FIBA U17 World Cup: Standout African Players
An exciting U17 World Cup wrapped up with USA dominating headlines and competition on their way to their seventh U17 title out of seven attempts. Arguably more important than final team results though, is how players project as prospects.
By now, you know our focus is on the African player, and we didn’t change things up for this piece. Keep reading to discover some of our top African players from the U17 World Cup.
Arafan Diane🇬🇳 | 7’0” C | Guinea | Institut de Sport Dynastie (CAN)
The World Cup’s leader in double-doubles, Arafan Diane was nothing short of dominant, dunking the ball whenever possible and imposing his will in the post.
AJ Dybantsa🇺🇸🇨🇬🇯🇲 | 6’9” G/F | USA | Utah Prep (USA)
Dybantsa was one of the best players on perhaps an all-time Team USA team. His improved feel for the game, playmaking and scoring stood out tremendously.
Youssef El-halawany🇪🇬 | 6’2” PG | Egypt | Smouha SC (EGY)
Despite typically being the smallest guy on the court, El-halawany was productive by being deceptive in getting to his floaters and jump shots. His creativity is uncommon on a cohesive Egyptian team and he bailed them out of a few late situations.
Omar Essam🇪🇬 | 6’11” C | Egypt | Al Ahly SC (EGY)
Essam was a needed paint presence and excelled at finishing through contact, putbacks and defensive activity, averaging almost three stocks per game.
Mading Kuany🇦🇺🇸🇸 | 6’7” F | Australia | NBA Global Academy (AUS)
Though his production wasn’t consistent, Mading Kuany showed flashes of becoming an impactful two-way wing. His length and agility allows him to defend all over the court while rebounding effectively and taking good shots.
Akram Naji🇫🇷🇩🇿🇲🇦 | 6’4” PG | France | Elan Chalon (FRA)
In limited minutes, Naji showed a lot of creativity on the ball as a playmaker and scorer. In just 14 minutes per game he averaged 4 assists and 2.3 steals — which led the team.
Abdou Touré🇬🇳 | 6’5” SG | Guinea | Notre Dame High School (USA)
Relatively unknown coming in, the two-time Connecticut state champion made his mark with electric scoring from all over the court. His finishing was exceptional as he made 70% of his 2-point attempts and averaged 43 points per game in his final two while tying the record of 50 points in Guinea’s finale.
Hugo Yimga Moukouri🇫🇷🇨🇲 | 6’8” SF | France | INSEP (FRA)
Arguably France’s top young prospect, Hugo Yimga Moukouri’s physicality, athleticism and agility helped him to an impressive scoring and rebounding stat line.