Indiana Basketball: 2019 Target Makes USA U17 World Cup Squad
After two IU targets helped USA's U18 squad to a gold medal in the FIBA America championships, another Hoosier recruit has made the country's U17 squad in a separate event.
La Porte (Ind.) La Lumiere five-star forward Isaiah Stewart was one of 12 athletes to make the final squad for USA Basketball's World Cup team, USA Basketball announced on Thursday.
The roster was cut to 12 after six days of a training camp in Colorado Springs, Colorado. 30 athletes initially tried out for the squad.
“First of all, it was very difficult to get down to 12,” USA U17 head coach Don Showalter said in a release. “We feel the 12 that we have fit what we need, which is versatility.
"They can play different positions. We've got some shooters. We've got some slashers. So, I think the 12 we have kind of have the whole package for us.”
Stewart averaged 20.2 points and 11.3 rebounds per game for La Lumiere as a junior, helping them to a 23-4 overall record.
He recently cut his list to just 10 schools, including Duke, Villanova, Michigan State, Indiana, Texas, Louisville, Syracuse, Washington, Georgetown and Notre Dame.
The five-star forward took trips to IU, Notre Dame and Michigan State earlier in June. Stewart previously visited the Hoosiers for their home game this winter against Purdue.
"I'd be their main guy coming in," Stewart told TheHoosier.com of IU recently. "I'd be their dude playing.
"They want to develop me as well, they want to help make me a stretch guy that can put it on the ground."
USA's U17 team is 30-0 all-time in the World Cup event, winning the gold medal four times. They open against China on June 30, then face Mali on July 1 and Serbia on July 3.
Round of 16 play begins on July 4, followed by quarterfinals, semifinals and finals.
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