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Wisconsin Badgers recruit leads New Zealand in scoring for FIBA World Cup Final Four run

Wisconsin Badgers 2025 commit Hayden Jones was the leading scorer for New Zealand's U19 team in the FIBA World Cup on their way to the Final Four.
Lorin Cox|
Mar 22, 2025; Denver, CO, USA; The Wisconsin Badgers mascot performs during the first half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Ball Arena.
Mar 22, 2025; Denver, CO, USA; The Wisconsin Badgers mascot performs during the first half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Ball Arena. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

A future Wisconsin Badgers wing put on a show at the international stage.

Hayden Jones committed to Wisconsin from the class of 2025, but he hasn't fully joined the team yet as he finished playing in the U19 FIBA World Cup for his home country of New Zealand.

He led his team in scoring and rebounds as they made a run into the Final Four, losing to Team USA in the semifinals.

Jones averaged 14.6 points per game, putting up two performances over 20 points in the tournament run.

At 6-foot-7, he offers good length on the wing, as evident by his team-leading 7.7 rebounds per game.

Unfortunately, he had his worst game in a blowout loss to USA, scoring just five points on 2-of-9 shooting with five turnovers.

He bounced back with 21 points and seven boards in their third-place game against Slovenia, and his future looks very bright when he gets to Madison.

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Lorin Cox
LORIN COX

Lorin Cox is the managing editor of Wisconsin Badgers on SI. He has been covering Badgers sports since 2014, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin. He previously wrote for the Wisconsin State Journal, NBC Sports Chicago and USA Today Sports Media Group, and he is a former analyst for Pro Football Focus.

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