The U19 World Basketball Championship was played last week, with 16 countries participating. That included the United States, which features several five-star prospects out of high school who’ll be playing in College Basketball next season. Several other international prospects are set to play in CBB for the 2025-26 campaign as well.
The United States defeated Germany in the Gold Medal game to conclude the event on Sunday. AJ Dybansta, the incoming No. 1 prospect overall, won MVP honors. There were plenty of great players in this event who’ll be playing in CBB next year, but this piece will focus on those entering their freshman campaigns.
Here were the top 10 performers from the event.
10. Hayden Jones (New Zealand) - UC Irvine
The 6’7 guard averaged 14.6 ppg and 7.7 rpg in the tournament for the 3rd place team, including 23 points against Switzerland in the quarters. Irvine lost Devin Tillis to Virginia, so there’s a clear pathway for Jones to come in and have a sizeable impact.
9. Efeosa Oliogu (Canada) - Butler
The 6’7 forward produced 12.9 ppg and 3.4 rpg, shooting 45% from the field and having a 21-point outing against the finalist, Germany. The athletic wing got to the free throw line at a high rate as well and will give Butler some versatility in the frontcourt alongside Gonzaga transfer, Michael Ajayi.
8. Jacob Furphy (Australia) - UConn
The 6’6 wing was second on the team in scoring with 16.7 ppg, shooting 39% from the field. He had a pair of 24-point outings, including against the United States to open the tournament. Furphy wasn’t overly efficient, but he will have a smaller role as a freshman at UConn, which should benefit his development.
7. Andrej Kostic (Serbia) - Kansas State
The 6’6 guard averaged 16 ppg, including three of the seven games going for 22+ points. Kostic shot 38% from deep on 61 attempts, showcasing his sharpshooting ability. He goes to a new-look Kansas State backcourt that features Memphis transfer PJ Haggerty.
6. Omer Mayer (Israel) - Purdue
The 6’4 point guard was second overall with 20 ppg in four games, including a tournament-high 33 points against Cameroon. With All-American guard Braden Smith back for his senior year, Mayer won’t have a huge role. Yet he may be good enough to warrant good minutes off the bench to play alongside Smith next season.
5. Tyler Kropp (Argentina) - Northwestern
Kropp was the top scorer in the entire event, averaging 21.7 ppg and scoring 18+ points in each game. The 6’8 forward also averaged 9.7 rpg and made 8/14 from deep. Northwestern returns Nick Martinelli, so there won’t be a huge need for Kropp out of the gate, but he’s a long-term prospect to watch.
4. Eric Reibe (Germany) - UConn
The 7’0 center averaged 15.4 ppg and 5.0 rpg for the finalists, including 25 points and eight rebounds against Serbia in the Round of 16. Reibe is another highly-touted international commit to UConn, who’ll get minutes behind Tarris Reed at the five-spot next season, giving them a potential stretch option on offense.
3. AJ Dybantsa (USA) - BYU
The 6’8 forward and No. 1 overall class of 2025 prospect was an expected standout for the champs, averaging 14.3 ppg and 4.1 rpg on 50% shooting. His best game was the 22-point outing to beat Canada in the quarterfinals. He’s set to be the focal point at BYU next season and an early favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
2. Hannes Steinbach (Germany) - Washington
The 6’9 big man led Germany with 17.4 ppg and 13 rpg, good for second in the entire tournament. Steinbach had 23 points and 19 rebounds against Serbia, along with 19 points versus the US in the Gold Medal Game. Look for him to be an impact newcomer in Washington’s frontcourt, whether at the four or five spots.
1. Mikel Brown Jr. (USA) - Louisville
Yes, Dybansta won MVP honors, but it’s hard not to view Brown as the biggest individual winner of this tournament. He led Team USA with 14.9 ppg and 6.1 apg, shooting 47% from the field and 48% from deep on 42 attempts. Brown had a pair of 24-point outings and 20 to beat Canada in the quarterfinals. He’s set to be the starting PG at Louisville as a freshman and now looks to be a potential one-and-done player to the pros in his own right.