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Old 05-26-2012, 11:08 AM   #21
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Don't forget the 3 Canadians from Gonzaga.

Kevin Pangos - Starting point guard heading into his sophmore year for the Zags. Leaded the team in scoring, assists, and steals.

Kelly Olynyk - Going into his junior year. Red shirted last year to add strength and muscle. Really good inside player, 7 feet tall and can shoot the ball from the perimeter. From South Kamloops.

Rob Sacre - Got invited to the NBA draft combine and will likely be an early-mid 2nd round pick in the NBA draft. Massive guy at 7 feet 260 pounds. Not very polished on offense but is a terrific post defender, something every NBA team needs an abundance of.
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Old 12-11-2012, 03:57 PM   #22
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Seems like a good time to do an update on this. In regards to the young Canadians who've made the jump, Thompson continues to look solid for Cleveland, but hasn't taken a big step forward this year. Still projects to be a solid double-double sort of guy in the NBA. Kris Joseph and Cory Joseph are both back-and-forth from NBA to d-league. In Cory's case, it's typical of the Spurs that they bring along their young prospects quite slowly. Sacre also got assigned to the Lakers d-league, again not really a surprise.

Kabongo continues to sit out for Texas, as the NCAA investigates some aligations of improper benefits. There's no timetable for his return, and the Longhorns are really struggling without him.
Khem Birch quit on Pittsburgh last year, and will finally be eligible to play for UNLV after Christmas. I don't think anyone really has a sense of where he's going to be at, but needless to say, his long-term prospects have suffered a setback.

Now, the good news: Canada currently has two of the top-three ranked freshmen in the NCAA.

Birch's teammate, UNLV PF Anthony Bennett came into this year as the top-ranked PF in this class, and he has not disappointed. He's averaging 20 pts and 8 rbs with a .548%, in 28 minutes a night. The most impressive thing for him is his consistency... his worst scoring game so far was 16 pts, his worst rebounding game was 6 rbs. That's impressive consistency for a freshman.

The bigger surprise is Nik Stauskas, who's proving to be an exceptional sharpshooter, averaging .605 from 3. It'll be great if he can keep shooting well for the full season.

Some other Canadian freshmen to watch include Negus Webster-Chan, who isn't putting up gaudy numbers, but is playing big minutes for the well-ranked Missouri Tigers. Teammate Stefan Jankovic hasn't had much of a chance to play yet.

7'5 Sim Bhullar is also making his NCAA debut this year, and is more or less matching expectations, scoring at a high efficiency (.632 FG%), but not having the athleticism to stay on the court for more than 20 minutes a night. I had heard that he had gotten his weight down to 330, but I see he's listed at 365 again. That'll be the questionmark about whether he can ever be an NBA player.

Dyshawn Pierre has been inconsistent for Dayton.

Oliver Hanlan has been playing pretty well for Boston College and averaging over 32 minutes.

As for returning Canadians:

Kyle Wiltjer continues to play an important role on Kentucky, though the Wildcats are underperforming expectations this year.

Pangos and Olynyk continue to play well for Gonzaga, both have shown growth but Olynyk has really taken a massive step forward, averaging 14 and 7.

Dwight Powell with Stanford is another guy who's taken a huge step this year, averaging similar 14 and 7 stats (although against lesser competition).

Brady Heslip, who had that great NCAA tournament last year, continues to live and die by the 3, but has only really had it working one game this year.

As for guys not yet in the NCAA:
Wiggins continues to impress. He reclassified to the 2013 draft class, and is still the top-ranked player at that level. His prep-school teammate Xavier Rathan-Mayes is also doing well. Trey Liles continues to be the top-ranked PF in the 2014 class.

Those are all the guys I've got my eyes on... anybody else worth watching out there?


edit: can't believe I forgot to mention Andrew Nicholson, who's doing well in his rookie season with the Magic. He just had a couple games where he had 14 and 19 points. His rebounding numbers aren't what you'd hope for yet, but they'll come up.

another edit: moreso just as a reminder to myself, Keanau Post might be a player worth keeping an eye on. A 7'0 Center, currently he's in junior college, but is being heavily recruited by major NCAA programs for next year.

