NCAA Canadian Watch List 2020-21

[Hair Canada]

Addison Patterson and Cashius McNeilly were considered a few years ago the clear two best players in the class of 2020. They since reclassed to 2019 and had a rocky start to their college careers. Neither of them will be playing competitive basketball this year. Patterson transferred from Oregon to Nevada and will sit a year out. McNeilly will be a redshirt freshman for the second year in a row. Last year he was saddled by a leg injury and this year he decided to stay out due to COVID concerns. Both are expected to be back next year.

[Hair Canada]

What a night for our college guys. Hard to decide who was best.

I'd probably go with Emmanuel miller, who came off the bench for Texas A&M in his first game this year and finished with 23 points (career high) and 10. The highlihgt though: 15 of 16 from the line. And that's for a player who shot 61% from the stripe last year. Fantastic fighter and a guy of intangibles. If he can just get 3-pointers to fall at a decent rate (let's start with over 30% for the year...)

Nembhard also with one of his best college career performances. 19 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds coming off the bench for Gonzaga. Really took over after Jalen Suggs got hurt and stayed aggressive even when Suggs came back. When he's this aggressive, the passing lanes also open up. Hope to see consistency.

Josh Primo, after 5 and 0 in his first two has been much better yesterday (11 points) and today (15). The 3-pointers are falling and it seems like he's adjusting to the different level of physicality and size.

O-Max, after two scoreless games, also showed up today. Started for Clemson and finished with 11 points and 5 rebounds. Wonder if that's going to continue after hardly seeing minutes in the first two games.

[Hair Canada]

What a night for our college guys. Hard to decide who was best.

I'd probably go with Emmanuel miller, who came off the bench for Texas A&M in his first game this year and finished with 23 points (career high) and 10. The highlihgt though: 15 of 16 from the line. And that's for a player who shot 61% from the stripe last year. Fantastic fighter and a guy of intangibles. If he can just get 3-pointers to fall at a decent rate (let's start with over 30% for the year...)

Nembhard also with one of his best college career performances. 19 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds coming off the bench for Gonzaga. Really took over after Jalen Suggs got hurt and stayed aggressive even when Suggs came back. When he's this aggressive, the passing lanes also open up. Hope to see consistency.

Josh Primo, after 5 and 0 in his first two has been much better yesterday (11 points) and today (15). The 3-pointers are falling and it seems like he's adjusting to the different level of physicality and size.

O-Max, after two scoreless games, also showed up today. Started for Clemson and finished with 11 points and 5 rebounds. Wonder if that's going to continue after hardly seeing minutes in the first two games.

Well, I wrote a bit too early. Oregon with a disappointing loss today to Mizzou. But the two Canadian seniors with no less than 53 points (out of 75 for Oregon...). The Oregon guards look really weak and their center, which was considered an NBA talent, is also quite lame. They actually could have used Addi Patterson this year I think.

Eugene Omoruyi with a career-high in his first game as a Duck -- 31 points and 11 rebounds. He was really awesome and the Ducks are going to love having him this year. As I wrote in my preview, not likely an NBA potential (though if he continues to play like this who knows , but a great fighter, a very good defensive player, and has a nose for the ball.

Chris Duarte DOES actually has NBA potential as a 3-and-D. 22 points today with very good shooting, but I thought he was too passive at times, especially since he's the best backcourt player for the Ducks. Should be more aggressive going to the basket and not settle for the outside shooting and passing the ball on.

[Hair Canada]

After Akot and Omoruyi yesterday, today another Canadian shattering his personal record. Sophomore Quincy Guerrier from Montreal with 23 (his previous record was 16) and 13 (equal to his record) for Syracuse in less than 30 minutes of play. And he did it on a nearly-perfect shooting night: 9-10 from the field. Guerrier started the season really well and is putting up Brissett-like numbers so far: 19 points and 13 rebounds per game for the Orange, a respectable high-major team.

You might hear his name hyped in the next few days as another Canadian on his way to the big league.

