Canada's FIBA U17 World Cup preview: Kenyon St. Louis, Isaiah Hamilton and Liam Mitakaro

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign. [00:00:04] Speaker B: Welcome to the Canadian Basketball show, your go to spot for the latest news stories and analysis on Canadian basketball. I'm your host Lee Ban Osman. This week we're previewing Canada's roster for the FIBA U17 World cup in Turkey. It's happening. Canada is trying to meddle again. They did so with with the U18s at the AmeriCup. A lot of pressure. I don't know if that's the right word, but Canada's on a high right now. I went down to training camp at Humber College and sat down with three players set to headline this roster for Canada. Kenyon, St. Louis, Liamaro and Isaiah Hamilton. I chatted with them about what training camp's been like, the latest in the recruitment, got to know them a bit more as they going to be players you need to be watching for. As probably the most talked about upcoming Canadian class we've seen in recent memory. A lot of potential on this roster for Canada. We'll see what they can do in Turkey. Set to play on Saturday. I believe the date is June 27. But to break down this roster and tournament is a guy that's been following these players very closely, not just Canada, following what Canada is going to be up against internationally. It's my guy, freelance scout, Montreal zone. Alec Kishian ak. That's my new nickname for him. I know it's not creative enough. NBA draft points, my guy. [00:01:40] Speaker C: Alec. [00:01:40] Speaker B: How you doing, brother? [00:01:42] Speaker A: Doing well, man. [00:01:43] Speaker C: Doing well. [00:01:43] Speaker A: You know, it's the busy season right now, so I've been all around and I'm excited to talk to you, man. [00:01:50] Speaker B: Talk to me. You've been all around. Is this your favorite time of the year when it comes to maybe scouting basketball? We have the draft on Tuesday, the day that we're dropping this podcast. We're recording this on the weekend, the drafts on Tuesday. We have FIBA basketball, obviously this age group stuff, we had the U18s earlier this month. Summer leagues right around the corner too. Is this your favorite time maybe as a scout when it comes to basketball? [00:02:14] Speaker A: Well, FIBA time is my favorite time of the year as an international scout. You know, you spend all year covering some of these guys and you kind of get to see it all materialize. You get to see all these guys play in one place. So I love the FIBA period. You know, I'm kept, I keep up with the U16s, the U18s, the U17s, U19s and the U20s. So I, I love this time of year. You know, I'm trying to catch up on some AU stuff. So I'm excited to kind of learn more about the grassroots space. So I've been keeping up with that stuff more. And obviously the NBA drafts, one of my favorite days of the year. So I'm having a great time, you know, and super excited. [00:02:50] Speaker B: Talked about the NBA draft before we get into this. Who's your number one pick? Is it aj? Is it Darren? Is it Cam Boozer? Who are you going with? Number one? [00:02:58] Speaker A: Man, you're putting me on the spot here. I think it's a super tight, but I think I would lean A.J. okay, I think. I think this was consensus right now, but I think at this point, I [00:03:08] Speaker B: think I'm picking AJ I Lowkey lean Darren Peterson, to be honest with you, just because like watching them go up against each other in high school, I watched Darren and Peter Darren Peterson in person one time he came to Canada and I was like, this guy reminds me of like Kawhi, like a smaller version of it. And I do think it's best for him to go second because of all the pressure, all the hoopla that that was around him in Kansas. But yeah, it'll be interesting draft night, obviously, the day we're recording this. So let's see who goes number one. But a lot of scouts will be traveling to Turkey for the FIBA U17 World Cup. I have a lot of people have reached out to me, asking me my thoughts on guys and let's go through this roster that Canada has. I want to get your impressions because you follow this very closely. To round up the 12 players for Canada includes Noah Dacre, Praise Bodejo, Curtis Bauman, Isaiah Clark, Tristan Edwards, Jordan Fisher, Jeremy Goher, Isaiah Hamilton, Grady Capuna, liam Mitocaro, Kenyon St. Louis and Kingston Thomas. What are your first impressions when it comes to this roster for Canada and what stands out for you? [00:04:17] Speaker A: I mean, this is a really fun group. It's one of the more fun groups, top to bottom that we've had in a while. I'd say there's tons of guys that I love. The athleticism is really fun. I think that's what really stands out with this group versus some other groups. I think how athletic the group is. Not only Isaiah Hamilton, who's a freak of nature, but the lower you go down the roster, you see tons of value and tons of guys can potentially break out. So I like the depth a ton. You know, it's one of the more deeper groups. And I also like the fact that we have a lot of guys that are already kind of critically Acclaimed by