This summer, the biannual championship takes place in Hungary. Canada is in Group A, together with Spain, France, and China. In terms of schedule, we will play against Spain first (Saturday, June 24, 2:00 PM ET[b]), and then China (June 25), and France (June 27). After that, we cross with Group B (The United States, Slovenia, Madagascar, and Lebanon) in the round of 16 (June 28). Another one-day break, and then the quarterfinals, semis, and final (or various classification games) in back to back days, on the June 30, July 1st, and July 2nd. Altogether, 7 games in 9 days.
[b]All games should be streamed on the FIBA championship YouTube website:
https://www.fiba.basketball/world/u19/2023/videos#|tab=list_latest_videos
A BIT OF HISTORY
The U19 WC has become the main event for international youth competitions since 2005, when the U21 World Cup was abolished. Canada has been a regular participant and performed very well in 2 of the last 3 championships: In 2017, it was Team Canada’s biggest achievement of all time – a historic gold medal in 2017, with a team led by RJ Barrett – and in 2021, a fully-stacked Canadian team finished with the bronze medal. Before that, however, Canada has been significantly underperforming in this age group. U19 championships have been taking place for 40 years now (used to be every 4 years). But 2017 and 2021 were the only times that Canada won a medal, or in fact even made it past the QFs. So no reason to take these two recent medals nonchalantly.
The 2017 team didn’t look very promising prior to the start of the tournament. It was missing (take a deep breath) SGA, NAW, Oshae Brissett, Lu Dort, Ignas Brazdeikis, Simi Shittu, Andrew Nembhard, and Dalano Banton. And yet, it managed to bring home the gold thanks to a tournament for the ages from the 17yo Barrett, punctuated by a 38-points game in a remarkable upset against the US in the semi-finals. It was arguably the best individual performance in the history of the U19 by any player, regardless of country.
The 2021 team was much more balanced, including the likes of Benn Mathurin, Zach Edey, Caleb Houstan, O-Max, Ryan Nembhard, and Charles Bediako (as well as Elijah Fisher, the only player from that roster who will also play in this current tournament). It was surely one of our most stacked youth teams ever and it wasn’t far from upsetting a US team led by Chet Hlomgren and Jaden Ivey in the semis (ended up losing by six). Of note, that team was still missing another three big names – Josh Primo, Shaedon Sharpe, and Leonard Miller – who would have been able to provide depth and perhaps get the job done against the US and Wembanyama’s France.
THIS YEAR’S TEAM
The Canadian age cohorts of 2004 and 2005 do not have the level of high-end talent of most cohorts in the past decade. The 1995-2003 Canadian birth cohorts have already produced no less than 25 NBA players (and still counting), including two superstars (so far) and several solid starters. I think it’s less likely to be the case for 2004 and 2005. Still, we were able to put a fairly competitive team last year in the U18 FIBA Americas, which forms the basis for this year’s U19 team. Six players who were there last year will be on this year’s roster, generating some continuation: Elijah Fisher, Jordann Dumont, Bubu Benjamin, Michael Evbagharu, Michael Nwoko, and David Simon.
The good news is that, unlike in the last three championships, where some of our best eligible players were missing for various reasons (SGA, NAW, and Brissett in 2017; Barrett, Nembhard, and E. Miller in 2019; Primo, Sharpe, and L. Miller in 2021), this time nearly everyone who is available (not injured) is here and this is close to the strongest roster we can put forward.
Also encouraging is the lengthy and extensive preparation for this group. Unlike in previous years, where the Canadian team arrived at the competition site a week before the games started and played no more than two or three scrimmages, this time the team got to Europe about 3 weeks prior to the tournament and was able to play a whopping 7 training matches. This should really help with team consolidation and one can hope that this becomes the new standard for U19 teams, as well as for the SMNT prior to big tournaments.
