Spartan basketball commits Jasiah Jervis and Ethan Taylor made the Team USA roster for the 2026 FIBA Under-18 AmeriCup tournament, held in Leon, Mexico from June 1-7. The Americans had to settle for silver in the tournament, falling to Canada 67-65 on Sunday night. Here, we briefly recap the American’s run in the tournament and take a closer look at the contributions from Taylor and Jervis.
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Eight teams from North and South America and the Caribbean Islands competed
in two groups in the AmeriCup:
The Team USA roster featured a mix of class of 2026 and 2027 high school players. Here is the full roster so we can get an idea of the level of talent:
Anthony Grant from Dayton served as the head coach and was assisted by Nate Oats at Alabama and Matthew Langel from Colgate.
Preliminary Round Play
The Americans mostly breezed through the opening stage with a perfect 3-0 record. Group play opened on June 1, where the United States cruised to a 30-point win over Argentina. An even more lopsided game followed the next day with a 107-50 win over Mexico. Round robin play concluded on June 4, where the Americans faced their stiffest test in an 84-62 win over Brazil. The USA maintained just a two point lead at the half before outscoring Brazil by 10 in both the third and fourth quarters to pull away.
Taylor started each game of the group stage while Jervis came off the bench. Here are the Spartans’ stat lines for the preliminary round games:
The AmeriCup games were played over four 10-minute quarters with a 24-second shot clock.
Before we get to Jervis and Taylor’s specifics, I thought I had at least a decent understanding of basketball statistics but admit I had to look up EFF (efficiency). According to Wikipedia:
The most commonly used statistical benchmark for comparing the overall value of players is called efficiency. In theory, efficiency accounts for both a player’s offensive contributions (points and assists) and their defensive contributions (steals and blocks), but it is generally thought that efficiency ratings favor offense-oriented players over those who specialize in defense, as defense is difficult to quantify with currently tabulated statistics.
Apparently the NBA uses this formula to calculate efficiency, which seems to check out using the stat lines above:
(PTS + REB + AST + STL + BLK − Missed FG − Missed FT – TO) / GP
Anyway, each Spartan player appears to have had an up and down experience with the group play stage, at least offensively. Jervis really couldn’t get his shot to fall, especially on three pointers. Taylor couldn’t get contested shots to fall against Brazil in game three and got bit by the turnover bug in the opener against Argentina. Taylor also averaged roughly one personal foul for every six minutes of play in the group stage.
For his part, Jervis took care of the ball by not committing a turnover while getting three steals in game two against Mexico. Taylor was able to rebound consistently and was disruptive with his interior defense in averaging two blocks per game.
As might be expected with such a deep and talented team, the United States was able to get contributions from several different players. Davion Thompson averaged 12.3 points per game in the opening round and was followed closely by Caleb Gaskins (12), Adan Diggs and Quentin Coleman (11 each), and Colben Landrew (10.7).
The Americans’ minutes were fairly spread out with only Coleman (21.7) and Bruce Branch III (21.2) averaging over 20 per game. Landrew, Thompson, and Diggs each played between 19 and 20 minutes per game so those five saw the most time on the floor in the opening round.
Taylor’s 7.7 rebounds per game was good for sixth amongst all players in the tournament for the first three games but placed him only third on Team USA. Coleman hauled in 12.3 boards per game and Branch was next at 10.3.
Jervis wasn’t the only American to struggle with his shot. Diggs and Landrew hit 48% of their shots but next for the Americans was Coleman at 35%. Poor shooting, and turnovers, would end up biting the Americans in the Gold Medal game.
However, before that, the overall balanced contributions earned the Americans a bye to the semi-finals of the knockout round. Canada also earned a bye out of Group B with an identical 3-0 record to the United States. Before meeting Canada for the gold, the USA had to get by Brazil again in the semi-final round.
Semi-Final: a Rematch with Brazil
Note: I was able to stream the semi-final and gold medal games but they were in Spanish – a language I thought I was learning until trying to listen to these games. Fortunately, the online play-by-play, in English, helped save the day and, I hope, provide an accurate recap of the semi-final and gold medal game action.
