Michigan was well represented in Switzerland with one player earning a gold medal and another a bronze. There was, however, an Oscar Goodman injury.
One of the most hyped transfer prospects joining Michigan basketball this offseason has added some bling.
Morez Johnson, the sophomore big man and former standout for Illinois who joined coach Dusty May's squad this spring, helped propel Team USA's U19 squad over Germany in the championship game 109-76, to win gold on Sunday, July 6, in the FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland.
The red, white and blue went a perfect 7-0 in the tournament while Johnson started six games including the title bout when he put up a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double.
World Cup Champions!
— Michigan Men's Basketball (@umichbball) July 6, 2025
Congrats Rez!#GoBluepic.twitter.com/3Z7wm3sxIv
Johnson also had a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double against Australia and scored a tournament-high 19 points in just 15 minutes when the US hammered Jordan, 140-67.
For the tournament, Johnson averaged 9.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 58.5% from the field (24-for-41) and 78.3% on free throws (18-for-23).
This is Johnson's second gold medal after winning one at the 2024 FIBA U18 Americas Championship last summer.
It wasn't all good news for U-M players, however. Freshman forward Oscar Goodman, who played for Team New Zealand, attempted a layup in the first quarter of the bronze medal game and came down awkwardly on an opponent's foot which caused him to roll his right ankle.
He did not return to the game, a 91-87 loss to Slovenia to miss on a medal.
Goodman had a solid tournament averaging 6.4 points and 5.1 rebounds in 19.1 minutes per game on 42.5% (17-for-40) shooting, which included an impressive 13-point, 13-rebound double-double in a quarterfinal win over Switzerland.
Syla Swords steals the show
On the women's side, another Michigan standout made perhaps the play of the tournament.
Rising sophomore Syla Swords, part of team Canada, caught the inbound pass in the bronze medal game with less than two seconds to play and threw up a layup that rolled through to give the Canadians a 76-75 victory over Argentina to get a spot on the podium as part of a team-high 23 points despite being the youngest player on the roster.
Swords finished second on the team averaging 9.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists across seven games as she was named to the event’s "All Star 5."
Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan basketball players earn gold, buzzer-beater in FIBA World Cup
Category: General Sports