So how excited am I about this? Actually, not very for now. I mean, I'm happy for him, but not sure it says much about his NBA potential for a couple of reasons. First, the competition so far has been weak (especially today against a seriously undersized team in Niagara). Second, he's an undersized 4 with good though not great athleticism and length, who is just stronger than many of his opponents and is able to bully his way in the paint more than actually rely on skill. I haven't seen any exceptional footwork in the paint or signs of craftiness in his drives. He's also not a very good passer. And though he hit his single 3-pointer today, he hasn't shown signs that he can do that consistently so far. Finally, one of the reasons that he's able to bully opponents in the paint is that although he's a sophomore, he's actually at the age of quite a few seniors (he'll be 22 in a few months). So he doesn't necessarily have another physical or mental jump in him.

In short, I'm certainly glad for Quincy and hope he can continue to dominate (though I doubt it's going to continue against stronger competition). But Brissett was just a better talent (athleticism, defense, handle) and at this point, I just can't really see it happening for Guerrier. Would be happy if he proves me wrong.

[mojo13]

What an oasis of talent this year in the NCAA - especially relative to the desert that was last season. Seems to be a good deal of hype and excitement out there and it gives us allot to watch this year.

However, even after this crazy first week and half I am I wrong thinking there is no obvious NBA talent among the lot of them? Not one we can point to and say that guy is in the league for sure?

But the sheer volume tells me at least someone is going to emerge as a possible 1st rounder in the 2021 draft if they keep up the growth and probably a couple of the upper classmen will slip into the 2nd round or go undrafted and pick up two-ways (the 3rd round of the draft)

The Canadian hype machine (NPH and others) are yelling loudest about Carr and Banton right now claiming they are certain first rounders - but I am far from sold so far, as they both have plenty of flaws.

Nembhard might be coming around. Lawson still too - but both are 2nd rounders at best IMO. Duarte could be a 2nd rounder. Could Omoruyi? Long way to go still....

Primo, Miller, Mathurin, Edey, Guerrier - all them it is still far too early to tell. I wouldn't bet on any single one of them - but I think I'd bet on the field.

Many others not mentioned here that will be very good pros. Seems so deep this year. Is it better than normal? Or was 2018/19 just like this and the crap 2019/20 season is throwing me off?

[Hair Canada]

Watched Boise State game today against a weak oponent. Was curious to see Akot after 2 years outside. He was just okay. Looked a bit slow and didn't really attack the basket, settling for mid-range shots and passing on open 3s. Defensively, showed slow feet and couldn't really stay with the other team's guards. We'll see that's rust or whether it's just who he is. By the way, with all that, he still managed to score 9 points... which is a career-high for him. Just shows how unimpressive he's been in Arizona.

I was actually much more impressed with Kigab, who shot very well and scored 19, mainly on mid-range turnarounds. And he was just fantastic on defense. Great energy and instincts. I wonder if he can become more consistent this year. I've said it before -- he's a player I would gladly take to any of my teams because of all the intangibles. Hope he can find a pro team that appreciates these qualities next year.

[Hair Canada]

What an oasis of talent this year in the NCAA - especially relative to the desert that was last season. Seems to be a good deal of hype and excitement out there and it gives us allot to watch this year.

However, even after this crazy first week and half I am I wrong thinking there is no obvious NBA talent among the lot of them? Not one we can point to and say that guy is in the league for sure?

But the sheer volume tells me at least someone is going to emerge as a possible 1st rounder in the 2021 draft if they keep up the growth and probably a couple of the upper classmen will slip into the 2nd round or go undrafted and pick up two-ways (the 3rd round of the draft)

The Canadian hype machine (NPH and others) are yelling loudest about Carr and Banton right now claiming they are certain first rounders - but I am far from sold so far, as they both have plenty of flaws.

Nembhard might be coming around. Lawson still too - but both are 2nd rounders at best IMO. Duarte could be a 2nd rounder. Could Omoruyi? Long way to go still....

Primo, Miller, Mathurin, Edey, Guerrier - all them it is still far too early to tell. I wouldn't bet on any single one of them - but I think I'd bet on the field.

