RealGM

It’s the third year that I’m putting together a Canadian watch list for the coming NCAA season and of course nothing is the same this year. It’s going to be a weird season with the Coronavirus. No spectators in the stands, at least to begin with, a shortened schedule (around 25 games per team, not including conference championships and the big dance) and still a lot of uncertainty about how and where the games will take place (some conferences still didn’t post their schedule up). But I’m not complaining. At least it’s looking like we’ll have a season, which was quite doubtful two months ago.

Like last year, the number of Canadians in the NCAA is again breaking previous records, with 158 Canadians that will play in Division 1 next year. And I suspect we haven’t reached the pick quite yet.

As usual, I’ll try to point out 5 players from each cohort (freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors) who might be worth following this year, more or less in order of how promising I think their potential is. As this can get quite lengthy, I’ll divide this into four write-ups, starting today with the freshmen, and then moving gradually through the classes (all in this same thread to prevent overflowing).


FRESHMEN

Last year was an off-year for new Canadian college prospects. There is a good chance that for the first time in 10 years no Canadian will be drafted and almost certainly even if there is one he will not come from the college ranks (I actually predicted as much when writing my review last year). So I’m hoping for a bit of a bounce-back this year.

This year there are still no sure-fire prospects like there were two years ago (ended up with 6 Canadians drafted plus Dort and Brissett who got to the league on two-way contracts). But the depth of this year’s class is quite impressive and there are a couple of freshmen prospects that I’m higher on than I was on those from the class of 2019. It might take more than a year, but we should see at least 2 or 3 of these eventually making it into the NBA.

It’s also a very balanced class in terms of positions. There are a couple of nice lead guards (Primo, Elvis, Tynes and Barthelemy), a few shooting guards (Mathurin, Koulibali, Todd and McNeilly), some lengthy wings (Maxence-Prosper, Moncrieffe, and Ambrose-Hylton), and even a few traditional 7-footers with some potential (Edey, Brown, Tshimamga).

Interestingly, all this is not really reflected in the American composite scouting rankings, where none of the Canadian players in this class is considered a top-50. But I think this time they are missing the mark. Part of it is because many of these top prospects are quite young, having reclassified from 2021 (some are not yet 18yo) and still didn’t have the time to show their development (especially with COVID and the absence of a summer season).

Okay, enough said. Here are my top Canadian prospects from this freshmen class.

1. Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona (18yo; 6’6 SG; 6’8 wingspan; 195lbs; from Montreal, QC). My favorite player from this class comes from Montreal and joins a growing stream of terrific prospects from la belle province in recent years. I think he has what it takes to get to the next level, perhaps even as a one and done. And then he also has the tools to actually succeed there. Mathurin is a very good athlete with an impressive combination of size and strength, which also make him a good defender. He also showed much-improved ball skills over the last two years and has developed a decent shooting form. But these traits are not enough of course to make it in the big league. More than anything, I think he has the right mentality to make it. He’s very competitive and goes after it relentlessly. Loves scoring, but also a willing passer. There is still considerable room for growth, especially in terms of decision-making and further improving the shot and creativity. But whenever I got a chance to watch him play over the last two years I liked what I saw. Arizona this year will be an interesting team without all of its starters from last year. But they have a good recruiting class and should still be competitive.

2. Josh Primo, Alabama (not yet 18yo; 6’6 combo-guard; 6’9 wingspan; 190lbs; from Toronto, QC). One of the more touted prospects out of Canada in recent years. A bit of a late bloomer and also the youngest player to join the NCAA this year, as he’s not yet 18yo. Really impressed scouts at the NBA Basketball Without Borders camp in February 2020, which brought ESPN to mark him as a potential first-round draft selection in 2021. Admittedly, I only saw about 10 full games of him in the last two years because he didn’t play in Canada (though he did play for Team Canada at the 2019 U19 WC and was a pleasant surprise there). And I do agree that there’s much to like there. Compared to how he looked like three years ago, he’s made a gigantic leap (similar to Mathurin). He’s grown in height nicely and improved his ball-handling a lot. The shooting, which has always been his strong suit, has also gotten better and crispier. That said, I don’t think he’s physically ready. Doesn’t have the strongest frame. In addition, Alabama has a really stacked team, especially in the backcourt. So I think Josh might be pushed around a bit and might find it hard to become a starter this year. I see him more as a long-term potential NBA prospect. And given how young he is, this should not be a disappointment.

3. Olivier Maxence-Prosper, Clemson (18yo; 6’8 SF; 7’0 wingspan; 220lbs; from Montreal, QC). Another young prospect from Montreal (Mathurin, Primo, and Maxence-Prosper all reclassified and will be the youngest Canadians in the NCAA next year). O-Max is a lengthy wing who can do a bit of everything. Like Primo and Mathurin, the maturation of his game over the last 3 years has been tremendous. When I first watched him, playing for a talented U15 QC team, he was a skinny boy who could hardly dribble and did more damage than good. Now, he’s a powerful athlete and a potential NBA prospect. O-Max has improved his skills tremendously, developed a decent outside shot, and has really blossomed athletically (huge steps and great mobility). His combination of size, athleticism, and decent skill is perhaps the thing that NBA teams covet the most these days. You can’t have too many big athletic wings. As long as the outside shot continues to come along he has all the tools to succeed.

4. Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe (MAM), Oklahoma State (19.5 yo; 6’7 SF; 7’0 wingspan; 215lbs; from Toronto, ON). Moncrieff is another cousin from the Alexander family (SGA; NAW) but a very different type of player from the other two. Like them, he’s long and a bit skinny. However, unlike them, MAM is a freak athlete with huge steps. Can jump from outside of the paint on one side and finish with an acrobatic reverse layup on the other side of the rim with ease, a la Dr. J. Unfortunately, though, his skill level is nothing close to his NBA cousins. First, He lacks creativity in traffic beyond a decent euro-step and it’s hard for him to create in the half-court despite his athleticism. On top of that, he has a poor shooting touch (which also shows in his weak free throw percentage). Unlike the three guys above him here, he is also closing on 20yo and has shown little improvement in these areas over the last two years. If I had to gamble, these deficiencies might keep him from joining his two cousins in the NBA. That is, unless he’s a really late bloomer because his athleticism and length are still phenomenal and are matched by no Canadian in this class. Oklahoma State will draw plenty of national media attention this year because of the frontrunner for the #1 draft selection in 2021, Cade Cunningham. But I think MAM will need to be really solid to get big minutes and impress scouts.

5. Keon Ambrose-Hylton, Alabama (19yo; 6’8 wing; 7’1 wingspan; 210lbs; from Toronto, QC). What is it with the triple names for Canadian top prospects? Anyway, Keon Played in the US last season, so I didn’t get many chances to watch him. But what I did see I liked quite a bit. A year and a half ago, playing for the Canadian U19 national team, he showed some sparks but also looked very raw and limited, feeding mainly on energy plays in limited minutes. But more lately, he’s started to really improve his perimeter offense, and playing for Nate Oats at Bama, I expect him to make further improvements. If he can get his shot to fall consistently, he has great potential as a 3-and-D, because of his length, good athleticism, and commitment on the defensive end of the floor (already a very good defender). He also has the size to play the 4 at the next level. The Crimson Tide (what a great nickname!) should be the team to watch for Canadian college fans next year with Primo and Ambrose-Hylton and they continue to recruit heavily in Canada with the younger classes as well.


Since it’s a fairly deep class and it’s often hard to predict how players will adjust to the college level, here are 10 other freshmen who might be worth following:

Straight out of high school:

• Javonte Brown, Uconn (18yo; 7’0 Center; 7’5 wingspan; 250lbs; from Toronto, ON). Some see him as the best Canadian big man in this class and you could see why, given the physical tools. He’s big, well built, and very long. Nearly the size of James Weisman. He also just recently turned 18. Now, to be honest, every time I’ve had a chance to watch him play he’s been quite underwhelming. There seems to be something lacking in both his skill and aggressiveness, as he often blends in against lesser competition. Also not very explosive at this point. Still, the potential is there if he can make that mental switch and continues to work hard on his game. Bigs do often develop slower, so he might take a few more years to reach his potential. Uconn will be moving back to the Big East this year, which will make things more interesting.
• Kobe Elvis, DePaul (19.5yo; 6’2 PG 170lbs; from Brampton, ON). First, you have to admit that he has one of the best names in the business. Two of the greatest of all time in their field. But beyond that, I think he was the most skilled, inspiring, and fun-to-watch player in Canada last year. Very creative with the ball and has a very good touch and feel for the game. Unfortunately, I think he’s not big, strong, or athletic enough for the big league and he also doesn’t shoot well enough from behind the arc. Still, I think he’ll be a fun college player and pro. Elvis will play in DePaul with another Canadian, sophomore center Nick Ongenda (6’11), who should get an extended role this year.
• Jefferson Koulibaly, Washington State (19yo; 6’3 CG; 180lbs; from Montreal, QC). Another QC product, Koulibaly had arguably the most impressive season statistically of any high school player who played in Canada last year, with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists per game in the OSBA. From the games I’ve watched, something still seems to be lacking in terms of outside shooting and decision making, but he’s a good athlete and a much-improved playmaker relative to his days with the U16 team Canada and with Orangeville prep. Should have a nice college career and who knows, maybe even more.
• Zach Edey, Purdue (18.5yo; 7’4 C; 7’7 wingspan; 285lbs; from Toronto, ON). A traditional (big) big, who started to play basketball late. Not a great athlete (people his size rarely are) and still learning the game. Ten years ago, a fairly well-built center with these measurements who also shows some talent coming out of Canada would have made for big news. It’s still worth noting today. But the game no longer favors players his size who are not mobile enough. Nevertheless, in a year or two, he might find his footing and become a force in the paint at the NCAA, especially on the defensive end, though I think probably not right away. if he can improve his mobility, shooting, and overall game IQ, maybe there’s even a pro in him. Actually, thinking about it, the Boilermakers did just lose a somewhat similarly-sized big man in Matt Haarms (7’3), who went to Kentucky. So that might open up playing opportunities for Edey already this year.
• Kellen Tynes, Montana State (19.5yo; 6’2 PG with a long wingspan, but only 165lbs; from Halifax, NS). One of my favorite players to watch in Canadian high school over the last couple of years. Led a very undersized Nova Scotia team (their biggest player was 6’4) to both the U15 and U17 titles in the nationals and was the MVP on both events. At first glance, there’s nothing that catches the eye about him. Unimpressive physique, not a great leaper, and doesn’t shoot the ball that well. Also not an exceptional passer. But he’s incredibly savvy, maybe the best I’ve seen at this level at stripping the ball, with long and quick hands. And he’s also fearless and competitive. The king of intangibles. Has a chance for a nice college career, once he adjusts to the differences in size and pace. To become a pro (at almost any level, though there is no NBA potential there), he’ll need to improve the shot considerably, which would be tough but not impossible.
• Coleman Stucke (19.5yo; 6’7 SF; Oakville, ON) AND Jahmil Telfort (19.5yo; 6’7 SF; 220lbs; Boucherville, QC), Northeastern. I decided to put these two Northeastern recruits together. They are joining a growing Canadian Presence in Boston. Four Canadians are currently in Harvard (which unfortunately will not participate in the NCAA this year). And Alex Nwagha (Milton, ON), a center who was a member of the U16 team Canada, will be another freshman at Northeastern. Stucke and Telfort are two quite different players. Stucke has a more refined game, with good penetration a really nice looking shot, and a nose for scoring the ball, but also a limited athletic profile. Telfort is more explosive and powerful and plays with an excellent motor. A bit raw, but showed some sparks of real talent in his high school days. Neither of them has NBA talent, but both could develop into nice pros.

