Wisconsin basketball commits Hayden Jones and Jackson Ball concluded their run with New Zealand at the FIBA U19 World Cup on Sunday.
The pair of future Badgers finalized their stint in Lausanne, Switzerland, with a hard-fought 91-87 loss to Slovenia in the tournament’s third-place contest. The day prior, New Zealand fell 120-64 to an American squad that rosters A.J. Dybantsa, Koa Peat, Jasper Johnson, Nikolas Khamenia and others. The United States would go on to secure a gold medal against Germany the following day.
New Zealand, meanwhile, secured a fourth-place finish in a circuit loaded with future collegiate and professional players. Jones and Ball’s squad went 4-3 in the event, led by a 4-1 mark during its first five games. That opening stretch included a 99-86 Round of 16 win over China and an 84-70 triumph against Switzerland in the quarterfinals.
Against Switzerland, 6-foot-7 forward Hayden Jones exploded for a game-best 23 points, in addition to nine rebounds and five assists. Ball — his future running mate in Madison — dropped 12 points against the star-studded Americans in New Zealand’s quarterfinal loss.
The third-place game saw Jones drop 23 points, seven rebounds and two assists in just under 33 minutes on the hardwood. The two-way talent scored nine of those 23 tallies in the fourth and final period in a near-comeback effort.
For the tournament, Jones averaged 14.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists across seven games. He led New Zealand in both scoring and rebounding during the stretch in international play, a promising indicator of what he could bring to the floor under Greg Gard.
Ball, who celebrated his 17th birthday in March, was responsible for 9.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists. The class of 27 guard committed to Gard’s program in March and he will wait another full season before making the trek to UW for his college career.
While New Zealand didn’t achieve its final goal, Jones and Ball’s play is beyond encouraging for Wisconsin fans. Jones, who figures to join UW’s bench unit, has flashed brilliance on both sides of the floor and appears to be ready to compete against NCAA Division I talent. He will be afforded that opportunity in October when the Badgers begin the season with an exhibition against Oklahoma in Milwaukee.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: How Wisconsin basketball recruits fared for New Zealand during FIBA U19 World Cup
Reporting by Mike Hall, Badgers Wire / Badgers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
