TEAM CANADA AT THE 2024 U18 FIBA AMERICAS

[Hair Canada]

CHAMPIONSHIP LOCATION, DRAWS, AND SCHEDULE

This year, the tournament will take place in Argentina, so quite a trip for the young boys, some of whom just played a busy schedule last weekend in the EYBL.

This will be the 13th time that this event takes place. Canada has never won the gold That’s unlikely to change with the usual dominance of the American team, but in a single game things can happen. But there’s been steady progress. In the 5 first championships, but in the last 7 we won either bronze (4 times) or silver (3 times). Which is realistically the best result one could really hope for.

This time around, Team Canada was slotted into what seems like the easier group, Group A, with Venezuela, the DR, and Puerto Rico. Venezuela shouldn’t pose a big challenge in the final game of the group stage, but there could be surprises and no team Canada should ever look down at or come unprepared for a game against Venezuela given recent history. The first two games against the DR and PR could be competitive (June 3 and 4).

Finishing first in the group is particularly important this time, because it would mean avoiding one of the traditional American powerhouses, the US, Argentina, and Brazil in the QF (which is the game that decides whether or not you go to the U19 World cup next year). The 4th team on the other group is Belize, in their first ever FIBA Americas tournament (U18 or U16). So, it’s obvious which opponent would be most favorable at that stage. The tournament has a packed schedule, with 6 games in 7 days (group stage, one day of rest, and then elimination games). All games are supposed to be streamed on the championship website:

https://www.fiba.basketball/americas/u18/2024

The first game vs. the DR is is tomorrow at 14:10 ET.


THE COMPETITION

I don’t know much about the DR and PR, who are supposed to be the main rivals of team Canada in the group stage. But both usually, these two put up at least decent teams, with the occasional young standout, though they rarely match the level of talent of Canadian teams. The only name here that I’ve watched in action is guard Felipe Quinones from Puerto Rico, who was very good at the FIBA U16 last year (18.5ppg and 3.5apg) and should probably lead them despite being a youngster. The Puerto Rican team also seems to have more size than usual (a 7-footer and two other 6’9+ guys on the extended roster), so we’ll see what they can bring.

In group B, the US will dominate as usual. Argentina, the home team, has quite a bit of size and a few players who play in the US and in Europe and look like they have good potential (In particular, Iván Prato is someone I really liked in former FIBA competitions). Brazil also usually fields a competitive team, though it’s not always the case and I don’t know much about them. At any case, Canada should look to avoid meeting one of them in the semis by winning its group.


TEAM CANADA

The 2006-born Canadians is quite a strong group, especially compared with the 2004 and 2006 Canadian cohorts. Not all of the top players are here (that’s rarely the case), but we should be quite happy with those who did make the trip to Argentina.

Two years ago, I was quite skeptical about the team we put up for the same competition, both in terms of talent and in terms of team construction, as we were severely lacking in shooting and playmaking, leading to our first semifinal loss in 10 years. But this time around I’m significantly more optimistic and think we should be the clear favorites for the silver, even without knowing the opponents too well.

Of note, similar to two years ago, I’m a bit bewildered by the uneven team construction, with 3 guards, 3 wings, and 6 big men. But I think the talent level on this team is better and hopefully they’ll be able to play better.

Before getting to the Canadian roster, I’ll mention quickly a few guys who I’m a bit disappointed are not in Argentina. Most notably, of course 6’9 SG Will Riley, who’s ascended over the last year to be the most promising player in this class and a fantastic scorer. He’s gonna miss the tournament in favor of some visits to college teams (specifically, he’ll be at Kentucky this week), which is too bad, but you can’t force anyone to play in these events and Riley is the player who has the least to prove, so I guess it makes some sense.

