2026 William Jones Cup
 | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | M: 14–23 August 2026 W: 26–29 August 2026 |
| Host |  Taiwan |
| Venue | 1 |
| Teams | M: 8 W: 6 |
| Website | jonescup |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | M:  Wonju DB Promy (1st title, 3rd title for country)W: TBD |
| 1st runners-up | M:  UC Irvine AnteatersW: TBD |
| 2nd runners-up | M:  Rep. of China BlueW: TBD |
| MVP | M: Rayshaun Hammonds (Wonju DB) |
The 2026 William Jones Cup is the 45th staging of William Jones Cup, an international basketball tournament held in Taiwan.[1][2]
The men's tournament took place from 14 to 23 August 2026 at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City, while the women's tournament will take place on 26 to 29 August 2026.[1]
Strong Group Athletics of the Philippines failed to defend the men's title despite placing second in the group stage due to a rule that gives the host team Republic of China (Chinese Taipei) Blue a direct berth to the semifinals. Korean Basketball League club Wonju DB Promy won the men's tournament defeating American college team UC Irvine Anteaters in the final.[3][4]
Format
At least for the men's tournament, the 2026 William Jones Cup has deviated from the traditional format of hosting a single round robin for all participating teams.[5]
It was confirmed in August 5, 2026, that the eight participating teams was allocated in two groups taking part in a double-round robin.[6] A rest day after third match day or after the first half of the double round robin was introduced.[7] The top two teams from each group in the preliminary round will advance to the semifinals.[6]
However, the host team Republic of China (Chinese Taipei) Blue in Group A is assured of a semifinal berth regardless of its final group standing.[6] The invited teams reportedly only known about the format upon arrival in Taiwan.[8]
On the final match day of the group stage on 20 August, the Chinese Taipei Basketball Association (CTBA) issued an apology with the injury-stricken Blue team at the bottom of the table and Strong Group Athletics (SGA) of the Philippines on the brink of elimination despite being second in the standings pending their final game.[9][10] The CTBA has conceded that SGA were "biggest victim" of the format.[11] The pledged prioritizing inviting the participating teams in future editions of the tournament.[12]
On the same day, CTBA vice chairman Wen Ta-pei contradicted the narrative that SGA only learned about the format mid-tournament. He said that if Tiu was truly unaware of the format, the responsibility lay with the coach rather than the association.[13][14] The following day, the CTBA released a statement detailing its account of the timeline for disseminating the rules, stating that it had conveyed the rules to FIBA on July 29, with the information already including the automatic semifinal berth for the host Blue team of Group A. It added that only Wonju expressed a formal objection.[15]
Men's tournament
Participating teams
| Team | Country | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Japan |
National team[16] | |
 Jordan |
National team[17] | |
 Malaysia |
National team | |
 Strong Group Athletics |
Philippines | Non-league club[18] |
| Republic of China Blue |
Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) | National A team (hosts) |
 Republic of China White (hosts) |
National developmental team (hosts) | |
| Wonju DB Promy |
South Korea | Club team (KBL)[19] |
| UC Irvine Anteaters |
United States | Collegiate team[20] |
Group stage
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | PCT | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wonju DB Promy |
6 | 5 | 1 | 523 | 461 | +62 | .833[a] | Semifinals |
| 2 | Strong Group Athletics |
6 | 5 | 1 | 591 | 507 | +84 | .833[a] | Fifth place game |
| 3 | Japan |
6 | 1 | 5 | 441 | 480 | −39 | .167[b] | Seventh place game |
| 4 | Republic of China Blue (H) |
6 | 1 | 5 | 426 | 533 | −107 | .167[b] | Semifinals[c] |
14 August 13:00 |
| Strong Group Athletics |
79–110 | Wonju DB Promy |
| Scoring by quarter: 15−28, 21−28, 19−27, 24−27 | ||
| Pts: Agee 21 Rebs: Agee 10 Asts: Wright 8 |