Red-shirted last year, so effectively will be rookies:

• Taryn Todd, Texas Christian (19yo; 6’5 SG; 180lbs; from Vaughan, ON). A good athlete who didn’t look that talented at younger ages but has come along nicely and might turn some heads this year with improved scoring and playmaking abilities. Similar to the next three players on this short list, it would be interesting to see the progress he’s made during nearly two years without official competition. I think he has the highest upside among them.
• Cashius McNeilly, Texas A&M (19.5yo; 6’4 SG; 190lbs; from Toronto, ON). A couple of years ago I thought he was a pretty special talent. Looked like the best prospect on the Canadian U16 team, with sneaky athleticism and a very smooth shot. But he hasn’t progressed according to expectations. Didn’t add height or much strength and looks complacent on both sides of the court all too often. The talent is still there, but I don’t think it’s going to happen for him. Still, interesting to follow.
• Keeshawn Barthelemy, Colorado (20yo; 6’2 SG; 165lbs; from Montreal, QC). Another explosive athlete out of QC via the Athlete Institute, who played his last high school year alongside McNeilly at Thornlea. Has never been a natural PG despite his size and his shooting has also been quite inconsistent. But I’m curious to see the progress he’s made in the year and a half since I last saw him, especially as a lead guard.
• Tre Edwards, Akron (20yo; 6’6 G/F; 190lbs; from Hamilton, ON). A wing with good size and athleticism, as well as a nice shooting stroke. Was never able to quite put it all together in high school (something always seemed missing with the handle, confidence, and motor). But I still think he has the potential to be a good pro player one day.

Great stuff as always.


For anyone new to Hair Canada's stuff - this is the best you are going to find for impartial analysis of Canadian players anywhere on the interwebs.

The national writers are not near close enough to these player to have any accurate assessment. Even if they are going to cover this topic most will regurgitate puff pieces on how how Andrew Wiggins or RJ Barrett was gonna be the next great thing. Coming next we will see the same stuff with Elijah Fisher. Understandable though, as you can't know everything and any coverage is better than none.

The guys closest to these players like North Pole Hoops are pretty much just hype machines claiming they are all NBA prospects - I get it as they are trying to grab attention to Canadian players to get them NCAA offers. But they are clearly too emotionally invested in these guys and don't have much credibility in my books. I kind of put Wes Brown on that level a little bit too, as he sometimes seems too hypey (at least publicly) and just trying to grab attention to Canadian players - but he really knows his stuff and is way, way better than NPH.

I don't know who Hair Canada is - but he (or she) gives great insight on these players that is consistently realistic, insightful and fair. It is gotta be tough being critical on 17/18 year old kids, especially if you know some of them.

Please keep it up.

Agreed, they're the reason why I read this forum. Great insight.

Sent from my SM-G955W using Tapatalk

SOPHOMORES

The sophomore cohort this year is quite uninspiring. Somehow, despite modest expectations last year, just about any of the top prospects from the 2019 high school class still managed to disappoint. If that’s not enough, the most talented of these prospects, Addison Patterson, recently decided to transfer out of Oregon, so he'll likely be sitting out this year before his sophomore season at Nevada. The rest of the names from last year are still on my list, not so much because of what they did but rather because no one else emerged from this cohort. So maybe the only good thing about it is that none of them earned the right to even entertain thoughts about the draft and they are all back for another season, where they will try to improve on the underwhelming first impression.