A bit less encouraging is that we lost 5 of these 7 scrimmages to teams like Spain (twice), Brazil, Croatia, and Montenegro (the latter two played with their U20 team) and only beat relatively weak teams (the Czech Republic and Japan). Regardless of these results though, it’s nice to see a Canadian team putting as much time and effort into the preparation and coming together process as their European rivals do. Hopefully, it’s going to pay off in the tournament.
Of note, most of the losses during preparation (except a blowout against Spain) were ub close games and in quite a few of them our boys had a comfortable lead going into the fourth quarter but failed to execute in the final minutes of games. Watching some of these scrimmages, I thought the main reason for this lack of execution was that the talent level on this team is spread quite evenly and there’s no one guard or wing here who really stands out as someone who can take over games. In tradition, Canada plays a fairly heavy iso and P&R game rather than quickly moving the ball around. But none of our backcourt players can reliably create good looks for themselves or others in crunch time, the way we had in previous youth teams with guys like Dillon Brooks, Jamal Murray, SGA, NAW, Nembhard, Barrett, and Houstan/Mathurin. This puts us at a real disadvantage against teams like the US, Spain, and France, who have multiple guys with NBA potential.
Notable omissions:
Before moving on to the players on the roster, a few words about some players who will not be there.
Vasean Alette (6'3 PG, Toronto, ON). The best player from last year’s U18 tournament and one of the top-3 talents in the Canadian cohort of 2003 is unfortunately injured and couldn’t make it to this tournament. He’ll be sorely missed in terms of leadership, shooting, and shot creation.
Aden Holloway (6’2 PG). The Auburn commit is one of the best in this class in all of North America. He emerged as a candidate for the team when Canadian roots were discovered in the early summer and was even on the 15-men roster for scrimmages but never showed up to the games (perhaps the citizenship status was not fully realized in time). Too bad because he could have nicely filled Alette’s big shoes.
Efeosa Oliogu (6'6 SF, Markham, ON). Arguably the best Canadian high school talent. A powerful NBA-level athlete with great vision and scoring instincts. He was with the team for most of their scrimmages but didn’t get extended playing time and the coaches decided to cut him. Partly it’s because his game has not progressed as much as one would hope during the last two years. His motor and aggressiveness sill come and go, he’s not adding perimeter shooting, and his overall skillset is a bit redundant on this team. I still think it’s a mistake thinking about long-term prospects and potential, but can understand the logic.
Matai Baptiste (6'8 SF, Toronto, ON). Was also with the team during the first few scrimmages but didn’t get many minutes and wasn’t able to show a lot before he was cut. I’m also not sure about this decision, given that he was one of the better perimeter shooters on a team that desperately needs some spacing but he probably wasn’t going to significantly move the needle.
Thomas Ndong (6'9 PF, Terrebonne, QC). Was one of the best bigs on last year’s team. Not sure why he wasn’t included this year, though his omission is not as important as those of Holloway and Alette. One can make the argument that the bigs who did make it to the team are just as good (maybe with the exception of Rioux, who’s taken as a long-term prospect).
Dylan Grant (6'7 SF, Mississauga, ON). One of the main rotation players on last year’s team. A wing with strong defense but questionable shooting touch and oliogu, he might be redundant with guys like Fisher, Benjamin, and Pitt on the team.
Chris Tadjo (6’8 combo wing, Montreal, QC). Arguably the top 2005-born player in Canada (it’s close). An energetic and explosive forward with strong defense, but similar to Grant, also has questionable perimeter shooting and might be redundant. As a side note, this team has no 2005-born player but 3 2006-player, which is indicative of the relative strength of these two age cohorts.
Beyond the names above, I could probably make an argument for guys like Kailon Nichols or Jimma James at the point (which is again a somewhat weak position), Yanis Bamba, Jaiden Cole, or Ishan Sharma at SG, and Hudson Ward or Jalik Dunkley Distant at the wing. But none of them is likely to move the needle in a significant way and it’s better to focus on the guys who did make it to Hungary.