Brazil finished group play with a 1-2 record and then got past the Dominican Republic with a 101-96 quarterfinal round victory on Friday.
Although the rematch started rather slowly for both Spartans, the USA overall got off to a quick start in this one and led 31-14 after one quarter. Taylor started before going to the bench with 3:19 left in the first quarter and the Americans up 8-3. Jervis came in shortly after Taylor took a seat.
Neither Spartan was on the floor to start the second quarter and they had to wait out most of the period before seeing action again. Jervis came in with 2:55 left and immediately caused a deflection which created a turnover for the USA. Taylor came in with 1:14 left in the half but Jervis subbed out at the same time.
It looked like Taylor got his signals crossed on a defensive assignment, which led to a hoop for Brazil’s Michael Pereira. It was Pereira’s only bucket of the half, however, as he went just 1-5 from the floor and appeared to be Taylor’s primary defensive assignment.
Jervis appeared to be active on the offensive glass but didn’t get many touches and missed his only field goal attempt of the half. He was assigned to guard Brazil’s point guard Pietro Mello for a time and stayed with him.
Both MSU players were scoreless in the first half. Taylor had two boards while also committing two personal fouls in just 5:14 while Jervis added two steals in just over seven minutes on the floor as Team USA took a 50-32 lead into the break.
Taylor started the second half, and the scoring action, with an alley-oop dunk for his first points. But he was called for a pushing foul on an offensive rebound attempt on the USA’s second possession of the half and went back to the bench.
Jervis came in with 4:40 left in the third quarter and got his first bucket on a baseline jumper after corralling an offensive rebound. A little later on defense, Jervis hustled to save the ball on defense and earned a possession for the Americans.
Taylor checked back in with 2:33 left in the quarter, with Jervis remaining on the floor and the USA up 70-44. The Spartan duo would help spark an 11-0 USA run to end the quarter.
Taylor immediately got inside position on offense and converted in the paint to make it 72-44, USA. Next, Jervis found Malachi Jordan on the break, who got fouled and converted both free throws.
On the defensive end, a Taylor deflection led to Brazil needing to reset, inbound the ball, and ultimately settle for a desperation three that didn’t fall. Later on D, a Taylor steal led to a USA dunk and 79-44 lead. Jervis was up on his man on the perimeter during this stretch and Taylor was clearly disruptive on the interior.
Jervis closed the third quarter scoring with a dunk after a USA steal to extend the lead to 81-44.
Taylor was still on the floor to start the fourth quarter while Jervis was on the bench but appeared to tire out a bit as the last quarter got underway. Taylor’s movement looked more labored and he was bent over grabbing his shorts with about seven minutes to go. He subbed out at the 6:47 mark and didn’t return.
Jervis came back with five minutes left and picked up where he left off. In one defensive series, he was guarding his man on the wing, moved to paint to help, quickly recovered when his man caught the ball on the perimeter, and stayed with him as he started to drive to the lane. The Brazilian player ended up turning it over on the drive attempt after being hounded by Jervis.
Jervis would go on to assist on a three-pointer, take a steal all the way for a lay-up, add another dunk on an assist from Demarcus Henry, and turn another steal into an assist on a fast break lay-up, which made it 102-51, USA.
It ended 102-56, which set up a Sunday gold medal final against Canada, who destroyed Puerto Rico 115-49 in the earlier semi-final on Saturday.
Here are the stat lines for Taylor and Jervis in the semi-final win against Brazil:
Landrew led the USA with 18 points while Coleman scored 15 and added 10 boards.
Gold Medal Game
The Gold Medal game proved to be a frustrating one for the Americans and, perhaps Jervis most of all.
Taylor remained in the USA starting lineup and recorded the game’s first rebound and first assist – on a three pointer by Adan Diggs. However, Canada’s 5-8 point guard, and Monteverde Academy class of 2027 product, Javion Tyndale followed with a drive past Taylor for Canada’s first hoop. Tyndale would end up tormenting Team USA all night.
