Team Canada Breakdown:
Likely Starters
C Matthew Atewe: Big man from Brampton is near 6’10 and well built. Was hurt and missed the second practice I watched. Nolan Shulman, who knows Canadian basketball recruits very well, said he looked solid in the Red/White game and should be the starting pivot. Matt is class of 2013 and played last season at Notre Dame Prep, getting to go up against Steven Adams in practice. Work has apparently paid off and will provide a needed big body for Canada. Here is a good breakdown of Matt’s situation and states he is receiving high major interest:
PF Trey Lyles: Gigantic pick-up for Team Canada, as the Saskatchewan born Lyles decided to forego his U17 try-out invite. Word was he had a very good chance of making that team, as well. Lyles committed to Indiana before playing a HS game and currently resides there. Was not at the May try-outs, but led the White team in scoring in their 56-54 victory over Andrew Wiggins Red team (
http://www.basketball.ca/team-white-beats-team-red-56-54-p150795). Trey is currently rated #7 by ESPN in their 2014 HS Class rankings. He is seen as a solid stretch 4 and should provide some needed rebounding for Canada. USA’s loss is definitely Canada’s gain.
SF Andrew Wiggins: Not much to say about Andrew that has not already been said. He is Canada’s definite go-to guy, with a bright present and brighter future. He was only at the first couple Canadian try-outs with apparent school obligations, but Roy Rana knows what he is getting as he coached him in the Hoop Summit. Roy was excited at the possibility of having Andrew on the team and he will have maybe the most exceptional athlete/player in HS basketball right now. I am sure Andrew is not overlooking his first three opponents, but I know he is dying to play against the US after that Hoop Summit victory. As a 15 year old playing for the U17 team, he scored 20 points against the US in a pretty lopsided loss. Andrew is 17 now and making NBA scouts salivate. It is hard to call anyone a sure thing, but Andrew is certainly close to it and could give Canada the competitive advantage they have desperately been seeking.
SG Xavier Rathan-Mayes: Currently the last 5 star player in the ESPN 2013 rankings and 21st overall, X is a pretty dynamic scoring guard. He has a beautiful shot, strong build and definite personality. He was one of the players that shined in early EYBL sessions for CIA Bounce and also plays at Huntington Prep with Andrew Wiggins. With Ennis being another CIA Bounce teammate and the team finishing with the best regular season EYBL record, this experience should come in handy during the U18 Qualifiers. X can be streaky and does not exactly have ideal size for a 2, but he will make you pay if you leave him open and will play an important role for team Canada.
PG Tyler Ennis: Ennis displayed some clutch ability, making the game winning basket for the White team in the Red/White game. In the try-outs I watched, I would have to say I felt Ennis was the 2nd best player there after Wiggins. He had a great ability to penetrate and is a floor general. He was so adept at using either hand that it took me time to figure out that he was NOT left handed. Ennis claimed Gatorade’s New Jersey State Player of the Year award over Kyle Anderson, which tells you the kid has game. He seems like a great team leader and is currently the 5th ranked PG in ESPN’s 2013 HS rankings. All of the Big East/ACC powers appear to be quite interested in Tyler and he gives Canada a steady hand at PG.
Bench
C Braxston Bunce: The big man from BC played on last year’s Junior Men’s U19 World Championship squad and very well could start at center. A huge body in the post, capable rebounder and having the experience should definitely help. Committed to Cornell, he and Atewe both will know their role for this team.
F Conor Morgan: This kid can stroke, definitely liked him as a role player and was not surprised in the least he made the team. He knows what he is good at and should provide a steady hand at either forward spot. The list of players he made the team over is impressive. Morgan is headed to University of British Columbia, but I believe could have played at a mid-major somewhere. He is 6’8 with long arms (reported 7 foot wing span, he is lanky and long) and he can be a great spot up option. He is versatile, but will probably be used mostly at the 4.
