NEXT! Elijah Fisher and the class of 2023 top-25

[Hair Canada]

Class of 2021 top-25:
https://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2035998
Class of 2022 top-25:
https://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2038491


Beyond the one obvious star (Elijah Fisher), this class doesn’t seem that strong to me at this point. Perhaps it’s just the fact that I’ve last watched most of them when they were 15-year-olds. But except for Fisher, no other player is a locked-in high-major college prospect. There are a couple of interesting potentials and some will surely get there but none seems like a sure thing at this point.

Quebec won the U15 nationals for this class in 2019, but I was not blown away by any of their players and haven’t seen anyone else from that province that moved the needle for me. That doesn’t mean of course that such talents won’t come along later on; in fact, I’m pretty sure they will, just can’t pinpoint them yet. The Alberta prospects in this class actually seemed more interesting to me, with some good size and shooting, though again I couldn’t name among them one who is a surefire high-major college prospect (well, maybe one). And the Ontario contingent also underperformed, despite a couple of talented players.

Again, though, I’m really starting to reach here, when trying to project how kids that I’ve watched as 14- and 15-year-olds will develop physically and mentally. When I watched Josh Primo at that age he seemed completely pedestrian to me and O-Max looked like a complete train wreck. They both ended up as two of the best talents in the 2020 class…

I’ll still give it a shot, though this top-25 ranking is likely to change quite a bit the next time I have an opportunity to watch these kids:

1. Elijah Fisher (16.5yo; 6’7 SF; 6’10 wingspan; 215lbs; Oshawa, ON)
2. Isaac Simon (6’2 PG; 170lbs; Regina, SK)
3. Jimma James (6’5 PG; 160lbs; Windsor, ON)
4. Jaiden Cole (16yo; 6’4 SG; 160lbs; Scarborough, ON)
5. Bubu Benjamin (6’6 SF; 190lbs; Medicine Hat, AB)
6. Anthony Wrzeszcz – (6’4 SG; 175lbs; Mississauga, ON)
7. Adrian Uchidiuno (6’2 SG; 155lbs; 6’10 wingspan; Markham, ON)
8. Cyril Martynov (6’9 combo forward; 190lbs; ON)
9. Bronson Chambers (6’5 SG; 170lbs; ON)
10. Braeden MacVicar (6’8 combo forward; Port Williams, NS)
11. Jahsemar Olembe (6’4 CG; 175lbs; Kitchener, ON)
12. Markus Pastorcic-Straun (6’3 PG; Toronto, ON)
13. Justin Chase (6’6 SG; Toronto, ON)
14. Thomas Ndong (6’8 PF; Terrebonne, QC)
15. Matai Baptiste (6’8 PF; ON)
16. Jaxon Koroll (6’10 C; Chestermere, AB)
17. Marquese Josephs 6’2 PG; Mississauga, ON
18. Freud-Ansley St. Felix (6’2 SG, QC)
19. Preston Gayle (6’5 SG; ON)
20. Isaiah Panom (6’6 SF; Edmonton, AB)
21. Jahari Williamson (6’1 CG; ON)
21. Dylan Grant (6’7 SF; Mississauga, ON)
22. Freddy Kapinga (6’2 CG; Calgary, AB)
23. Ashton Brown (6’6 SF; Brampton, ON)
24. Dawson Matsell (6’5 SG; Hamilton, ON)
25. Yashar Greaves-Saadat (6’4 SG; Windsor, ON)

I’ll do 30 again:
26. Xavier Spencer (6’2 SG; 215lbs; Calgary, AB)
27. Keenan Emmanuel (6’0 CG; Mississauga, ON)
28. Nathan Charles (6’4 SG; Ottawa, ON)
29. Kailon Nicholls (6’0 PG; Toronto, ON)
30. Max Voorpool (5’11 PG; Pickering, ON)



1. Elijah Fisher (16.5yo; 6’7 SF; 6’10 wingspan; 215lbs; Oshawa, ON). Has there ever been a more hyped 16-year-old in the history of Canadian basketball? Maybe Andrew Wiggins, though social media was not as pervasive 10 years ago. When I wrote about Fisher here 3 years ago, some users told me that it’s way too early. Since then, numerous articles in mainstream newspapers and documentaries in mainstream TV channels have covered just about every aspect of his story, though most offered a fairly shallow picture of who he actually is as a player. Most anoint him as the next big thing out of Canada and a future NBA superstar. Some say that he’s better than Wiggins and Barrett were at his age.

