become the first player in history to win three FIBA Youth World Cups after claiming the crown in the U17 World Cup in 2022 and 2024.
Daniel Jacobsen was one of the leaders of the team that won the FIBA U18 AmeriCup 2024 and can score and play inside - just like Morez Johnson. Jasper Johnson and Nik Khamenia are both excellent shooters while Taylen Kinney is a dynamic guard who plays at both ends and could be a factor despite being two years younger than the rest of the competition.
Head coach Tommy Lloyd will not need to motivate his players very much as the Americans will look to lock up the country's ninth FIBA U19 World Cup title after it left Debrecen two years ago empty-handed.
FIBA