U18 FIBA Americas in Ontario

[Hair Canada]

The tournament is coming to Canada this year (starting this Sunday) and will be hosted in St. Catharines, giving Canadian basketball fans a good reason to get excited about it and maybe go watch some games. Hopefully, we’ll see more big international basketball tournaments coming to Canada in the future.

In terms of the competition system and specifically securing a spot in next year’s U19 world championship, things are a bit different than in previous years. In the past, it was enough to finish in the top 2 in your preliminary group (which Canada had no trouble doing) to get to the semi-finals and secure the spot. This year, there’s an additional stage – quarter finals on the fifth day of the competition (following a day of rest), in which all 8 teams in the tournament will participate. This means that this would effectively be the most important day of the competition. One bad game might mean that you are out of the WC next year. It’s still unlikely that Canada doesn’t make it, but it does increase the risk a bit.

In this post, I first review the other teams and then the Canadian roster, trying to assess our chances and some of the future prospects on this team.

THE COMPETITION

Similar to the last few tournaments, it seems like there are three distinct levels in this championship: (1) The US, (2) Canada, and (3) the other teams. But without RJ Barrett, I think there’s a higher chance that one of the other teams will beat Canada than for Canada to pull up an upset over the US.

Interestingly, Canada is in the South American group and the US plays with the Central American one. The Canadian group includes Chile, Argentina, and Ecuador. Chile and Ecuador are not usually considered basketball powerhouses, to say the least, while Argentina is a bigger name, but has been quite mediocre in recent years, following the demise of its golden generation. However, this year Chile seems to be our strongest rival. It won last year’s South American championship, led by 18.5yo 6’1 PG Ignacio Varela, who had 16 points, 6.6 assists and 6.6 rebounds a game, 18.5yo 6’10 center, Maxwell Lloyd, who had 14 points and 13 rebounds, and 5 (!) blocked shots, and 6’2 SG Kevin Romero, who was the championship leading scorer with 16.5 points a game. With both size and a good PG, they might pose the greatest challenge to the Canadian team in the group stage. Argentina tends to play team-oriented basketball, and so does Ecuador, with none of the players on either team scoring more than 13 points a game last summer.

On the other side of the draw, The Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Panama seem to all be pretty much at the same level (tight games at last year’s U17 Centrobasket in the Dominican Republic). All three teams seem to have strong inside presence, and might be able to challenge the relatively thin Canadian frontcourt if we meet them in the Semis. For Panama, it’s Ricardo Martinez, who had 22.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 4 blocks in last year’s championship. For Puerto Rico it’s Jorge Torres, who had 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks. And for the Dominican Rep it’s the undersized (6’7) but strong and skilled PF Alanzo Frink, who posted 18.2 points and 8.5 rebounds a game.

Finally, the United States, as usual, is on whole other sphere. Apart from Nembhard, and maybe Patterson and Lawson, I would probably gladly trade any of our players for one of theirs. In particular, I was impressed with Cole Anthony, an explosive 6’3 CG who can score in bunches (led the Nike D1 circuit this year with 27 points and 7.5 rebounds a game). Other potential team leaders are combo guards Quentin Grimes (6’5) and Tyrese Maxey (6’3), SF Scottie Lewis (6’5), and PF Matthew Hurt (6’9), all clear NBA potentials. But the American teams also usually enjoy roster depth that the other teams just can’t cope with, so again it would be a huge surprise if they lose one of their games.


TEAM CANADA

As for the Canadian team, apart from Barrett, this is probably the most talented team that Canada can put up. But this group (mostly class of 2019) just doesn’t have the star power and current level of production possessed by the one-year-older 2018 class. Nembhard is excellent, but more of a facilitator, and while there are a few long-term potentials (mainly Patterson, Lawson, and Samuel), no one, perhaps with the exception of the younger Patterson, is currently showing the consistent production levels that Canadian players like Shi-ttu, Brazdeikis, Dort, and of course Barrett showed against American AAU competition at the same time last year.

Still, this roster, especially on home court, should probably be good enough against any team other than the US, and should be able to win the silver medal and secure a spot at the U19 world championship next year.

Here’s a review of the 12 players on the roster. Some I’ve written about before (viewtopic.php?f=32&t=1644140), so I’ll try not to be repetitive.

