(Release via USA Basketball)
USA Basketball today announced the 2026 USA Basketball Men’s U18 National Team. Finalists were selected from among 32 athletes following six days of training camp at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Training camp will continue until the team departs for the 2026 FIBA U18 Men’s AmeriCup, scheduled for June 1-7 in Leon, Mexico.
The team was selected by the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Committee. Athletes competing in the 2026 FIBA U18 AmeriCup must be born on or after January 1, 2008.
The 2026 USA Basketball Men’s U18 National Team, featuring athletes from the graduating classes of 2026 and 2027, includes Bruce Branch III, Quentin Coleman, Adan Diggs, Caleb Gaskins, Demarcus Henry, Jasiah Jervis, Malachi Jordan, Taylen Kinney, Colben Landrew, Ethan Taylor, Davion Thompson and Darrius Wabbington.
All 12 athletes will make their USA national team debuts in Leon. Gaskins was previously a finalist for the 2024 USA U17 National Team and, along with Branch III and Taylor, helped the USA capture a sixth straight victory over the World Team at the Nike Hoop Summit in April.
The team is led by 2026 USA Men’s U18 National Team head coach Anthony Grant (University of Dayton) and assistant coaches Matt Langel (Colgate University) and Nate Oats (University of Alabama). For more information, click here.
USA Basketball will open Group A play with Argentina, Brazil and Mexico at the 2026 FIBA U18 Men’s AmeriCup. The U.S. men will take on Argentina in their opening game at 7:30 p.m. ET on June 1. The Americans hold a 14-1 record against the Argentineans. On June 2 10 p.m. ET, the USA will face Mexico, who they have defeated in all five previous meetings. Group A play closes with Brazil at 5 p.m. ET on June 4 with the U.S. looking to improve to 12-0 all-time. The winners of both groups will advance directly to the semifinals on June 6 and the medal games are scheduled for June 7. Semifinal play-in games are set for June 5. The tournament will stream live on YouTube.com/FIBA.
USA Basketball has won 11 gold medals in 13 iterations of the event, including seven straight dating back to 2010. In addition to the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela will compete with the top four teams earning a berth to the 2027 FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup in Pardubice, Czechia.
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