F Denzell Taylor: Taylor showed a lot of hustle and was a name I was glad to see on the list. He plays for St. Benedict’s Prep with Tyler Ennis and is another guy I could see playing either forward slot for this team. Isaiah Watkins, who also plays at St. Benedict’s, was the bigger name between the two, but Taylor seemed to do a lot more of the little things. After going 32-1 this season, St. Benedict’s may very well be one of the top ranked HS squads in the nation and look for Taylor to get a lot more buzz during his senior season. Deserved to be included, very glad Rana picked him.
F Marko Pirovic: Appeared to be more of a PF than either of the above listed players, someone who worked hard and knew his role. Could shoot out to about 15 and was an effective rebounder. I did now know much about him outside of the practices, am unsure of where he is going to school or his college offers, but he has played provincially for Ontario and has had quite a bit of success. Another role player at forward, with a little more ability to play down low offensively than the other forwards.
G Jamal Reynolds: Strong, 6’4 SG who showed an ability to take it into the paint. Very solid in practices and always managed to help his teams get into scrimmages. Not sure what his offer status is, but I expect him to get some decent bench minutes as a back-up scorer. Here is an article about Jamal from North Pole Hoops:
G Duane Notice: Named co-MVP of the 2010 Jordan Brand Classic International Game, Duane has been a big name in Canadian HS basketball before he was even playing St. Mike’s Collegiate (which is a HS, lol). He is a combo guard who seems to be better at playing off of the ball and will probably be Xavier Rathan-Mayes main back-up, a role he is already playing for the CIA Bounce AAU squad. Duane is apparently heading to New Hampshire for his last year of HS and should be on most high major schools radars. Duane had an apparent connection to Syracuse, but I heard that was being re-evaluated due to his grades. Either way, he is a good scoring guard who will play some meaningful minutes for Canada.
G Kaza Keane: The recent Illinois State commit will be Tyler Ennis’ trusty back-up and should play that role to a tee. The first couple of try-out practices, Kaza seemed a tad frustrated and was having some trouble getting going. The last practice I went to, I realized why he is such a highly thought of prospect. He shot lights out, made great decisions on the floor and was a ball hawking defender. Tyler Ennis definitely stood out as the best PG, but Kaza will be a good player to have backing him and should be a steady hand to run the show when Tyler needs a rest.
Players who were left off of the team:
SF/PF Isaiah Watkins: Maybe it was because I was sitting next to his family during every practice, maybe it was his faux-hawk, but I was really rooting for him. Affectionately known as “Zeke” (a la Detroit Piston’s great Isiah Thomas, plus I am sure countless other people named Isaiah as it is usually spelled), he never really got into much of a groove during any of the practices. Isaiah fits the bill and plays solid roles for his HS/AAU Team and I believe is a player whose best is in front of him. Holding major offers from all over the country, he is a really smart kid who I believe could be headed to the Ivy League or possibly Stanford. He has one more year left at St. Benedict’s, with his father saying his goal was to be an All-American. Not sure if it is an attainable goal, but I could see him rising up the HS rankings quite a bit before time is up. Hope he uses this as motivation, but I am guessing he does and improves quite a bit with the possibility of playing on the U19 World Championship squad. Think I am going to watch him play tonight in the All-Canada Classic (which will unfortunately be without the entire roster of the U18 team who are probably headed to Brazil), want to give he and his family a shout out. He had a younger brother who had broken his ankle, but should be a player to look for down the line as well.
Here is Adam Zagoria’s update for additions to what should be a STACKED St. Benedict’s 2012-13 team:
SG Joe De Ciman: He just signed to play at Colorado State and seemed to have a very legit shot at playing on the U18 team. Was aggressive, played good defense and fits what you would want in a wing player. Apparently close to signing in Regina, Joe will be one to definitely follow at the NCAA level. Sure he will take some time, but should eventually play a nice role for Colorado State:
SF/PF MiKyle McIntosh: A strong athlete, though slightly undersized for the PF position which seemed his best fit. Was hurt the first practice I saw and I doubt I ever got to see his best. MiKyle is an intriguing 2013 prospect and one who should garner D1 attention. Played for Christian Faith Center Academy and claims offers from numerous mid/high majors:
