To be honest, I’m somewhat less excited about the Canadian field than in previous years. Right now, it doesn’t seem like there's a Canadian first-round pick playing in college (or anywhere else for that matter) this year. I’m not even sure there’s a sure-thing Canadian second-round pick, though Zack Edey has a very good chance to be selected and there are a couple of other upperclassmen who have an outside chance of getting there if they play really well this year. Maybe one of the freshmen will also surprise (looking at you, Aden Holliday).
Comparing this field with that of leading European basketball nations is humbling. ESPN currently predicts that both France and Spain will have 4 different first-round draft picks next year (including several lottery picks), with Serbia and Australia also predicted to have at least one first round pick.
The total number of Canadians in college has also stalled in recent years after a decade of expansion. COVID eligibility rules have created a new category of players, the “super seniors” (or returning seniors), players who come back for their 5th (or in some cases even 6th) year in college as 24- or 25-year-olds. That, in turn, has generated a significant backlog. Many teams prefer to keep their physically-mature and game-tested super seniors around, or bring them from the ever-growing and increasingly flexible Transfer Portal. As a result, less-touted high school graduates find it harder these days to get NCAA D1 offers, and even when they do, they are hard pressed to find significant playing time. This seems particularly relevant for the Canadian prospects who remain in Canada, as these are less likely to draw attention from US college coaches.
Okay, enough complaining. Even with that, there’s still plenty Canadian content to talk about and follow. Similar to previous years, I’ll dive more deeply into 5 players from each cohort (freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors). And I’ll do it more or less in the order of how promising I think their long-term potential is, rather than how productive they’ve been so far or might be next year in college. In addition, I’ll mention a few others from each class whom I’m somewhat curious to follow. As this can get quite lengthy, I’ll divide it into four parts, starting today with the freshmen, and then gradually moving my way up through the classes (will keep it all in the same thread to prevent overflowing).
FRESHMEN
As I mention above, this is not the strongest Canadian freshman class. This was showcased over the last two summers in the U17, U18, and U19 FIBA competitions, in which Canadian junior teams, featuring many players from this class, were clearly outmatched and often blown out by European powerhouses likes of Spain, Serbia, France, and Turkey. Still, there are a few interesting prospects.
1. Aden Holloway | Auburn | 19.2yo PG, 6'2, 175lbs | Charlotte, NC
Profile: Most Canadian basketball fans were taken by surprise when we learned that this talented freshman is Canadian. He was supposed to play with Team Canada’s U19 team this summer but unfortunately ended up dropping out, allegedly due to an injury. Regardless, Holloway is easily the most intriguing prospect in this Canadian class, a 5-star level prospect with all kinds of tools. He’s very quick and shifty, a decent athlete, and more than anything else, a phenomenal shooter from all ranges, off the catch or utilizing an advanced pull up game. A natural scorer who can get points on the board in a variety of ways and is likely to make his presence felt from day one. With all that, his NBA upside seems somewhat questionable. First, he’s not exactly a natural PG. More of a combo guard who might be at his best playing off the ball. Given his average size, that’s obviously not ideal. Today’s NBA is quite unfriendly for smaller guards, especially ones who are not elite athletes and come with some defensive question marks (Holloway is probably on the shorter side of 6’2 and lacks elite length or explosiveness). In recent years, even guys who looked great in their freshman college year, like Kennedy Chandler and Sharife Cooper, have only been selected in the second round and haven’t been able to break into team rotations so far. Today’s game tends to be unforgiving if you’re either too big or too small. Holloway will need to flash elite shooting and scoring skills (think Immanuel Quickley), together with good playmaking and decent defense, to be drafted this year. It’s possible but not the most likely scenario.
Team context: Unlike other Canadian rookies in this class, Holloway is expected to start from day one, get plenty of minutes, and play a central role for Auburn. He’s coming into the season as an important part of the Tigers’ rotation and one of the most intriguing freshmen in college basketball. That said, he’ll join an experienced backcourt with two productive seniors and will need to play well to meet expectations. I still think he can have a very good season and become an excellent college player. It remains to be seen if he can do even more.
2. Michael Nwoko | Miami | 19.0yo C | 6'10, 245lbs | Milton, ON
Profile: Holloway’s teammate last year at Prolific Prep may be partly responsible for Holloway rediscovering his Canadian roots. But Nwoko is an interesting prospect in his own right and arguably the best Canadian-born player in this class. A strong center with broad shoulders and a good nose for the boards, Nwoko is far from a finished product, as his offensive game is still somewhat raw. He has decent touch around the rim, but his moves are still a bit herky-jerky, and his footwork and offensive versatility certainly stand to improve. He’s also shown initial signs of a perimeter game, but there’s much more work to do before this becomes a weapon, if at all (mediocre touch from the FT line suggests that it might not). There’s plenty to like about Nwoko – his aggressiveness, mobility, strong motor, toughness, burst, and offensive rebounding. There’s even some NBA potential here in a couple of years if everything goes well and the defense keeps improving. He’s one of the more promising bigs out of Canada in recent years and hopefully he develops well and provides some depth for Team Canada’s frontcourt in the future.
