China U17 Men’s Basketball vs Lithuania Preview: A Tough Battle, Hoping for a Repeat of France Upset Performance

On July 3rd, the 1/8 elimination round of the U17 Basketball World Cup kicked off, with China’s U17 men’s basketball team, ranked third in their group, facing off against Lithuania’s U17 team, who finished second in Group A. China’s U17 team finished the group stage with a 1-2 record, losing to Guinea 92-101, stunning France 73-70, and suffering a heavy defeat against the United States, 62-146.

The core players of this edition’s China U17 squad are guard Zhang Boyuan and center Xun Sinan, both of whom scored in double digits in the first two group games. Xun Sinan managed to score in double figures in all three group matches, while Li Yuezhou has also been in good form, scoring in double digits in consecutive games. In the opening game against Guinea U17, Xun Sinan led the team with 25 points and 8 rebounds, while Feng Yubo contributed 23 points. Despite having only three players score in double digits, China’s U17 team lost due to a significant deficit in rebounds, 28-57. This was a key factor in their loss. In the upset against France U17, ranked second in the power rankings, China U17 overcame a halftime deficit, with Xun Sinan recording a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds, Zhang Boyuan leading the team with 18 points and 8 rebounds, and Li Yuezhou adding 14 points. The Chinese team improved their rebounding but still struggled with turnovers. They relied on a team effort to complete the comeback.

The final group match cast a shadow over China’s U17 team, as they suffered an 84-point loss to the USA U17, failing to score in the last 7 minutes and conceding a 33-0 run. It was a comprehensive defeat, with China trailing by 28 points after the first quarter and committing 12 turnovers in that period alone. They had 38 turnovers in total, and against the strong American side, China U17 was unable to mount any resistance. Li Yuezhou came off the bench to score a team-high 17 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists, while Xun Sinan contributed 11 points and 4 rebounds. Nine players from the USA U17 scored in double digits, and China U17 will need to reflect on their performance. It’s possible that their intense battle against France took a toll on them.

Lithuania’s U17 team enters the match with a 2-1 group record, currently ranked fifth in the power rankings. This presents another stern test for China’s U17 team. Lithuania started strong with victories over the Philippines and Puerto Rico, but they were upset by Spain despite leading by 7 points at halftime. Their turnover control faltered in the final game, and there might have been a lack of effort. This clash is another challenging encounter for China U17, but they must play with freedom and not be intimidated like they were against the USA. If they can replicate their performance against France, a loss would still be understandable.

Here is the full roster of China’s U17 Men’s Basketball team:

Forwards: 15 – Xun Sinan, 14 – Liu Li, 13 – Wang Hongze

Wings: 12 – Fu Wenhao, 11 – Zhang Boyuan, 10 – Chen Xiaoyi, 9 – Fu Jingbo, 8 – Feng Yubo

Guards: 7 – Shen Wudi, 6 – Li Yuezhou, 5 – Liu Yang, 4 – He Wenwei

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