Carlos Pagan, Jr., is quick to recognize his faith when the Southwest High School rising junior reflects on his latest basketball experience in Austria.
“I want to give all glory to God,” he said. “A lot of kids don’t get this opportunity to go that far and play in the summer like this. It was a great experience. I tried new things, the basketball was different, and it was good to represent Jacksonville, North Carolina and my dad.”
The 16-year-old Pagan, Jr., lived that experience when he recently helped his StudentAthleteWorld United States (SAWUSA) 16U team win the gold medal in the 2025 United World Games in Worthersee, Austria.
The SAWUSA is a program that creates international sports experiences for youth, high school and college athletes to serve as ambassadors for the country, their communities and their sport.
This marked the 21st year of the United World Games, which aims to offer a platform for athletes of many sports to compete on the international stage.
Pagan, Jr., earned the chance to tryout by performing well in a U.S. Select camp in Tennessee in October.
Pagan, Jr., then went through interview and background processes, including his academic evaluation. In the middle of his sophomore season at Southwest, Pagan, Jr., was informed he made the cut before the deal was finalized in January.
“Before the camp, I prayed and I let God handle everything,” Pagan, Jr., said. “I knew if I did not make it, it would be a lesson for me to come back and work harder.”
But Pagan made it, the same time as he was helping Southwest to another strong season.
As the Stallions’ point guard, Pagan, Jr., averaged 8.3 points, 2.6 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.7 steals per game to help Southwest go 24-4 overall, share the East Central Conference regular season title at 11-1 and advance to the fourth round of the NCHSAA playoffs.
“To me, his ability to handle pressure is what makes him a good player,” said father, Carlos Pagan, Sr. “The harder the pressure, the better he plays. He has a knack for the intangibles, leading a team without having to dictate things. He encourages his team, and he’s ok not being the high scorer and including everybody, if it means winning.”
The 5-foot-10 Pagan, Jr., helped the SAWUSA squad win many contests in the United World Games, which was played from June 19-22.
After flying out from Washington, D.C., with his new teammates, Pagan, Jr., arrived in Austria. The team had brief practices and walkthroughs before hitting the court for two exhibition games.
SAWUSA then went 3-0 in group play, won its quarterfinal game and topped PhD Hoops USA of Los Angeles in the semifinal. Pagan, Jr., then helped his team defeat ATSE Graz of Austria 61-38 in the final.
“Once we got to the airport in Washington, we all just hit it off and were talking about what we like to do and which teams for high school and outside of high school we play for,” Pagan, Jr., said. “When we got there, I couldn’t sleep. The time zone was crazy.”
It took Pagan Jr., a while to adjust to the time and being in a new country. He had previously only been out of the United States’ main land to visit Puerto Rico.
“The first exhibition game, I was a little nervous,” Pagan, Jr., said. “We lost that game. We didn’t like to lose it. So we pulled together and went 7-0.”
Pagan, Jr., said he looked to provide leadership, solid defense and his passing skills to the team. He looked to score when needed, but his focus was finding teammates for easy looks.
Pagan, Jr., also got a taste of how different countries play basketball.
“I would say over there, there is a lot more emphasis on the body. They push you around when you cut and when they box out,” Pagan, Jr., said. “We had to match their physicality. We use our hands more and we swipe at the ball and go for more steals.”
Pagan, Sr., agreed that it was a memorable experience, but added how proud he was that his son represented the family and community well.
“I am just impressed with how hard he works and how driven he is,” Pagan, Sr., said. “Being the little brother, he’s always had a chip on his shoulders because his brothers never let him win and toughened him up a little bit.
“When his mom passed away from cancer, he used his focused and his training on basketball as his coping mechanism.”
Pagan, Jr., agreed that his work ethic is a big reason for his success. He doesn’t plan on stopping as he enters his junior year at Southwest.
“A lot of kids don’t get to experience these things. I am grateful God let me do this,” Pagan, Jr., said. “Being able to be on a team and be a leader, it boosted my confidence going into the next year.”