Two other notable omissions, who for me are top-10 players in this class, are 6’3 guard Chris Kumu (who was not invited to camp, but I’m not sure why) and 6’7 PF Babatunde (Tunde) Durodola. Kumo is arguably the best PG in this cohort (though he’s more a combo guard than a true PG). So I’m a bit surprised he’s not there, especially since PG is probably the weakest position on this team. Durodola, with a big body and great footwork in the paint, is a highly-productive guy, who I think could have really helped the team at this level, so I’m also a bit disappointing not to see him with the team.

Other guys who could possibly be there for me are PGs Darius McGlashen, Eduard Gauthier, and Josiah Sutton. Any of them might have been able to strengthen the position, which as I said, I think is weaker for this group. I also like SF Jacob Hammond and pure shooter Andrew Urosevic, who’s the best shooter in this class (shooting is traditionally not a strong point with the Canadian youth teams). Any one of these could have probably helped given the lack of depth and somewhat questionable shooting on this team.


But now it’s time to dive into the 12-men roster, which Canada Basketball released today. I’ll go by position.

GUARDS

For me, this is likely be the weakest position on this team, with no one that I currently see as a clear college high-major talent and also not a lot of size (though I’m certainly open to someone elevating his game and surprising). Hopefully, some of this could be abated by the ability of wings like Oliogu, Beckford, and Ratah-Mayes to create for themselves and for others.


Justus Haseley | 17.6yo PG, 6’2, 165lbs | Bowmanville, ON

I think Haseley will likely be the starting PG for this group. He’s a very solid playmaker, who can do a bit of everything – get to the paint and finish with some craft, shoot the mid-range or floater, and maybe most notably, make 3-pointers at a pretty good clip and accuracy. I think he’s a decent talent, though perhaps not at the level of the rest of the starting-5 in terms of talent. He’s not very strong, the decision making is not elite, and can be a bit trigger happy with somewhat streaky shooting. But he’s probably the best offensive PG on this team and will be really important considering the relative weakness of this position.




Torian Lee | 18.1yo PG, 5'11, 160lbs | Surrey, BC.

One of my favorite guys playing basketball in Canada right now and I’m glad to see him on this team. Given his size limitations, his ceiling is most likely not as high as some of the other guys on this team and he might end up playing staying in Canada and playing U Sports at the next level. But he’s one of these players that you love having as your teammate and hate when he’s playing against you. Lee is a true playmaker and a pass-first point guard. He can also get his own with a nifty handle and some perimeter shooting, but usually not a guy to put up big scoring performances and on this team he’ll likely be a facilitator. What I like most about him though, is his tenacity. He’s a defensive bulldog with great quickness and instincts, making him a nightmare for opposing guards. Very high motor, a constant defensive pest, and has a great nose for steals (perhaps the best I’ve seen since Kellen Tynes). A winner who led one of the most fun to watch BC teams to a fantastic showing in the Canadian Nationals two years ago. I’m curious to see how he plays with more talented guys and hope he gets a chance to lead the team for stretches (as long as he’s able to keep the turnovers to a minimum, as he sometimes rashes things).




Jalen Rougier-Roane | 18.1yo SG, 6’5, 200lbs | Washington, DC.

An American with Canadian roots, who’s the lates addition and biggest mystery (at least for me) on this team. If he can play at a high level and handle the ball, he could be an important part of this team and might elevate its ceiling. I haven't seen Rougier-Roane play live, so I won't comment on him much. But from the little I’ve seen, he seems to have good size and frame, nice athletic build, and also a nice form on his perimeter shot. So I’m curious to see his actual level of play. You have to think that if Canada basketball made the effort to bring him on board, they see something in him (perhaps also long-term, beyond just the current tournament) and he’ll get his chances to show what he can do.





I'll get to the wings and big men later on.