ROSTER OVERVIEW
Guards: Jahari Williamson; Xaivian Lee; TJ Hurley; Michael Evbagharu
Wings: Elijah Fisher; Bubu Benjamin; Jordann Dumont; Jaion Pitt
Bigs: Michael Nwoko; David Simon; Cyril Martynov; Olivier Rioux
GUARDS
Xaivian Lee | Princeton | 19.3yo PG, 6'3, 180lbs | Toronto, ON |
The Korean-Canadian guard is probably my favorite addition to this team when compared to last year’s roster. I was hoping for him to be an energizer from the bench, but with Alette and Holloway missing, he’s likely to be Canada’s leading playmaker. Lee burst into the scene during his last year at high school, showing a good handle and sneaky athleticism. He’s very shifty and I love his aggressiveness going to the rim with nice hesitation moves and change of pace and crafty finishing around the rim with both hands (especially his left) or pull-up mid-rangers. Not always as accurate as you’d hope and can be overaggressive sometimes, but this team needs a leader and he might be the closest thing. Also a willing passer who creates for others. The two main weaknesses right now are shooting, which is not broken but is shaky and unstable, and the decision making, which can be questionable and lead to too many live-dribble TOs that are quickly punished by opponents. That said, I love the aggressiveness and willingness to try and much of it seems like it could improve with additional repetition.
Jahari Williamson | Valparaiso commit | 18.7yo PG, 6'2, 180lbs | Toronto, ON
Our backup PG is a guy who caught my eye when I first saw him playing varsity as a 15yo and is now getting a chance with the national team. A decent athlete with a pretty tight handle and an aggressive scoring mentality. A fairly good perimeter shooter, he opens another dimension in the backcourt when he’s on the court and is able to put points on the board in a hurry. My main issue with him is that he doesn’t always have a good balance as a playmaker and he mostly creates more for himself than for his teammates. As such, he can get inefficient and hunt for his shots too much. As one of only two PGs on this team, he’ll probably get a good amount of minutes and Will share the minutes at the point with Lee. Canada will need the two of them to have a strong tournament to go far.
TJ Hurley | Vermont | 19.1yo SG, 6'4, 190lbs | Pelham, ON
Hurley, the son of Mike Hurley (a Niagara Region basketball legend) is one of four college players on this team (alongside Lee, Fisher, and Martynov, though none of them played big minutes last year). He was with the team but didn’t play in the last few scrimmages, so I’m wondering whether he’s completely healthy. When he did play, in the first few games, he didn’t shoot the ball very well. But he’s still probably our best perimeter threat, together with Jordann Dumont. Reminds me a bit of Nate Darling. Like, Darling Hurley is not just a shooter. He's fundamentally sound and can score off the dribble with either hand and from the mid-range, though average size and athleticism limit his self-creation. I hope he's healthy because his shooting could make the difference in some games.
Michael Evbagharu | Siena commit | 18.7yo SG, 6'4, 190lbs | Scarborough, ON
One of the best players in the OSBA over the past two years, Evbagharu is a good athlete with a strong body and an aggressive playing style. A good scorer, who really likes to get to the rim, where he finishes well while absorbing contact and drawing fouls. Also has a really quick second jump, allowing him to put pressure on the rim even after misses. Can also shoot some but doesn’t have much confidence in his perimeter shooting and doesn’t typically have a high 3-point percentage. Didn’t really move the needle in last year’s U18. I would have preferred a shooting specialist instead for better balance, but it’s hard to find high-level shooters in this class and Evbagharu has earned his place on this team.
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WINGS
Elijah Fisher | De Paul transfer | 19.5yo SF, 6'6, 210lbs | Oshawa, ON
With only two playmakers on the team, Fisher often serves as another ball handler. I’ve written thousands of words about him over the past 5 years, often noting the weaknesses in his game (primarily how right-hand dominant he is, the lack of wiggle in his game, and the questionable shooting), trying to cool off the hype. Last year’s U18 was a wakeup call for those who still thought he was a high-level NBA prospect, though it still seems not everyone got the memo yet. Even as others in this age group have caught up to him physically, Fisher is still a good and committed defender, with decent size, strength, and athleticism and a few signature go-to moves that he uses to get buckets in the paint, especially in transition. Can get overaggressive and inefficient and the lack of shooting is a real issue. But he’ll get big minutes and is an important part of this team for better or worse.