So how founded is this hype?

Playing the SG/SF positions, Fisher’s physical profile is every scout’s dream. An excellent and explosive athlete, who’s also long, with big steps and very good speed. He’s also very strong and tremendous body control in the air. He’s a real freight train in the open court and excels in transition, attacking the basket relentlessly and finishing well with either hand.

Fisher has many similarities to RJ Barrett when he was his age. He has that dog mentality and desire to relentlessly attack the basket, together with the mental toughness to seek contact and the physical strength to finish well with this contact. In fact, he’s actually significantly stronger than Barret was at this age. He wants the ball in his hands and doesn’t shy away from the responsibility. He’s always on attack mode and seems to want it more than others. Also similar to Barrett, when Fisher chooses to look up, he actually has pretty good vision and passing skills. He can split the defense with one-handed passes and even make occasional whole-court passes. He’s nowhere near the level of players like LeBron or Ben Simmons, but he certainly has the vision and skill to develop into a decent passer with the years.

Unfortunately, Fisher also shares some of Barrett’s main weaknesses, weaknesses that are now exposed as Barrett is playing against tougher completion. Fisher is very right-hand dominant, similar to how Barrett is largely limited to his left. He prefers to go to his right at any opportunity and finish with his right hand even when it makes little sense. Related to that, he can often force the issue, get tunnel-vision, and charge into a wall. As I said, he’s even stronger than Barrett was at his age, so it usually works out for him against weaker defenders. But he doesn’t have the same degree of wiggle and shiftiness that Barrett has, so he’ll have to develop other moves to succeed in the next level. Also like Barrett, his handle is not bad but can be quite shaky at times, as his dribble tends to be too high and given the fact that he's so right-hand dominant.

Finally, his shooting touch also looks more similar to that of Barrett than I would like. Doesn’t have the most natural shooting form from behind the arc and while he can certainly make it, he also has many bad misses that suggest this doesn’t come very naturally to him. He’s okay from the line (around 70% I think), but clearly shooting is not his strong suit and I doubt it ever will be. He also hasn’t shown much of a mid-range shooting stroke so far and rarely uses floaters or short-stops, largely limiting his scoring threat to finishes at the rim. On the defensive end of the floor, he has great potential, with his athleticism, strength, and mobility. At this point, his effort level comes and goes and he does quite a bit of ball-watching, but it’s quite rare for players this age to also be great defenders, and given his tools, the projection is certainly positive.

Okay, where does all of this leave us?

Like Wiggins and Barrett before him, Fisher has become the new poster child for the future of Canadian basketball, for better or worse. I think it’s fair to say that while both Wiggins and Barrett clearly became legit NBA players, they have both disappointed somewhat given the lofty expectations. Both are mainly volume scorers and neither projects to be an NBA all-star at this point, though it’s a bit early to say this with any confidence about Barrett.

So is Fisher headed to be the next disappointment? With such impossible expectations (to be an NBA superstar), it’s actually the most likely outcome. While I have almost no doubt that he will get to the NBA and probably also be a starter at some point, like with Barrett, there are some significant warning signs there that he might have a hard time getting to the highest levels. He’s at an age where much is still correctable and the range of possibilities is certainly large. His physical profile is really unique and by all accounts, he’s a good kid, who works hard and really wants to get better.

But I do have some question marks about his handlers, the advice he’s getting, and the preoccupation with his ranking and image at this early age. I’m also not crazy about the choice to stay in Canada rather than join a Montverde-like program and play against the best competition, as well as the avoidance from playing for Team Canada youth teams and be tested against the world’s best. I guess that’s part of the game now and I really can’t fault him for that. But I’m not sure how challenged he is to really improve the weaker aspects of his game when he can just get by and dominate with his natural gifts.