GUARDS

Andrew Nembhard (6’4 PG; class of 2018) – Nembhard, the only 2018 player on this team, is also the most well-known and highly touted of the bunch, and for a good reason. Played alongside Barrett in Montverde Academy over the last two years, and had a major role in the national high school championship and their fantastic perfect 35-0 season. A pass-first PG, who’s a bit limited in terms of creating his own shot at the highest level. In this coming championship though, I expect him to take a bit more of an active role in scoring, as he is perhaps the most talented and certainly the most ready and experienced player on the team (already has two campaigns with the national team under his belt, having played with the U16 and U17 teams). Not a great athlete, although he’s improved this aspect of his game quite a lot over the last two years. Also a decent shooter, but most importantly, just a great passer and a very confident ball handler, which is a great asset for any team at this age group. Also a very good defender, which reads plays very well and steals the ball at a high rate. Was really fantastic in the last few games of the season, particularly at the Dick National’s and the Signature All Star Canadian game, where he dished around 15 beautiful assists and was at a different level, alongside Barrett. Was not as impressive playing for the World team at the Nike Hoop Summit, but it still looks like he’s a much improved and more complete and assertive player than he used to be.

Joel Brown (6’2 PG; class of 2019). Should be the backup PG for this team. Like Nembhard, he’s a pass-first PG, but not as gifted of a passer as Nembhard is and doesn’t control the tempo of the game as well (can play a bit rushed at times). On the plus side, he’s a bit more athletic and quicker than Nembhard and he’s also a really fantastic ball handler, who really has the ball on a string (Nembhard’s dribble can be a bit high). It’s fun to watch him play. His speed and handle help him get to the basket and break down defenders, although he still doesn’t always finish with enough creativity and efficiency around the rim. His biggest vice, which will prevent him from reaching the highest levels unless he can really turn things around, is his shooting. At this point, he’s just a non-shooter. Rarely takes an outside shots and even less frequently hits them. Even without this, he’s managed to have a very positive AAU summer with CIA Bounce, scoring 15, dishing 5 and grabbing 5 boards a game. Should get quite a few minutes in the tournament behind Nembhard and maybe sometimes alongside him.

AJ Lawson (6’7 CG; class of 2018). Lawson recently decided to reclassify and is now looking for the best college fit. Not an optimal decision in my view, as I don’t think he’s physically ready (and maybe also not mentally). There’s no doubt about Lawson’s talent and potential (if all goes well, he’ll make it to the NBA). In every game I’ve seen him play (probably around 50 of them), he’s shown flashes that make you jump out of your sit. But at the same time, his game is also very inconsistent and young. He’s got a very good handle for his height and long strides, making him explosive in the open court. But he still often loses the ball in traffic. Can finish easily above the rim, but often fails to do it with even the slightest contact, due to his slim physicality. You can also see the potential for a nice 3-ball shot, including a beautiful step-back, but he just doesn’t shoot it with any consistency and often misses by a lot. His passing also shows nice flashes, but like the other aspects of his game, it’s inconsistent and often goes off-target. In short, I know he’s highly regarded and was considered the best potential in the class of 2019 before reclassifying. Many expect him to have a coming-out tournament here. But I don’t think he’s quite ready to take a star role. He’ll probably have a couple of very good game, but I’d be surprised if he shows consistent and efficient scoring and decision making. Hope I’m wrong about this.

Addison Patterson (6’7 CG; class of 2020). The youngest player on this team, but I think there’s actually a decent chance he’ll end up as Canada’s leading scorer. I’ve been somewhat hard on Patterson in the past. He’s quite a frustrating prospect. His talent level is unquestionable and he’s one of the more fun players to watch among our young guns. But his attitude on the court can be infuriating. I won’t add more on this (the link below gives more details on that). I will say though that he has hopefully turned a page this summer. Playing with CIA Bounce at Nike’s EYBL, he’s been great, scoring more than 20 points a game and even showing signs of an improved jump shot and 3-ball. To put this in context, Lawson, Emmanuel Miller, and Tyrese Samuel, the best players on Canada’s other AAU team (UPlay), scored 12, 11, and 7 points a game respectively in 4 sessions (16 games). So it seems like Patterson might actually be our best scorer. From what I’ve seen from him before, he also has excellent vision and can be a very good passer when surrounded by enough talent and motivated to make the extra pass. He can definitely play lead guard for some stretches if needed. Let’s hope that the fact he is a year younger will mean his attitude is in check and he plays team basketball on both ends of the floor.

