It’s going to be a really big show
FIBA Under-18 Americas Basketball Championship will likely include some of the best young basketball players in the world
The picture for the FIBA Under-18 Americas Basketball Championship is coming into focus, and it looks sharp.
Eight teams will take part in the tournament — which runs from June 10-16 at Meridian Centre in St. Catharines — Argentina, Canada, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Panama, Puerto Rico, United States, Basketball Canada announced recently.
“Some of the best basketball players in the world in their age group are coming to Niagara,” said Bram Cotton, the CEO of the Niagara Sports Commission.
“They are going to be 17 and 18 years old. There is a good chance some of the U.S. and Canadian players will be future NBA draft picks.
“Anytime there is an international event in town, I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t want to be there. Of course, we all cheer for Canada, and it will be world-class basketball. It will be a chance to see some of the stars before they end up at top NCAA programs and in the NBA draft.
“The Niagara Sports Commission is very excited to be part of this event and to host it.”
Markelle Fultz, the No. 1 overall pick in this June’s NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, played for the U.S. Team at the last Under-18 Americas Basketball Championship, which was held in Valdivia, Chile, in 2016.
At the time, he was a 6-foot-5 point guard playing for DeMatha High School in suburban Washington, D.C., and headed for University of Washington Huskies.
He had his best game of the tournament against Canada in the goldmedal game, scoring 23 points and pulling down five rebounds in a 99-84 win for the U.S.
USA Basketball has claimed the gold medal in eight of 10 editions of the event.
Puerto Rico claimed gold in 2002 and Argentina claimed gold in 2008. Canada has won silver medals in each of the last two tournaments and has medalled in five straight tournaments.
FIBA Americas is one of five FIBA zones, covering the American continent from Canada to Argentina.
The FIBA Under-18 Americas Basketball Championship was originally known as the FIBA Americas Junior World Championship Qualifier, and the tournament was held every four years between 1990-2006.
In 2006 FIBA changed the event calendar, and the tournament became a biennial event.
There are early bird ticket packages on sale for as low as $135 plus fees and on sale until Dec. 31.
The packages include every game and can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.ca, by phone 1-855-985-5000, or in person at the Meridian Centre Bayshore Box Office, located on the main level of Meridian Centre.
The 2018 event will mark the first time Canada has hosted this event. It will serve as the direct qualifier for the FIBA U19 World Championships in 2019.
FIBA is the International Basketball Federation and acts as the world governing body for basketball. It was founded in 1932 and has grown from eight countries to include 213 national basketball federations from all over the world.