USA vs. Australia U17 Finals: Americans Will Dominate to Defend Basketball Title
Australia will be out for revenge after losing, giving the American teenagers their best game. In the end, though, they will be no match for the United States.
It isn't exactly a bold prediction to tab the United States as the eventual winners. They have eradicated the competition in Lithuania, and they just dispatched a very good Spanish team. Spain actually held the lead over Team USA in a back-and-forth first half, before the Americans ran away with a 95-66 victory.
In their previous matchup, the Americans defeated Australia 89-67. The 22-point difference was the closest any team has stayed to Team USA.
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This American group of ballers is one of the best under-17 teams you'll find. They have balance, size, athleticism and a solid floor general in Tyus Jones of Apple Valley, Minn. He dished out four assists to help lead the Americans to the finals.
But beyond the halftime buzzer-beating three-pointer he made, the semifinal was a down game for Jones. I suspect he'll come back strong for the final, though.
Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow continued their paint dominance and overall athletic superiority. Winslow was especially dominant; he had 17 points and 13 rebounds, and he keyed the Americans' second-half takeover.
Australia is a solid team, though not on the level of the Americans. They reached the final after knocking off previously unbeaten Croatia in the semifinal and are led by board Dante Exum. He is the Australians' top scorer at 16.7 points per game, and he had 17 points against Team USA in the first meeting.
Australia was able to stay close to the Americans because they limited their turnovers. In the first matchup, they turned the ball over only 12 times, and that is an accomplishment, considering how tough the Americans' pressure has been on their opponents.
Team USA forced 23 turnovers against Canada in the quarterfinals, and 24 against Spain in the semifinals. Australia must handle that if they hope to have a shot.
As you take a step back and look at this American team, it would appear that there are possibly four future NBA players on this roster. In this day and age of one-and-done players, David Stern could be calling the names of Jones, Okafor, Winslow and Chicago's Jabari Parker in the next three or four years.
But for now, they are proudly and effectively representing their country.
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