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=1644482&p=60956369#p60956369

Jahcobi Neath (6’3 CG; class of 2019). A really nice player. More of a shooting guard than a PG at this stage, but can certainly also help leading the ball. An excellent athlete (probably the most explosive among the guards on this team), who finished above the rim with ease (including alley-oops). A good shooter and slasher, with some creativity on his finishes. Also has good vision and passing, allowing him to create for others. Very talented, but sometimes seems to take plays off and doesn’t always play with consistent motor and intensity. When he’s fully engaged and in rhythm, he’s clearly a high-major talent and can be very efficient coming off the bench for this Canada team.

Connor Vreeken (6’4 SG; class of 2019). For me, he’s the biggest surprise on this final roster. A relatively unknown player, certainly when compared to players like Tre Edwards, who didn’t make it to the final roster. I’ve mainly watched him play for Team Ontario during last summer’s U17 Canada Games, where he didn’t really stand out. Vreeken is a very good shooter, probably the best on this team. He plays within the system and doesn’t demand the ball, but I haven’t seen him do anything else especially well. Unless he’s made huge strides since, I would think that he shouldn’t see too much playing time in the current tournament. But maybe he’ll surprise again, especially if outside shooting becomes an issue (which is another reason I’m a bit puzzled they didn’t also take Tre Edwards).

FORWARDS

Emmanuel Miller (6’7 SF; class of 2019). Should be our opening SF and might see minutes as a four in smaller lineups. Miller is a very good defender. Quick feet, very athletic, and plays with a very good intensity. Doesn’t always play very smart defense, but he is probably still our best defensive stopper. Offensively, he’s a limited player at this point. Not much of an outside shot, restricted mainly to finishing fast breaks and straight-line drives to the basket lacking a degree of finesse in traffic. His finish around the basket could also use significant polish. Still, he’s aggressive and plays with a high motor, which gets him some second chance and hassle baskets. Can also make nice passes, as he showed last year when playing for team Ontario in the Canadian Nationals. Played a secondary role last season for high school powerhouse La Lumiere, but I think he should still be one of our key guys in this tournament.

Tyrese Samuel (6’8 SF/PF; class of 2019). The only non-Ontario player on this team (from QC). One of the more frustrating players on this team. In terms of seer talent, he might have the highest ceiling on this roster. When everything clicks, he looks like a surefire future NBA combo-forward, possessing all the tools for the modern game: athleticism, strength, length (7’1 wingspan), some shooting, and even a decent handle. But he’s very inconsistent and has been very disappointing this summer playing EYBL basketball with UPlay. His energy level and motor fluctuate a lot, both offensively and defensively, and it often looks like he’s just not there mentally. Next year he’s coming back to play in Canada after a couple of years in the States, and will join Orangeville Prep in the OSBA. Hopefully, something clicks so he can tap into his fantastic potential. But right now, I’m not sure how efficient he’ll be in the U18 tournament. He’ll probably start at the 4 and there’s a good chance he’ll have at least one or two good games. But it’s really hard to count on him to play with consistency at this point and he might prove to be a defensive liability despite his great tools if he doesn’t improve his effort level. Still, he’s probably our best option at the 4 and should see some big minutes in this tournament if he can show a good level of effort.

Wheza Panzo (6’6 SG/SF; class of 2019). A forward who plays his high school basketball at Hamilton Heights in Tennessee (where cousins SGA and NAW played until last year). Panzo does many things fairly well, but nothing at an elite level. A pretty good defender, who’s also a decent ball handler, shooter, and passer. Not a scorer though, and tends to blend-in and not really take initiative. Coaches seem to like him quite a lot, so he might get minutes as a defensive guy who doesn’t need the ball in his hands to make a contribution. But personally I think his talent level is somewhat limited and I don’t see him as a future prospect for the Canadian senior team.

