USA Basketball Announces February 2026 Men’s World Cup Qualifying Team
USA Basketball today announced the 12-man roster and coaching staff for the February 2026 USA Men’s World Cup Qualifying Team, which will host Dominican Republic and Mexico on Feb. 26 and March 1, respectively, at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California. Tickets for both contests are available at https://www.frontwavearena.com/home/usa-basketball .
Fans can enjoy an exclusive deal by purchasing tickets to the USA vs. Mexico game and getting the USA vs. Dominican Republic game 50% off using this link.
The 12 athletes have professional experience in the NBA, NBA G League and internationally with eight players having prior USA Basketball experience.
The February 2026 USA Men’s World Cup Qualifying Team includes Malcolm Hill, Tevian Jones, Taevion Kinsey, Brandon Knight, Dakota Mathias, Elfrid Payton, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, David Roddy, Jaden Shackelford, Terry Taylor, Jeremiah Tilmon and James Wiseman.
Knight, Shackelford and Tilmon boast the most recent USA Basketball experience, all having competed in 2027 FIBA Men’s World Cup Qualifying Window 1 in November. Knight returned to USA Basketball last year after having previously played in the 2010 Nike Hoop Summit.
Payton was a member of the 2025 USA Men’s AmeriCup Qualifying Window 1 Team that went 1-1 in November 2024. He owns a gold medal from the 2013 FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup.
Robinson-Earl and Wiseman, who were teammates at the 2019 Nike Hoop Summit, return to USA Basketball for their first senior experience. Robinson-Earl earned gold medals at the 2018 FIBA U18 Men’s AmeriCup and 2019 FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup, while Wiseman is a 2017 U16 Men’s AmeriCup champion.
Mathias was a member of the 2021 USA Men’s Select Team, training alongside the 2020 USA Men’s National Team ahead of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. He has prior qualifying experience from 2021 FIBA Men’s AmeriCup Qualifying Window 3.
Hill’s only prior USA Basketball experience came at the training camp ahead of the 2015 Pan American Games. Jones, Kinsey, Roddy and Taylor will make their USA debuts in Oceanside.
Former NBA head coach Stephen Silas, who led the USA to 2025 AmeriCup bronze in August and coached the USA in the first window of World Cup Qualifying in November, will once again helm the team. Silas also coached 2025 AmeriCup Qualifying Windows 2 and 3. He will be assisted by Patrick Mutombo, who was on staff in August and November, and Marlon Garnett Clay Moser, who served on staff for Window 1.
The USA will hold training camp Feb. 20-25 in Oceanside before tipping off vs. Dominican Republic at 10 p.m. ET Feb. 26 and Mexico at 7 p.m. ET on March 1.
Fans can watch 2027 FIBA Men’s World Cup Qualifying on Courtside 1891. With a free account, USA games will stream free of charge in the United States.
As previously announced, the USA will compete in six World Cup Qualifying windows from November 2025 to March 2027. For more information, click here. In total, 80 national teams will compete for one of 32 berths to the 2027 FIBA Men’s World Cup in Doha, Qatar. In FIBA Americas, 16 teams will play across six windows with seven advancing to the World Cup.
Following Window 1, the USA are 2-0 with a pair of wins over Nicaragua and sit atop Group A with four points. Dominican Republic and Mexico split their pair of games in Window 1. Window 3 will see USA play a pair of road contests in Dominican Republic on July 3 and Mexico on July 6, 2026. Nations will be regrouped for Windows 4-6.
Under the current qualifying format, which dates back to the 2019 FIBA Men’s World Cup, the USA have compiled a 21-5 record and has finished atop their respective group in both 2019 and 2023.
The U.S. are winners of two of the last four FIBA World Cups (2010, 2014).