COLORADO SPRINGS (USA) - USA Basketball have selected the 12 players they will send to Türkiye next week to defend their title at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2026 with Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, Beckham Black and AJ Williams highlighting the squad.
USA Basketball Men’s Developmental National Team Committee selected the team after six days of training, which started on June 13. Black and Williams are two of six selected players who helped USA win the title at the FIBA U16 AmeriCup 2025. The other four are Mason Collins, Erick Dampier Jr., Jordan Page and CJ Rosser.
Black showcased his all around point guard game at last summer's FIBA U16 AmeriCup with 6.7 points, 6.5 assists and 3.3 steals per game. Williams contributed 13.5 points and 7.8 rebounds to make the tournament's Second Team. Rosser had 13.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks; Page poured in 12.0 points, Collins tallied 10.0 points, and Dampier picked up 7.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks.
Boumtje Boumtje meanwhile is the son of former NBA player Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje and has played the last three seasons with Barcelona in Spain. The big man, who will be making his FIBA debut, is the first player in USA Basketball history to make a U17 World Cup team having played outside the United States.
USA's final roster
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Beckham Black | Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje | NaVorro Bowman Jr. | Mason Collins | JJ Crawford |
Erick Dampier Jr. | Cayden Daughtry | Asa Montgomery | Jordan Page | CJ Rosser |
AJ Williams | Xavier Young |
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The team, which is coached by head coach Scott Fitch, has a number of family members of former elite athletes besides just Boumtje Boumtje. Black is the brother of Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black; JJ Crawford is the son of former NBA superstar Jamal Crawford; Dampier's father Erick Dampier played 16 years in the NBA; NaVorro Bowman Jr.'s father is former four-time NFL All-Pro San Francisco 49ers linebacker NaVorro Bowman; and Colllins' father Mardy Collins played four years in the NBA.
The competition runs from June 27 to July 5 in Istanbul. USA have been drawn into Group A with games against France, Japan and Italy.
The Americans have never lost a game at the FIBA U17 World Cup, going 51-0 in winning seven titles.
FIBA