Jevonnie Scott (6’7 SF/PF; class of 2019). Had somewhat of a breakout season last year with Athlete Institute in the OSBA. A strong forward who Looks a bit heavy, but has some sneaky athleticism and ball handling skills. When his outside shot was falling, he looked like a legit SF with some next-level game. But he can be quite inconsistent on both ends of the floor, doesn’t always show up in games, and tends to get in foul trouble. Defensively, he’s more of a PF, although his mediocre height and athleticism limit his long-term potential at that position. Not the most talented player on the team, but given the serious shortage in capable big-men, might see some extended minutes playing the 4 and maybe even the 5 at times, as he can put a body on shorter and stronger bigs.

BIGS

Jaden Bediako (6’10 C; Class of 2019). Most likely the starting center for this team. Bediako has made a long way since his last appearances with the Canadian national teams two summers ago (U17 and U18), where he looked so heavy, flat-footed, and clumsy that you had to doubt if he’ll ever be able to actually become a decent basketball player. He now moves much better on the court, blocking shots left and right using his fantastic wingspan (around 7’3 I think) and good timing. He’s also developed some nice offensive moves, relying on his big body and length, including a nice hook shot and even a decent mid-range shot. Jaden is Also a good rebounder, especially offensively. But even with all that, he’ll never be an agile or athletic player and I can’t see him ever getting to the NBA. Can still help team Canada in this tournament quite a bit, as guys with his size and length are few and far in between at this level. But he might have a hard time staying on the court when defending against smaller teams with quick players and good shooters.

Charles Bediako (6’11 C; Class of 2021). Jaden’s brother is the youngest player on the roster. A bit surprising for me that he made it in, not because he is not talented, but mainly because he is two years younger than the competition, and because from what I’ve seen Ben Hendriks is a better player at this point. Charles is also likely to play with the U17 team later this month, so I’m not sure about the need to put the extra burden on him. As for basketball, Charles is quite a different player than his brother. Not nearly as strong and massive, with longer legs and a higher center of gravity. But he’s clearly more mobile, athletic, and adapted to the modern game. Like Jaden, he possesses a long wingspan and is a good shot blocker, but he can also finish alley-oops nicely when he’s set up properly. However, at this point, he’s not nearly as efficient and dominant on the offensive end as Jaden is, and he often looks lost, especially against stronger big men, who just push him out of the paint to areas where he can’t really contribute (he has no mid-range shot, and he’s also not much of a passer). This was certainly the case during last year’s U16 championship, where he was a starter but played limited minutes, and also this year playing for Ridley College in the OSBA. Will probably serve as Jaden’s backup, but I actually think that there’s a good chance we’ll see quite a bit of extra-small-ball minutes, with Samuel or Scott playing the 5 and Miller at the 4.


In sum, this is quite a talented team, especially the guards, but it has no clear alpha-dog and a pretty thin frontcourt, with no one we can really count on to show up consistently. It will probably be enough against most teams, but I think even with home court advantage we have little chance of giving the Americans a real run for their money.

[frumble]

Thanks for the very thorough review.

So Edwards and Hendricks were the most surprising cuts, in your view?

[TooBad]

Tyrese Samuel (6’8 SF/PF; class of 2019). The only non-Ontario player on this team (from QC). One of the more frustrating players on this team. In terms of seer talent, he might have the highest ceiling on this roster. When everything clicks, he looks like a surefire future NBA combo-forward, possessing all the tools for the modern game: athleticism, strength, length (7’1 wingspan), some shooting, and even a decent handle. But he’s very inconsistent and has been very disappointing this summer playing EYBL basketball with UPlay. His energy level and motor fluctuate a lot, both offensively and defensively, and it often looks like he’s just not there mentally. Next year he’s coming back to play in Canada after a couple of years in the States, and will join Orangeville Prep in the OSBA. Hopefully, something clicks so he can tap into his fantastic potential. But right now, I’m not sure how efficient he’ll be in the U18 tournament. He’ll probably start at the 4 and there’s a good chance he’ll have at least one or two good games. But it’s really hard to count on him to play with consistency at this point and he might prove to be a defensive liability despite his great tools if he doesn’t improve his effort level. Still, he’s probably our best option at the 4 and should see some big minutes in this tournament if he can show a good level of effort.

I'm really interested in Samuel. He's been hyped for awhile so I hope he impresses. BTW great write up you put a lot into these posts.

[Zeno]

Thanks for the info. Going Sunday 1st session with the family. Now I can actually know a bit about some of the players.

