Australia’s brightest young basketball prospects are ready to test themselves against the world’s best, with the Australian Crocs finalising preparations for the 2026 FIBA Under-17 Men’s Basketball World Cup in Türkiye.
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The tournament, which runs from June 27 to July 5 in Istanbul, will see 16 nations compete for global honours, with Australia drawn into a challenging Group D alongside Serbia, Venezuela and Côte d’Ivoire.
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Led by head coach Greg Vanderjagt, the Crocs enter the tournament with a talented roster featuring several players who helped Australia claim gold medals at the FIBA U16 Asia Cup and U17 Oceania Championships last year.
FIBA U17 World Cup Roster:
Andrew Watene
Born: 15 Aug 2009
Height: 185 cm (6’0”)
Position: Guard
Program: Queensland State (AUS)
Luke Paul
Born: 20 Feb 2009
Height: 198 cm (6’5”)
Position: Guard
Program: Cairns Taipans (AUS)
NBL Next Stars Luke Paul joins Cairns. Picture: NBLSource: News Sport Network
Tom Dammers
Born: 27 Mar 2009
Height: 187 cm (6’1”)
Position: Guard
Program: Victoria State (AUS)
Josh McCann
Born: 29 Jul 2009
Height: 196 cm (6’5”)
Position: Forward
Program: Victoria State (AUS)
Antonio Browne
Born: 20 Sep 2009
Height: 193 cm (6’3”)
Position: Forward
Program: Centre of Excellence (AUS)
Antonio Browne in action for NSW Metro at the 2024 Basketball Australia Under-16 National Championships. Picture: Bruce MediaSource: News Corp Australia
Lucas Byrne
Born: 20 Nov 2009
Height: 192 cm (6’3”)
Position: Forward
Program: Victoria State (AUS)
William Hamilton
Born: 26 Apr 2009
Height: 196 cm (6’5”)
Position: Forward
Program: Centre of Excellence (AUS)
William Hamilton in action for Victoria Country at the 2025 Basketball Australia Under-18 National Championships. Picture: Taylor EarnshawSource: News Corp Australia
Riak Akhuar
Born: 22 Nov 2009
Height: 200 cm (6’6”)
Position: Forward
Program: Victoria State (AUS)
John Aryang
Born: 18 Jun 2009
Height: 195 cm (6’4”)
Position: Forward
Program: Western Australia (AUS)
WA Metro’s John Aryang during the Basketball Australia Under-18 National Championships. Picture: Jade GlassonSource: News Corp Australia
Yahya Basaran
Born: 29 May 2009
Height: 214 cm (7’0”)
Position: Centre
Program: Centre of Excellence (AUS)
Alex Mabbott
Born: 1 Mar 2009
Height: 206 cm (6’9”)
Position: Centre
Program: Spire Academy (USA)
Alex Edwards
Born: 4 Jul 2009
Height: 198 cm (6’5”)
Position: Forward
Program: Western Australia (AUS)
The squad boasts a blend of size, versatility and skill across all positions. Rising star Luke Paul headlines the back-court alongside Andrew Watene and Tom Dammers, while versatile wing Antonio Browne and athletic forward Riak Akhuar provide length and flexibility on the perimeter. Australia’s frontcourt depth is anchored by players including John Aryang, Josh McCann, Lucas Byrne, Ahmet Yahya Basaran, Alex Mabbott and Will Hamilton.
CHASING GOLD
This is the eighth edition of the FIBA U17 World Cup since its introduction in 2010, with Australia aiming to bounce back after a disappointing 2024 campaign that ended in 15th place.
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The Crocs’ best results came with back-to-back silver medals in 2012 and 2014, teams that featured future Australian stars such as Ben Simmons, Dante Exum, Fabijan Krslovic, Dejan Vasiljevic, Kouat Noi, Jack White, Isaac Humphries and Harry Froling.
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – AUGUST 16: Dejan Vasiljevic of Australia in action during the FIBA U17 World Championships Final match between Australia and the United States of America at the Hamdan Sports Complex on August 16, 2014 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Australia enters this year’s tournament ranked sixth and is well placed to progress beyond the group stage. They sit in Group D alongside Côte d’Ivoire (23rd), Serbia (2nd) and Venezuela (15th), with Serbia expected to be their toughest challenge.
Group D:
Australia (6)
Côte d’Ivoire (23)
Serbia (2)
Venezuela (15)
While traditional powerhouses like the United States remain strong favourites, Australia will back themselves to make a deep run, particularly with a squad stacked with promising young talent and international experience.
For many of the Crocs, this tournament is a chance to perform on one of the biggest stages in junior basketball and continue Australia’s strong history of producing elite-level players for the global game.
SCHEDULE AND WHERE TO WATCH
Game One: vs. Serbia
Saturday, 27th June, 9:45PM (AEST)
Game Two: vs. Côte d’Ivoire
Sunday, 28th June, 7:30PM (AEST)
Game Three: Venezuela
Wednesday, 1st July, 12:30AM (AEST)
All Group Stage and Round of 16 games will be live and free via FIBA YouTube Channel.
The Final Phase Games (Quarter Finals, Semi Finals, Finals) are available on Courtside 1891.