[Hair Canada]

WINGS

Even without Will Riley, the wing position on this team has substantial talent. Efeosa Oliogu and Tristan Beckford are NBA-level athletes, and Tyrus Rathan-Mayes may be the best shooter on this team. This trio should see big minutes and could lead the team in statistical production

Efeosa Oliogu | 18.1yo SF, 6'6 (6’9 wingspan), 220lbs | Markham, ON

For quite some time, at least prior to the ascent of Will Riley, Oliogu was considered the best prospect in this Canadian class. While Riley is wiry and an average athlete, Oliogu already possesses NBA-level frame and athleticism. His natural explosion is at the highest level, and he already has the body of a grown man. He is at his best when attacking the rim, particularly in the open court, using his athleticism, shiftiness, and hang-time to finish over defenders in the paint. He also has good vision, and he’s a willing passer, able to find open teammates and share the ball. But unlike Riley, Oliogu’s shooting touch has always been more questionable, and I don’t think he made very significant steps forward in that department since he played with the U16 Canadian team three years ago. His shooting mechanics are a bit awkward, with a low release and a bit of hitch, and the results are inconsistent, to say the least.

Playing for Overtime Elite over the last year, Oliogu has been able to further hone some aspects of his game and improve his body and defense. But given the importance of shooting in today’s game, the question marks about his long-term offensive potential are still there. Without a credible perimeter shooting threat, his half-court creation is somewhat limited, as he’s primarily a straight-line driver and his touch from the mid-range is also not great. Watching him closely last year, when he played in Canada, I also felt that his motor was not always consistent and he did not dominate in the way you would expect from an athlete and a talent of his caliber.

That said, he remains an intriguing talent and I expect him to start and play big minutes for this Canadian team, as his talent is undeniable on both ends of the floor. He’s a good rebounder, puts pressure on opposing guards on defense, and is a constant lob threat in space.




Tristan Beckford | 17.8yo SG/SF, 6'6 (6’10 wingspan), 190lbs | Vaughan, ON

An up and comer who’s one of the best talents in this class. He has excellent size and elite athleticism (I saw a report of 44 inch vertical somewhere, though that’s likely a bit exaggerated). Also has a pretty nice skillset, especially in the paint. Assertive in going to the rim and finishes quite well using his size and explosion, either creating for himself, or cutting without the ball and finishing with an ally-hoop. Plays with a high motor and tries to dunk everything around the rim. Still lacks some high-level experience and a degree of finesse and self creation, but I really like the talent overall outlook. Like Oliogu, the main holdback right now is the perimeter shot. The form doesn’t look great (flat footed and low release) and the results are inconsistent. But I do think it’s potentially fixable and I he seems to have a better overall shooting touch than Oliogu. With no Riley around, I expect Beckford to see big minutes and be a prominent feature of the offense, while also providing an athletic spark on the defensive end and on the boards.




Tyrus Rathan-Mayes | 17.8yo SG/SF, 6'6 (6’11 wingspan), 190lbs | Markham, ON

Another brother in the seemingly endless lineage of the Rathan-Mayes family. The older brother, Xavier (AKA XRM), was considered a promising talent when he was young (including when he played with Team Canada youth teams), and once scored 30 points in 4 minutes for Florida State in college. He didn’t quite pan out and has mostly bounced around after leaving college. But last year he had a terrific season in Russia and just signed a contract for next year with Euroleague powerhouse Real Madrid.

For me, Tyrus is the most interesting talent in the family since Xavier (though other brothers also played college ball). He’s a very good 3-point shooter, both on C&S and when pulling up off movement. Has very nice form, quick release, and good elevation, with deep range. But he also contributes in other aspects of the game – he’s a good rebounder, contests shots on defense, and is a good passer (6apg in his junior high school year). Not a highflyer, but a decent athlete with a fairly strong body. Overall, I like the talent and he’s probably the best shooter on the team (maybe together with Haseley and Rougier-Roane), so I hope he’s going to see significant playing time and a chance to space the floor.

[lobosloboslobos]

Thanks as always...

Go Canada!

[Hair Canada]

BIGS

The frontcourt of this team is quite impressive and deep (perhaps too deep). Unlike the team from two years ago, it also has some versatility with a guy who can space the floor (Ahrens), power forwards who can score in the paint, adn some real rim protection.


