The 2025 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup tipped off over the weekend in Lausanne, Switzerland and the competition is loaded with an impressive lineup of Grind Session talent.
Here are the 14 former and current Grind Session stars representing their respective national teams and hoping to raise the championship trophy on July 6:
UNITED STATES
- AJ Dybantsa (Utah Prep) – BYU commit
- Mikel Brown Jr (DME Academy) – Louisville commit
- JJ Mandaquit (Utah Prep) – Washington commit
- Caleb Holt (Prolific Prep) – Class of 2026, Undeclared
- Tyran Stokes (Prolific Prep, 2023-2024) – Class of 2026, Undeclared
CAMEROON
- Franck Belibi (Colorado Prep) – Class of 2026, Undeclared
CANADA
- Tristan Beckford (Ft. Erie International) – South Florida commit
- Matt Dann (The Fort) – Sam Houston State commit
- Adriel Nyorha (Winston Salem) – South Florida commit
- Jaion Pitt (Dream City Christian) – Pacific commit
- Stefan Ilic (Tri-City Prep) – Class of 2027, Undeclared
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
- Fernando De Los Santos (Balboa School) – Class of 2025, Undeclared
MALI
- Alassane Doucoure (Prolific Prep) – Class of 2026, Undeclared
SERBIA
- Savo Drezgic (DME Academy–FL) – Class of 2024, Played for Georgia
“It’s a tremendous honor to see Grind Session standouts taking the global stage at the FIBA U19 World Cup—our purpose is to have a launchpad that empowers young talent from our circuit to represent their countries and compete at the highest level,” said Grind Session co-founder and CEO Scott Waldrop. “Their success speaks to the strength of our circuit and our partnership with FIBA in showcasing and developing elite youth basketball.”
Waldrop added, “With the passion, purpose, and resources poured into creating this platform, it’s now rewarding to watch these young men carry our legacy forward on basketball’s biggest stages. Our support of each of them continues with every rebound, every bucket, and every moment under the spotlight.”
What is the format?
The 17th edition of the biennial tournament features 16 elite national teams across five continents, who were drawn into four groups of four teams. All teams will play each of the other nations in their group in round robin style in the Group Phase over the first three days of action.
- Group A: Argentina, Mali, New Zealand, Serbia
- Group B: Canada, China, Germany, Slovenia
- Group C: Dominican Republic, Israel, Jordan, Switzerland
- Group D: Australia, Cameroon, France, USA
All 16 teams advance to the Knockout Phase, where the Round of 16 pits cross-group matchups, followed by quarterfinals, semifinals, finals, and classification games to determine final rankings.
Who won it last time around?
Spain collected their second FIBA U19 World Cup crown in 2023 after beating France in the final. Türkiye defeated the United States for third place.
Here are links to recaps of the last five FIBA U19 World Cups: 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023.
You can find the all-time list of medalists.
Where and how to watch the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025
Fans who want to catch all the action live and on demand, can do so directly on the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup website. They can also jump straight to the FIBA YouTube channel and the dedicated FIBA U19 World Cup playlist.
Live streams of the Quarterfinals, Semifinals, the 3rd Place Game, and the Final will be available on both YouTube and Courtside 1891. Geo-restrictions might also apply.
