Duke helps Cooper Flagg lead Team USA over Team World at Nike Hoop Summit

PORTLAND — More than 100 NBA scouts and executives packed the Coach K Gym on Nike’s campus last week for the Nike Hoop Summit, where 12 of America’s top players practiced and scrimmaged, as well as Qatar. Also in attendance were 12 international athletes from 12 countries, including . Lithuania, Ghana, Bahamas. To cap off the festivities, 24 players played a FIBA-adjudicated game Saturday night at the Moda Center, home of the Portland Trail Blazers.

The game between Team USA and Team World felt like more than just a high school all-star game with players competing from the jump. It was a two-point game in the first half, and both teams remained close until the middle of the fourth quarter. Team USA put him up by 10 points, but Team World had no answer and Team USA pulled away and he won 98-75. Several future NBA stars shared the court and it was an even game over three quarters.

The USA team was led by Duke’s Cooper Flagg, who ran into foul trouble early in the first half but really came back to life in the second half, making threes, taking shots off the dribble and catching lobs. . Flagg contributed to the victory with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 assists. Also leading the USA team was 6-foot-9 wing Asa Newell. The Georgia product played well in and out of the paint, finishing with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

“It means so much more to wear this jersey and represent your country,” Flagg said after the game. “The World Team has a lot of talent and we’ve been hearing all week that they’re better than us, so this game definitely meant more than that.”

This team is the most talented world team in recent memory with five collegiate major appearances and AJ Divanza, the No. 1 player in the high school junior class, leading all players with 21 points. there were. French point guard Nolan Traore was a solid floor general all game, getting to the rim with ease and posting 18 points and four assists. Baylor’s VJ Edgecomb was also solid in the backcourt, adding 17 points and five rebounds in the loss.

“Every country has a Hooper,” Edgecombe told Yahoo Sports. “It’s becoming more universal, and now we’re getting talent from all over, not just the U.S. buddies. [Hield] and deandre [Ayton] He paved the way for guys like me from the Bahamas, and I want to do the same for the little kids who watch me play.”

There’s no question that the NBA is becoming a more global game. Many of the NBA’s top stars are international players: Nikola Jokic (Serbia), Luka Doncic (Slovenia), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada), Victor Wenbanyama (France), etc. is. In this year’s draft, Alex Sarr (France), Zachary Lizacher (France), and Nikola Topic (Serbia) all have the possibility of being selected by lottery, and it is expected that there will be several overseas players at the top. There is.

Divansa, a 6-8 guard who represented Jamaica and the Republic of Congo, is one of the top players in high school regardless of class. He played his junior year at Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) and has been a player on the radar of NBA scouts for the past two years, playing in two divisions in Nike’s EYBL last year and being on the team. has always been the No. 1 option on offense. court. Divanza and Cameron Boozer are trending toward the top of the 2026 NBA Draft.

“(Divanza’s) scoring instincts are unparalleled at the high school level, and his 3-point shooting is showing improvement,” one NBA scout told Yahoo Sports. [Flagg] and ace [Bailey]. ”

Nolan Traore, a 6-3 guard from France, is the World Team’s floor general and is part of the next group of French talent, following Wembane Yama and Washington Wizards guard Bilal Koulibaly. be.

“The next generation of French players is going to be really great,” Traore told Yahoo Sports. “It’s becoming more and more competitive, the talent is very good, young players are coming up and we’ll see what Victor does.” [Wembanyama] and Bilal [Coulibaly] I’m playing in the NBA. ”

Hamad Moussa, a 6-6 guard from Qatar, first caught the attention of NBA scouts with his three-ball shooting and prowess on perimeter defense during Basketball Without Borders during All-Star Weekend. His time on the court for the World Team was special because his father, Yashin, played there 24 years ago.

“It’s really special to be able to play in this game, especially since my dad played in 2000. This has always been a goal of mine,” Musa told Yahoo Sports. “Just being from Qatar means a lot and I get a lot of messages from people who support me from their home country. There aren’t that many players that come out of Qatar, so I want to represent my country and give this to other kids. It means a lot just to show that I can play at that level.”

The gap between U.S. and foreign talent is becoming smaller and smaller. Saturday night’s game will be an early look at what’s coming to the NBA from around the world, and basketball fans should be excited about the young talent coming from outside the United States.