Road to Gold: AJ Dybantsa, Mikel Brown Jr., and Koa Peat dominate for Team USA at World Cup
Anwar Stetson
Team USA is off to a hot start in the U19 Basketball World Cup in Lausanne, Switzerland, defeating both Australia and France for a dominant weekend. The star-studded squad features the best hoops prospects in the country, headlined by number 1 overall recruit and incoming BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa, who is currently slated to be the number one pick in the 2026 NBA draft.
Dybantsa finished Saturday’s 88-73 win over Australia, leading all scorers with 18 points. He also added three rebounds and two assists in 28 minutes of action. Right behind him, five-star forward Koa Peat put up a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds on 54.5% shooting. While Team USA cruised to victory, leading for all 40 minutes, the team struggled from the field, shooting just 36% on field goal attempts and only 17.4% from beyond the arc.
The team cleaned up those issues Sunday against France, shooting 64% from the field and 55% from three in the commanding 108-77 victory. McDonald’s All-American Mikel Brown Jr. finished the contest with a game-high 24 points on just 11 shot attempts, also adding four assists.
Brown Jr. is a pure point guard out of Florida’s DME Academy. The 6’3 Louisville commit showcased his efficient shot-making off the dribble, hitting six threes, while also showing the IQ and vision to find his teammates in open space. Early in the contest against France, he shut down a French fastbreak with an emphatic block, hustling back on offense to hit a deep-range trey on the other end.
Dybantsa will wow college basketball this fall with his vision, speed, and intimidating 7’1 wingspan as a 6’8 guard/point-forward hybrid. His smooth stop-and-start ball handling also posed a threat to the French and Australian sides in both matchups. In addition, Dybantsa is proving just as dangerous off-ball. Midway through the third quarter against France, Brown Jr. found the high-flying Dybantsa on an emphatic lob that brought the USA lead to twelve.
Koa Peat will stay in his home state to play for the Arizona Wildcats this fall, joining a highly anticipated freshman class including Brayden Burries, Dwayne Aristode, and Bryce James. Koa is playing a more traditional “big” role for Team USA, bringing energetic rebounding, dunking, and rim protection to the squad. His efficient 8-12 shooting against France provided a much-needed spark to the team, along with two authoritative blocks. The 6’8 forward is also skilled enough to bring the ball up the court, creating his own shot on a second-quarter mid-range jumper.
Team USA continues its quest for gold with a group match against Cameroon Tuesday, July 1st, at 11:15AM EST. You can watch it live here.