Jervis and Taylor checked in together with 4:33 left in the first quarter. It didn’t take long for the duo to have an impact as Jervis assisted on a Taylor jam to put the USA up 16-11. Canada’s Settimo Yugu, however, followed with a drive and score over Taylor to cut the lead to 16-13.
Jervis, after struggling to connect from deep throughout the AmeriCup, had a nice side-step triple with the shot clock running out to make it 19-13, USA with 2:44 left in the first quarter. Unfortunately for Jervis and Team USA, his next three point attempt from nearly the same spot was off and these would end up being his only attempts of the game.
As for Taylor, he definitely does not appear to shy away from contact but he does appear to be unsure of where to be on the floor at times, both offensively and defensively. After an empty USA possession, Taylor ran back on defense but couldn’t find Canada’s Deng Ngor, whose fast break dunk brought Canada within a point late in the first quarter.
Taylor missed a hook shot near the basket but the USA held a slim 23-20 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Americans had a 12-6 rebounding advantage at this point but their five turnovers helped keep Canada in it.
Both Jervis and Taylor were on the bench to start the second quarter. They came in together with 3:36 remaining before halftime and the USA up 31-30. A Taylor screen freed up Diggs for a mid-range jumper to put the USA up three.
Taylor went to the bench at the 1:57 mark while Jervis remained in. Even though he wouldn’t get another shot off, Jervis was getting a lot more perimeter touches compared to the Brazil game.
Jervis went to the bench with 53.7 seconds left in the half and, for whatever reason after 5:17 of playing time, did not see the floor again. I’m not sure if it was an oversight by the coaches or a conscious decision. Jervis did not appear to be injured. He was standing and moving around during team huddles in the second half.
Demarcus Henry, who only saw the floor for 2:12, was the only American with fewer minutes for the game. Malachi Jordan did not play after suffering what looked like a badly sprained ankle against Brazil. For an American team that looked like they struggled to find offensive rhythm and struggled with turnovers, you have to wonder why Jervis didn’t get a single second half opportunity.
For his part, Taylor played 7:59 with two points and two rebounds in the first half, while committing just one foul.
It was tied at 35 at the break and the USA left some much-needed points at the free throw line going just one for six. Diggs led the USA with 10 at the break while Tyndale had 10 for Canada.
Canada started the second half with a 5-0 run but the USA responded with an 8-0 run of their own. Taylor, unfortunately, was on the floor for Canada’s run before going to the bench with 8:24 left in the third.
He returned with 1:44 left in the third but appeared to venture out of the paint on defense, which freed up Canada’s Stefan Ilic for a short jumper that cut the American lead to just 47-46. A bit later, Taylor fouled Godson Okokoh, who made one of two free throws to give Canada a 48-47 lead.
Taylor responded positively though with an offensive rebound and putback that gave the USA a 49-48 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Taylor wasn’t on the floor to start the fourth quarter but he came back in with 3:41 left and Team USA up 61-59 but Lyris Robinson immediately hit a three over Taylor to edge Canada in front. Taylor again responded positively by sprinting to the corner to disrupt Canada’s next three point attempt. This led to a run out dunk by Taylen Kinney, assisted by Taylor, which put the USA back in front by one.
That was it for Taylor though. He went to the bench for the last time with 2:27 left.
A Ngor triple tied it at 65 with 1:27 and then turnovers on consecutive offensive possessions did the Americans in. A Ngor dunk after the first giveaway gave the Canadians the final 67-65 margin.
Canada had a chance to ice it at the free throw line with six seconds but missed both, giving the USA one final chance. A three point heave from just inside half court didn’t fall though and the Canadians celebrated with the gold.
The Americans were left to lament 21 turnovers, getting to the free throw line just eight times and making only three of them, and not playing Jervis at all in the second half.
Here are the Jervis and Taylor stat lines for the gold medal game:
Darius Wabbington led the USA with 11 points but went just 4-11 from the floor. The Americans struggled to shoot after the first quarter and hit just 38% for the game. Tyndale led all scorers with 19 while Ngor added 15 for Canada.
