AJ Dybantsa (2nd from right) was named Most Valuable Player for leading the USA to a title victory at the FIBA U19 World Cup in Lausanne, Switzerland on Sunday (July 6, 2025). Other members of the All-Star team are Christian Anderson, Mikel Brown Jr, Zak Smrekar, and Hannes Steinbach. (Photo courtesy of FIBA)
Team USA powered its way to a commanding 109-76 win over Germany on Sunday to clinch the FIBA U19 World Cup 2025 championship at the Lausanne Arena in Switzerland.
Morez Johnson Jr. led the charge with 15 points, while the Americans broke the game wide open with a blistering 22-2 run early in the second half, erasing any hopes of a German comeback. After a fourth-place finish in 2023, the United States returned to the top of the podium, claiming its record ninth U19 world title.
AJ Dybantsa added 11 points, six rebounds, and two assists, and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. He averaged 14.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game throughout the tournament.
Germany, making its first-ever finals appearance in the tournament, was led by Hannes Steinbach, who finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, an assist, and a block. Christian Anderson also had a strong showing with 18 points, nine assists, five rebounds, and four steals.
In the third-place playoff, Slovenia edged out New Zealand in a high-scoring thriller, 91-87. Zak Smrekar delivered 20 points, five rebounds, and three assists, while Vit Hrabar also added 20. Urban Kroflic recorded a standout performance with 19 points, 16 rebounds, and four assists as Slovenia celebrated its first-ever podium finish at a world basketball event.
Canada finished fourth, followed by Australia, Israel, host nation Switzerland, Serbia, France, Mali, Argentina, China, Cameroon, Dominican Republic, and Jordan.
The SwissBorg All-Star Five included MVP AJ Dybantsa and his USA teammate Mikel Brown Jr., along with Steinbach, Anderson, and Smrekar.
Steinbach concluded the tournament with averages of 17.4 points, 13.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.3 blocks, while Anderson posted 17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.6 steals. Smrekar rounded out his campaign with 16.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per outing.
Named to the All-Second Team were Jordan Charles (Canada), Tama Isaac (New Zealand), Dayan Nessah (Switzerland), Roman Siulepa (Australia), and Tyler Kropp (Argentina). Danijel Radosavljevic of Slovenia was recognized as Best Coach, and Jordan Smith Jr. of the USA earned the Best Defensive Player award.