[NotMyKawhi]

I think wiggins had more hype...ppl were saying best 13 year old ever

but Fisher is better. He has that kobe killer mentality where wiggins was just a super athlete

[TrueNorth31]

Thanks - hands down best scouting report on Fisher that I've read.

I keep hoping reading your reports that we have a few more bigs in the pipeline. It's the one area we seem to not have a great abundance of ? Perhaps it's simply a by product of population distribution of tall people or perhaps they are out there and take longer to develop ? I'm just not sure, but we sure could use some 6'10" plus run and jump guys in the future.

[Hair Canada]

Good questions about the bigs. I think it's a mix of several things, some of them you've mentioned.

First, bigs develop slowly and are often really hard to project at a young age. I mean, look at our NBA guys. Just about every one of them was considered, at best, a borderline NBA player in college. Powell, Olynyk, Birch. Not to mention guys like Clarke, Boucher, or Kabengele, who at younger ages didn't look like NBA talents at all. So one simple answer is that we (me) really don't know and if the past is any indication there might be some diamonds in the rough there, late bloomers, guys who have a late growth spurt, etc.

A second issue is what happened to the center (and PF) position in recent years. 7 footers who are not athletic monsters or extremely mobile are all but extinct. So yes, we do have a couple of huge guys such as Zach Edey, or a few years younger Olivier Rioux. But they are quite unlikely to ever get a chance in the league. Or you can even look at more traditional old-fashioned centers, guys like Jaden Bediako (2019) or Jaiden Webley (2022). Both are around 6'10, strong and bulky, with long wingspans, but just too heavy for the modern game. There are others with a similar profile, like Tre-Vaughn Minott (2021; strong and long), who just joined South Carolina. Or guys who didn't even make it to my top-25 list, such as Caleb Atewe (2022). These days, if you're not an athletic freak, can't move really quickly, and don't show minimal potential for outside shooting, you're no longer even in the conversation.

Finally, I actually mentioned a couple of guys that could eventually become NBA bigs if everything works the right way. From 2021, Charles Bediako of course (considered a top-5 center in North America in his class), but also Marlon Lestin or Mayen Maen, both 6'9, long, very mobile, and show signs of outside shooting. From 2022 there's Enoch Boakye, who like Bediako is considered a top-5 center in this class in North America.

Take all these factors together, and you get lists that seem quite devoid of bigs. But the reason is not that they don't exist. Rather, I think it's the difficulty of identifying many of them early on, together with looking at how the NBA looks like today and realizing how hard it is for 6'10s or 7 footers to make it into the league. Lengthy, athletic, and mobile (but not very tall; often around 6'8 or 6'9) forwards who can shoot have taken over both forward positions, and are often even taking minutes from centers. So I think Canada's actually doing fine.

[Raps in 4]

I think wiggins had more hype...ppl were saying best 13 year old ever

but Fisher is better. He has that kobe killer mentality where wiggins was just a super athlete

Killer athlete with that Bargnani mentality. So much wasted potential.

[Hair Canada]

2. Isaac Simon (6’2 PG; 180lbs; Regina, SK). Simon might be the best prospect out of Western Canada since Emmanuel Akot (who didn’t pan out eventually). A real point guard with excellent skill, combined with a strong physical profile. Simon is a very good athlete, with great speed. He can get to the basket almost at will (at least against weaker competition) and finish nicely at the rim with either hand, utilizing crafty moves and a good hang-time. A very willing and accurate passer, Simon already able to make one-handed passes in movement and thread the needle. Plays unselfishly and largely takes good decisions. He is also an excellent rebounder for his position, making him a constant triple-double threat at the high school level. To add to all that, he seems like a good and willing defender, moving his feet well and making good reads.

The shooting is still developing, as you might expect at this age. I think he has a pretty good touch and he’s a willing shooter with decent accuracy. But the release right now is a bit too slow and flat-footed, and his overall form needs work, especially the lower half of the body and the alignment. He still doesn’t shoot much off the dribble, but overall, again, I see good potential.

Simon played both football and basketball at younger ages, but more recently moved to focus on basketball full time. He uses his strength and toughness really well. If He grew some more over the past year, it seems to me like he has everything it takes to play at the highest level of college, and perhaps even beyond.

