A change to the international basketball schedule has forced USA Basketball into going with young rosters for the FIBA World Cup and the organization’s new leadership has done so, loading Team USA with youth, size and defense in an attempt to win back the title.

Grant Hill, running his first major international event as executive director, unveiled his 12-man team Thursday for the World Cup set to take place in August and September in the Philippines, Okinawa and Indonesia. The Americans last won the title in 2014, finishing seventh at the last event in 2019.

The major challengers in the event — namely France, Spain, Serbia and Australia — have size advantages, and Hill and first-time national team coach Steve Kerr made combating that a priority.

That has reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr., 23, of the Grizzlies and defensive ace Walker Kessler, 21, of the Jazz, plus Bucks veteran Bobby Portis, 28, as the centers.

Hill and Kerr secured the commitment of long defensive wings who are effective shooters — Nets teammates Mikal Bridges, 26, and Cameron Johnson, 27 — and bruising perimeter defender Josh Hart, 28, of the Knicks.

It is also imperative in FIBA play that Team USA has big guards, who are a vital weapon with the typical style of play. With that in mind, Team USA has 6-foot-5 Tyrese Haliburton, 23, of the Pacers, 6-foot-5 Austin Reaves, 25, of the Lakers and 6-foot-10 Paolo Banchero, 20, of the Magic as ball handlers.

Jalen Brunson, 26, of the Knicks is just 6-foot-2 but is stout and has excelled in playing FIBA ball, winning MVP of the U-19 World Cup in 2015, and could play a leading role with this team. Haliburton was in the all-tournament team in winning gold at the U-19 World Cup in 2019.

And there also are the scoring specialists: Anthony Edwards, 21, of the Timberwolves and Brandon Ingram, 25, of the Pelicans. It is not a roster full of A-list names that will probably load the roster at the Olympics next summer in Paris, but it’s definitely a well-rounded, up-and-coming group. Between Haliburton, Edwards, Reaves and Johnson, they signed for more than $600 million in new contracts with their teams this summer.

But with the World Cup and the Olympics now played in back-to-back summers — a change FIBA made following the 2014 World Cup so that it wouldn’t be held in the same summer as the FIFA World Cup of soccer — top American players are mostly limiting their participation to one of the competitions, which has opened opportunities for young players.

“We are excited for the challenges ahead and look forward to the opportunity to compete at the 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cup,” Hill said in a statement. “I am confident that working together, and under the leadership of our outstanding coaching staff, this team will proudly represent the United States this summer in Manila.”