[aminiaturebuddha]

Nice work as always, Hair!

[Hair Canada]

Thanks for the very thorough review.

So Edwards and Hendricks were the most surprising cuts, in your view?

Yes, I think so. Particularly since this team is short on both consistent outside shooting and inside play, which is exactly what these two bring (respectively). Still, you have to give credit to coaches for what they saw during camp. Maybe Edwards and Hendricks were out of shape, a bit injured (Hendriks has had some injuries lately), or didn't blend in well with the rest of the team.

[mojo13]

Thanks Hair. Great stuff as usual.

The USA teams seems a little weaker than usual, so maybe there is a chance. But probably not.

[Cross-over]

Where can you get tickets?

[Hair Canada]

A comfortable win for Canada over Argentina in the tournament opener, 92-75.

Nembhard was great with 28, 7 and 6. He has great composure and controls the pace perfectly. His mid-range game is really fantastic, creating separation with excellent body control and finishing with jumpers off the dribble or floaters. Not everything fell in, but he was very assertive and took everything the defense was giving him. He had a bit of a hard time finishing at the basket against length and his 3-point shooting needs improvement. Still, at this level, he really separates himself with his game IQ.

Emman Miller was also excellent with 18 and 6. Plenty of hustle and spirit, good defense, and finished quite nicely in the lane. As expected, Canada played small-ball most of the game, with him at the 4 (Samuel was the 5).

AJ Lawson also with a good game -- 18 points and a few timely threes. Looks like he's put on some extra muscle mass, although he still has difficulty finishing with contact.

Patterson through up a monstrous facial over one of the Argentinian bigs, but otherwise didn't look that well. Was rushing shots, didn't share the ball much, and wasn't shooting well.

[CrookedJ]

Awesome thanks for the info. I have tickets for the Gold / Bronze games on Saturday.

Sent from my ASUS Zenfone using RealGM mobile app.

[frumble]

Easy win for Canada over Ecuador today. 115-75

http://www.fiba.basketball/americas/u18/2018/game/1106/Canada-Ecuador#tab=boxscore

Big games for Nembhard, Miller, Patterson, Lawson, and Samuel.

[Hair Canada]

Easy win for Canada over Ecuador today. 115-75

http://www.fiba.basketball/americas/u18/2018/game/1106/Canada-Ecuador#tab=boxscore

Big games for Nembhard, Miller, Patterson, Lawson, and Samuel.

Yes, easy win, and the team looked solid. I agree that the first four you mentioned had very good games. Less so Samuel, who has been quite disappointing in my view, even though I didn't expect that much.

Nembhard with 14 and 9 assists and 3 steals in only 13 minutes is really on another level mentally and today his outside shot was also falling. Lawson continues his nice play, shooting well and showing an improved ability to finish with some contact due to some added muscle. Miller continues to be very efficient on both ends of the floor. He often plays the 4 and holds the position well, but today he was also pushing the ball, creating for teammates, and even hit the occasional 3. Finally, Patterson was the most improved player from yesterday. He started the game with much more of a sharing mentality and had a few nice passes. Then he really took over in the fourth, showing his scorer mentality with a couple of impressive above the rim finishes and nifty penetrations (still no outside or mid-range scoring).

On the flip side, I thought Samuel was again quite mediocre, scoring mostly due to Ecuador's lack of physicality and size. Jaden Bediako has been having a terrible tournament so far. Not only does he miss easy shots left and right and even gets blocked by smaller players, he's also showing very weak defense, getting outrebounded by smaller opponents, unable to contain anyone in the pick and roll and even failing to block well. I've seen him play much better at the end of the high school season, but this tournament really highlights his weaknesses and limited future potential in today's game. Finally, Charles Bediako shows his youth and I'm still not sure why he is on the roster instead of Ben Hendriks. For now, it's really not an issue but when we meet more serious big-guys with some size and mobility, I think both the Bediako brothers will have a hard time coping and we'll be quite undersized.

[aminiaturebuddha]

Easy win for Canada over Ecuador today. 115-75

http://www.fiba.basketball/americas/u18/2018/game/1106/Canada-Ecuador#tab=boxscore

Big games for Nembhard, Miller, Patterson, Lawson, and Samuel.