[mtr15]

Rivals just came out with its first rankings for the class of 2023 and it has Fisher at #4 overall (in North America).

https://n.rivals.com/prospect_rankings/rivals150/2023

Last fall, 247 Sports ranked him #3.

So, it's safe to say he's a consensus top 5 player in the class of 2023 and I'm pretty sure he's going to push himself to be #1 when it's al set and done. This is assuming he doesn't reclassify to the 2022 class.

A side note: There are rumors of Emoni Bates reclassifying to the class of 2021 (to spend a season or two at Michigan State) and if that happens, I'm pretty sure Fisher will reclassify to 2022 and be the top player for that class.

[Pooh_Jeter]

It's weird how devoid of talent BC has been for the most part. Any take on it Hair?

Ontario and Quebec are obviously the top of the class, but it feels like Alberta, Manitoba and even the Maritimes and Saskatchewan are consistently having more elite talent in the youth ranks.

[Hair Canada]

It's weird how devoid of talent BC has been for the most part. Any take on it Hair?

Ontario and Quebec are obviously the top of the class, but it feels like Alberta, Manitoba and even the Maritimes and Saskatchewan are consistently having more elite talent in the youth ranks.

So I agree about BC and I think it's not just my lack of familiarity with the most Western Canadian province (though I'll be the first to admit that the youth leagues in BC are largely a mystery to me). Because every year at the Canadian nationals I'm hoping to see some new talents, but almost every year they put up uninspiring teams that cannot keep up with ON and QC. And I really struggle to see prospects with long-term potential there. I'm not even talking about a new Steve Nash, Kelley Olynyk, or BC (Brandon Clarke). I'd take a nice high-major college talent who can reasonably turn into a solid Europe pro -- the kind that Ontario produces by the dozens.

They did have a couple of nice bigs in recent years -- Liam McChesney (now at Utah State), Victor Radocaj (Eastern Washington), and Dominic Parolin (Lehigh). well, bigs is a bit of an overstatement, as the first two have nice skill but really thin. Anyway, none of these is making a real impact in college right now and none will get to the NBA.

So why is that? I can only speculate, as I don't really know the basketball scene in BC well. One thing, which people are often embarrassed to talk about, is race. The fact is that the percentage of Blacks in BC (1%) is lower than any other province with more than half a million people. so the Black population in Alberta is three times that of BC and in Ontario, it's 15 times larger. That's certainly a factor. Still, BC has a larger Black population than any province except for ON, QC, and AB. And with a population of 5 million, you'd certainly expect a higher level of talent on a yearly basis in a province that loves and appreciates basketball. So I'm not sure what's the story. Hopefully, it's just a dry spell and the next Olynyk is now a 12yo.

One BC guy worth mentioning though -- Fardaws Aimaq (Vancouver), who is leading all D1 players in rebounds by a wide margin with 15 a game, while also providing nice scoring and blocking. To put it in perspective, his college (Utah Valley) plays in one of the worst conferences, so the competition is mostly weak. Still, I'm curious to see him in a high-major environment. Maybe some of this can translate?

[Hair Canada]

Rivals just came out with its first rankings for the class of 2023 and it has Fisher at #4 overall (in North America).

https://n.rivals.com/prospect_rankings/rivals150/2023

Last fall, 247 Sports ranked him #3.

So, it's safe to say he's a consensus top 5 player in the class of 2023 and I'm pretty sure he's going to push himself to be #1 when it's al set and done. This is assuming he doesn't reclassify to the 2022 class.

A side note: There are rumors of Emoni Bates reclassifying to the class of 2021 (to spend a season or two at Michigan State) and if that happens, I'm pretty sure Fisher will reclassify to 2022 and be the top player for that class.

I think you are over-optimistic about Fisher and his ranking. I agree there's a good chance that he reclassifies to 2022. But even if Bates moves to 2021 (of note, Bates is almost the same age as Fisher), there are other strong prospects in 2022 and it's far from a sure thing. Guys like Jalen Duren or Chris Livingston are not less gifted physically than Fisher and would be strong contenders for that #1 spot, along with others who will come along. I do agree that Fisher is a top-5 though, at least for now.

