The FIBA U18 Americas Championship kicked off yesterday from St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada where the US team opened up group play with a 105-73 win over the Dominican Republic. As per usual, the roster is filtered with some of the nation’s best high school prospects from the class of 2018 and 2019, many of whom could be future pro’s. This current crop of players who will be under Kansas coach Bill Self’s watchful eye, is headlined by point guard Cole Anthony and big man Matthew Hurt, both of whom stood out in the team’s opening win.
Anthony the highest rated player out of New York, top point guard and sixth ranked player in ESPN’s top 60 players of the class of 2019, balled out against the Dominican team and led the way for the US with 18 points. He showcased all the makings of an elite scoring guard, scoring at every level and consistently attacking off the bounce. Anthony had two specific drives in the fourth quarter where he showcased great footwork in the lane, body control, the ability to finish through contact and finish with either hand.
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His shooting was also on full display, nothing really came off the dribble for Anthony but he had a couple of nice catch and shoot situations where he converted three’s successfully. Now mechanically speaking I think Anthony’s shot is relatively sound, but there’s some clear flaws in his form. Anthony has a snappy, quick release that’s relatively low, but high enough and seemed to have no issue getting his shot off when he wanted against the Dominican team. But he seems to always put his guide hand, which would be his right hand, on top of the ball instead of on the side and this seems to mess with the trajectory of his shot somewhat.
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Outside of his scoring, Anthony’s athleticism impressed me more than anything, he’s got some serious bounce. Maybe my favorite play of the game from Anthony was in the fourth quarter, where he come over to help from the weak side defensively and sprung to block Joel Soriano’s shot. It was a very validating performance from Cole Anthony to start the tournament, proving why he’s got people buzzing this summer.
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As impressive as Anthony was, I thought the best player on the US team was Matthew Hurt. Hurt who’s the top rated player out of Minnesota and currently slotted one spot ahead of Anthony, ranking fifth in ESPN’s top 60 players of the class of 2019 balled out in the first quarter. He finished with 12 points, ten of which I believe came in the opening frame of the game and showcased great versatility on both ends of the floor.
Hurt’s got a beautiful shooting stroke, sporting a high release, staying square to the rim and displaying textbook form overall. His release is very fluid and quick, showing an effortless ability to get his shot off. I’m not sure he offers much off the dribble, but Hurt can extend the defense in high pick and rolls, looking the part of your prototypical stretch forward.
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Hurt’s motor and fundamentals rebounding seem to be great, he controlled the offensive glass against the Dominican team and big man Alanzo Frink. Even given his fairly thin and wiry frame, Hurt does a good job boxing out, battling for position and securing boards with two hands, his presence was definitely felt in this one on the glass.
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Hurt really has feel for initiating fast break opportunities off rebounds, he got the US team out and running time and time again, converting easy opportunities in transition. You’ll see this in one of the plays below, Hurt does a great job after boxing out Frink for the defensive rebound of pushing the ball up the floor and finding a trailing Cole Anthony for the open wing three. Having a big that can run the floor effectively, but also initiate the break and make plays out of it, is invaluable in today’s modern game.
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Hurt’s impact was definitely felt offensively, but on the other end of the floor he might’ve been just as impressive. Yes at times especially early on in this game, Hurt’s lack of strength definitely got exposed and Alanzo Frink took full advantage of that. But Hurt’s movement skills, quickness and foot speed seem to be excellent for his size, he had no problem switching onto guards in pick and rolls. He’s good at shuffling his feet and again has the foot speed it seems to stay in front of most guards, with the length to protect the rim when needed and add value defensively there as well.
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Matthew Hurt seems to deserve every bit of his top five ranking in the class of 2019 and I’m excited to see his growth throughout this tournament and as his body fills out in the next couple of years. He has all the makings of an elite, athletic, skilled big and should easily be on your draft radar for the next couple of years. Anthony and Hurt were the clear stand outs for team USA in the opening game, but to end this article I wanted to quickly highlight the defensive performance from guard Tyrese Maxey.
Maxey who’s ranked as the fifteenth best prospect in ESPN’s top 60 of the class of 2019 and has committed to Kentucky, was an absolute menace on the defensive end in this one. His motor is always going and he can do it all, whether it be on or off ball due to his great quickness and awareness. You’ll see Maxey display this in the first play below, he does a great job off ball of pushing his man all the way to half court to catch the pass, then he does a fantastic job on ball keeping a low stance and showcasing quick hips, finishing the play off with a brilliant contest.
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Maxey is effective, but still very raw offensively and John Calipari’s guidance should help improve that aspect of his game. But defensively he seems to be a very special prospect and one that could be an elite defender soon for Big Blue Nation.
Tags: Basketball, Cole Anthony, FIBA, FIBA Americas, FIBAU18, Matthew Hurt, NBA, NBA Draft
Evz Basketball Scout 
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