1. Dalano Banton, Nebraska (21yo 6’9 CG; 6’11 wingspan; 205lbs; from Toronto, ON). Okay, if what I wrote above didn’t convince you that this is an unremarkable Canadian sophomore cohort, the fact that I’m putting Banton as perhaps the highest potential here should. In his only season with Western Kentucky, before transferring to Nebraska, Banton put up a pedestrian stat line: 3.4 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists, shooting 40% from the field, 20% from 3, and 55% from the stripe. So why is he leading this list of sophomores? First, there’s a chance I’m just wrong about him and he won’t end up doing anything special this season. But given the field this year, he’s one of the players that I’m more curious to see.

Two years ago I wrote that I see in him shades of SGA. Like Shai, he’s somewhat of a late-bloomer, who has made some significant strides during his final high school year. Like Shai, not the strongest or most athletic guard you'll find. Also has an underwhelming frame, sporting narrow hips, and thin shoulders. But he’s really long, has long strides, plays with composure and deceptive change of speeds, and able to regularly get to the basket despite lacking an explosive first step. So I think the potential is there with great size for the position (can play lead guard for stretches). Also, in one of the only games I watched him play in Western Kentucky two seasons ago, he was just shy of a TD with 8 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists, in a great win over a strong (ranked #15 at the time) Wisconsin team. So given the field, I’m quite intrigued to see how he can do after two more years of maturation and hopefully with more trust from one of the better coaches in college, Fred Hoiberg.

Of note, another Canadian, Shamiel Stevenson (22.5yo junior SF/PF from Toronto) will also play alongside Banton in Nevada this year. Though he’s technically a junior, in fact, he has only one year of college play under his belt, alongside Marcus Carr in Pittsburgh. When the Pitt coach was fired, Carr transferred right away, but Stevenson made the mistake of starting the season before shutting it down (similar to Emmanuel Akot). So now he’ll be back for two more years after a long two-year hiatus. Hard to know for sure how he will look after all this time out, but he’s an excellent and really powerful athlete (not so tall for a PF at 6’6, but has an intimidating 250 pounds baby-Zion frame). He should be able to put up nice numbers for the Huskers, as well as defend well.

In short, Nebraska is probably going to be bad this year in the Big Ten, but from a Canadian standpoint, it is one of the more interesting programs.

2. Jahcobi Neath, wake Forest (19.5yo; 6’3 combo guard; 200lbs; from Toronto, ON). Although he had a fairly disappointing season, in the last 7 games before the stoppage, Neath got more than 20 minutes a game (only twice before that) and showed real improvement: 10 points, 4.5 assists, and 2.5 rebounds a game, connecting on 5 of his 8 3-point attempts, and shooting 50% from the field. Of note, during this stretch, Wake Forest beat Duke and North Carolina. Now, this sample is way too small and Neath was not impressive the rest of the season (though he did hit 48% of his threes on a small sample). But it does give some hope that with an increased role he might be able to break out this season. He has enough talent to get into draft conversation, though I think it’s borderline and a best-case scenario.

3. Emmanuel Miller, Texas A&M (20yo; 6’7 SF/PF; 210lbs; from Toronto, ON). Miller had arguably the best, or at least the most consistent freshman season of any Canadian last year. He was not great by any means and couldn’t buy a 3-pointer (14%), but his great defense and rebounding ability (6.5 per game) gradually bought him more minutes and in the second part of the season he was able to put up decent numbers, including a couple of 20-points games. Without a huge improvement in shooting (unlikely), we can’t really talk NBA aspirations (you can't be a 3-and-D without the fist part of the equation). But he’s a glue guy that does the little things and I really like what he brings to teams.

4. Quincy Guerrier, Syracuse (21.5yo; 6’7 SF/PF; 6’10 wingspan; 220lbs; from Montreal, QC). Not a terrible season for the QC prospect playing at the orange. A bit like Miller, at least he got minutes (about 20 a game) and put up 7 points and 5 rebounds a game. But if he had any NBA potential, it was as a 3-and-D. And, once again like Miller, he took very few 3-pointers this year and made only 3 of 24 all season (!). He is strong and has good size, so he can still develop into a decent professional PF, just no at the NBA level. Given his age (older than most juniors on my list, and even a couple of seniors), I don’t see great room for breaking out here. He also doesn’t have high game IQ (0.5 assists per game) and in general just not enough of a high-caliber prospect. One thing though – is there anyone who still thinks it’s a good idea for one’s career to go play for Boeheim and his outdated offensive schemes at Syracuse? Did any player since Carmello really look good there?

5. Tyrese Samuel, Seton Hall (19.5to; 6’9 PF with a long wingspan; 235lbs; from Montreal, QC). Despite his obvious talent (I think he's the most talented in this group), he had arguably the most disappointing freshman year. His lackadaisical approach to the game really caught up with him at this level and he didn’t get that much playing time. The worrisome thing is that his minutes (and production) have really dropped as the season progressed and he hardly played and contributed nearly nothing in the last 10 games of the season. He’s still here just because of his fantastic tools. If he is ever able to make that mental switch (unlikely), he clearly has an NBA body and talent: athleticism, mobility, and a decent handle and shooting stroke for the position.