Team context: Miami is arguably a top-15 team in the country, coming off a Final Four run last year, though they did lose their two best players to the draft (Jordan Miller and ACC Player of the Year Isaiah Wong). I expect Nwoko to be the first big off the bench and get decent playing time. It might take him some time to adjust to college size and physicality, and he still needs to refine his offensive skills, learn how to avoid foul trouble, and become more consistent defensively. So, I’d be very surprised if he’s a double-digit scorer this year. But he’s good enough to carve out a significant role and make an impact on a very good college team.
3. Vasean Allette | Old Dominion | 19.5yo PG, 6'3, 175lbs | Toronto, ON
Profile: Allette was the best player for Team Canada at the U18 FIBA Americas in the summer of 2022. While his physical tools (size, athleticism, and speed) don’t just off the page, he has that “it” factor – a real gamer with a mix of strong mentality, composure, skill, and fearlessness. He combines scoring with playmaking, plays an aggressive game, and has a strong motor with a good nose for the ball on D. Unfortunately, he suffered a knee injury last winter and hadn’t played since. That’s a shame because he still has plenty to work on, including his decision making, tightening the handle, and improving his defensive consistency. The shooting and shot selection also need to become more consistent. He can certainly shoot very well when he’s in the groove, but he doesn’t always take good shots and sometimes tries too much.
Team context: I think Allette is going to be a big part of the rotation from day one, potentially even a starter. We’ll need to see how he comes back from his injury and how long it takes him to get back into his regular game form. When he does get comfortable, I expect him to become one of the best Canadians in college with some NBA upside if he can iron out his weaknesses. But we might not see it in year one and starting his career for a mid-major team, it might take time before he’s really noticed.
4. Jeremy Foumena | Rhode Island | 19.9yo C | 6'11, 235lbs | St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, QC
Profile: Born in France, Foumena moved to Quebec as a child and played his high school basketball in Ontario with Orangeville Prep. You’ll note he’s an older freshman, as he spent last year with the Rams as a Red Shirt. I think he’s one of the more gifted bigs to come out of Canada in recent years. Quite crafty with the ball, has good footwork in the paint, and a good shooting touch, which can extend all the way to the 3-point line. Aldo has some defensive potential with good rim protection instincts. Foumena doesn’t always play with the toughness and motor of a guy like Nwoko. But in terms of skill and talent, he’s right up there with him and could develop into a strong college player with time.
Team context: Starting center Alex Tchiku left Rhode Island this summer, which opens up some minutes in the front court. They’ll still have Junior transfer Tyson Brown, who should start, as well as Josaphat Bilau coming back from injury. From the bench, Rory Stewart, Foumena’s former teammate at Orangeville Perp, is a nice stretch-4. But Foumena should be right up there as the team’s only true center and if he shows what he’s capable of, he should see significant minutes and make an impact from day one.
5. Braeden MacVicar | Coastal Carolina | 18.9yo PF | 6'11, 220lbs | Port Williams, NS
Profile: Beyond the four players above, it’s really hard at this point to know who’s even going to be on a college team’s rotation next year. It’s notoriously hard for freshmen coming without much clout to get significant playing time ahead of established upperclassmen, even if the latter are less talented. So I decided to go here with a guy who I’ve quite liked ever since I first watched him as a 14yo skinny kid playing for Team Nova Scotia in the Nationals. MacVicar is a long, athletic, and mobile big, who plays with a very good motor and fighting spirit. Really bouncy and moves well, with long strides and agility. Also a good shot blocker, with quick burst and good timing. On the offensive end, there’s a lot to work on, but he actually has a good shooting touch and can stretch the floor. The handle and offensive creativity have quite some room to grow. But I like the enthusiasm, activity level, and row athleticism. Although MacVicar never played for a Canadian youth team, I like his combination of shooting, motor, and defensive upside and see more upside here than with some of the other more familiar bigs in this class.
Team context: Coastal Carolina has quite a few upperclassmen big men, which one would think would be ahead of MacVicar in the rotation to start the year. But none of them has had a very impressive college career and I think MacVicar has a chance to enter the rotation and get significant playing time if he plays well.
ALSO WATCHING:
In tradition, since it’s very hard to predict the freshman class and how they’ll adjust to the college game (or if they even get a real opportunity as rookies), I’ll mention more briefly 10 others who I’ll be keeping an eye on this year and in the future.
Junior Team Canada reclassified PGs:
Baraka Okojie | George Mason | 18.3yo PG | 6'3, 170lbs | Caledon, ON. Profile: Okojie (whose brother Ose also plays in the NCAA) brings good playmaking, decent athleticism, some toughness, and the ability to create for both himself and others, getting to the rim with a good first step and some wiggle. I think he gets some playing time already this year due to his solid defense and playmaking, although theoretically there are quite a few upperclassmen guards ahead of him in the Patriots’ rotation. He’ll need to shoot the ball better and continue to work on his finishing around the rim.
