USA U17 World Cup roster features just four U16 returnees, record-breaking Koa Peat
USA Basketball's roster for the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022 includes just four players returning from the U16 team in 2021 and makes history with first USA player born two years younger.
USA Basketball announced their 12-man roster for the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022 and it’s historic in two main ways: never before have the Americans brought back so few players from the FIBA U16 Americas Championship team and Koa Peat will become the youngest player to play for USA Basketball at the U17 World Cup.
USA Basketball have never lost at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup, and head coach Sharman White has announced the 12 players he will bring with him to Spain with the hopes of bringing back a sixth U17 World Cup crown - ideally extending the country’s perfect winning streak to 44-0 dating back to 2010.
White and his coaching staff have named a historic roster for the July 2-10 event as only four players are back from the team that took gold at the FIBA U16 Americas Championship 2021 - those being David Castillo, Jeremy Fears Jr., Ron Holland and Ian Jackson.
The four players is a significant decrease in the number of returnees from past U17 World Cups. USA Basketball always had at least six players back from the U16 team with six in 2016; seven in 2012; eight in 2018; and nine in both 2010 and 2014.
NOTE: Below are the rosters from the past USA teams at U16 Americas and U17 World Cups with the list of players back.
What is the reason for this? Well, without asking USA Basketball or the coaching staff, one logical reason could be the Covid-19 pandemic. The USA Basketball player selection group had much tighter travel restrictions during the 2020-21 basketball season during which they evaluated the player pool, in addition to many games being cancelled. With society in the United States much more open for the 2021-22 season, it would seem that the selectors probably got their eyes on more players and more often and therefore chose different players from those picked in 2021.
This is solely a reasoning of my own and not based on any input from any parties involved in the process and should not be taken as such.
Historic Koa Peat
The USA roster includes three bottom level players who are younger than the rest of the competition - Cooper Flagg, Johnuel Fland and Koa Peat. USA Basketball selecting younger players is nothing new as the last four U17 World Cup teams have had at least one younger player: 2012: Tyus Jones, Justise Winslow, Stanley Johnson; 2014: Terrance Ferguson, Jayson Tatum, Harry Giles; 2016: Carte’Are Gordon; and 2018: Jalen Green.
But Peat will make history in Spain. The eight aforementioned players were born one year later than the competition’s age group, but the Chandler, AZ based Peat will become the youngster player to play for USA Basketball at a U17 World Cup as he was born in 2007, making him two years younger than the rest of the competition.
At time of the writing (June 23), Peat will become the 11th youngest player in the history of the competition.
Past USA U16 and U17 teams
2010: 9 players back from U16 team - Justin Anderson, Bradly Beal, Quinn Cook, Andre Drummond, James McAdoo, Johnny O’Bryant, Anthony Parker, Chasson Randle, Adonis Thomas
2012: 7 - Conner Frankamp, Stanley Johnson, Tyus Jones, Kendrick Nunn, Jahlil Okafor, Jabari Parker, Johnathan Williams
2014: 9 - Terrance Ferguson, Harry Giles, Josh Jackson, VJ King, Malik Newman, Ivan Rabb, Devearl Ramsey, Diamond Stone, Jayson Tatum
2016: 6 - Jordan Brown, Wendell Carter Jr, Markus Howard, Kevin Knox II, Javonte Smart, Gary Trent Jr
2018: 8 - Scottie Barnes, Vernon Carey Jr, Jalen Green, RJ Hampton, De’Vion Harmon, Wendell Moore Jr., Jeremy Roach, Jalen Suggs
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