Jordann Dumont | Villanova commit | 18.9yo SF, 6'7 | Repentigny, QC.
The Villanova commit is one of only two true perimeter shooters on this team (alongside Hurley). He shoots without hesitation and is not deterred by early misses. Has good size and a decent skillset that make him more than just a shooter, as he’s able to get to the rim and finish with some burst and craftiness. He does lack a degree of strength and explosiveness though, which limit his pop and ability to turn the corner in tight spaces or finish with contact. More comfortable living off others than creating for himself, with a nice catch and shoot and some opportunistic scoring off of cuts in the paint. Overall, I think he has one of the highest ceilings on this team, but needs to play in a system that believes in him and plays to his strengths, which I’m not sure is always the case with this team.
Bubu Benjamin | Tarleton commit | 19.3yo SF, 6'7, 190lbs | Medicine Hat, AB.
A nice Alberta prospect, who I’ve followed for several years now, ever since he was 15. Benjamin, who hails from South Sudan, is a lengthy and strong wing, with a good level of athleticism and body control. Can create shots going to the rim or from the mid range and while he didn’t shoot well in last year’s U18 championship, I think he’s actually a decent shooter, who can join Hurley and Dumont in providing some spacing and some C&S threat. Also one of the better defenders on this team, with size and a committed approach. The decision making, passing, and overall feel for the game remain work in progress and can certainly stand to improve. Can get a bit trigger happy and take questionable shots. But a good tournament from him can really increase the ceiling of this team.
Jaion Pitt | 17.4yo PF, 6'7 | Norwood, ON
Despite not possessing a very impressive physical profile for a power forward (might even be around 6’6 and not very bulky), the young Pitt (would still be eligible to play in the U19 two years from now) was able to beat guys with a higher ceiling like Oliogu for a spot on the roster. And while I think Oliogu (as well as a few other 2006-born prospects) has a higher ceiling, Pitt's inclusion on this team’s roster is well merited. Pitt just brings great energies and high efficiency to a team. He’s incredibly crafty and savvy for his age around the rim, with plenty of patience and an array of crafty moves and finishes that put opponent defenders out of balance and allow him to be a a surprisingly efficient finisher. I also like his overall feel (positioning and timing for rebounding, passing, and defensive awareness) and the team often looks better with him on the court. That said, I remain somewhat concerned about his long-term outlook due to the lack of perimeter shooting, which really limits him to the PF position. As such, he’s undersized and his ability to continue doing what he does at higher level is somewhat questionable.
BIGS
Michael Nwoko | Miami commit | 18.7yo C, 6'10, 245lbs | Milton, ON.
The player with the highest upside on this team and perhaps the only one with real NBA prospects. Nwoko is a real force in the paint and on the boards, sporting a chiseled frame, explosiveness, and high activity level. Still much to develop both offensively in terms of shooting (I think he has a potential to be a mid-range and maybe even a three-point threat but he’s certainly not yet there), touch around the rim when he's not dunking, and improving his footwork, as well as defensively, developing greater awareness and focus. But the starting point is very good, with his physicality, length (7’3 wingspan), mobility, and explosiveness. Was Canada’s best big in the U18s last year and I expect he’ll be getting even bigger minutes (if he can stay out of foul trouble) this year. A good tournament from him would be key for this team realizing its potential.
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Cyril Martynov | Eastern Michigan transfer | 19.0yo PF/C, 6'11, 230lbs | Barrie, ON.