Anyway, all this debate about ranking out of high school is really not that important to me and I think too much time is spent on it by fans, but also by the players themselves. The cards are reshuffled anyway once they get to college. RJ Barret was ranked first in his HS class almost unanimously. Within two weeks of the college season, it was clear that Zion was a much more promising player. This year, in the class of 2020, Jalen Suggs was out of the top-10 for many and within two weeks in college, it became clear that he's a top-3 prospect for the coming draft.

Now don't get me wrong, I just did some rankings of my own here. So obviously, I have no principled objection to playing around with these. But for me, these are more a way of sorting out through the field and highlighting some of the best prospects out there. And I feel it's kind of silly to be preoccupied with where exactly you are in these.

[mtr15]

Rivals just came out with its first rankings for the class of 2023 and it has Fisher at #4 overall (in North America).

https://n.rivals.com/prospect_rankings/rivals150/2023

Last fall, 247 Sports ranked him #3.

So, it's safe to say he's a consensus top 5 player in the class of 2023 and I'm pretty sure he's going to push himself to be #1 when it's al set and done. This is assuming he doesn't reclassify to the 2022 class.

A side note: There are rumors of Emoni Bates reclassifying to the class of 2021 (to spend a season or two at Michigan State) and if that happens, I'm pretty sure Fisher will reclassify to 2022 and be the top player for that class.

I think you are over-optimistic about Fisher and his ranking. I agree there's a good chance that he reclassifies to 2022. But even if Bates moves to 2021 (of note, Bates is almost the same age as Fisher), there are other strong prospects in 2022 and it's far from a sure thing. Guys like Jalen Duren or Chris Livingston are not less gifted physically than Fisher and would be strong contenders for that #1 spot, along with others who will come along. I do agree that Fisher is a top-5 though, at least for now.

Anyway, all this debate about ranking out of high school is really not that important to me and I think too much time is spent on it by fans, but also by the players themselves. The cards are reshuffled anyway once they get to college. RJ Barret was ranked first in his HS class almost unanimously. Within two weeks of the college season, it was clear that Zion was a much more promising player. This year, in the class of 2020, Jalen Suggs was out of the top-10 for many and within two weeks in college, it became clear that he's a top-3 prospect for the coming draft.

Now don't get me wrong, I just did some rankings of my own here. So obviously, I have no principled objection to playing around with these. But for me, these are more a way of sorting out through the field and highlighting some of the best prospects out there. And I feel it's kind of silly to be preoccupied with where exactly you are in these.

Good points you raised and I feel Fisher not being ranked #1 now by the major ranking services will be beneficial in the long run. It'll push him to improve his overall game.

Here's a recent YT video I found of Fisher working on his game, particularly his shooting:

Watch on YouTube

These clips were taken a few months ago during the fall at Crestwood.

There's a sequence from 1:35 to 1:51 in the video where he makes four straight 3s in different spots.

Another note on Fisher: If the COVID restrictions in Ontario continue and no youth sports are allowed, I could see Fisher exploring options to play in a major prep program in the States, like Montverde. Caleb Houstan will be going to Michigan in the fall and I'm pretty sure Montverde coach Kevin Boyle will want to land a player like Fisher to replace Houstan.

[Hair Canada]

3. Jimma James (6’5 CG; 160lbs; Windsor, ON). A late bloomer from Windsor, who grew up a couple of inches over the last year and now has quite an impressive physical profile, with a very good mix of height, length, and athleticism. Plays in the US (recently transferred to St. Benedict Prep). Has been quite impressive in camps this summer and I think he might be ready to break out. Long and athletic with a solid build. Has a nice handle and some deceptive moves and he’s also a good passer, crafty and creative, and plays unselfishly. I like the defensive potential as well, with his size, quickness, and activity level. Didn’t see enough film to judge whether he’s already showing flashes in that department.

The main weakness Is see right now is the shooting. James didn’t take many perimeter shots in the games I’ve watched. And when he did, he shot it pretty flat-footed with a low release. He does seem to have a decent touch, but the shooting is certainly not his main strength right now. Also, from what I’ve seen, he doesn’t attack the left side much, so needs some work in that department.

