PORTLAND — Charlie Ward wanted the young men to understand just how special the moment was and to savor it.
The Nike Hoop Summit had never seen an overtime game before. However, a gritty World team would not roll over for a loaded USA squad and the result was an entertaining game where some big names — such as AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer — stood out, but so did some guys American audiences are unfamiliar with, such as Serbia’s Bogolijub Markovic. After blowing a 16-point second-half lead, the USA pulled away in overtime to get the 124-114 win, but it was anything but easy.
In a powerful moment after the USA win, Ward — the Florida State legend who played college hoop but also won the Heisman Trophy on the gridiron, then was drafted in the first round of the 1994 NBA Draft and went on to play 11 years in the league, and now was an assistant coach for Team USA — stepped up to talk to the team in the locker room.
Ward told them to savor this moment because they had to pull together to earn this win. He pointed out the reality that if the USA lost as heavy favorites, plenty of people would have been poised to call them out and take them down — there are always people who want to build athletes up only to later tear them down, he told them. These high school seniors would have learned that the hard way.
Instead, the USA players relied on each other, trusted each other and rallied — and that is a special moment and a special bond the players should never forget, Ward told them. The players ate it up.
Here are some other notes and highlights from the Nike Hoop Summit.
• AJ Dybantsa is a special player. The BYU-bound forward stands out because of his fluid athleticism — his elevation on his jumper is impressive — but also because he shows a combination of toughness and smooth play.
Dybantsa finished with 24 points and was a game-high +18.
• Cameron Boozer was the anchor for Team USA with 22 points, 16 rebounds and six assists, but what stood out more was the effort he put in at the defensive end. Boozer, who is headed to Duke next season, is a complete player and one who knows how to use his size and physicality (just like his father, Carlos).
• Serbia’s Bogolijub Markovic is a name to watch. He plays for KK Mega Basket in Serbia — the same team that produced Nikola Jokic, Ivica Zubac, Nikola Jovic, and more — and he stood out with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting and 10 rebounds. The 6’11” big was also 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.
• Baylor-bound Tounde Yessoufou put on a show, then after the game was emotional talking about how representing the small West African nation Benin means to him and to many youth in that country.
We knew he could get a bucket — he is California’s all-time leading scorer in high school — and Yessoufou finished with 24 points, but he also showed that he was clutch. It was Yessoufou’s driving lay-up that sent the game to overtime.
Yessoufou also went to the Ja Morant grenade celebration after a 3-pointer.
• Arkansas-bound Darius Acuff Jr. was clutch for the USA, finishing with 24 points and making big plays on and off the ball.
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