The United States hammered Australia 95-62 on Sunday to cap a dominating run through the FIBA U17 World Championship in Kaunas, Lithuania.
The USA also won the gold medal at the event in 2010, winning all eight games by an average of 34.9 points per game. That team included recent NBA Draft picks Brad Beal, Andre Drummond, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marquis Teague and Tony Wroten.
Conner Frankamp
Photo by Steven Maikoski/USA Basketball
Incredibly, the 2012 version was even more dominant, winning by an average margin of 39.8 point per game – including a 69-point drubbing of China and 54-point thrashing of Canada.
"This is almost a little more enjoyable than our win two years ago in the gold medal game, just because this team had to overcome some adversity, some injuries and various things," USA head coach Don Showalter said. "I was really proud with our kids for hanging in there."
Against Australia on Sunday, Kansas Jayhawk commitment
Conner Frankamp pumped in a game-high 22 points in another lopsided win for the USA. Frankamp led the Americans in scoring for the event at 14.1 points per game.
Whitney Young (Chicago) center
Jahlil Okafor – who earned tournament MVP honors – added 17 points and eight rebounds.
St. John's (Houston) wing
Justise Winslow, also named to the all-tourney team, notched his fourth-straight double-double in Lithuania with 13 points, 11 rebounds and four steals.
Top-rated Class of 2013 recruit
Jabari Parker, a 6-8 small forward, missed three of the USA's last four games at the World Championship but returned to action Sunday to contribute 12 points.
"We really didn't have a star, because they all bought into the fact that they were all playing for USA Basketball," Showalter said. "I think that showed in the final game.
Australia was paced by 6-4 guard Dante Exum, whose father Cecil – a naturalized citizen of the country – played with Michael Jordan on North Carolina's 1982 national championship team.
Since USA Basketball introduced the U16/U17 developmental program in 2009, Showalter has coached the country's next generation of stars to a 28-0 record. The United States has captured gold medals in all four major events it has entered – the 2009 and 2011 U16 FIBA Americas Championship and 2010 and now 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship.
Just two games during that 28-game span featured a margin of victory for the USA under 20 points.