Spencer Ahrens | 17.6yo PF, 6'10 (7’0 wingspan), 225lbs | Oakville, ON

Ahrens might be the second-best player on this team, behind Oliogu, and arguably the most important piece in terms of flexibility, as the only big with consistent shooting. I expect him to start and see big minutes. Ahrens is a power forward with excellent skill and feel for the game, and a very nice shooting touch that extends to the 3-point line. He’s not a highflyer by any means, and sometimes can even look a bit slow-footed, but he has very good mobility, with a sturdy body and really nice footwork and touch around the rim. Most importantly, he’s the only big on this list who can really stretch the floor and open up the paint for Oliogu, Beckford, and the point guards. Although he’s a real power forward and not a center, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him playing as a center next to another power forward, such as Pitt or Nyagudi, for stretches, as his skillset nicely complements theirs and he’s one of only a handful of players on this team who can legitimately shoot the ball.




Jaion Pitt | 18.3yo PF, 6'7 (7’0 wingspan), 220lbs | Norwood, ON

Pitt is one of two players on this team (along with Olivier Rioux) who also played last summer at the U19 World Cup, bringing some FIBA experience to the table. Despite not possessing the most impressive physical profile for a power forward (he might even be a 6’6 and he’s not very bulky or a highflyer), Pitt brings great energies, skill, and high efficiency to this team. He’s very crafty and savvy around the rim, with plenty of patience and an array of moves and finishes that put opponent defenders out of balance and allow him to be an efficient finisher in the paint. 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’m not completely sure about his ceiling and long-term potential due to the lack of perimeter shooting, which really limits him for now to the PF position. As such, he’s undersized and his ability to continue doing what he does at a higher level is somewhat questionable.




Ramogi Nyagudi | 17.8yo PF, 6'8, 205lbs | Winnipeg, MB

Nice to see a player from Manitoba on the team (I think the last time we saw that was with Emmanuel Akot). Nyagudi is a terrific athlete and a very good defender, who plays with a motor and a lot of energy. A lefty with high skill level, who excels in the open court and can really play above the rim. Also shows some nice vision and passing, including off live dribble. Some may even see him as a wing. But I find that, unlike Pitt, he’s still a bit raw and has ways to go in terms of handle (can be a bit loose and wild), feel for the game, decision making, and especially the shooting. There are moment he looks like a 5-star player, but then he'd miss easy layups, take questionable shots, and be careless with he ball. I hope he’s been able to make real progress in all of these areas over the last year, especially in terms of shooting (haven’t seen him play much since last summer), as this team could certainly use another guy who can be a perimeter threat.




Marial Akuentok | 18.1yo C, 6'11 (7’1 wingspan), 225lbs | Edmonton, AB

After rumors that he won’t be in the tournament due to injury, I’m glad to see that Akuentok made his way to Argentina. Hopefully, he’s recovered from the injury that kept him out of Nike EYBL games this spring and can help the team. Talent wise, Akuentok is the best center prospect in this class and I would argue also one of the top-5 players in this cohort. I also have high hopes that he'll be able to one day help the senior team Canada after the current generation of big is phased out. Right now, he’s mainly a defensive force, with size, strength, length, and good mobility. He’s also a very good shot blocker and rebounder. Offensively, he’s game is still growing, but he’s already a very good rim runner and a constant threat on the offensive boards. Also has a fairly soft shooting touch and is able to play a bit with his back to the basket and even hit the occasional mid-range shot (or even an open 3-pointer, though I don’t think we’ll see him taking these at this point).

If Akuentok is healthy, he can be a great match in the frontcourt with Ahrens, with complementary strengths.