Others in a sentence:

• Keshaun Saunders, Toledo (6’5 SG from Brampton, ON). Flashed some potential as a shooter in his freshman year.
• Ben Krikke, Valparaiso (6’9 PF from Edmonton). No high ceiling, but a smart player who played really well with Team Canada youth programs.
• Sabry Philip, San Diego (6’4 SG from Edmonton). Very strong and explosive guard, a bit in the mold of Dort but less talented; would like to see him come into the scene.
• Malcolm Bailey, Colgate (6’10 PF from Stratford, ON). A player that I quite liked in high school; high flyer with a decent touch; Didn’t play as a freshman.

JUNIORS

So the freshmen this year look promising and the sophomores quite unexciting. How about the juniors? Well, it’s a pretty strong junior class that includes a couple of players who can make it to the next stage with a strong season, though none of them is a sure thing and none looks like they have first round potential.

1. Marcus Carr Minnesota (21yo; 6’2 PG with a really long wingspan; 195lbs; from Toronto, ON). The younger brother of Duane Notice was arguably the best Canadian last year in all of college (Nate Darling was a close second). It was a really fantastic year for the Gophers and Carr was one of the two big reasons for that (alongside center Daniel Oturu, who will likely be drafted in a few days). I love Carr’s game. He’s a real PG, gutsy and plays with a lot of heart, and has good enough size and strength for a backup NBA PG. He also made a big leap this year in terms of his PG skills and even improved his 3-point shooting (36% on the year; 19 of his last 42), which is probably the most important swing skill for him. Still, he continued to struggle shooting off the dribble and finishing in the paint and wasn’t quite the defensive presence that he can be with his physical tools (strong and long). I hope he can show real improvement this year in finishing around the rim, because that remains the most glaring weakness in his game if his shot is falling. And it might remain the thing that makes NBA teams think twice before giving him a chance.

2. AJ Lawson, South Carolina (20yo 6’6 CG; 6’10 wingspan; 178lbs; from Toronto, ON). Unlike Carr, 2019-20 was a pretty disappointing season for Lawson. I thought he really stagnated as a sophomore. He's a good defender (especially team defense), with good instincts, and is probably also a better shooter than what he showed last year. But his body remains lanky, he lacks the strength to finish with contact, and that hasn't changed too much over the last couple of years (and might not in the future; it might just be his body type). Also, the decision making has been pretty subpar, as he posted more turnovers than assists. For what it's worth, I also don't quite like his decision to go back for another year at with the Gamecocks. Their slow playing style doesn't quite complement his strengths, as he is at his best in transition. The G-league might be a better fit. But the bottom line is that I'm just no longer convinced he's a future NBA player. He'll have a chance to prove me wrong next year, as he is projected to be South Carolina’s best player and one of the best players in the SEC.

3. Rueadale Williams, Kansas State (22yo; 6’3 PG; 182lbs; from Hamilton, ON). Coming from a community college, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Rudi has been a beast in JUCO. Last year he put up a stat line of 21 points, 8.9 assists, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.7 steals per game, and was selected player of the year for his region. His shooting stroke also looked fairly promising, with over 80% from the line and 36% from 3. It remains to be seen how all this translates when playing for a high major D1 team. But these (especially the assists) are no ordinary numbers and we might be looking at a diamond in the rough here. The situation at Kansas State also seems fairly advantageous, as their leading guards from last year just finished college and turned pro. So if Rudi can make the transition well, he’ll get his opportunities to shine. Due to his age (two years older than Lawson), he’ll really need to do that to get some looks from NBA teams.

Of note, he’ll also be playing alongside another Canadian. Kaosi Ezeagu (21to from Brampton, ON) has been one of the more notable bigs coming out of Canadian high school in recent years, with impressive physical tools (a strong 6’10 with a 7’2 wingspan; 255lbs) and good rim protection instincts. He will be a sophomore at Kansas State next year, after a red-shirt year transferring from Texas El Paso. I think he has a chance to play big minutes and turn some heads, especially if he worked on his mid-game.

4. Emmanuel Akot, Boise State (21yo; 6’8 SF; 6’8 wingspan; 210lbs; Winnipeg, MB). Here’s a blast from the past. Akot was considered a five-star prospect coming out of college three years ago (some ranked him in the top-20 in North America; higher than SGA and NAW…). He didn’t acclimate well in Arizona and fell off the grid. Also took a weird decision in the middle of his sophomore year to transfer right after the deadline, which meant he hasn’t played competitive basketball for two years now. Can he revive the promise? Chances are not high, as he didn’t show enough assertiveness and shooting at Arizona. Then again, he never really was able to get enough confidence there and he seems to be a guy who really needs that. Should get plenty of playing time at Boise State, playing alongside another formerly promising Canadian in senior Abu Kigab. I’m really rooting for both of them to succeed. In Akot’s case, it's also because he’s the only Manitoba player who actually has enough talent to become an NBA player and I would love to see that come true. I loved the potential he showed at younger ages and thought it might actually happen for him.

5. Jahbril Price-Noel, Pacific (21yo; 6’7 SG; 215lbs; from Toronto, ON). If this was a normal year, I would probably put here either Noah Kirkwood of Harvard or Jaelin Llewellyn of Princeton, who would both be due for big scoring seasons. But this is no ordinary year. Harvard declared it will not play NCAA basketball a month ago. And then three days ago the whole Ivy League followed suit and announced it will sit out this year. Quite a shame with 10 Canadians between Harvard, Princeton, Penn, Columbia, Yale, and Brown.

