Grind Session standouts AJ Dybantsa, JJ Mandaquit, and Tyran Stokes helped Team USA defeat Italy 129-88 to win the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024 title and the country’s seventh straight undefeated run to the trophy.
The Americans improved their all-time record in the competition to 51-0 dating back to 2010 and have now won all seven editions of the biennial championship. What’s more, the 2024 team shattered several records throughout the tournament, including most points in a single game, most assists and most steals, and finished the tournament with an average winning margin of 64.3 points – another U17 World Cup record.
“We were the runaway favorite heading into the tournament and came ready to take care of business,” said Dybantsa, the top recruit in the class of 2025 out of Utah Prep. “We had a game plan, we were locked in from the very beginning, and we executed above and beyond what we even planned. We weren’t going to be denied. Mission accomplished.”
“This might be the most talented U17 team we’ve ever seen,” one NBA scout told Yahoo Sports. “If Dybantsa was in this year’s draft class, he would have been the No. 1 pick, no question.”
Dybantsa delivered a standout performance at the tournament, averaging 14.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, adding 1.6 steals per contest during the title run. His efficiency was also notable, shooting 58.7% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. He was rewarded for his performance by being named to the tournament’s All-Star Five, alongside his USA teammate Cameron Boozer, Maikcol Perez of Italy, Kaan Onat from Türkiye, and New Zealand’s Oscar Goodman.
The Grind Session’s JJ Mandaquit (Utah Prep) and Tyran Stokes (Prolific Prep) also performed tremendously during the team’s dominance in Türkiye.
For the tournament, Stokes averaged 12.3 points, 7 rebounds 5.6 assists, 2 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game, while shooting 58% from the field. He remains the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2026.
Mandaquit averaged 6.6 points, 6 assists, 1.1 rebounds, and 2.1 steals in seven games for Team USA.
“These guys came out laser focused and executed the game plan. They played together and for each other, and they did it the right way,” said USA head coach Sharman White. “We are just extremely proud of them and proud of our USA Basketball junior national team program. It gives them that stage to showcase their talents as a group. So, I am proud of them.”
FIBA U17 BASKETBALL WORLD CUP 2024 FINAL STANDINGS:
1. USA
2. Italy
3. Türkiye
4. New Zealand
5. Lithuania
6. Puerto Rico
7. Spain
8. Canada
9. France
10. Argentina
11. Germany
12. Egypt
13. China
14. Guinea
15. Australia
16. Philippines
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