Scouting the FIBA U17 World Cup Part II
With the tournament ongoing, here are another five names to monitor in the next few years. With Team USA and France being favorites, it's important to see beyond both stacked rosters.
Many potential Division I prospects are playing in the FIBA U17 World Cup in Istanbul, Türkiye. Team USA and France have the biggest names while both competing for the title.
Furthermore, it is worth noting that every country has brought a quality team to the tournament in the hopes of defending their nation’s honor where they can, at the same time, display their respected skill sets to college coaches and decision-makers.
Here are names to keep an eye on in the next two years. For reference: you can find Part I here.
Oscar Goodman — New Zealand (February, 2007, 6’8”)
Goodman immediately stood out with his production. But looking further than the numbers, he brings an all-around forward game where his traits for the next level are in his connective passing, help-side defense, and touch as a shooter. He’s an interior-dominant scorer who shows physical toughness and decent handles to create advantages for himself.
He’s keen at powering himself to the rim. For Division I decision-makers, Goodman could be a freshman who will be productive right out of the gates. His combination of feel for the game, touch at the rim and leadership make him one of the top prospects of this tournament. His performances will likely lead to several mid-major schools enquiring about his will to play in college.
As a 17-year-old, his physical dominance will lead to him being on NBA radars as well, where the above-mentioned areas make him one of this tournament’s NBA prospects.
Harrison Beauchamp — Australia (January, 2007, 6’6”)
Beauchamp fits the mold of a wing-defending shooter with a good feel for the game defensively. His footwork is above average for a 17-year-old, and his overall game has connective wing written all over it. Decent connective passer, but more importantly, great at off-ball movement, getting himself to the best position to finish plays with threes off the catch or play-finishes inside the arc.
Defensively, he’s playing well beyond his years, with the transition block in the clip below being an example. It’s more than likely Beauchamp will garner interest from high-major schools that are looking for a four-year type of player. With broad shoulders and a decent frame, Beauchamp will likely continue to strengthen in the next few years.
Areas of development are his self-creation as a scorer, which isn’t a must as he’s good at his role as a connector. But to solidify himself as an NBA prospect, his handles and offensive creativity are two areas to work on in the next few years.
Dovydas Buika — Lithuania (January, 2007, 6’6”)
Buika is the next Lithuanian scoring wing who excels as a passer. He shows great composure when making plays while being able to execute basic reads consistently. He moves fluidly and has broad shoulders and a frame that can fill itself in the next few years. He’s tough but looks to struggle at times against physical contact from players he doesn’t have a size advantage over.
As a scorer, Buika has a good touch at the rim. He’s showing leadership while playing with an attitude, giving him the makings of a wing scorer who can take over a team’s scoring load with the support from his teammates. He’s not selfish as he makes great decisions out of the advantages he creates. His game is built to have the ball in his hands. I expect him to make pro minutes or be loaned out this upcoming season before it’s time to make a switch to college basketball.
As a defender, activity is the name of the game. Great at impacting passing lanes. His rotations look good and he’s a decent decision-maker when he has to defend. He’s a stocks-machine so far with seven steals and two blocks after two games in the tournament.
Troy Plumtree — New Zealand (January, 2007, 6’5”)
Plumtree’s motor and athleticism will serve him well at the next level. He has great vertical pop and his activity on both ends makes him a constant factor in a team’s offensive rating. He mostly serves as a play-finisher and shooter rather than making plays with the ball in his hands.
And that’s okay! Plumtree has to work on using his toughness and athleticism to his advantage, as he tends to be too aggressive at times to where he picks up easy fouls. However, considering his young age, that is imminent for the future as his work ethic on the floor leaves a great impression on scouts who are evaluating his game.
While going 12-for-12 from the free-throw line in two games, his touch on his interior finishes become more valuable. Plumtree is an NBA-level prospect where his evolving his game to make more plays for himself as a creator could make him one of the better international prospects for the 2026 NBA Draft. A fast-paced game suits his qualities best, therefore I am leaning toward him staying in New Zealand and being a part of the Next Stars program in 2025-26.
Kaan Onat — Türkiye (April, 2007, 6’5”)
Onat has the makings of a four-year college basketball guard. He’s a crafty scorer who relies on his handle and physical contact to get to the rim. While playing aggressively, Onat hunts paint touches rather than settling for jumpers. Therefore, it’s feasible to put the ball in his hands and let him make a difference on an underwhelming Turkish team so far in this tournament.
Due to his plus size, good fundamentals, and half-court-heavy game, Onat has the makings of a long-term college guard. This tournament will likely garner interest from mid-major schools looking for a prospect who can play for their program for several years. He’s an underwhelming athlete, but makes up for it with his creativity as a scorer and finding ways to get downhill.
He’s a decent live-dribble passer but a good decision-maker. With their team trailing by forty points in the tournament opener against New Zealand, it looks like Onat took the matter into his own hands against Italy, as his team struggled to convert open shots consistently. The situation makes it a good feasibility test for a half-court-heavy college basketball game, as Onat shows he can take over a game when he needs to.
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