So I’ll go here with a player who didn’t really wow in his two first college seasons, posting only 4.5 points and less than two rebounds a game. But I saw some encouraging signs last season. First, Price-Noel has great size for a guard at 6’7, also with a good frame and decent athleticism. Second, he shot the ball really well as a sophomore, posting 46% from behind the arc (though only 2 attempts per game) and 80% from the line. Finally, I think he’s finally going to get more minutes this year, after playing only 15 minutes per game in his first two seasons. And he’s playing for a decent team in a good league (one of the best outside of the power-5). So he’s my choice for a breakout season that might put him in the conversation or at least set him up for a strong senior year.

Others in a sentence:

• Ja’Shon Henry, Bradley (21.5yo; 6’6 PF; 230lbs; from Saskatoon, SK). A powerful and explosive power forward, with very good mobility and finesse, but undersized and doesn’t shoot well. Can still put up good stats. probably the best SK-born talent since Trey Lyles.
• Shamiel Stevenson, Nebraska (22.5yo; 6’6 SF/PF; 250lbs; from Toronto, ON). Wrote about him when covering Dalano Banton and the sophomores.
• Prince Oduro, South Florida (22yo; 6’8 PF; 250lbs; from Toronto, ON). I think not many still remember, but Oduro was one of the two rotation bigs (and I thought the better of the two) on that fairy-tale Team Canada that won the U19 WC three years ago. Couldn’t quite find his spot with Mississippi State and now he’ll be trying his luck on a smaller team.

What about Caleb Houstan at Michigan?!?!?!?

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/30222734/five-star-basketball-recruit-caleb-houstan-commits-michigan

Oh wait he doesn't go to college until 2021.

Great job as always.
Though no love for Nembhard in your Juniors list? I think he'll really turn it around next season with Gonzaga (a school that's been great to prior Canadian prospects).

LoveMyRaps wrote:Great job as always.
Though no love for Nembhard in your Juniors list? I think he'll really turn it around next season with Gonzaga (a school that's been great to prior Canadian prospects).

Lot's of love for Nembhard. But I don't mention here players who are going to sit the year out (it's a preview of the coming season). Same for Addison Patterson, and as I mentioned, guys like Kirkwood and Llewellyn. They'll be back in for next year's review.

Thanks for another great rundown.

Re the sophs, any thoughts on Joel Brown? He had a poor freshman season offensively for Cal, but I think he was solid defensively.

Thanks again Hair, great work as always.

As you say, it's a real shame that the Ivy League won't be playing this year, especially Harvard, who have 4 Canadians on their roster, basically one for every class. I had been really curious to see the development of junior Kirkwood (who I like) and freshman Josh Hemmings (who I still find intriguing with some upside). I hope those guys still find a way to practice and develop their skills, especially Hemmings, because a full year off at this stage could be really detrimental.

It really is shocking how bad that list of sophomores is, considering the consistent talent we've been pumping into the NCAA in recent years. Of those guys, my favourite is probably Ben Krikke. As you say, very low ceiling, he'll never even get a cup of coffee in the NBA or any high level European league. But he's one of those guys who knows his role and plays it well - always a useful kind of player to have around. I wonder if he'll end up being one of those types of players that hangs around the National Program and suits up here and there for qualifying games in the middle of the season when Canada's most talented players aren't available.

Thanks for the detailed analysis - I really look forward to your reports. I'd love to see some of the younger guys play for Canada at the World U19 tentatively scheduled for July in Bulgaria this coming summer . Originally the World U17 was to be played in Sophia in 2020 , but was cancelled due to Covid and it appears Fiba may award them the U19 tournament instead.

Basically it's a tournament for players born in 2002 and younger. Unfortunately turnout for this age group has been mixed in the past as many players in this age group have started in D1 programs and many D1 coaches care only about their respective programs.

By my reckoning Primo, Mathurin and Maxence - Prosper are all the proper age. That would give us a pretty strong group of wings and I see Jevonte Brown is a 2002 as well. Things really get interesting if you bring in some of the 2003 age players from our U16 group of 2019. These players will be to old for the next U17 World tournament and deserve their own chance to shine on the global stage.

Here's who we potentially could have;

1) Ryan Nembhard - Andrew's younger brother who's very skilled but sadly somewhat small.

2 ) Primo and Shaedon Sharpe who is really starting to get some buzz.

3 + 4 ) Mathurin ( is he more of a guard ? ) , Prosper and Caleb Houstan who might be the best of the bunch.

5) Charles Bediako ( 5th ranked post class of 2021 - 247 sports ) , Enoch Boakye ( Michigan early signee 4th ranked post 2022 ) and perhaps Brown.

This would be a strong group and for once we'd bring legitimate world class size into the event. It would also have at least 6 NBA calibre prospects for the scouts to follow. I'm sure I'm missing some players that perhaps Hair who knows much more than me can comment on.

Now I doubt this happens as too many agendas are at play for this age group, not to mention the Canadian media virtually ignores these events . It's too bad one of the Canadian Sports media networks doesn't get behind this program. TSN has made the World Junior Hockey tournament into a ratings colossal by hyping it to the extreme. Still it's nice to dream on given how bad things have gone for the National Team.