Olivier Rioux | 18.3yo C, 7’8 (7’10 wingspan), 290lbs | Montreal, QC

The tallest teenager in the world, Rioux (a Florida commit who is scheduled to start his college career this fall) continues to make positive progress and improve his conditioning and skill. The few years he spent at IMG (which previously helped develop Zach Edey and Charles Bediako) clearly had a positive impact on his physical profile and the way he moves on the court. He’s a very decent rim protector by virtue of his sheer size and got better at avoiding biting into fakes and 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, he could become almost unplayable against most better teams in this tournament. As one might expect from a huge lumbering slow-footed center, he’s a huge liability in space and opposing bigs (or guards and wings off the screen) completely burn him from the perimeter or with a fake and an easy drive to the rim. Add in a slow reaction time (which often results in what seems like “bad hands” for rebounding or catching balls off passes), complete lack of explosiveness, and a degree of “softness” around the rim, and no one should expect another Zach Edey on the offensive end. I still think he gets a decent amount of minutes, as the primary backup to Akuentok giving opposing teams something to think about on both ends of the floor.




Matt Dann | 18.1yo C, 7’0 (7’5 wingspan) | Oakville, ON

I like the long term potential of Dann, with his size and length. But I have to say that, similar to two years ago, I’m confused by the inclusion of a third center who can’t shoot on a roster that also has two power forwards without much floor-spacing ability. Any pairing of Akuentok, Rioux, Dunn, Pitt, and Nyagudi would create spacing issues for this team (especially when Oliogu and/or Beckford are in the backcourt).

Maybe Dann was brought in as an insurance policy in case Akuentok is still not recovered from his injury. Otherwise, I can't see him getting much playing time, as his body and game are still growing. He’s quite skinny and started playing basketball at a relatively older age, so his game is still raw. Dann can certainly contribute some on defense, especially with rim protection, but at this point his not really a factor on offense, except maybe finishing ally-hoops, and is aslo a mediocre rebounder (again, mostly due to lack of strength). I think another guard or wing would have been more helpful on this team.







My prediction: Despite the (once again) somewhat uneven team construction and certain lack of shooting, I like the talent level on this team and I think Canada is going to get back to the gold-medal game and maybe even manage to be competitive once there.

The first game starts tomorrow at 14:10 ET.

Good luck to the boys!

[ontnut]

Wow Rioux is 7'8"
That's a height I can barely even fathom.

[TheLP]

Always look forward to these threads

My only theory, and it's not a strong one, on the makeup of the roster - they see the problem in our senior team and are trying out a bunch of bigs in these age groups, hoping to identify some future contributors to the senior team.

Good strategy? Probably not

[SharoneWright]

Thanks for the excellent content as always!

You don’t even get this stuff on a subscription site. Looks like lots of potential and lots to look forward to!

[LordByronScott]

HC, the level of analysis you provide is outstanding. You're the only reason I spend any time at all on RealGM.

[Fairview4Life]

This kid is waiting for me to return my cart to the coral at the grocery store so he can bring it back inside.

[Hair Canada]

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

[mihaic]

Thanks, Hair Canada.

[aminiaturebuddha]

Great work as always, Hair.

I'm really looking forward to watching Ahrens. I agree with you that he's one of the most important players on the team.

I'm disappointed that Riley isn't there. Those two, along with Akuentok, would have made for a very interesting frontcourt. I'm not sure why his college visits needed to take place right now over the course of these 10 days when training camp and the tournament will be on, instead of before or after. It's obviously entirely his choice, but it's a disappointing one.

Aside from Ahrens, it's the guards I'll be watching closely, mostly because I'm less familiar with them and their games than I am with some of the forwards like Ahrens, Pitt, and Oliogu.

[mihaic]

Wow 7ft8. At that height, even if he had Trex arms as long as he's not a giraffe, he may not need to jump to dunk!

[TheLP]

Wow 7ft8. At that height, even if he had Trex arms as long as he's not a giraffe, he may not need to jump to dunk!

