The United States U17 men’s basketball team continued its rich tradition of domination in the FIBA U17 World Cup, going a perfect 7-0 and winning the tournament for the seventh time since the contest’s inaugural debut in 2010.

While there have been numerous dominant American squads over the years — the Americans held a 44-0 record in the tournament prior to this year, which now stands at at 51-0 — but aside from having an arsenal of the nation’s top prospects with nearly no weaknesses on the court, the divergence that separated this year’s roster from the rest is that it won each game by an average of 64.3 points.

While every player on the United States squad could play a role at Kentucky, the Kentucky Kernel analyzed and orchestrated three specific players that would be or would have been a perfect fit under Mark Pope and his system. 

While Pope’s Cats have yet to be seen in action, fans are already well aware that he wants to play a fast-tempoed style with a ton of 3-pointers getting thrown up based off of how he previously ran the offense when he was the coach at BYU and the players, like Jaxson Robinson and Koby Brea, he selected to this year’s Kentucky team.

AJ Dybantsa

Starting with a player the Cats are all but certainly out on, Kentucky offered AJ Dybantsa when John Calipari was still roaming the halls of Rupp Arena, but, following his departure, Pope shot out another offer to the five-star, 6-foot, 9-inch power forward.

The Brockton, Massachusetts, native re-classed from the class of 2026 to the class of 2025 and transferred to Utah Prep, where he earned the honor of being ranked No. 1 in this year’s class.

Dybantsa averaged 14.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in the U17 World Cup and shot 31.8% from deep on 3.1 attempts per game. He also shot 58.7% from the field as a whole. 

“Dybantsa has a soft scoring touch with length and natural explosive pop,” On3’s National Recruiting Analyst Jamie Shaw said. “That makes him difficult to guard for many as he can shoot over most at his position or get by most his size. With that said, over the years, we have seen continued growth in the maturity of Dybantsa’s scoring bag.”

As Dybantsa’s the most prestigious player yet to commit, Pope will have an overwhelming amount of competition as most schools have been making a push to add the “jack of all trades” to their roster as well.

Cameron Boozer

Looking at a player that Kentucky may have a shot with, there are two Boozers in the class of 2025 — Cameron and Cayden, who are brothers — and each are highly sought after among the college hoops world.

Both Boozers have a sharp skill set that would make their presence felt in Lexington, however, Cameron, who is the No. 2 ranked recruit in the nation, may be more suitable to rock Kentucky blue.

Towering as a 6-feet, 9-inch power forward, Boozer averaged 20.1 points, a strong 9.9 rebounds and two assists in the U17 World Cup. He shot 69.6% from the field and 33.3% from deep, nailing 0.4 of his 1.3 attempted triples per game.

“He (Boozer) catches everything, is an elite rebounder and shows significant touch on everything from his shooting to his passing,” 247Sports’ National Basketball Director Eric Bossi said.

If Dybantsa didn’t re-class, there is little doubt that Cameron would sit atop the recruiting ladder in the class of 2025.

Jalen Haralson

Jalen Haralson, a 6-foot, 7-inch shooting guard is ranked as the No. 13 best recruit in the class of 2025 and the No. 1 player in Indiana according to 247Sports.

In the U17 World Cup, Haralson averaged 11.1 points, four rebounds and 2.3 assists through the seven games. He shot 38.5% from three with an average of 3.7 attempts per game and 49.1% from the field as a whole.

Standing at 6-foot, 7-inches and having the ability to drain three’s is something that Pope would cherish on his roster, resulting in one of the reasons why he would be a firework of a fit in a UK jersey.

Haralson has received offers from Duke, Michigan State, Notre Dame and plenty of others as he proves to be a strong candidate with the ability to intensify the level of the game and those around him on and off of the court. 

Given the results at the U17 World Cup, it is undeniable that there are multiple recruits on this high functioning, historic team. However, the three listed above would undoubtedly help Kentucky on the hardwood in 2025 and bring it a high level of success that Pope and his crew are chasing following the departure of John Calipari.