With that in mind, I still think he has one of the higher ceilings in this class as a real PG with very good size and athleticism for the position. If he can continue to improve his skill level and shooting, while adding strength and experience playing against tougher competition, we might be looking at a second leaguer from Windsor joining Michal Mulder. He’s got a long way to go before he gets there, but the potential is certainly there.

4. Jaiden Cole (16yo; 6’4 SG; 160lbs; Scarborough, ON). This one is also a bit of a long-term gamble. Cole is far from a finished product and putting him this high is mostly based on projected potential, both physical and in terms of mentality and game development. So naturally, it might never materialize. It might be just my gut feeling, but I think he’s going to make a physical jump and put on some additional height before his body starts to fill out. Right now, he’s quite skinny and has borderline size for the SG position at the next levels. But what I already like about him is that he’s long, a very good and fluid athlete, with some nice bunnies, and also has good vision, as he’s able to dribble with his head up and make good reads.

The shooting also looks good and has come a long way since the first time I’ve watched him more than three years ago. He still tends to be a bit hesitant, partly I think because he’s not quite there physically and skill-wise. He has a nice handle, but still not confident enough and he coughs the ball too frequently. Still, I think with some improvement in that department he might even become a combo-guard.

[KEV]

Hair,

Tremendous work on the write ups this year. I always enjoy reading your thoughts on young players in the Canadian system.

In my readings of the 2023 class, the consensus #2 seemed to be Olembe. Some minor US ranking sites had listed him as a top 50 player in North America. Curious as to why he is down on your list.

[Hair Canada]

Hair,

Tremendous work on the write ups this year. I always enjoy reading your thoughts on young players in the Canadian system.

In my readings of the 2023 class, the consensus #2 seemed to be Olembe. Some minor US ranking sites had listed him as a top 50 player in North America. Curious as to why he is down on your list.

Thanks. Good question about Olembe. I guess putting him outside of the top-10 does require some explaining. While I wouldn't pay too much attention to how US ranking sites rank young Canadian players who do not play in a US high school (seems like most only really watched two or three players), you are probably right that there's somewhat of a consensus even in Canada about Olembe as the #2 player in this class. So how come I have him so low?

First, it's completely possible that I'm underestimating him and the consensus is right. I'm not some basketball savant (not even a professional scout) and I certainly can't predict how players this young will eventually develop. When I wrote three years ago, I was actually more there and mentioned Olembe as one of the most promising prospects in this class, though already then I had some doubts. At the time, some people actually had him as second in North America. How come? At 13, already standing around 6'2 or 6'3, he looked like he had a unique blend of size, physical strength, skill, smoothness, scoring abilities, and passing for his age.

But I must admit that I'm just not that excited about the long-term potential here anymore. Olembe seems like one of these cases of a boy who maxed out physically and in terms of game maturity fairly early on. I always thought he was a tad too slow and limited athletically. But three years ago, while I noted this, I was willing to look away because his game seemed so smooth, developed, and mature, and other aspects were truly intriguing. I thought he might end up at 6’7 or 6’8 and turn into a very skilled SF, with handle, vision, and shooting. But now, while the vision is still there, together with a decent shooting stroke and fairly good handle, I just can’t ignore anymore the fact that he’s already 17 (January birthday) with mediocre size (6'4) for the guard position and that he’s just not quick enough to be a guard at the highest levels, while lacking other elite skills to compensate (handle; shooting). I just can’t see it happening for him anymore.

So I should reiterate that this ranking is mostly forward-looking. If you asked me about their current (well, a year ago) level, then Olembe is a better player than most of the players ranked above him, arguably even all except for Fisher. But with pretty much all of the top-10, I see at least the potential (physical and/or athletic) for becoming influential high-major college players and perhaps even more. Some of them will surely not live up to this, but I still think their current ceiling is abit higher than that of Olembe.

All that said, I'd actually be very happy if he proves me wrong, because I do like the smoothness and ease of his game (which won him the knickname Jazz Olembe) and his unselfishness.