I was really glad to see Martynov added to this team because he brings a level of offensive movement and craft that last year’s U18 bigs were missing. Martynov is a well-built PF/C, who played the wing at younger ages and has mobility and skill that are not often found in such a big body. Not a high flying athlete, but really moves well and has some skill with the ball and nice footwork in the paint. Unfortunately, I didn’t see many of the stretch-4 signs that he flashed at earlier ages during the scrimmages and in his limited playing time with Maryland last year. He didn’t take any perimeter shots and did not shoot very well from the stripe. He can also be a bit too aggressive hunting for his own shot and doesn’t always make the right reads. Finally, his defense can be a bit questionable, as he's a bit slow off the ground and doesn’t provide the rim protection of guys like Nwoko and David Simon. But I still think he’s our best backup big (certainly offensively) and against big teams he can also team up with Nwoko or Simon without clogging the paint too much and being one dimensional.
David Simon | San Diego commit | 19.4yo PF, 6'11, 190 | Windsor, ON.
Simon is a guy who really grew on me over this last year. A center in the skinny mold (think Chris Boucher) with terrific length, which he utilizes very well on the defensive end to be an excellent shot blocker. Not very young, but feels like a late bloomer with some untapped potential. He remains raw on the offensive end with very limited handle and moves in the paint, as well as still developing his feel for the game. But the shooting touch is not bad and he can provide some rim-running and opportunistic scoring, including a decent mid-range shot, if he’s utilized well by guards and wings and not asked to create his own shot. Will need to get stronger and continue developing his skill level to become a force at the college level, but there are some intriguing tools to work with. For this team, he’s likely third in the bigs rotation behind Nwoko and Martynov, but should still be an important rotation player.
Olivier Rioux | 17.4yo C, 7’7 | Montreal, QC
Watching Rioux in a few scrimmages, it was nice to see that he’s continued to make progress and the year at IMG clearly had a positive influence on his physical profile and the way he moves on the court. He’s a very decent rim protector with his sheer size and he got better at avoiding biting into fakes and not committing fouls while using his size to deter most opponents. Offensively, he can also bring a bit of a scoring punch with his immense size. That said, I suspect he’ll be completely unplayable against most better teams in this tournament. He’s a huge defensive liability in space and and easy target for opposing bigs (or guards and wings on the switch), who hunt him and either score uncontested shots fom the perimeter or use his slow closeouts for easy drives to the rim. Add to that the slow reaction time (which often results in “bad hands” for rebounding or catching balls off passes, leading to many TOs), and while I see the temptation for having a 7’7 guy (7’8 according to Canada basketball) on the roster, I think a big wing like Oliogu or Baptiste could have contributed significantly more to this team.
THE CANADIAN GROUP (GROUP A)
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to avid followers of team Canada, but once again, we got the “group of death”, featuring Europe’s two powerhouses in the young ages. Spain and France are not just the best teams in Europe (often by a margin), they also have tremendous talent in relevant age cohorts (2004 and 2005), which substantially exceeds that of Canada, as we could see in last year’s U17 World Cup, where Spain ended with the silver and France with the bronze.
Spain. Spain are last year’s U18 European champions and were also by far the most impressive team at that competition. They have a combination of size, talent, and team chemistry that make them real gold-medal contenders. The Spaniards are raising another golden generation, led by tournament MVP (and also the MVP of the U17 WC last year), power forward Izan Almansa. The young Almansa (just turned 18) is a force in the paint. Only about 6’10 and not really a high flyer, but incredibly crafty and a great scorer and team player. He’ll be joined by a very talented and proven group of supporting players. Florida State’s Baba Miller is a 6’11 combo forward in the mold of Leonard Millerr, with clear NBA potential, who probably has the highest ceiling on this team. Other very good talents are the big point guard Sergio De Larrea (6’6 with tremendous skill), SF Jordi Rodriguez and combo guard Rafael Villar. The Spaniard are for me the heavy favorites to finish first in the group and are I think they have a real shot at the gold medal. A Canadian win on opening day would be quite surprising.