TrueNorth31 wrote:Thanks for the detailed analysis - I really look forward to your reports. I'd love to see some of the younger guys play for Canada at the World U19 tentatively scheduled for July in Bulgaria this coming summer . Originally the World U17 was to be played in Sophia in 2020 , but was cancelled due to Covid and it appears Fiba may award them the U19 tournament instead.

Basically it's a tournament for players born in 2002 and younger. Unfortunately turnout for this age group has been mixed in the past as many players in this age group have started in D1 programs and many D1 coaches care only about their respective programs.

By my reckoning Primo, Mathurin and Maxence - Prosper are all the proper age. That would give us a pretty strong group of wings and I see Jevonte Brown is a 2002 as well. Things really get interesting if you bring in some of the 2003 age players from our U16 group of 2019. These players will be to old for the next U17 World tournament and deserve their own chance to shine on the global stage.

Here's who we potentially could have;

1) Ryan Nembhard - Andrew's younger brother who's very skilled but sadly somewhat small.

2 ) Primo and Shaedon Sharpe who is really starting to get some buzz.

3 + 4 ) Mathurin ( is he more of a guard ? ) , Prosper and Caleb Houstan who might be the best of the bunch.

5) Jaden Bediako ( 5th ranked post class of 2021 - 247 sports ) , Enoch Boakye ( Michigan early signee 4th ranked post 2022 ) and perhaps Brown.

This would be a strong group and for once we'd bring legitimate world class size into the event. It would also have at least 6 NBA calibre prospects for the scouts to follow. I'm sure I'm missing some players that perhaps Hair who knows much more than me can comment on.

Now I doubt this happens as too many agendas are at play for this age group, not to mention the Canadian media virtually ignores these events . It's too bad one of the Canadian Sports media networks doesn't get behind this program. TSN has made the World Junior Hockey tournament into a ratings colossal by hyping it to the extreme. Still it's nice to dream on given how bad things have gone for the National Team.

Elijah FIsher (ranked 3rd in the 247Sports 2023 class) could also be in the mix. Before COVID struck in March, there were rumblings of Fisher being a part of Canada Basketball during the summer of 2020 at the youth level. It would be great to see him get some experience playing at the national level and against strong international competition.

Regarding Fisher it would be nice to see how much is hype versus reality. If he'd played in the 2020 World U17 which was cancelled it would have been a great potential showcase for him as a 2004 sixteen year old . The U -19 tournament is a whole different kettle of fish as he'd be 2 years younger than most of his opponents. Now, RJ Barrett was the same age and was the U 19 tourney MVP in 2017.

Is Fisher as good ? That's the question, International basketball vs AAU is where you separate the men from the boys. I imagine his handlers would only let him play if he had a chance to be a star.

frumble wrote:Thanks for another great rundown.

Re the sophs, any thoughts on Joel Brown? He had a poor freshman season offensively for Cal, but I think he was solid defensively.

TBH, I never saw Brown as a high-caliber prospect, despite some early hype from NPH and the likes. Yes, he's a good defender, a decent athlete, and quite strong and quick with a good handle. But he's very limited offensively. pretty much a non-shooter throughout his career and also doesn't finish well around the rim (I believe last year he was around 30% from behind the arc and only around 35% from the field if I remember correctly). Also not an elite facilitator, in the mold of someone like Nembhard, which might have helped ignore his shooting woes. He actually got minutes last year. I think he played around 20 minutes per game but had very poor offensive production per minute (points and assists). In short, he's a nice hard-working kid, but I don't think there's really much there for the next level and I pretty much always thought so. He might still develop into a decent college PG, but I don't think much more than that.

aminiaturebuddha wrote:Thanks again Hair, great work as always.

As you say, it's a real shame that the Ivy League won't be playing this year, especially Harvard, who have 4 Canadians on their roster, basically one for every class. I had been really curious to see the development of junior Kirkwood (who I like) and freshman Josh Hemmings (who I still find intriguing with some upside). I hope those guys still find a way to practice and develop their skills, especially Hemmings, because a full year off at this stage could be really detrimental.

It really is shocking how bad that list of sophomores is, considering the consistent talent we've been pumping into the NCAA in recent years. Of those guys, my favourite is probably Ben Krikke. As you say, very low ceiling, he'll never even get a cup of coffee in the NBA or any high level European league. But he's one of those guys who knows his role and plays it well - always a useful kind of player to have around. I wonder if he'll end up being one of those types of players that hangs around the National Program and suits up here and there for qualifying games in the middle of the season when Canada's most talented players aren't available.

Yes, too bad about the Ivy League. Hope it's the only one that sits out this year. There are some rumors that conferences like the Patriot League (also has a couple of freshmen Canadians) might follow suit. And generally, this whole season is a bit of a gamble right now. But I think at least power-5 programs generally cannot afford to sit out while the Ivy League teams certainly can (NCAA income is a negligible part of their budget), so maybe that will work out.

Agree about Krikke. Really liked his game whenever I had a chance to watch him. Valpo will also have Sackey in his senior year. He's small but athletic and really fast and if he learned how to control the pact a bit can have a strong final year.