Many others not mentioned here that will be very good pros. Seems so deep this year. Is it better than normal? Or was 2018/19 just like this and the crap 2019/20 season is throwing me off?

The season certainly started in an interesting way. Somewhat exceeds my expectations, though it's still really early and we'll need to see if these are not statistical aberrations. In some cases (Miller; Omoruyi; Guerrier; Carr) they almost certainly are.

The field is certainly promising. I don't have too much faith in Lawson anymore and wrote what I think about guys like Banton (defense) and Guerrier (offense). Most of the others are also long shots as you note, but it's a good number, so you can hope at least one or two make a jump.

The guy I'm most excited about is clearly Marcus Carr. I really think he's already made the jump and I also can definitely see how he fits in an NBA team, at least as a backup PG. Can hold his ground defensively, and the offense is also good enough. Best chance I think for a first-rounder.

Now, this is certainly not as strong as the 2018-19 college contingency. That class had 6 drafted players (2 of them freshmen) + Dort, who was also a freshman, and Brissett, who got to the league. Other freshmen like Lawson and Nembhard also looked promising and like they would just need another year to be drafted. And then there were ones that somewhat disapointed despite a lot of talent, like Simi, Banton, and Llewellyn. Add to this, guys like Wigginton, Mike, and Omoruyi and you're getting both quality and depth.

So I'm certainly not complaining, but two years ago still feels like something very special that might not see again any time soon.

[Hair Canada]

It's miller time! Emmanuel miller starts the season with two 20-10 games in a row. Today another excellent game: 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 steals. shot 7-8 from the field and 7-9 from the line. Was clearly his team's best player today as well, though he came off the bench both times. Only had one assist, but actually played very unselfishly and made good reads. Could easily have 5 if Texas A&M big man would just put in the point-blank dishes.

All in all, I've always loved him as a player (going back to his Team Canada youth teams days) because of his great energies and intangibles. But so far he's been showing much more than just energy. He actually has a good handle (certainly for the 4 position, where he plays in college) and pretty good drives to the basket. I think the only thing standing between him and being drafted is a passable 3-point shot. Didn't shoot well last year (and that's an understatement) and didn't take a 3-pointer in his first two games. But the way he's shooting his FTs it seems like he has at least decent touch, so maybe it's more a matter of confidence.

[Hair Canada]

Another good night for quite a few of the boys.

Carr had a bad shooting night. At one point, he was something like 1 of 10 from the field. Forced some shots today. But still came up big with 20 points in the second half and overtime. He's really taken a step forward this season, as more than once he's already been able to turn bad starts to decent games.

Zach Edey continues to look good. Today with 15 points in only 14 minutes. Shot 5-5 from the field and 5-6 from the line. Again there's a lot to like because it seems he's only scratching the surface of his potential, as you might expect from someone who's only be playing for 3 years.. Had a hard time today staying out of foul trouble (3 offensives, not sure all justified), but has a soft touch and, as they say, you can't teach size, which he has plenty, along with a good mentality.

Moncreiff with a career high 15 points and a good game. Unfortunately, he remains a complete non-shooter. Doesn't even look at the basket from the perimeter. And mostly limited to power plays in the paint, which will not work against bigger guys.

Jahvon Blair continues to do his thing in Georgetown, scoring 20 a game so far. Should be able to make some money overseas.

[Hair Canada]

And Quincy Guerier also continues to impress. 18 and 5 today, 3-5 from deep. I'll admit I was a sceptic (still am a bit). Last year in 32 games he took 24 3-pointers and hit only 3 (!) of them (that's 12%). This season, in 4 games, he already made 5 threes. It completely opens up his game. He was a fairly good shooter in high school, so let's hope last year was a bleep. With a decent shot he's an interesting combo-forward.

Between Guerrier, Banton, and Miller, the sophomores are showing up nicely. A pleasant surprise.

[Pooh_Jeter]

I know he got limited playing time last year and is sitting out this year, but what are your thoughts on Addison Patterson? I thought he had real NBA potential, but obviously a disappointing start to his collegiate career.