France. This French generation may be the best that the Tricolore have ever had. Their list of eligible players includes the number one selection in this year’s NBA draft, who happens to be a generational player, and who was already the best player in the U19 world cup two years ago. It also includes three other picks from this year’s draft – Sidy Cissoko, Rayan Rupert, and Bilal Coulibaly – who all played in last year’s U18 European championship but will obviously not be suiting up this time around.
Despite this very impressive list of names, I watched some of the French team’s games last year and did not come out very impressed. Cissoko, Rupert, and Coulibaly were okay but did not really stand out. Their most dominant player was actually power forward Zacharie Perin (6’10; 14ppg and 9rpg), who’s a tough competitor with an aggressive style of play, a knack for drawing fouls, and nice moves in the paint. He will likely again be their leading player, scorer, and rebounder this year. He’ll be joined by two younger talents, who played with France’s U17 team last year. Zaccharie Risacher (son of the excellent Stéphane Risacher) is an excellent long-term talent, who already has Euroleague experience and is projected to be a top-5 selection in next year’s draft (some even see him as the top selection). Alexandre Sarr, brother of fringe NBA player Olivier Sarr, will be a presence in the paint alongside Perin and also has a high ceiling with size, length, athleticism, and rim protection. Both Risacher and Saar are clearly two of the best long-term talents in this competition. I’m just not sure they are ready yet to take over games. The other guy who I came out impressed with last year was Kymany Houinsou, a tall (6’6) PG, with some nice moves and good playmaking, though not a great shooter. Apart from these three, and without Victor and the three other musketeers, this is an athletic French team (as you might expect from France), but the talent level is not overwhelming and I think Canada can look them in the eye on a given day, though it will come to the game as the underdog.
China. The game vs. the Chinese might prove out to be the key game of the first stage if Canada cannot beat its two European competitors. Lose and you get an unpleasant match with the US, which would likely mean not reaching the QF. The other teams in group B include a nice (4th place in last year’s U18 European Championship) but not unbeatable Slovenian team, as well as Madagascar and Lebanon, which should not pose a problem for the Canadian team. I don’t know too much about the Chinese, except that they finished 3rd in last year’s Asian U18 championship, behind South Korea and Japan. Their best player is Yang Hansen, a 7’1 center who’s a good shot blocker and passer but I don’t think their guards and wings should hold very well against the Canadian size and athleticism. My guess would be that barring a colossal meltdown, Canada should be able to take them down handily.
CHANCES FOR ANOTHER CANADIAN MEDAL?
It’s going to be tough and I think it’s a bit of a long shot.
Realistically, Canada is probably only the third best team in its own group and Group B includes the US, so that’s already 3 teams that I would put in front of us as medal contenders. Moreover, assuming we finish second or third in the preliminary group, the first elimination game is not going to be a walk in the park. Slovenia with Jan Vide, who will be one of the primary scorers in this championship, could be a tough matchup (they finished 4th place in last year’s U18 European championship). And even Madagascar in a historic first appearance doesn’t seem like a pushover with a couple of French-born talents who play in the French league (especially Mathias M'Madi, the MVP of last year’s FIBA Africa U18).
If we do make it to the QF, a historically painful stage for the U19 Canadian team, it’s still hard to know who we’ll be playing there, but the other side of the draw includes Serbia, last year’s European U18 bronze medalist, a very talented Turkey (lost to Spain in the gold-medal game last year), an Argentinian team that beat Canada in last year’s U18 tournament, and a Brazilian team that also beat us last yaer, just won a recent scrimmage against Canada, and has some nice talent.
In short, it’s a decent Canadian team and at its best, it has a shot at making it to the Semi-finals. But if I was a betting man, I would probably not bet on this happening and a Canadian medal would be a real achievement and not a likely result. For what it’s worth, in 2021 I did think we’d win a medal and we got the bronze; then again, I certainly did not predict the gold medal in 2017.
BEST OF LUCK TO THE BOYS!