Yes, easy win, and the team looked solid. I agree that the first four you mentioned had very good games. Less so Samuel, who has been quite disappointing in my view, even though I didn't expect that much.

Nembhard with 14 and 9 assists and 3 steals in only 13 minutes is really on another level mentally and today his outside shot was also falling. Lawson continues his nice play, shooting well and showing an improved ability to finish with some contact due to some added muscle. Miller continues to be very efficient on both ends of the floor. He often plays the 4 and holds the position well, but today he was also pushing the ball, creating for teammates, and even hit the occasional 3. Finally, Patterson was the most improved player from yesterday. He started the game with much more of a sharing mentality and had a few nice passes. Then he really took over in the fourth, showing his scorer mentality with a couple of impressive above the rim finishes and nifty penetrations (still no outside or mid-range scoring).

On the flip side, I thought Samuel was again quite mediocre, scoring mostly due to Ecuador's lack of physicality and size. Jaden Bediako has been having a terrible tournament so far. Not only does he miss easy shots left and right and even gets blocked by smaller players, he's also showing very weak defense, getting outrebounded by smaller opponents, unable to contain anyone in the pick and roll and even failing to block well. I've seen him play much better at the end of the high school season, but this tournament really highlights his weaknesses and limited future potential in today's game. Finally, Charles Bediako shows his youth and I'm still not sure why he is on the roster instead of Ben Hendriks. For now, it's really not an issue but when we meet more serious big-guys with some size and mobility, I think both the Bediako brothers will have a hard time coping and we'll be quite undersized.

I agree with basically all of that, Hair, that's how I saw it as well. For me the two most impressive were Nembhard (who you're right, is just on another level in terms of his feel for the game and BB IQ) and Miller. Miller is at times a bit sloppy, but I love his activity and his ability to play a really diverse role. In a way, he reminds me of seeing Dillon Brooks in this same tournament a few years ago. Not in terms of his style of play necessarily, but more because you can see the effort and enthusiasm he has, and that his game has a lot of room to grow. He seems way more active than I've seen him in other games for Canada in the past (a bigger role definitely helps). Just judging from these past two games, he has a lot more potential than I used to think he had.

Jaden Bediako has been a big disappointment. Even though he's younger and not as polished, I think I prefer his brother. Charles just seems to move better on the court and have better court sense. I'm hoping we'll see more of him on the cadet team to be able to appraise his play better.

[Hair Canada]

Another easy win for Canada today over Chile, 97 to 60. Once again, the difference in athleticism was just too much for the South American team. Nembhard with another highly efficient game, closing the first two quarters with clutch baskets and resting almost the entire second half. Leads the championship in points and assists (second in steals) playing only 23 minutes a game. Miller also continues his strong play, while Patterson with another game where he shared the ball well. AJ Lawson had a hard landing after a fast break dunk five minutes into the game and didn't come back, but it looked like he'll be okay for next game.

In the quarterfinals, on Thursday, Canada meets Panama, which might be the weakest team in the tournament. Any result that is not a blowout will be surprising, so the spot in next year's U19 championship is most likely secure. In the semis, we're likely to meet Puerto Rico (although Chile has the talent to pull an upset), which might be the best non-US/Canada team, but still not supposed to interfere with another classic final. The Americans, meanwhile, continue to crush the competition and will again be the heavy favourites in the finals due to their depth.

A word about the FIBA streams: I have to say I really enjoy these. High-quality videos and the commentators (Ryan Greco and a very competent female commentator whom I didn't recognize) do a really nice and professional work, know their stuff, and avoid the usual pitfalls you often find at this level (Clichés, infantile jokes, embarrassing mistakes, and lack of familiarity with anyone who's not on your team). Kudos to the organizers on a nice production and selection of personnel. Certainly recommended.

[TheFutureMM]

Another easy win for Canada today over Chile, 97 to 60. Once again, the difference in athleticism was just too much for the South American team. Nembhard with another highly efficient game, closing the first two quarters with clutch baskets and resting almost the entire second half. Leads the championship in points and assists (second in steals) playing only 23 minutes a game. Miller also continues his strong play, while Patterson with another game where he shared the ball well. AJ Lawson had a hard landing after a fast break dunk five minutes into the game and didn't come back, but it looked like he'll be okay for next game.

