Morez Johnson Jr., Team USA defeat Germany to win gold at FIBA World Cup

Three Michigan Wolverines took home medals while repping their home countries in FIBA tournaments this past weekend, with Morez Johnson Jr. helping Team USA defeat Brazil to win the gold medal:

While most of us spent the past week watching fireworks and grilling, a few Michigan Wolverines were competing in FIBA tournaments, with two Wolverines medaling for their respective countries.

In the U19 Basketball World Cup in Switzerland, Illinois transfer Morez Johnson Jr. and Team USA won gold, defeating Germany, 109-76. In that same tournament, Oscar Goodman and New Zealand lost in the bronze medal game.

In the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup, Michigan star Syla Swords helped Team Canada earn a bronze medal by hitting a buzzer-beater against Argentina. Swords, the youngest player on Canada’s roster, finished the game with a team-high 23 points, including five made threes.

Here’s a recap of how these Wolverines did in these international showcases.

Morez Johnson Jr.

In that final game against Germany, Johnson led USA in points (15) and plus/minus (+23). He was 5-of-6 from the field and perfect from the free throw line (5-of-5). Johnson owned the paint on both ends of the floor in this showcase.

In six games for Team USA, Johnson averaged 8.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

Playing with some of the most highly-touted incoming freshman, Johnson was the receipt of many dump down passes before dunking the ball. He showed off a good motor on the offensive glass, ran the floor well in transition, and was one of USA’s best lob threats.

In between games for Team USA, Johnson spoke with On3’s Jamie Shaw, and explained why he committed to Michigan .

“(Dusty May is) such a smart guy,” Johnson said. “He’s smarter than ever. The way he breaks down games. He has broken the game down to me a lot and helped me to understand things. He’s a great communicator, the way he pulls me aside and breaks things down. He’s also a great human being, with the way I’m able to connect with him off the court. We have built a great relationship, even in the short time that I’ve been there.”

Johnson said he expects to be a versatile big who can switch 1 through 4, pick and pop, roll hard to the rim and dominant on the glass. He also thinks highly of the Wolverines’ postseason chances.

“I think we can be very good,” Johnson said. “I think we have a real chance to win a national title, at least make it to the Final Four if we do what we’re supposed to. This team is really good.”

Oscar Goodman

In seven games for New Zealand, Goodman averaged 6.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. He only played a few minutes in New Zealand’s bronze medal game before spraining his ankle .

While that was a disappointing way to end the World Cup, Goodman showed off his skills as a spot-up shooter who could get to the rim and score in the paint. He crashed the offensive glass hard and showcased good court vision, especially in the teeth of the defense when he was slowed down on drives. He also showed a propensity to get in passing lanes and anticipate passes before stealing the ball and giving his team momentum.

Syla Swords

That bronze medal game capped off an impressive AmeriCup for Swords, who averaged 7.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists over six games for Canada.

Swords did much more than hit the go-ahead layup with 1.4 seconds left in the bronze game. She also moved the ball well, created shots for her teammates, knocked down threes, and cut really intuitively.

Testing themselves against international competition will help all three of these players in the long run, as they will soon head to Ann Arbor to begin training for the 2025-26 season.