CAIRO -- The FIBA Under-19 World Cup has produced 80 NBA draft picks in the past decade, including the likes of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Gordon Hayward, Nikola Jokic, Nicolas Batum, DeAndre Jordan and Jayson Tatum. This year, tournament MVP R.J. Barrett stood out as clearly the best and most productive prospect despite only recently turning 17 and, in some cases, competing against players 2½ years older.
On the verge of reclassifying to the 2018 high school class and in turn making himself eligible for the 2019 NBA draft, Barrett made a strong case as a potential No. 1 pick while leading Canada to its first title in the event.