[Hair Canada]

I know he got limited playing time last year and is sitting out this year, but what are your thoughts on Addison Patterson? I thought he had real NBA potential, but obviously a disappointing start to his collegiate career.

Ye, I also am still curious about him. Certainly a talented guy with good size and a nice handle, who can be a lead guard with a coach who trusts him. I actually think he would have gotten many minutes this year at Oregon because they are actually pretty thin in the backcourt. So he may have pulled the transfer gun too quickly. But maybe he didn't quite feel with Dana Altman.

Anyway, is he an NBA prospect? Possibly. But I think eventually it will come down to his shot. He was a pretty bad shooter (almost a non-shooter) in high school. Shot okay last year in Oregon but on a low volume. And was bad from the line. That's clearly his swing skill to become an NBA player and I'm not sure the odds are entirely in his favor.

[Hair Canada]

Watched the game between Portland and Oregon State today.

Ahmed Ali from Toronto is having himself a senior season. 21 points a game. Today he had 26, including the 3-pointer that sealed the game in overtime. Will likely make some money next year overseas.

But Maurice Calloo of Oregon State is the more interesting prospect. He's a 21yo Junior, 6'10, well-built, and pretty skilled. Not a great leaper by any means, but moves well for his size. Most interesting is that he can shoot. So far this season, in 5 games, he's with 8 from 13 from behind the arc (10 points per game). That's obviously not sustainable, but he seems to have a good touch. Today he showed some additional moves, but I think it was a good game for him (18 points). Anyway, someone to keep an eye on this year and the next one.

[Hair Canada]

Overall, our guys are really balling out there to start the season. So far no less than 20 (!) Canadians are scoring 14 or more a game. 6 of them with 20 or more. Again, that's probably not sustainable. But what a difference a year makes. Darling was the only guy who scored above 20 last year. And you could count those who scored 14 or more with one hand...

[mojo13]

Here is a solid stat tracker for Canadians in the NCAA.

http://northpolehoops.com/ncaa-tracker/


Fun start to the season so far.

Hair - dare you make any draft predictions at this point?

I’m starting to see some Twitter rumblings for Banton beyond the hypers and into the people that know what they are talking about. I’m starting to believe in him as a possible first rounder in 2021.

No one else with enough steam yet besides perhaps Carr, but I just don’t see him keeping up this torrid start.

Will be interesting when some of the more credible early mocks come out to see if any of these guys starting showing up. As the season kicked off, I don’t think I saw much beyond Duarte on a couple as a late second.

[mojo13]

Just like that. New ESPN/DraftExpress Top 100 prospect ranking is out. One 1(!) Canadian in the Top 100 with Chris Duarte at 97. It’s early and will certainly change, but this is a little surprising not to see Banton, Carr or others here yet.


https://www.espn.com/nba/draft/bestavailable





Also found SI / Jeremy Woos recent big board of 60.

https://www.si.com/nba/2020/12/08/2021-nba-draft-big-board-top-60-prospects


He at least has Banton at 47 and Duarte at 49.

[Hair Canada]

Here is a solid stat tracker for Canadians in the NCAA.

http://northpolehoops.com/ncaa-tracker/


Fun start to the season so far.

Hair - dare you make any draft predictions at this point?

I’m starting to see some Twitter rumblings for Banton beyond the hypers and into the people that know what they are talking about. I’m starting to believe in him as a possible first rounder in 2021.

No one else with enough steam yet besides perhaps Carr, but I just don’t see him keeping up this torrid start.

Will be interesting when some of the more credible early mocks come out to see if any of these guys starting showing up. As the season kicked off, I don’t think I saw much beyond Duarte on a couple as a late second.

I think it's a bit early for draft predictions. Primo and Mathurin, for example, have been improving game by game, but neither is a starter and really hard to guess how it would look like against conference competition.

The guy I feel most comfortable with at this point is, as I noted before, Marcus Carr. I really think he's playing at another level this year. Worth at least a second-rounder for me.

