PORTLAND, Ore. – Tyus Jones made one field goal in through three quarter. In the fourth, the Duke recruit scored 10 of his 13 points, leading the USA Junior Select Team to an 84-73 victory over World Selects at the Nike Hoop Summit in the Moda Center.
The win was the Americans first since 2011 in the series.
The 6-1 Jones of Apple Valley (Minn.) was a defensive pest in the final two minutes, including a steal near mid court and a layup for a 79-70 lead with 1:40 left. On the previous three possessions, he scored four points, taking it strong to the rim and dropping a mid-range jumper to give the Americans breathing room.
“I’ve been around Tyus since his sophomore year of high school, the summer before his sophomore year, and it was just a pleasure to see,” said USA head coach Mike Jones of DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Md.
“It was incredible how he literally took the game over. He was very poised. He didn’t turn the ball over, and he made us run what we needed to run, whether it was him getting a basket or him making us get the ball inside to the big guys and letting them finish. Obviously, the last couple minutes, him being able to drive and get a couple layups, it was just special to see. The steal he had coming out of the timeout was a huge play. Definitely, we were trying to seize momentum and that definitely took it for us. That was probably the play of the game,” he added.
After regaining the lead in the second quarter, USA faltered in the third as the World Selects knotted the score at 61 when James Metecan Birsen drained a 3-pointer with 20 seconds left.
Emmanuel Mudiay topped all scorers with 20 points for the World Select.
Jones’ future Duke teammates, Jahlil Okafor (14 points) and Justise Winslow (16) teamed for 30 points in a winning effort.
The collection of international talent was amazing and some of it prepped at schools in the United States and will do the same for college. In some cases, these teen phenoms are ready for the pro level.
A closer look at the World Select Team:
James Metecan Birsen: The young 6-10 Turk plays for Fenerbache Ulker in Istanbul. He earned a gold medal with the Turkish U18 National Team at last summer’s FIBA European Championship. The 19-year-old wing can create his shot from a stationery position or off the bounce. Obviously, he’s a very good offensive player. On defense, Birsen has active hands but lacks explosiveness.
Clint Capela: At 6-11, Capela is simply explosive around the rim. I remember watching him play at the adidas Eurocamp, but improved since that event. The Swiss-born post is a high-profile prospect for ES Chalon-sur-Saone. When he plays in the NBA, expect Capela to become a typical pick-and-roll big man. According to coaches, he needs to sharpen his grasp of the game.
Brandone Francis: He’s a long, athletic guard at 6-5 and showed he can excel in transition and knock down the mid-range—a lost art—on a consistent basis. Francis of the Dominican Republic is headed to Florida after a playing high school at national powerhouse Arlington Country Day in Jacksonville, Fla.
Damien Inglis: The 6-9 Frenchman is a prototypical power forward. He won’t be draft eligible until 2017 and currently plays for Chorale de Roanne Basket in France. One thing that stood out is Inglis’ long, strong body. Perfect for those back-to-back games in the NBA. He’s an above-average defender, who guarded all five positions. Inglis is still an erratic shooter from the perimeter.
Nikola Jokic: He’s 6-11, 255 pounds and possesses a long wingspan (7-3). Those numbers alone pique your interest. Jokic is typical of Eastern Europeans, playing with no nonsense, fearless attitude. He’s fundamentally sound and will benefit from a team with a pass-first point guard. The Serbian has solid passing skills and a good feel for the game.
Trey Lyles: The McDonald’s All-American post played at Arsenal Tech in Indianapolis, Ind., where he guided his squad to the Class 4A state title in March. Lyles, a 6-10 post from Canada, is offensive-oriented with a solid face-up game. He ignites the break with good outlet passes, but needs to gain strength and improve footwork on defense.
Emmanuel Mudiay: Probably the most talented guard in the Class of 2014. Mudiay is a do-it-all player with tremendous upside. Mudiay, a 6-5 guard from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is a one-and-done next year for Larry Brown at SMU after a storied career at Prime Prep in Dallas. He’s used to physical play and is a surefire NBA player, with star potential. He can blow by nearly any defender.
Jamal Murray: He’s only 16 and has two years of high school eligibility. Murray is from Kitchener, Ontario and at 6-5, he’s already a major-college prospect, with Michigan, Illinois, Syracuse, Georgetown, North Carolina State, Louisville and Florida among the suitors. He plays at prep school in suburban Toronto and for the CIA Bounce, Canada’s top club team. The point guard’s stock is rising and that’s because his feel for the game and great court vision. Would love to see this Canadian transfer to a school in the States; we hear it could be Montverde (Fla.) Academy.
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk: The young Ukrainian created a buzz during the practice sessions leading up to the game. He was a late addition to the world team. As one NBA scout from the Western Conference confined, he’s definite draft pick this year and then tuck him away for at least two years. It’s likely he’ll wind up playing at Kansas, SMU, Michigan or Virginia. Additionally, Oregon met with Mykhailiuk’s father Saturday night. At 6-6, Slava has long-range shooting ability, but needs to fill out a wiry frame. He has a feel for the game and excelled at the U16 European Championships. One of the top European prospects in the last decade according to scouts. He struggled Saturday scoring only 2 points.
Gao Shang: At 6-7, Shang plays for the Guangdong Southern Tigers in China. A couple of things that are apparent, the big wing-guard has great footwork, above average ball-handling skills, NBA three-point range, crashes the points, can score in bunches, and changes speed well. However, he’s a bit erratic and is still learning the boundaries of his game.
Karl Towns Jr.: He’s the 2014 Gatorade National Player of the Year from St. Joseph in Metuchen, N.J. He was named to the Dominican Republic National Team as a 16-year-old, coached by his future mentor John Calipari of Kentucky. The 7-footer is likely another one-and-done before cashing in at the 2015 NBA Draft. However, he must improve his interior defense.
