High school basketball: USA dominates at FIBA U17 World Cup, Florida guard Dwight Gaines guides Puerto Rico to elimination round

United States won round of 16 game 141-85 over Cameroon this morning.

Thumbnail image of this articles writer: Jordan Divens
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Jul 1, 2026, 11:00am
The round of 16 tipped off today at the U17 FIBA World Cup in Turkiye as the United States continued to dominate the competition with a 141-85 victory over Cameroon.

The United States is averaging 128.8 points per contest and outscoring opponents by 50 points per contest at the World Cup.

The Americans feature eight players averaging double figures through four games. A.J. Williams of Eagle's Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) leads the way at 16.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game while Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje of FC Barcelona is adding 15.8 points and 7.5 rebounds.
Class of 2027 prospect Dwight Gaines Jr. holds offers from Arkansas State, Florida A&M, Florida Atlantic, Ohio, Purdue Fort Wayne and Wright State. (FILE PHOTO: Jeff Klein)
Class of 2027 prospect Dwight Gaines Jr. holds offers from Arkansas State, Florida A&M, Florida Atlantic, Ohio, Purdue Fort Wayne and Wright State. (FILE PHOTO: Jeff Klein)
C.J. Rosser of Southeastern Prep Academy (Orlando, Fla.), Beckham Black of Southeastern Prep Academy (Orlando, Fla.) and Cayden Daughtry of Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) are among other top performers for the United States.

Turkiye appears to be the top contender to take down the United States. The hosts are 3-0 entering the round of 16 led by a pair impactful guards. 

Omer Kutluay (32.3 points, 10.3 assists, 7.7 rebounds per game) of Real Madrid leads the event in scoring and assists while Darius Karatasu (27.0 points, 11.3 rebounds) of Anadolu Efes SK leads the tournament in rebounding and is tied for second in scoring.

Puerto Rico's round of 16 game tips off shortly against Cote d'Ivoire as Westminster Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) standout Dwight Gaines looks to continue his hot start to the tournament. The 5-foot-10 guard is the second-leading scorer in the tournament and leads the event in steals, averaging 27.0 points, 4.7 steals and 4.3 assists per contest.

Gaines' most impressive performance came in the first game of the tournament when he posted 32 points, six steals and four assists while shooting 12 of 25 from the field and 5 of 6 from the free throw line in a 92-78 victory over Slovenia.

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