I get the hype around Banton. The size, the passing, the stocks. Hey, I kind of called it in my preview, so very glad to see him actually putting it together. BUT, I think at the end of the day teams will have to ask "how do we play him"? pretty slow feet on defense and no bulk to absorb contact by bigger guys in the paint. So who does he guard? As I said, this means he'll have to bring something exceptional on offense. And right now he really can't hit the threes. So I think he'll get some hype but at the end of the day, I can't see someone taking a chance on him with a first-round pick, at least until he shows that he can shoot.

Miller and Guerrier also deserve some looks with the way they opened the season. But for both, it's hard for me to believe that they can maintain this level.

In short, I think no one has more than a 50% chance of getting drafted (maybe Carr). But I like the field and also the long-term prospects. I have patience. The streak is already broken, so if it's not this year, let it be the next.

[DreamTeam09]

Here is a solid stat tracker for Canadians in the NCAA.

http://northpolehoops.com/ncaa-tracker/


Fun start to the season so far.

Hair - dare you make any draft predictions at this point?

I’m starting to see some Twitter rumblings for Banton beyond the hypers and into the people that know what they are talking about. I’m starting to believe in him as a possible first rounder in 2021.

No one else with enough steam yet besides perhaps Carr, but I just don’t see him keeping up this torrid start.

Will be interesting when some of the more credible early mocks come out to see if any of these guys starting showing up. As the season kicked off, I don’t think I saw much beyond Duarte on a couple as a late second.

I think it's a bit early for draft predictions. Primo and Mathurin, for example, have been improving game by game, but neither is a starter and really hard to guess how it would look like against conference competition.

The guy I feel most comfortable with at this point is, as I noted before, Marcus Carr. I really think he's playing at another level this year. Worth at least a second-rounder for me.

I get the hype around Banton. The size, the passing, the stocks. Hey, I kind of called it in my preview, so very glad to see him actually putting it together. BUT, I think at the end of the day teams will have to ask "how do we play him"? pretty slow feet on defense and no bulk to absorb contact by bigger guys in the paint. So who does he guard? As I said, this means he'll have to bring something exceptional on offense. And right now he really can't hit the threes. So I think he'll get some hype but at the end of the day, I can't see someone taking a chance on him with a first-round pick, at least until he shows that he can shoot.

Miller and Guerrier also deserve some looks with the way they opened the season. But for both, it's hard for me to believe that they can maintain this level.

In short, I think no one has more than a 50% chance of getting drafted (maybe Carr). But I like the field and also the long-term prospects. I have patience. The streak is already broken, so if it's not this year, let it be the next.

What streak are you talking about? Canadian's being drafted? No canadian was drafted in this draft?

[mojo13]

What streak are you talking about? Canadian's being drafted? No canadian was drafted in this draft?

Correct.


Unless you count Mane and Darling being drafted in the “3rd Round” like I do.




I don’t know Hair - your man Vecenie is starting to get hot on Banton.

Read on Twitter

?s=21


Will be interesting to see where is ends up on his next Big Board.

[Hair Canada]

Yes, I do like Vecenie. And I can certainly see what he and others see in Banton. In fact, I saw it already when he played in high school. You can understand why they are excited when discovering a 6'9 PG who can actually ball and seems to have come out of the blue. But it reminds me a bit of the hype around Nick Claxton a couple of years ago when he played for Georgia two years ago. You see a tall guy (Claxton is even taller at 6'11) who can dribble, pass, and use his length to block some shots and you start fantasizing. At the time, some people had Claxton as a top-10 guy. But then you start to ask how they can actually play in the NBA. Who can they guard? Can they shoot? Can they bang with bigger guys or stay with small fast ones? Claxton eventually dropped to the beginning of the second round and so far hasn't really shown that he belongs in the league, though it's still early.

Anyway, I'd be thrilled if Banton can actually make it. It's never too late to start knocking down these 3s and he does have decent touch so that's not out of the realm of possibility (at least getting it to over 30%). But I just think he was completely unknown, so now he might be a bit overhyped. We'll see. Fingers crossed.