Mikkel Tyne | Richmond | 18.4yo PG | 5'10, 160lbs | Brampton, ON. A bit similar to Elijah Fisher (they played on the same team at a younger age), Tyne looked like a sure thing as a young teenager, before he stopped growing and other kids caught up with him physically. He’s still a skilled PG with a good looking 3-point shot, shiftiness, speed, strength, defensive chops, and athleticism. But at 5’10 he’s had a hard time dominating as the competition level got tougher and his decision making and shooting haven’t always translated to higher levels. He could still see minutes with Richmond this season given his mature game and the qualities he brings, but the ceiling doesn’t look as high as it once did.
Jacob Theodosiou | Wyoming | 18.0yo CG | 6'4, 185lbs | Waterloo, ON. Another guy who caught my eye at a very young age as a 5’2 100lbs 12yo kid who managed to dominate older players with skill, heart, and a knack for scoring and making the right play. His games with Canada’s youth teams (U16 and U17) exposed some of his physical and athletic limitations, but he remains a good shooter who reads the game well and has good instincts. He’ll be the youngest Canadian in college next year and probably won’t see many minutes behind a group of senior guards at Wyoming. But he could develop into a very nice college player with time.
Shooters
Jordann Dumont | Villanova | 19.2yo SF | 6'8, 190lbs | Repentigny, QC. One of the more talented players in the class, Dumont has some similarities to Caleb Houstan (though he is not as talented as Houstan) in terms of size and shooting ability, as well as clear limitations in terms of strength and athleticism. I was a bit disappointed with his showing in the U19 World Cup this summer, particularly on the defensive end, where he seemed slow and outmatched. That said, he also didn’t receive too much credit from the coaches. I’d be surprised if he gets real playing time this year at Villanova (might even be a red shirt) but if he can work on his physicality and defensive intensity, while also improving his handle and ability to finish in the paint, there’s enough talent here to provide value at the college level down the line.
Yanis Bamba | Wichita State | SG | 6'6, 200lbs | Montreal, QC. Bamba is a relatively unknown even to those who follow youth basketball in Canada. He’s never played for a national team and stayed in QC throughout his youth career. But I think there’s some interesting talent here. A good athlete with a strong and lengthy frame and some explosiveness in the open court and off two feet. The handle is also fairly tight and the shot looks clean, with nice form and release. I also like his defensive potential, with quick hands and nice use of his verticality to block shots. He first signed a letter of intent to play at Valparaiso but was released following a coaching change. As with most other rookies on this list, it’s still unclear whether he’ll get much playing time as a freshman, as Wichita State has an abundance of senior guards/wings who will likely start the season ahead of him in the rotation. I could even see him being a redshirt this year.
Jaiden Cole | Towson | SG | 6'4, 175lbs | Scarborough, ON. Another Canadian who played at the NBA Latin America Academy and showed some interesting tools. I’ve been a fan of Cole from a young age, though I thought he’d end up taller. He still needs to get stronger, but he’s a sneaky athlete with some nice bunnies, good body control, and skill, as well as pretty good vision. Also a good shooter who can really drill them when he gets going. Similar to the two guys above, Cole is also projected as an end-of-the-rotation guy for now and I think he’s more likely to make an impact in future years.
Junior Team Canada wings and bigs
Bubu Benjamin | Tarleton State | 19.6yo SF | 6'7, 205lbs | Medicine Hat, AB. Hailing from South Sudan, Benjamin is a strong wing with good athleticism, decent body control, and the ability to hit perimeter shots at a decent clip. A strong slasher who can finish with either hand, including above the rim. Also a good defender with length, physicality, and a good motor. Plays with a lot of confidence and assertiveness, though he can get a bit selfish and trigger happy. His feel for the game also stands to be improved. Unlike others on this list, I do see him getting significant minutes from day one at Tarleton State, as he’s relatively older, plays a position of need, and the conference is not as strong.
Thomas Ndong | Oregon State | 19.1yo PF | 6'9, 220lbs | Terrebonne, QC. Another product of the NBA Latin America Academy, Ndong will be teaming up at Oregon State with fellow Team Canada graduate, BC’s Center KC Ibekwe. I quite liked the energies that Ndong brought to the game in U18 FIBA Americas in the summer of 2022, showing good rebounding, defensive awareness, opportunistic scoring, and some shot-making at the rim. He’s another guy who I think could get playing time starting day one by doing the little things that make coaches happy.
David Simon | San Diego (USD) | 19.7yo C | 6'11, 195lbs | Windsor, ON. While he has clear offensive limitations and is relatively old for a rookie, Simon was one of the best high school players in Canada over the last two years. Right now, he’s mostly a defensive presence. A very good shot blocker with length and excellent timing, he’s also mobile enough to cover ground and not be burnt in the P&R. Still needs to get stronger to be able to stand his own against older and heavier centers but he can already contribute on the defensive side of the court. Offensively, he can do some opportunistic scoring and at lower levels also showed a nice mid-range shot, but there’s still significant room to grow before he can make a real impact at the WCC level. He’s gonna be one of many freshmen (and one of the older and more experienced among these) on a relatively young Toreros team, so he might get some chances already this year.
