For those of you who cannot wait until Midnight Madness tips off this fall, you can still see some of the best college basketball players this summer at the FIBA U19 World Cup. USA Basketball announced its roster yesterday, which includes many of the best incoming freshmen in the country including AJ Dybantsa (BYU)/Mikel Brown Jr. (Louisville)/Koa Peat (Arizona). 1 of the players with the most experience representing Team USA is JJ Mandaquit: he won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2023 FIBA Americas U16 Championship, then won another gold medal last year at the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup. JJ is preparing to head to Switzerland as he tries to win yet another gold medal, but HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with him about choosing Washington for college and growing up in Hawaii.
You were born/raised in Hawaii: how big is basketball on the islands? I am from the Big Island and am trying to represent my state as best I can to open up opportunities for other young kids.
You received your 1st D-1 scholarship offer at age 14: when did you 1st realize that you were good enough to make it to the next level? I have always had the belief that I was good enough, but I remember playing on the Nike Circuit in 8th grade and thought that I belonged with the other great players who were there.
You received offers from several great schools including BYU/Cal/Louisville: what made you choose Washington last November? My connection to Coach Danny Sprinkle and our belief in each other. I want to develop as a player on the court and also as a young man off the court.
The Huskies went 13-18 last season and lost several players to the portal/graduation: how muh pressure is there on your freshman class to turn things around? I would not say that pressure is the right word, but there is a lot of excitement going into this season. I see it as extra motivation so if people are looking down on us then I would prefer to surprise them: I have been an underdog for most of my life.
Yesterday you were named to the 12-man roster for Team USA at the FIBA U19 World Cup: what does it mean to you to represent your country? It means everything to me. This was by far the hardest training camp I have attended, but to make it onto the roster for 3 straight summers is a blessing that I do not take for granted. Team USA finished 4th at the U19 World Cup in 2023 so this year we are hungry to get back onto the podium.
1 of your teammates on the U19 roster (AJ Dybantsa) was not only your teammate on the U17/U16 rosters but also last year at Utah Prep: how close are you 2? We are pretty close due to having that shared connection. Our chemistry on the court is really good and we will get to show it off this summer.
You are part of a great recruiting class for the Huskies including Hannes Steinbach, who signed with Washington in April: what will happen if you end up facing your fellow future freshmen on the German team in the tournament? That would be a fun game: we will probably be living together next year so there would be a lot of bragging rights at stake!
You are listed at 6’1”: do you see your size as an advantage or disadvantage on the court? I would say it is an advantage. I might be 1 of the shorter guys, but I use my size well and play bigger than I am. I am pesky and can be an irritant to taller guys on the court: we have seen in the NBA playoffs this year how a 6’1″ guy like TJ McConnell impacts winning.
You turned 18 last month: what did you do for the big day? I went home to Hawaii for the weekend and spent time with my family before heading to training camp.
You won a gold medal with Team USA in 2023 at the FIBA Americas U16 Championship and again in 2024 at the FIBA U17 World Cup: any predictions for next month in Switzerland? Gold! That is our only goal so we will go out and try to win it all.