Pts: Hammonds 25 Rebs: Hammonds 14 Asts: 3 players 5 | |
14 August 19:30 |
| Japan |
66–70 | Republic of China Blue |
| Scoring by quarter: 8−23, 17−12, 24−17, 17−18 | ||
| Pts: Sung 24 Rebs: Gilbeck 10 Asts: Gilbeck 4 | ||
15 August 15:00 |
| Japan |
72–78 | Strong Group Athletics |
| Scoring by quarter: 21−21, 17−15, 22−19, 12−23 | ||
| Pts: Piñeiro 21 Rebs: Piñeiro 11 Asts: Miller 4 | ||
15 August 19:00 |
| Republic of China Blue |
66–76 | Wonju DB Promy |
| Scoring by quarter: 23−24, 10−19, 18−16, 15−17 | ||
| Pts: Gilbeck 18 Rebs: Gilbeck 8 Asts: Chou 5 |
Pts: Hammonds 26 Rebs: Hammonds 13 Asts: Alvano 7 | |
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | PCT | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UC Irvine Anteaters |
6 | 6 | 0 | 501 | 356 | +145 | 1.000 | Semifinals |
| 2 | Republic of China White |
6 | 3 | 3 | 443 | 472 | −29 | .500 | |
| 3 | Jordan |
6 | 2 | 4 | 414 | 452 | −38 | .333 | Fifth place game |
| 4 | Malaysia |
6 | 1 | 5 | 435 | 513 | −78 | .167 | Seventh place game |
Classification round
7th place game
5th place game
Knockout round
| Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||
| H (A2) | Republic of China Blue
| 71 | |||||||
| B1 | UC Irvine Anteaters
| 96 | |||||||
| B1 | UC Irvine Anteaters
| 78 | |||||||
| A1 | Wonju DB Promy
| 98 | |||||||
| B2 | Republic of China White
| 81 | |||||||
| A1 | Wonju DB Promy
| 102 | Third place | ||||||
| H (A2) | Republic of China Blue
| 78 | |||||||
| B2 | Republic of China White
| 65 | |||||||
Semifinals
Third place game
Final
Awards
| Award | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| All-Tournament Best Five[3] | Ethan Alvano |
Wonju DB Promy |
| Rayshaun Hammonds |
Wonju DB Promy | |
| Josiah Johnson |
UC Irvine Anteaters | |
| Song Xin-Hao |
Republic of China Blue | |
| Kao Kuo-Hao |
Republic of China White | |
| Most Valuable Player[3] | Rayshaun Hammonds |
Wonju DB Promy |
Final standings
| Rank | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
 | Wonju DB Promy | 7–1 |
 | UC Irvine Anteaters | 7–1 |
 | Republic of China Blue | 2–6 |
| 4 | Republic of China White | 3–5 |
| 5 | Strong Group Athletics | 6–1 |
| 6 | Jordan | 2–5 |
| 7 | Japan | 2–5 |
| 8 | Malaysia | 1–6 |
Women's tournament
Participating teams
| Team | Country | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Japan |
National team (2026 Asian Games selection)[22] | |
 Lebanon |
National team | |
| Republic of China Blue |
Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) | National A team (hosts) |
| Republic of China White (hosts) |
National developmental team (hosts) | |
| KB Stars | South Korea | Club team (WKBL)[23] |
 Thailand |
National team | |
Results
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Republic of China White (H) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2 | Republic of China Blue (H) |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 3 | Lebanon |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 4 | Japan |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 5 | KB Stars |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 6 | Thailand |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Note: Partial fixtures
References
- 1 2 "2026威廉瓊斯盃國際籃球邀請賽懶人包》賽程、球員名單、售票資訊". NOW News (in Chinese). 5 August 2026. Retrieved 12 August 2026.
- ↑ Scanlan, Sean (6 August 2026). "William Jones Cup tips off Aug 14 in New Taipei". Taiwan News. Retrieved 12 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 "韓國轟15記三分彈退美奪瓊斯盃冠軍 哈蒙斯獲選大會MVP" [South Korea hit 15 three-pointers to win the Jones Cup. Hammons was selected as the MVP of the tournament]. CNA (in Chinese). 23 August 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
- ↑ "Wonju DB Wins First Jones Cup Title". The Chosun Daily. 24 August 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
- ↑ Suing, Ivan (13 August 2026). "Strong Group seeks strong start". Daily Tribune. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 "瓊斯盃》地主優勢？台灣藍隊直接保底4強引熱議" [Jones Cup: Home Advantage? Taiwan's Blue Team Guaranteed to Reach the Top 4 Sparks Heated Debate]. Liberty Sports (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 5 August 2026. Retrieved 12 August 2026.
