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The 2024 Olympic Games wrapped up with the closing ceremonies on Sunday. The men’s and women’s 5×5 basketball championships took place over the weekend, with Team USA securing gold medals in both – each time defeating the home country of France.
An aging trio of veterans in LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry got it done on the men’s side, while struggling guard play for the women led to a near upset by France before A’ja Wilson hit clutch shots and Kelsey Plum knocked down four free throws to seal the victory.
Attention now turns to 2028, where Durant, James, and Curry are almost certainly going to be watching from the sidelines, along with Diana Taurasi for the women.
Many current NBA and WNBA players are strong candidates to fill those roster spots, including Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, Caitlin Clark, and Angel Reese, but there are also current college basketball stars who could end up playing for Team USA in 2028.
Below is a look at five potential 2028 USA Basketball Olympians who are set to play college hoops this year:
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Position: Forward
School: Duke (2024-)
Flagg is about as close of a lock to make Team USA in 2028 as an incoming college freshmen can be. The Duke forward already played for the Select Team alongside likely future Team USA members Brandon Miller, Jalen Suggs, and Jaime Jaquez, and his elite wing defense and developing offensive game make him an obvious fit on this roster with the expected departures of Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Steph Curry.
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Position: Guard
School: UConn (2020-)
Bueckers likely would have gone no lower than third in the 2024 WNBA draft behind Caitlin Clark and Cameron Brink, but she opted to return to UConn for a fifth year to team up with Azzi Fudd to try to bring a championship to Storrs.
Bueckers is a do-it-all guard who can light it up from three, distribute, block shots, generate turnovers, and get to the rim. The old wave of Team USA guards may not all be around in 2028, but with Clark, Bueckers, and JuJu Watkins all coming up the pipeline things are in great shape for USA Women’s Basketball.
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Position: Power Forward
School: UConn (2022-)
Karaban is the only non-freshman men’s player on this list, and he makes it thanks to a proven winning pedigree and an elite skill set as a floor spacing forward.
Karaban is a better defender and all-around player than he gets credit for, and while he may not be a future NBA superstar the way most of Team USA is, his ability to knock down open shots and play a role at the next level could help him be a bench addition like Derrick White.
Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Position: Guard
School: USC (2023-)
JuJu is part of the future wave of women’s stars, alongside WNBA rookies Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Cameron Brink. Watkins averaged 27.1 points per game as a freshman at USC last year and should once again be among the most dynamic basketball players on the planet in 2024-25.
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Position: Guard
School: Rutgers (2024-)
Harper or fellow Rutgers incoming freshman Ace Bailey are the strongest non-Flagg freshmen candidates to be on Team USA in 2028. Flagg has a massive advantage, but Harper’s versatility as a defender, scorer, passer, and rebounder for his position could make him a perfect young, complimentary role player for Team USA in Los Angeles in 2028.
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Courtesy : https://collegesportswire.usatoday.com/lists/team-usa-basketball-college-cooper-flagg-duke/