In the quarterfinals, on Thursday, Canada meets Panama, which might be the weakest team in the tournament. Any result that is not a blowout will be surprising, so the spot in next year's U19 championship is most likely secure. In the semis, we're likely to meet Puerto Rico (although Chile has the talent to pull an upset), which might be the best non-US/Canada team, but still not supposed to interfere with another classic final. The Americans, meanwhile, continue to crush the competition and will again be the heavy favourites in the finals due to their depth.

A word about the FIBA streams: I have to say I really enjoy these. High-quality videos and the commentators (Ryan Greco and a very competent female commentator whom I didn't recognize) do a really nice and professional work, know their stuff, and avoid the usual pitfalls you often find at this level (Clichés, infantile jokes, embarrassing mistakes, and lack of familiarity with anyone who's not on your team). Kudos to the organizers on a nice production and selection of personnel. Certainly recommended.

Great write-up as always Hair. Two quick questions for you...

1) Canada and America look far and away the best two teams in this tournament. How big is the gap between the 2 of them though? Should I expect a repeat of the 2016 U18 final or is it closer to the U16 final last year?

2) How many U18 teams could USA field before we became the favorite with our existing team? 5, 10?

[TooBad]

Another easy win for Canada today over Chile, 97 to 60. Once again, the difference in athleticism was just too much for the South American team. Nembhard with another highly efficient game, closing the first two quarters with clutch baskets and resting almost the entire second half. Leads the championship in points and assists (second in steals) playing only 23 minutes a game. Miller also continues his strong play, while Patterson with another game where he shared the ball well. AJ Lawson had a hard landing after a fast break dunk five minutes into the game and didn't come back, but it looked like he'll be okay for next game.

In the quarterfinals, on Thursday, Canada meets Panama, which might be the weakest team in the tournament. Any result that is not a blowout will be surprising, so the spot in next year's U19 championship is most likely secure. In the semis, we're likely to meet Puerto Rico (although Chile has the talent to pull an upset), which might be the best non-US/Canada team, but still not supposed to interfere with another classic final. The Americans, meanwhile, continue to crush the competition and will again be the heavy favourites in the finals due to their depth.

A word about the FIBA streams: I have to say I really enjoy these. High-quality videos and the commentators (Ryan Greco and a very competent female commentator whom I didn't recognize) do a really nice and professional work, know their stuff, and avoid the usual pitfalls you often find at this level (Clichés, infantile jokes, embarrassing mistakes, and lack of familiarity with anyone who's not on your team). Kudos to the organizers on a nice production and selection of personnel. Certainly recommended.

Great write-up as always Hair. Two quick questions for you...

1) Canada and America look far and away the best two teams in this tournament. How big is the gap between the 2 of them though? Should I expect a repeat of the 2016 U18 final or is it closer to the U16 final last year?

2) How many U18 teams could USA field before we became the favorite with our existing team? 5, 10?

Its not that big you can tell by the scores. Canada has home advantage too when they face the US but i'm not sure if that's an advantage or not because it might add pressure.

[Hair Canada]

Another easy win for Canada today over Chile, 97 to 60. Once again, the difference in athleticism was just too much for the South American team. Nembhard with another highly efficient game, closing the first two quarters with clutch baskets and resting almost the entire second half. Leads the championship in points and assists (second in steals) playing only 23 minutes a game. Miller also continues his strong play, while Patterson with another game where he shared the ball well. AJ Lawson had a hard landing after a fast break dunk five minutes into the game and didn't come back, but it looked like he'll be okay for next game.

In the quarterfinals, on Thursday, Canada meets Panama, which might be the weakest team in the tournament. Any result that is not a blowout will be surprising, so the spot in next year's U19 championship is most likely secure. In the semis, we're likely to meet Puerto Rico (although Chile has the talent to pull an upset), which might be the best non-US/Canada team, but still not supposed to interfere with another classic final. The Americans, meanwhile, continue to crush the competition and will again be the heavy favourites in the finals due to their depth.

A word about the FIBA streams: I have to say I really enjoy these. High-quality videos and the commentators (Ryan Greco and a very competent female commentator whom I didn't recognize) do a really nice and professional work, know their stuff, and avoid the usual pitfalls you often find at this level (Clichés, infantile jokes, embarrassing mistakes, and lack of familiarity with anyone who's not on your team). Kudos to the organizers on a nice production and selection of personnel. Certainly recommended.

