Team USA defeated Canada 90-85 in the bronze medal game on Sunday, ending former Gonzaga forward Kyle Wiltjer’s chances of earning a medal at AmeriCup this year.
Wiltjer had his toughest game of the event, scoring just two points on 1-4 shooting with one rebound and one steal in 18 minutes off the bench.
Former Texas guard Marcus Carr had 16 points to pace the Canadians, while former LSU guard Javonte Smart had 21 for Team USA in the victory.
It’s a tough end to what was an excellent run for Wiltjer representing his home country on the world stage. Wiltjer came into the third-place game averaging 10 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in five games — shooting 66.7% (10-15) on two-pointers and 42.1% (8-19) from deep.
The 6’11 forward — who is playing for Reyer Venezia in Italy — has long represented Canada in international events, first doing so back in 2010 at the FIBA U18 championship, where he averaged just under 20 points in five games.
Wiltjer also appeared for Canada at the 2015 Pan American Games, the 2019 FIBA World Cup, and again in 2023 for the World Cup qualifiers, where he averaged 21.8 points in four games.
Although he was not chosen for the 2024 Olympic Games, Wiltjer remains a steady presence for Canada in international competition — one of many Gonzaga alumni to do so.
Wiltjer’s teammate at Gonzaga, Kevin Pangos, was also his teammate on those 2019 and 2023 FIBA squads alongside Kelly Olynyk, who served as captain for Team Canada in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Mar 22, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Kevin Pangos (4) and forward Kyle Wiltjer (33) celebrate against Iowa Hawkeyes. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Additionally, brothers Andrew and Ryan Nembhard have each represented Canada, with Andrew joining Olynyk on the 2024 Olympic squad. Former Zags center Rob Sacre and guard Mangisto Arop have FIBA experience with Canada as well.
Wiltjer transferred from Kentucky to Gonzaga for the 2014-15 season, averaging 16.8 points and 6.2 rebounds en route to All-American honors while leading the Zags to the Elite Eight. He then became one of a handful of Gonzaga players to average 20+ points in a single season, dropping 20.4 per night in 2015-16 while shooting nearly 44% from three.
Wiltjer was not the only former Zag to leave AmeriCup disappointed. Angel Nuñez, who was teammates with Wiltjer at Gonzaga, was on the Dominican Republic club that lost to Brazil, 94-82, in the quarterfinals. Nuñez averaged 10.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in four games, including a 17-point, eight-rebound performance against Nicaragua to close out the group phase.
Nov 17, 2014; Spokane, WA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Angel Nunez (2) tries to get by Southern Methodist Mustangs forward Ben Moore (00). / James Snook-Imagn Images
Brazil will face Argentina for the gold medal on Sunday at 5:10 PM PT.
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