MIAMI (United States) – The FIBA U16 AmeriCup debuted in 2009 and is the tournament where players from the Americas get their first chance to compete at the continental level. While 16-year-olds are still developing as athletes, many already display flashes of the talent and drive that hint at their future potential. To date, a total of 85 players who represented their countries in the FIBA U16 AmeriCup have gone on to compete for their senior national teams in elite events such as the Olympic Games, FIBA World Cups, AmeriCups and qualifiers for continental and global tournaments. Stars like Jayson Tatum, RJ Barrett, Gabriel Deck, Yago Santos, and Jean Montero are among those 85 young players who took their first steps in the FIBA U16 AmeriCup. Who from this year’s 2025 class in Ciudad Juárez could be next to reach those heights? While we wait for the tournament to tip-off, scheduled for June 2 to 8, let’s look back at the players who competed in the U16 AmeriCup and later made it to their countries’ senior national teams:
ARG
Player (U16 AmeriCup Edition)
Matías Bortolín (2009) Patricio Garino (2009) Gabriel Deck (2011) Martín Fernández (2013) Máximo Fjellerup (2013) Franco Baralle (2015) Francisco Cáffaro (2015) Gonzalo Bressán (2017) Tomás Chapero (2017) Bautista Lugarini (2017) Francisco Conrradi (2019) Juan Bocca (2021) Lucas Giovannetti (2021)
BAH
Michael Carey (2009) Roosevelt Whyley (2009) Qyemah Gibson (2013) Sebastian Gray (2013)
BRA
Leo Meindl (2009) Lucas Dias (2011) Guilherme Braga (2015) Didi Louzada (2015) Yago Santos (2015) Mathias Vazquez (2023)
CAN
Anthony Bennett (2009) Duane Notice (2009) Kevin Pangos (2009) Nik Stauskas (2009) Tyrell Bellot-Green (2011) Marial Shayok (2011) – SSD* Justin Jackson (2013) Koby McEwen (2013) Jamal Murray (2013) Khalif Young (2013) RJ Barrett (2015) Ignas Brazdeikis (2015) – LTU* Marcus Carr (2015) Andrew Nembhard (2015)
CHI
Eugenio Bocaz (2011) – PAN* Carlos Lauler (2011) Sammis Reyes (2011) Nicolás Aguirre (2013) Javier Barra (2013) Nicolás Carvacho (2013) Felipe Haase (2013) Sebastián Herrera (2013) Diego Low (2013)
CRC
Milton Jiménez (2011)
DOM
David Jones (2017) Jean Montero (2017, 2019) Danny Carbuccia (2021)
MEX
Omar De Haro (2011) Moises Andriassi (2015) Jorge De La Serna (2015) Diego Willis (2015) Gael Bonilla (2019) Karim López (2023)
PAR
Fabrizio Aquino (2017) Sebastián Galarza (2017) Fabrizzio Ruiz (2017)
PUR
Gary Browne (2009) Iván Gandía (2013) Jorge Pacheco (2013) Arnaldo Toro (2013)
URU
Luis Arregui (2013) Pablo Gómez (2019) Agustín Ubal (2019)
USA
Justin Anderson (2009) Quinn Cook (2009) Andre Drummond (2009) Chasson Randle (2009) Lynden Rose Jr. (2009) – BAH* Justin Jackson (2011) Stanley Johnson (2011) Jahlil Okafor (2011) – NGR* Ivan Rabb (2013) Jayson Tatum (2013) Markus Howard (2015) – PUR* Jaylen Nowell (2015) Javonte Smart (2015) Robert Woodard II (2015)
VEN
Michael Carrera (2009) Luis Carrillo (2009) Anthony Pérez (2009) Carlos Lemus (2015) Andrés Marrero (2017) Other notable players who competed in the FIBA U16 AmeriCup but did not represent their countries at the senior level, yet made a name for themselves in the NBA or entered the league as elite prospects, include Americans Bradley Beal, James McAdoo, Johnny O'Bryant III (2009); Aaron Gordon, Tyus Jones, Kendrick Nunn, Jabari Parker, Theo Pinson (2011); Thomas Bryant, Terrance Ferguson, Harry Giles, Josh Jackson (2013); Tre Jones, Wendell Carter Jr., Kevin Knox, Gary Trent Jr., Jarred Vanderbilt (2015); Vernon Carey Jr., Jalen Green, RJ Hampton, Wendell Moore Jr., Jalen Suggs, Isaiah Todd, James Wiseman, Scottie Barnes (2017); Amari Bailey, Jalen Duren, AJ Griffin, Jabari Smith Jr. (2019); Robert Dillingham, Ron Holland (2021), and Canadians Caleb Houstan, Shaedon Sharpe, Leonard Miller (2019). * Players who represented a different country at the senior level. NOTE: Enderson Alcalá (VEN, 2017) and Jesús Ochoa (MEX, 2019) played in the FIBA U16 AmeriCup and have been registered with their senior national teams, but have yet to make their debut. FIBA