Great write-up as always Hair. Two quick questions for you...

1) Canada and America look far and away the best two teams in this tournament. How big is the gap between the 2 of them though? Should I expect a repeat of the 2016 U18 final or is it closer to the U16 final last year?

2) How many U18 teams could USA field before we became the favorite with our existing team? 5, 10?

Its not that big you can tell by the scores. Canada has home advantage too when they face the US but i'm not sure if that's an advantage or not because it might add pressure.

Good questions. I don't have a definitive answer, but I suspect the difference is actually still quite large. In a single game, anything can happen, as the semis in last summer's U19 WC show. but I think it would be quite an upset, even at home. How large is the difference? Probably it's not as bad as the U16 finals last year, since there we had a really weak team and the US team was one of the better and more physical ones I remember. But I also don't think it's as close as the U18 matchup from two years ago. We had then Brissett in the middle, but also a couple of tough guards/forwards (SGA, NAW, Wigginton, and Kigab) who looked very mature and were able to give the Americans a good fight for their money. Still, it took some exceptional 3-point shooting from both NAW and Kigab to stay close and the differences in athleticism and physicality were very obvious.

As for the current team, I wrote in the preview that I don't think it's the most talented Canadian recruiting class in recent years without Barrett. To put things in perspective, I think that only Nembhard, Lawson and maybe Miller might be considered top-50 recruits. For the US, the majority of the roster is top-50, and there are also some top-10 and top-20 guys.

As for your second question, looking at AAU competition this year is instructive. Uplay, who play in the Nike EYBL, compete against 39 other teams in this age group, all stacked with mainly American prospects. The Uplay roster includes Lawson, Miller, Samuel, Panzo, and Bediako (+ Tre Edwards, who didn't make it to our final roster). That's 5 out of the 9 main rotation players for Canada in this tournament. How are they doing? Not so well. They are at the bottom half of the competition and even suffered a few blowouts. Now, adding Nembhard and Brown to the mix certainly helps (I don't count Patterson here, because he's a 2020 guy and the Americans only brought 2018/2019 players). Still, that's hardly an equalizer.

Eman Miller is a good case in point. I've watched him in a couple of games last year against top US high school competition and he wasn't able to really excel (wasn't even a starter on his high school team). Ther'es a good chance that this would also be the case if and when we meet the Americans in the finals of this tournament. He looks great against other teams in the tournament due to his combination of motor/activity level, size, and athleticism. But against the US all these would be matched (and even exceeded when he's playing the 4), and he is not skilled enough to be able to make a major offensive impact when hustle and energy points are taken away. The same goes for Samuel and was also true for Brissett against the Americans two years ago. as for the guards, Nembhard and Patterson might still manage to do their thing but I suspect someone like Lawson will have a really hard time against the extra physicality and length.

In short, Barrett last year was the extra factor, and without him, I think it would be a big upset if Canada wins. Then again, I thought the same thing before the U19 semis last year...

[MEDIC]

Addison Patterson was a standout for me at the biosteel game. Long, athletic, excellent motor, decent looking shot. I believe he was the youngest player on the roster, but looked like one of the best players (scored 18).

Nice to see him continuing to bring it for team canada.

[bozothepope]

As for the current team, I wrote in the preview that I don't think it's the most talented Canadian recruiting class in recent years without Barrett. To put things in perspective, I think that only Nembhard, Lawson and maybe Miller might be considered top-50 recruits.

You don't think Addison Patterson is a top 50 recruit in his class?

[bozothepope]

A word about the FIBA streams: I have to say I really enjoy these. High-quality videos and the commentators (Ryan Greco and a very competent female commentator whom I didn't recognize) do a really nice and professional work, know their stuff, and avoid the usual pitfalls you often find at this level (Clichés, infantile jokes, embarrassing mistakes, and lack of familiarity with anyone who's not on your team). Kudos to the organizers on a nice production and selection of personnel. Certainly recommended.

Not sure who Ryan Greco is, but Jason Thom has been calling the Canada games. He does a lot of stuff with the NPH guys and his knowledge is great. Amy Audibert is the other commentator.