Tough news for Jefferson Koulibaly as he's likely out for the season with an arm injury.

https://dailyevergreen.com/93695/sports/smith-and-bonton-rep-wsu-at-pac-12-media-day/

Transferring to Lincoln Prep from Orangeville Prep in the OSBA allowed him to flourish and be the main guy. Lincoln Prep was predicted to finish in the bottom of the OSBA in 2019-20 but they managed to make OSBA playoffs (Final 8). He had big games on the road at Father Henry Carr (48 points) and at Central Tech.

TrueNorth31 wrote:Thanks for the detailed analysis - I really look forward to your reports. I'd love to see some of the younger guys play for Canada at the World U19 tentatively scheduled for July in Bulgaria this coming summer . Originally the World U17 was to be played in Sophia in 2020 , but was cancelled due to Covid and it appears Fiba may award them the U19 tournament instead.

Basically it's a tournament for players born in 2002 and younger. Unfortunately turnout for this age group has been mixed in the past as many players in this age group have started in D1 programs and many D1 coaches care only about their respective programs.

By my reckoning Primo, Mathurin and Maxence - Prosper are all the proper age. That would give us a pretty strong group of wings and I see Jevonte Brown is a 2002 as well. Things really get interesting if you bring in some of the 2003 age players from our U16 group of 2019. These players will be to old for the next U17 World tournament and deserve their own chance to shine on the global stage.

Here's who we potentially could have;

1) Ryan Nembhard - Andrew's younger brother who's very skilled but sadly somewhat small.

2 ) Primo and Shaedon Sharpe who is really starting to get some buzz.

3 + 4 ) Mathurin ( is he more of a guard ? ) , Prosper and Caleb Houstan who might be the best of the bunch.

5) Charles Bediako ( 5th ranked post class of 2021 - 247 sports ) , Enoch Boakye ( Michigan early signee 4th ranked post 2022 ) and perhaps Brown.

This would be a strong group and for once we'd bring legitimate world class size into the event. It would also have at least 6 NBA calibre prospects for the scouts to follow. I'm sure I'm missing some players that perhaps Hair who knows much more than me can comment on.

Now I doubt this happens as too many agendas are at play for this age group, not to mention the Canadian media virtually ignores these events . It's too bad one of the Canadian Sports media networks doesn't get behind this program. TSN has made the World Junior Hockey tournament into a ratings colossal by hyping it to the extreme. Still it's nice to dream on given how bad things have gone for the National Team.

Good thoughts. No doubt we can put up quite a team with say Primo/Mathurin as PG and SG (or Ryan Nembhard as a more natural PG), Houstan at the 3, O-Max (or Lestin) at the 4, and Bediako as Center (other options are indeed Brown, Boakye, or even the 7'4 Edey).

But I very much doubt we'll see that. Players who are already in college or about to join often don't show up to these events. Think for example the 2017 WC. SGA, NAW, Brissett, Simi, Akot (considered a commodity at the time), Dort, Iggy, and Llewellyn were all eligible, but none joined that team. We still won it with huge performances from Barrett (two years younger) and Kigab...

So I think realistically, the college guys probably don't come, unless they think they have something to gain from it. Those who are on their way (Houstan, Nembhard, Bediako, and maybe Boakye and Sharpe if they reclass) might, but nothing guaranteed.

Who then? There are a couple of less-well-known interesting wing prospects in 2021 (e.g. Charles, Biel, and Tadjore). There are also a couple of prospects I like from the class of 2022 beyond Boakye and Sharpe, such as Exacte, Mahi, and Mbikay. And then from 2023 there's of course Fisher, who might come if he thinks it would benefit his class ranking (he's a bit too preoccupied with this stuff if you ask me and his handlers seem to care a lot as well).

Related to that, I wonder if there's any interest here in a more thorough review of the young talent coming down the pipeline (the next few high school classes). I did one of these a couple of years ago and could probably do another by now, but only if you guys would find that interesting.

Of course we'd find an overview on the highschool prospects interesting!

I'm seeing more and more out there on Boakye and Sharpe but don't know many others besides Fisher (really interested in your current take). And of course Houstan who may the best prospect bridging the window from RJ Barrett to Fisher (and maybe better than both).



And per the u19 team I tend to think you are right about lack of participation for college kids entering their freshmen year - but not as true for already NCAA players going into their sophomore year. They show up a little more regularly from what I recall as it can be a good showcase for some of them (unless of course they are so good they are looking at the draft). AJ Lawson was the last best example in 2019.

Would love to see some analysis of the younger players. I hope our development pipeline continues to produce elite talent. Montreal really seems to be coming on. I didn't know anything about the names you threw out ( LOL ).

I'm not optimistic about a good turnout for our U19 age group either, with one caveat however , given Covid and with so many event and league cancellations top players will be looking for elite competitions to showcase their talents later in the year. If the NCAA season goes down the drain or is limited in scope the World U19 may be seen as something to make a name for yourself in.

I'm told one of the main reasons NCAA players don't show in these summer events is because many of them are in summer school. Not because they are bad students, but rather they need to take reduced course loads during the winter since the demands of basketball are so intense. The NCAA mandates players stay on course to graduate and often coaching pay is tied into this factor so coaches are reluctant to have them leave campus.