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Old 12-11-2012, 05:33 PM   #23
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Full list of Canadians playing in the NCAA for the 2012/2013, who knows somebody might spot somebody they have read about somewhere or something. Some guys from Calgary playing too:

http://www.basketball.ca/files/Canad..._2012_13_1.pdf
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Old 12-11-2012, 06:06 PM   #24
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Interesting that there's no note of NBL Canada, an All-Canadian basketball league that started last year with 8 teams. The goal of the league is to enhanace development of players in Canada. I don't know how viable the league is in the long term, but it could help...

http://nblcanada.pointstreaksites.com/view/nblcanada
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Old 12-19-2012, 03:36 PM   #25
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Article from ESPN on Anthony Bennett, and whether he might be the top player in college ball right now. I love this line (when asked about if he checks the stats of other top players):

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"I don't even think about stuff like that," he said. "The only reason I ever look at box scores is to see how my guys from Canada are doing."
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bask...ege-basketball
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Old 01-08-2013, 01:51 PM   #26
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With Sacre making his first NBA start tonight, under somewhat dubious circumstances, here's a couple other notes:

Kris Joseph was waived by the Celtics. He's been playing pretty well in the d-league, and is probably more a reflection of the roster and salary flexibility the Celts want, rather than a judgement on Joseph. Wouldn't be surprised to see him get offered a 10-day contract by another team this year.

NCAA is pretty-much all good news. Bennett still playing like a top-10 draft pick; Stauskas continues to shoot well; Wiltjer finally looks good, mostly thanks to his 3-point shooting; Pangos and Olynyk have had some huge games; Birch has hade big games and useless games, not surprising for a guy still working his way back into the game after a year off; Bhullar's scoring at a fantastic percentage (that's what happens when you can dunk on your tip-toes) and best of all, his minutes are increasing.
Only bad news is that Kabongo will miss another month due to violations. Tough decision for him now, whether or not to declare for the draft this year.
Also, I had a note about junior college center Keanau Post, who's just committed to Missouri for next year. That'll likely give Missouri three Canadians next year, along with Webster-Chan and Jankovic.
Xavier Rathan-Mayes has committed to Florida State for next year, and there have been rumours that FSU is also in the lead for his buddy and prep-school teammate, Andrew Wiggins. Tyler Ennis signed with Syracuse.
Lyles decommitted from Indiana (2014 class), and remains uncommitted.

So, here's a little look ahead to the 2016 Olympics... my very preliminary 2016 Olympic team depth-chart, with 2016 ages of the players in brackets.

C: Anthony (34), Sacre (27), Olynyk (25), Birch (23), Bhullar (22)
PF: Thompson (25), Bennett (23), Nicholson(27), Lyles (21), Wiltjer (23)
SF: Wiggins (22), K. Joseph (27)
SG: Stauskas (23), Rathan-Mayes (22), Rautins, (27)
PG: Pangos (23), Kabongo (24), C. Joseph (25), Ennis (22)

The obvious strengths of the roster are youth, top end talent (Wiggins), and depth at PF. Big weakness is inexperience, both at the international game and overall. Their strength at power-forward could help overcome a lack of depth at SF and a lack of top skill at C. In those five guys, they've got pretty-much every style of PF you could want.

This chart assumes a couple things: most importantly, that the team actually qualifies for Rio, and secondly, that the majority of the guys commit to the national program. In addition to this, there could also be some guys not yet really on the radar, or some guys from Europe who have played for the national program before who are brought in for experience. A couple proposed changes to the Olympic tournament are expanding the field from 12 to 16 teams, changing the 3-point line to NBA distance, and possibly even adding a 3-on-3 tournament. None of these changes have been confirmed or rejected by the IOC, though FIBA did reject a proposal to make the Olympic tournament a 23-and-under event (which would have made Canada an instant medal-contender).