[B-Ball Freak]

It makes me so happy and proud to see Canada become a powerhouse in producing NBA caliber players, when I was growing up it was big news if a Canadian hooper made a D1 team now we regularly churn out atleast 100 a year. Canada is like a well oiled machine now and it's just going to get better.

[Hair Canada]

5. Bubu Benjamin (6’6 SF; Medicine Hat, AB). I’ve only watched Benjamin play in one event – the U15 Canadian Nationals a year and a half ago. But I came out quite impressed. In fact, I thought he was the best player in that championship, leading a tall and talented AB team, which fell in a close semis game to Ontario although I thought it was actually the better team.

Benjamin, who hails from South Sudan, is a lengthy and fairly strong guard/small forward, with good athleticism and body control. I also quite like his skill level for his age, with a pretty tight handle and flashes of playmaking. A strong slasher who can go either left or right on the penetration and feels comfortable finishing with both hands. And though he mainly excels as a slasher, he can also shoot the 3, not very accurately at this point, but I think he has a decent touch. Has a strong scorer’s mentality and likes to attack the basket and hunt for his shots. I like his self-confidence and assertiveness, though at times he can get a bit selfish and trigger happy, despite having good vision and passing skills. Reminds me a bit of Mathew-Alexander Moncrieff in how he looks on the court but he’s stronger, more skilled, and a significantly better scorer (though not as freakishly long and athletic) than MAM was when he was a 15-year-old.

6. Anthony Wrzeszcz (6’4 CG; 175lbs; Mississauga, ON). I mentioned his name already 3 years ago after watching him dominating at younger ages and I continue to believe he holds some promise. Wrzeszcz (seriously, how do you pronounce this name?) is an ambidextrous combo guard, with a good mix of size (hopefully still growing), strength, and skill. A hard worker who adds elements to his game every time I see him. Right-handed, but very comfortable going to his left and finishing nicely with either hand. He’s also a good shooter, with nice form and touch and a quick release, who can get hot and score in bunches, though he’s quite streaky, and can also get really cold and miss badly. Hopefully, maturity will bring better shot selection and more stability in that department.

Beyond the instability, which characterizes his game beyond just the shooting (I’ve seen him play really well but also quite terribly), he also needs to improve his playmaking, especially if he doesn’t add more size. He’s a very decent athlete but doesn’t have enough speed and explosion to create his own shots. So as long as the shooting is not consistent and elite, he’ll need to bring other things to the table. He’s certainly a willing passer, who looks for his teammates and can make some very good reads. But he’s also too turnover-prone and makes too many bad decisions to consistently handle the lead guard position. Right now, he’s not better than Luka Sakota was at this age, but I think he has a higher ceiling if everything eventually falls into place.

After a year in Ottawa with Canada Topflight Academy, he moved to the US this summer, to Lake Forest Academy in Illinois. Haven’t heard much about his playing and development there, but hopefully, he continues to make good progress.

[Hair Canada]

7. Adrian Uchidiuno (6’2 SG; 155lbs; 6’10 wingspan; Markham, ON). Another guy who I’m taking a gamble on as a longer-term prospect because I think he’ll be a late bloomer. Right now, others in this class, even ones out of my top-10, are probably better players, but I see some upside in Uchidiuno that I don’t see with them.

Uchidiuno is an athletic lefty with a lean body and not that tall. But he’s also exceedingly long (the wingspan above is a bit of a guess but I think it’s somewhere in that ballpark). More of a SG than a PG, mostly looking for his own shot. But he’s quick and has a high motor, showing signs of promising defense (including blocks and steals) despite his slight frame. Offensively, he uses angles nicely and utilizes both hands on the penetration. Has some outside shooting too and can stop-and-pop. The shooting form looks pretty solid. Plays with a lot of confidence, even some swagger.

Obviously, all these elements wouldn’t add up to too much if he can’t grow up physically, adding a couple of inches and some bulk while continuing to hone his skill level. So that’s where I’m projecting a bit and might be completely off. We’ll see.

