ISTANBUL (Türkiye) - Jayden Cecil was not a well-known name coming into the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2026, but one of his former teammates was.
The New Zealand scoring ace has shined on the big stage for the first time, playing not for his home country but still one that means a lot.
Cecil has definitely opened some eyes in Istanbul for his prowess of putting the ball into the hoop. His first-ever FIBA game saw him pour in 42 points in front of a boisterous crowd supporting Türkiye. New Zealand ended up losing that opening game, just like they did to Serbia in the Round of 16 matchup, in which Cecil once again hit 6 three-pointers and scored 37 points.
"I am just taking what the defense gives me. I need to do what needs to be done to win, and in this tournament it has been scoring. I've been taking what they have been giving me," said Cecil, who is averaging 28.8 points per game - good for second-best in the tournament.
I still feel like I am unknown and not a lot of people know me
"After my first my game, which was a big performance, I had the mindset that teams were going to start doubling me. It's been really cool to go up against the best and prove my talents against the best. I still feel like I am unknown and not a lot of people know me. But I feel like it's in good timing."
Cecil also has chipped in 4.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists for a New Zealand team which now hopes to leave Istanbul with a ninth-placed finish.
The 195 cm / 6’4" guard is spending his second season in the United States, playing for Utah Prep in the state of Utah. For those who think that sounds familiar for some reason, that is because AJ Dybantsa starred there before then shining at Brigham Young University and then being taken with the number one overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
"Incredible player, incredible guy. On the floor you see just how much it means to him. He's a team-first guy and that's something I take wherever I go. He's an incredible player and he will do super well in the NBA," Cecil said about Dybantsa, who starred in Istanbul two years ago and then was named Most Valuable Player of the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025.
When asked when he thought Dybantsa was going to be something special, Cecil said: "I think it was the first tournament, to be honest, being 6'10 and long frame, the physical attributes are there. But then you match that with the IQ, the skill level, the athleticism. You kind of saw it firsthand that it was like, okay, this guy's going to be one of the top picks in the draft soon."
Another of his Utah Prep teammates was JJ Mandaquit, who was also on the USA U17 team in 2024. And having that level of talent around him really allowed Cecil to adapt quickly to the speed of the game.
"That was something that I had to adapt to quickly. Being in a high level program like that there's no time to be left behind. Being there for my freshman year, being the youngest on the team was super good because I got to see firsthand what top, top level basketball looks like. Playing with that Utah prep team definitely helped me speed up my game quicker, my decision making and stuff like that. And that's something that I was looking to take into this World Cup," Cecil said.
Cecil came to Utah from Australia as he was born and raised in Brisbane. But only this year did he decide to play for New Zealand. His mother is half South African-half Australian while his father is half Maori (the indigenous Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand) and half-Cook Island.
"I have a lot of cultures in there, and that is something I tell people: I am not just one culture," he said.
The choice for New Zealand over Australia was not an easy one, he admits.
"It was a long, hard decision that I made with my parents. But to be honest, I just wanted to play for New Zealand, represent who I am. I'm an indigenous man from New Zealand. I'm a Maori guy from New Zealand. So I just wanted to represent where I'm from and my culture as well."
One of Cecil's current Utah Prep teammates is Jackson Kiss, who played for New Zealand at the FIBA U17 World Cup 2024, where the Kiwis made history by finishing fourth.
"When I told him the news that I was playing for New Zealand we were in the same hotel together on the road for Utah Prep and he was pretty excited. He was just super happy that I made the decision. He was talking to me about it and the experiences that he had here. So it was good being able to have like an older brother kind of chat with him," Cecil remembered.
Cecil experienced a truly special moment while on a preparation trip to China for the FIBA U17 World Cup. The Utah Prep team was also at the event in early May, and they played New Zealand. And before the game, New Zealand were preparing to do their traditional haka war dance.
Lo and behold, Cecil’s younger brother Isaac Cecil pops out from the team lineup and faces the New Zealand team and does the haka opposite Jayden.
"That was an amazing moment … especially in the Maori culture … that's a super special moment for us. Even the boys felt it in the air. To be able to do the haka, my brother step out like that, it was a crazy moment," said Jayden, who admitted he didn't even know Isaac was going to do that.
AJ Dybantsa could become one of the biggest names to ever play at the FIBA U17 World Cup. But Jayden Cecil also has a chance to leave his mark on the legacy of the tournament - thanks to that season playing with him in Utah.
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