The important upcoming tournaments are:
Summer of 2013: U19 World Championship, Prague. I believe Wiggins, Rathan-Mayes, and Lyles will all still be eligible. Hopefully all three show up, which would make Canada a strong medal contender.
Late Summer of 2013: FIBA Americas, Venezuela.
Summer of 2014: FIBA World Championship, Spain. Good chance to see who's committing to the national program.
Early Summer of 2015: Pan Am Games, Toronto. Irrelevant tournament in the grand scheme of things, but it would be great if they had a good turn-out infront of a home crowd, and used it as a warm-up for the Americas Championship.
Summer of 2015: FIBA Americas Championship. The first real chance to qualify for a spot in Rio.
Early Summer of 2016: Olympic qualifying tournament. Last chance to get in, if they miss at the Americas. For 2012, they missed even making the qualifying tournament.
Late Summer of 2016: Olympics, Rio de Janiero. Given the national team's historic struggles and the inexperience of this young group, I'm not expecting a medal, but I expect them to be competitive against nearly everyone except the US. Really, I think it'll be 2020 where we start to have a realistic shot at a medal, but this 2016 will still be a massive stepping stone for the national program.

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Old 01-16-2013, 11:41 AM   #27
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Good short documentary on the Canadians at Huntington Prep, particularly Wiggins and Rathan-Mayes. Really shows why many of the top Canadian players are going through the US prep system rather than staying in Canadian high school. Obviously the exposure they get is great, but also that they are playing in such hostile environments, taking everyone's best shot is great preparation for the sort of competitiveness they need.
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Old 02-07-2013, 06:00 PM   #28
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SI article on Wiggins -- named "Michael Jordan of Canada": http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/col...3_a7&eref=sihp
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Old 02-16-2013, 04:41 PM   #29
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The Zags just beat San Fransisco... Kelly Olynyk looked pretty impressive. He runs the court, can put the ball on the floor and rebounds.
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Old 02-16-2013, 04:51 PM   #30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tvp2003 View Post
SI article on Wiggins -- named "Michael Jordan of Canada": http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/col...3_a7&eref=sihp
after the article where Thamel said there were 'warning signs' about him and suggested his recruitment might be a bit dirty and he's lazy....

24/28 for 57 points

really excited to watch him in college next year
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Old 02-17-2013, 02:43 PM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Plett25 View Post
The Zags just beat San Fransisco... Kelly Olynyk looked pretty impressive. He runs the court, can put the ball on the floor and rebounds.
Yeah, he's really climbed up the draft rankings, I've seen him as ranked as high as 15-20 range, after not being on anybody's rankings to start the season. Given that stretch bigs are an increasingly sought-after commodity in the NBA, I think a lot of teams will take a serious look at him. It's easy to imagine a team using him as a floor-spacer who can still post-up and rebound when necessary. I don't think he's got a super-high upside, but he could be effective within the right role.

Depending on whether Kabongo finishes the season strong and declares for the draft this year, that could give Canada three first-rounders.

I'm also starting to get excited about Bhullar's upside. He's finally blocking and rebounding like you'd expect a 7'5 footer to do, he's staying on the court for 30 minutes a night (conditioning was always the big concern with him), and his team is winning (admittedly, in the very weak WAC). He had a game a couple weeks ago where he racked up something like 18 points, 17 rebounds, and 5 blocks, becoming the first NCAA freshman in a few years to put up those numbers. A couple years of polish and he'll be a really nice prospect.
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Old 02-17-2013, 06:46 PM   #32
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You can watch Andrew Wiggins' big brother right now if you have ESPNU. My Shockers are on the road at Illinois State and down early. Wiggins should see 10-15 minutes.


Quick 3 and a beautiful assist by Wiggins to bring the Shocks to within 6 late in the first half.
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Old 02-18-2013, 02:11 PM   #33
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A good column done on Andrew Wiggins by Bruce Arthur.

Quote:
“Is there anything you wish people knew about you, Andrew?” asked a reporter.

“That I’m only 17,” he replied, with a grin that made him look younger.

Do you think it’s easy for people to forget that?