8. Cyril Martynov (6’9 combo-forward; ON). One of the guys on this list that I had the least opportunity to watch. Saw maybe one entire game and then some edited tape. But something there caught my eye. Martynov is a lengthy forward, quite skinny, and not a high flyer. But he has good mobility and a fairly good handle given his height and age, able to penetrate and finish at the rim with both hands. Can also shoot the 3 with pretty nice form and accuracy, sporting a high and quick release. Not just a set shooter either. Can shoot it on the move a bit. Despite his slight frame, he can be pretty aggressive driving to the basket, even though he doesn’t have enough strength to always finish against older bulkier players. I will need to see much more of him to form a stronger opinion, but I think he’s one of the nicer potentials in this class if his body comes along.

[Hair Canada]

9. Bronson Chambers (6’5 SG; 180lbs; 6’8 wingspan; ON). Chambers is a scorer with good size for the SG position and some promising skill. A really good shooter from all ranges. I think that will likely be his calling card. Doesn’t create too much for others right now, but can really catch and shoot and has decent athleticism and handle to go along with that. Also has good confidence and plays with a degree of swagger, not shying away from the moment. A good scorer for his age. I’m not sure where it’s going. The range of possibilities is quite wide, starting from just a decent college player to much more. Much will depend on the development of a more solid handle and vision, as well as physical maturity. As I’m writing this, I’m thinking that I might actually be underrating Chambers here. Probably should have bumped him up a couple of spots. Just haven’t been able to follow his development lately.

10. Braeden MacVicar (6’8 combo-forward; Port Williams, NS). Another player I’ve only really watched in one competition, the 2019 nationals a year and a half ago. A lanky forward, with a lot of room for physical growth, MacVicar is long, athletic, and very mobile. Plays with a fantastic motor and fighting spirit and can hold his own despite his light built. Really bouncy and moves really well, with long strides and agility. Also a great shot blocker, with a quick burst and good timing. On the offensive end, there’s a lot to work on, but I also saw some promise. The shooting mechanics should be tweaked (shoots a really low ball), but he shoots an easy ball and has a pretty good touch both in the paint and from behind the arc. The handle and perimeter creativity are quite rudimentary and need a lot of work to really tap into the combo-forward potential. But I really loved the enthusiasm, activity level, and raw athleticism. Has shades of a young Andrei Kirilenko in him (that’s a lofty comparison, but it gives a sense of the kind of player he is).


So that's that for the class of 2023. And maybe for this whole lengthy project?

I'll consider sharing a couple of impressions from 2024 and 2025, though it's really getting to be a stretch with these ages.
.

[SharoneWright]

8. Cyril Martynov (6’9 combo-forward; ON). One of the guys on this list that I had the least opportunity to watch. Saw maybe one entire game and then some edited tape. But something there caught my eye. Martynov is a lengthy forward, quite skinny, and not a high flyer. But he has good mobility and a fairly good handle given his height and age, able to penetrate and finish at the rim with both hands. Can also shoot the 3 with pretty nice form and accuracy, sporting a high and quick release. Not just a set shooter either. Can shoot it on the move a bit. Despite his slight frame, he can be pretty aggressive driving to the basket, even though he doesn’t have enough strength to always finish against older bulkier players. I will need to see much more of him to form a stronger opinion, but I think he’s one of the nicer potentials in this class if his body comes along.

Wiltjer?

[Hair Canada]

8. Cyril Martynov (6’9 combo-forward; ON). One of the guys on this list that I had the least opportunity to watch. Saw maybe one entire game and then some edited tape. But something there caught my eye. Martynov is a lengthy forward, quite skinny, and not a high flyer. But he has good mobility and a fairly good handle given his height and age, able to penetrate and finish at the rim with both hands. Can also shoot the 3 with pretty nice form and accuracy, sporting a high and quick release. Not just a set shooter either. Can shoot it on the move a bit. Despite his slight frame, he can be pretty aggressive driving to the basket, even though he doesn’t have enough strength to always finish against older bulkier players. I will need to see much more of him to form a stronger opinion, but I think he’s one of the nicer potentials in this class if his body comes along.

Wiltjer?

Maybe. Way too soon to say of course. Would be awesome if he ends up shooting like Kyle. Would be nice if he'll also be able to defend