Dybantsa named MVP, USA Basketball wins Gold at FIBA U19 World Cup

Behind 11 points from Dybantsa, USA defeated Germany 109-76 in the Gold Medal game on Sunday afternoon.

Dybantsa named MVP, USA Basketball wins Gold at FIBA U19 World CupDybantsa named MVP, USA Basketball wins Gold at FIBA U19 World Cup

LAUSANNE, Switzerland – BYU’s AJ Dybantsa was named the MVP of the FIBA U19 World Cup after leading USA Basketball to its ninth title with a 109-76 victory over Germany in the Gold Medal game on Sunday afternoon.

Dybantsa, who finished with 11 points, six rebounds, two assists and a steal in the final, adds a third international gold medal to his trophy case after also leading the Americans to the 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup and 2023 FIBA U17 World Cup titles.

The 6-foot-9 forward became the fifth American to be named the MVP of the FIBA U19 World Cup, joining Chet Holmgren (2021), Reggie Perry (2019), Jalen Brunson (2015) and Aaron Gordon (2013). He also earned All-Star Five accolades for a second straight World Cup after averaging 14.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals in 20.0 minutes per game. He shot 68.4 percent from inside the arc and 84.0 percent from the free throw line.

He scored in double figures in all seven games in Switzerland, including a tournament-high 22-point performance in a 108-102 win over Canada in the quarterfinals. He went 5-of-8 from the field and 12-of-13 from the free throw line, including making his final five attempts from the charity stripe to help the Americans pull away from the Canadians.

The Americans scored over 100 points for the sixth straight game — a FIBA U19 record — in their 109-76 win over the Germans to finish with a perfect 7-0 record. After leading by nine at halftime, Team USA outscored Germany 28-10 in the third quarter to secure its first title since 2021.