“Yeah, yeah,” he said.
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For all the commodification of Andrew Wiggins, he is still charmingly unpolished off the court, all matter-of-fact. When asked if the attention is too much, he says, “Not really. It’s part of being an elite player, you get attention.” When asked what being an elite player means to him, he says, “Producing every game, entertaining the fans, and just being a hero, or role model to kids, to be able to hold your own ground against others.” When asked if he is ready for everything that comes with becoming an elite player, he says, “yeah.” When asked if he wants to be an elite player, he nods. “Mm-hm,” he murmurs.
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He says Kevin Durant is his favourite player now because “KD’s 6-10, he’s unstoppable. And KD’s humble, just like me.” When asked what home-cooked meal he missed most while playing away from home in West Virginia, he says, “Rice and peas.”
Quote:
“Andrew understands all of that, but he just wants to be like Kevin Durant and LeBron [James],” says Mitchell, who says his son has received in-person advice from James, Durant, and Michael Jordan. “He wants just to play. And he’s a good boy. He understands all the pitfalls, and [Andrew, himself, and Andrew's mother Marita Payne-Wiggins, the former track star] talk about everything parents should talk about. And he listens. But he has the same friends he had that he had in junior high school. I have no worries with Andrew.

Quote:
Wiggins shrugs. “Yeah, but I was raised well, so I know how to handle a lot of stuff.” Left unsaid is the reality: this is his life.

As Wiggins wanders down a hallway, Canada Basketball’s Rowan Barrett watches him go. “If there was one guy you wanted in that position,” Barrett says, “it would be him.” The kid signs as he walks, poses for another picture, signs again, and the whole time he is handing out scraps of hope that people can take home, where they can wait and see if he comes true.
http://sports.nationalpost.com/2013/...ins-shoulders/
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Old 02-18-2013, 03:24 PM   #34
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Quote:
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SI article on Wiggins -- named "Michael Jordan of Canada": http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/col...3_a7&eref=sihp
I wonder if his parents were fans of the book Ender's Game.
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Old 02-19-2013, 03:34 PM   #35
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In addition to Wiggins who is hopefully Canadian Basketball Jesus I think we have good talent at all other spots for a potential 2016 team. Sacre and Olynyk will be the two main dudes at center and hopefully they'll both have a couple of years in the Association by that point. Pangos is a stud for Gonzaga running the point, mature beyond years and with tutelage from Nash he should be serviceable. At this point the weakest link is Stauskas at SG, who's still relatively solid, balls hard for Michigan and can drain threes. I can't envision us not qualifying for Rio, especially now that Rautins is out on his ass and Nash is in control of the program.
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Old 02-19-2013, 05:12 PM   #36
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Very true about SG being the weak spot at this point. Though it's very possible that someone not currently in the running emerges, like Hanlan (Boston College), Webster-Chan (Missouri), Rivard (Harvard), or that someone else playing internationally (like Devoe Joseph, currently in Ukraine) slots into the lineup.

Or, if Wiggins turns out to be a versatile and talented as he projects, they could play a big lineup that slides him over to SG, and one of the versatile PFs at SF. A lineup like Pangos/Wiggins/Bennett/Thompson/Olynk would be sort of crazy but could also be a matchup hell for a lot of international teams, with its combination of size, athleticism, and outside shooting. Maybe not the US, but for some teams, anyway.
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Old 02-27-2013, 06:02 PM   #37
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Andrew Wiggins was named the "Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award" (Given annually by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to high school basketball's top male and female player of their school year) the other day. Past winners include the likes of, Kevin Love, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Jason Kidd.
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Old 02-27-2013, 06:17 PM   #38
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I just hope that players like...Tristan Thompson, Cory Joseph, Myck Kabongo, and Andrew Wiggins end up actually playing for Canada when the Olympic qualifying rolls around.
Canada has just been full of dissapointment with some of their best NBA players in the recent past turning their back on representing Canada to qualify.
I hope these guys can change that. Could be an outstanding group that represent Canada in the Olympics.

I think Wiggins is going to be a 1 and done in the NCAA going straight to the NBA like D.Rose did. Best guess is he goes to Kentucky?
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Old 02-27-2013, 06:30 PM   #39
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When you look at the who' who list of past Naismith Award winners its hard to not believe that Wiggins could be something special in the NBA down the road.

I'm not sure but I think he is the first Canadian.
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Old 02-27-2013, 06:34 PM   #40
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Those are two different awards.

I think he is supposedly going to Florida St. or Kansas most likely.
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