FLEET 16: USA U17 sizzles vs. Egypt, Serbia up next

Mike Tupa, Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise
·3 min read
Bartlesville High School guard David Castillo, left, feeds the ball to a teammate as the Bruins take on Victory Christian in a scrimmage last fall at the Bruin Fieldhouse. (Photo: Mike Tupa/Examiner-Enterprise)
Bartlesville High School guard David Castillo, left, feeds the ball to a teammate as the Bruins take on Victory Christian in a scrimmage last fall at the Bruin Fieldhouse. (Photo: Mike Tupa/Examiner-Enterprise)

Bartlesville High School’s David Castillo garnered his fourth-straight start to help the Team USA U17 men’s basketball men’s team remain unbeaten — and headed to the Elite Eight — in FIBA World Cup action in Spain.

On Wednesday, Castillo scored eight points and pulled down three rebounds in a 103-48 dusting of Egypt in the Sweet 16.The USA U17 eclipsed the century mark for the third time in four games while improving the program’s record since 2010 to 41-0 in FIBA World Cup play.

The unbeaten Americans spread their scoring around against Egypt like smooth peanut butter.Karter Knox (6-5, Tampa, Fla.) nailed down 18 points — on 7-of-11 shooting from the field and six free throws — to be a major nuisance for Serbia lead the USA U17 offense, followed by seven players between eight-to-14 points.

  • USA BASKETBALL U17 RESULTS IN FIBA WORLD CUP (Spain)

  • Group game: USA 120, Lebanon 44

  • Group game: USA 88, Slovenia 55

  • Group game: USA 112, Mali 64

  • Sweet 16: USA 103, Egypt 48

  • Elite Eight: USA vs. Serbia on Friday

Others scoring in double-digits were Ian Jackson (6-6, Bronx, N.Y.), 14; Koa Peat (6-7, Chandler, Ariz.), 13; D.J. Wagner (6-3, Camden, N.J.), 12; and Sean Stewart (6-8, Windermere, Fla.), 10.

Cooper Flagg (6-7, Newport, Maine) (8 points, 10 rebounds) and Stewart (8 rebounds) both flirted with recording the team’s first double-double of the tourney.

Johnuel Omari Fland (6-3, Bronx, N.Y.) greased the offensive machine with five assists and two steals.Castillo (6-1) — who saw nearly 17:30 of playing time — drilled 2-of-7 from behind the three-point line and spooned out two assists. He was one of nine USA U17 players to seize an offensive rebound.

The American squad hit a blistering 63 percent of its two-pointers (41-of-65) but struggled to find the mark behind the arc (4-of-24).

Rebounding between the two countries created a desert of diversity — 68 boards for the Americans, 28 for the Egyptians.

The USA U17 defense also limited its foe to just 29 percent shooting from the field (19-of-66). USA U17 blitzed to an early 16-0 lead and scored more than 60 points by halftime.

  • DAVID CASTILLO'S GAME-BY-GAME GLANCE

  • vs. Lebanon: Start (19:15), 21 PT. (8-11 FG), 3 R, 2 A, 0 TO, 2 ST

  • vs. Slovenia: Start (:23.09), 8 PT (3-8 FG), 3 R, 3 A, 0 TO, 3 ST

  • vs. Mali: Start (20:02), 4 PT (2-8 FG), 2 R, 6 A, 1 TO, 1 ST

  • vs. Egypt: Start (17:29). 8 PT (3-9 FG), 3 R, 2 A, 2 TO, 0 ST

Next up, the USA U17 faces Serbia in Friday’s quarterfinals.

Sharman White (Pace Academy) serves as USA U17 head coach, with Eric Flannery (St. Edwards) and Steve Turner (Gonzaga College) as his assistants.

Serbia, which is ranked No. 6 in the world by FIBA, also is 3-1 in the tourney.

France defeated Serbia, 81-68, in the group play opener. Serbia bounced back to zap New Zealand, 120-72, and outlast Canada, 86=87, to advance to championship bracket play.

In its Sweet 16 test, Serbia toppled the Dominican Republic, 107-77, and will face the USA U17 in the Elite Eight (quarterfinals).

Other Elite Eight matchups will include France vs. Slovenia, Spain vs. Australia and Lithuania vs. Poland.

The France-Slovenia winner will play the Spain-Australia winner, while the Serbia-USA winner will face the Lithuania-Poland winner in the Final Four, set for Saturday.

The final is scheduled for Sunday.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: USA Basketball U17 players won their Sweet 16 World Cup game