Lara Mcspadden - Australia
Christyn Williams of Team USA has helped power her country to the World Championships quarterfinal round. *Photo courtesy of FIBA.com.
ZARAGOZA, Spain – The FIBA U17 World Championships For Women saw the completion of the group stage take us to a competitive day of play during the round of 16. With eight games played at two different venues. Sunday was arguably the biggest day of the event. As we prepare for the quarterfinals on Wednesday, June 29th, let’s take a second to catch up on the early storylines that are brewing here in Spain.
Australia, Spain, Canada, all looking to medal
After winning a bronze medal at the U16 America’s event last summer, it is hard to say the United States is a no-brainer to win the gold medal this year. With eight new players from last year's team, changes have been made, but the world is still nipping at the heels of the U.S.A.
This year Australia has emerged as the most notable challenger to the United States supremacy. Its team is well rounded with depth in the frontcourt as well as the backcourt. The Aussies have the kind of elite size in the post that is difficult to match up with and their guards are more than capable of making shots from the perimeter.
Joining Australia as contenders to medal this year will be Spain and Canada. The Spanish side is a group of athletes that play very well together as they can share the ball and rely on quality guard play. Oregon verbal commitment Aina Ayuso will lead the way for Spain, and will be joined by a trio of guards who will most likely be recruited to American schools as well. Meanwhile, Canada has a strong roster led by the most experienced player in the tournament, Hailey Brown, who has now been on Canadian national teams for the past four summers.
The United States
It is always intriguing to see how the United States team will mesh. Unlike most country’s this is a group that is picked just a month before the tournament and is asked to gel together in a short period. With talent throughout the roster, this year’s team seems to be led by its backcourt duo of Destanni Henderson and Christyn Williams. The pair of 2018 guards has been consistently scoring the ball since the beginning of the event.
College Flavor
The 2016 U17 World Championships is the first year that NCAA school’s have been allowed to attend the U17 World Championships outside of the July evaluation period. As a result, there have been over 50 Division I schools in attendance to evaluate prospects here in Spain. As the game gets more and more international, so too does recruiting and the influx of schools in Spain this week is evidence of that.
Head Coaches that have attended the U17 Championships
Connecticut – Geno Auriemma
Georgia – Joni Taylor
Georgia Tech – Machelle Joseph
Kentucky – Matthew Mitchell
Maryland – Brenda Frese
North Carolina State – Wes Moore
Oregon State – Scott Rueck
South Florida – Jose Fernandez
Southern Methodist – Travis Mays
Texas – Karen Aston
Texas Christian – Raegan Pebley
Virginia – JoAnne Boyle
Quarterfinal Match-Ups
Top of the Bracket
Canada vs Italy
Spain vs China
Thoughts
The matchups here will see two loaded frontcourts face off in Canada and Italy while the cerebral and surgical Spanish team will meet a confident Chinese squad with both teams coming off of impressive 30-plus-point blow-outs.
Prediction
Canada narrowly beats Italy to meet Spain in the semifinal.
Bottom of the Bracket
Czech Republic vs. Australia
United States vs. France
Thoughts
Australia matches up very favorably with the Czech Republic as the Czech team will struggle with Australia’s size. Meanwhile, the United States draw a French side that struggles to score at times and will go on offensive droughts for long stretches. That plays well into the hands of the United States as it has become a better defensive team since the start of the event.
Prediction
Australia and the United States will meet in the semifinals.
Keil Moore is the Director of Scouting for the JumpOffPlus.com National Scouting Report and international scouting report. He serves on the Naismith Trophy Board of Selectors and has been a member of the women's basketball community for more than eight years as a trainer and evaluator. He can be reached at keil@prospectsnation.com.