- ↑ Xiao Tie (20 August 2026). "瓊斯盃並非沒優點 只是實在被負面表現遮蓋 - 台灣職籃 - 籃球" [The Jones Cup Isn’t Without Its Merits, But They’ve Simply Been Overshadowed by the Negative Aspects]. Sports Vision (in Chinese). TNL Mediagene. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ Fuertes, Rommel Jr. (2026-08-19). "SGA-PH Jones Cup title chances stay alive but slim despite Wonju romp". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
- ↑ "瓊斯盃／中華藍墊底「卻保送4強」！恐淘汰第二名菲律賓 籃協道歉" [Jones Cup / China Blue Finishes Last Yet Gets a “Free Pass to the Final Four”! Could Eliminate Second-Place Philippines; Basketball Association Apologizes]. TVBS (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 20 August 2026. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ Chou Wen-Kai (20 August 2026). "瓊斯盃「爐主晉四強」引發熱議 籃協發聲明致歉：將檢討賽程" [Jones Cup: “The Last-Place Team Advances to the Final Four” Sparks Debate; Basketball Association Issues Apology: Will Review the Schedule]. Mirror Daily (in Chinese) – via Yahoo! Taiwan.
- ↑ Badua, Snow (20 August 2026). "SGA 'biggest victim' of new format, Jones Cup organizers admit". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "Taiwan organizer apologizes over Jones Cup format controversy". Taiwan News. 20 August 2026. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ Sugimoto, Ma Isabel (21 August 2026). "CTBA vice chairperson accuses SGA of lying amid Jones Cup controversy". Fastbreak. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
- ↑ Chen Yu-tzu (20 August 2026). "中華藍保送條款引戰！菲教頭吐苦水 籃協硬起來：賽制大家都同意" [China Blue’s Automatic Semifinal Clause Sparks Controversy! Filipino Coach Voices Frustration as Basketball Association Pushes Back: “Everyone Agreed to the Format”]. NOW News (in Chinese). Retrieved 24 August 2026.
- ↑ Huang Chien-lin (21 August 2026). "瓊斯盃賽制羅生門！籃協再發聲明公布時間軸：7月底已通知日韓菲" [Jones Cup Format Mystery Deepens! Basketball Association Issues Another Statement, Releases Timeline: Japan, Korea and Philippines Were Notified by Late July]. NOW News (in Chinese). Retrieved 24 August 2026.
- ↑ "2026年度バスケットボール男子日本代表チーム『第45回ウィリアム・ジョーンズカップ』 直前合宿および大会メンバー発表" [2026 Japan men's national basketball team 『 45th William Jones Cup 』 Last minute training camp and tournament squad announcement] (in Japanese). Japan Basketball Association. 11 August 2026. Retrieved 12 August 2026.
- ↑ "Basketballers Head to Taiwan for William Jones Cup". Jordan Olympic Committee. 11 August 2026. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ Javier, Paige (9 August 2026). "Strong Group-Pilipinas faces 'tough' Jones Cup three-peat bid". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 12 August 2026.
- ↑ "Strong Group-Pilipinas routed by Wonju DB in Jones Cup opener". Philippine Daily Inquirer. 14 August 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
- ↑ "45th Jones Cup Starts August 14 for Men's Basketball". UCI Athletics. Retrieved 12 August 2026.
- ↑ Badua, Snow (19 August 2026). "SGA treble bid in peril despite Jones Cup romp over Korean side". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
- ↑ "2026年度 バスケットボール女子日本代表チーム『第20回 アジア競技大会 (2026/愛知・名古屋)』 第2次および第3次強化合宿招集メンバー発表" [2026 Japan Women's Basketball National Team 『 20th Asian Games (2026/Aichi Nagoya) 』 Announcement of members to be called up for the 2nd and 3rd training camps] (in Japanese). Japan Basketball Association. 19 May 2026. Retrieved 12 August 2026.
- ↑ "【瓊斯盃】名單、新賽制公布女籃卻缺席？ 籃協坦言籌備有疏失" [[Jones Cup] Roster and New Format Announced, But Women's Basketball Team Absent? Basketball Association Admits Oversights in Preparations]. Double Pump (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 5 August 2026.