Jumping to dunk isn't the obstacle for him, it's catching the ball

Admittedly haven't seen him play in a year so I'm hoping the hand-eye improved but it's been pretty tough to watch in the past. Rioux is what non-Purdue college basketball fans think Zach Edey is

[aminiaturebuddha]

Yikes, FIBA refs off to a good start. Ahrens just got mugged on two straight possessions and no foul.

[TheLP]

Ugly ugly start, looks like a 2k rec game with a bunch of randoms lol

Still figuring out their roles and FIBA officials, not going to get too concerned yet

[aminiaturebuddha]

Yeah, kind of a slow start for Canada. Really disorganized and scrambling play, and they couldn't hit a shot. Still up by 5 at the half, but they need to get much better.

The DR's offence seems to consist mostly of setting moving screens at the top of the key, and then using the advantage from that to either get to the hoop or spread the ball out to the corners (usually the right corner). It'll keep working as long as they're allowed to get away with those screens.

Whereas Canada's offence seems to mostly involve wild drives into traffic in the paint. The guys really need to start looking for their passing options once they collapse the defence in the paint. Right now it's way too much one-on-one.

[aminiaturebuddha]

Well, that was a terrible start to the tournament. Some awful play by Canada in the 4th and overtime after being up 10 after 3 quarters, combined with some typical FIBA ref nonsense, and they end up losing 79-77 to the DR.

First to the coaching. I know they didn't have much time to prepare, and maybe they just focused on defence in their short camp, but I really had no clue what Canada was trying to run most of the time. I'm also not sure why Canada's coach didn't use his challenge. There were two great opportunities for it. The first on a clean block by Akuentok with about 3 minutes to go in the game that gave him his 4th foul, and the other on that ridiculous 3-pt foul call near the end of overtime.

Now to some of the players that stood out:

Oliogu might be the most talented player on the team, but he also might be more responsible than anyone else for costing them the game. He plays way too loose with the ball, doesn't value possessions, and in general is just way too casual and sloppy. He needs to get his head in the game, because the talent is all there.

Pitt was quietly very effective as a connective piece and glue guy.

Torian Lee started, but I felt much more comfortable with Haseley running the point. He seems to be the best ballhandler on the team, but doesn't try to play too fast. Things seem much more in control with him on the court. No surprise that he ended up getting way more minutes than Lee.

To me, the most intriguing player might be Nyugudi. I love his defence and all around hustle on the floor. He really affected the DR at the point of attack whenever he was on the floor. He really needs to work on his handle, and his shot is a bit of an adventure (although I like his confidence), but he's got potential. He's a very good passer for his size, but might also be a bit too unselfish at times. There were a couple of shots that he passed up driving to the hoop that I wished he didn't. I think it was a mistake that he wasn't on the court down the stretch and in overtime.

[mihaic]

Wow 7ft8. At that height, even if he had Trex arms as long as he's not a giraffe, he may not need to jump to dunk!

Jumping to dunk isn't the obstacle for him, it's catching the ball

Admittedly haven't seen him play in a year so I'm hoping the hand-eye improved but it's been pretty tough to watch in the past. Rioux is what non-Purdue college basketball fans think Zach Edey is

Interesting! Well, I haven't seen him play at all so thanks for the info. But, what do you mean by the bolded part about Edey? I don't want to jump to conclusions.

[TheLP]

Wow 7ft8. At that height, even if he had Trex arms as long as he's not a giraffe, he may not need to jump to dunk!

Jumping to dunk isn't the obstacle for him, it's catching the ball

Admittedly haven't seen him play in a year so I'm hoping the hand-eye improved but it's been pretty tough to watch in the past. Rioux is what non-Purdue college basketball fans think Zach Edey is

Interesting! Well, I haven't seen him play at all so thanks for the info. But, what do you mean by the bolded part about Edey? I don't want to jump to conclusions.

You know the college basketball narrative from Purdue haters the last 2 years.. "HE'S JUST TALL!!!"

Rioux is just tall. There isn't much else about his game that is noteworthy at this time