rankings. I think I don't remember the last time we, especially recently that we've had five to six guys that are ranked in top 75, top 100. I think if you go up to top 120, we have maybe eight or nine out of these 12 guys that are up there. So this is the first time I've seen recently that the Canadian generation has been seen as so favorable. So I'm excited to see how they kind of look together. Look all together. [00:05:15] Speaker B: Yeah. I think this has to be the most guys that have been ranked on ESPN in the class, but by far, probably ever in Canadian history. So a lot of pressure, obviously, especially what U18s did, winning gold against USA Basketball. But for a scout as yourself, like, what do you look for when it comes to this type of tournaments? Because I feel like a lot of people say AAU basketball, high school basketball prep is completely different from fiba. But for yourself, what are you going to be looking for? Like I said, a lot of scouts, a lot of NBA teams are going to be at this event watching these guys. This is sometimes I believe, like this is their first chance to watch a lot of these guys in person. They travel to Turkey and they get a good glimpse of them. But for as a scout, as yourself, what do you look for when it comes to tournaments like this? [00:06:00] Speaker A: I look to see who separates themselves. You know, you see a lot of these guys, especially me, that I keep up with a lot of these guys from different countries. You see them playing their local leagues and you don't really know how that stacks up until they kind of play each other. You know, like same thing when it comes to the Canadiens, when let's say Isaiah Hamilton was averaging 25 a game in the OSBA. And you want to kind of see how that stacks up against someone who's playing in the LNB U22 league in France, the Esquire League, or someone who's playing in Liga U22 in Spain. You know, it adds a lot of context and it kind of gets the consensus and the media ready to kind of see who are the guys we need to follow for the draft. Not only high level college players, but guys that are going to be topping the draft. So like, even if you look back, someone like Abdul Turay a few years ago kind of broke out. I think he broke the scoring, the single point scoring record playing for guinea. And then now he was on the Nike Hoops on a team. He had been into a ton of camps and he's going to Arkansas and His stock keep driving. So, you know, all you need is one good event and you could be on the map for the next few years. So it's an amazing opportunity for any prospect to kind of showcase their level compared to the top in the game. [00:07:18] Speaker B: Talking about top in the game, Isaiah Hamilton. ESPN has him, I believe, top 10 in their most recent ranking. What are your expectations for him? Because he kind of like. I felt like it was a coming out party for him last time he played for Canada. FIBA U16s. What are you expecting from him and from Isaiah this upcoming tournament and obviously a lot of eyes on him, right? [00:07:41] Speaker A: Yeah, of course. I mean he's by far one of the biggest prospects we've had in Canada for a while. I think personally a guy who's supremely athletic, like one of the better athletes we've seen come out of Canada recently, tons of offensive potential and you know, has been taking social media by storm based on just how exciting he is as a player. You know, when On3 dropped their first rankings or 247, they had him top three, top five in their first 2028 rankings. And I think that speaks levels because right now he's a top 10 ranked guy and Canada gets to claim a really, really high level prospect in this tournament. So I'm expecting Tim to be the leading scorer on this team. I'm expecting him to be firmly in the tournament MVP race, you know, and I'm expecting him to kind of lead this team on the podium. So, you know, no pressure obviously, but he's a top ranked talent for a reason. He's been to all sorts of big events. I watched him at Curry camp, got that opportunity last year without even playing in the US So just kind of continuing that level. He. He dropped at the U16 level. I think we can expect a lot of cool stuff from him. So hopefully he plays to the standard and we get to enjoy another year of high level. Isaiah Hamilton basketball. [00:09:05] Speaker B: What were your thoughts on his decision to transfer over to the States? Montvert, one of the premier programs in all of high school basketball, North America, arguably like the top program that has punched out so many NBA players. What were your thoughts when he announced that he was headed to Malver? [00:09:24] Speaker A: I mean, I think it's awesome. I think he needed to kind of take that step this early. I think he needed to kind of get used to the American level, get used to the American coaching, get used to playing against top matchups every night. Like I have huge respect for basketball in Canada, but you know, there is truly a Jump of level, I would say when it comes to, especially when you're getting to U17, U18 age groups, that a developmental program like Mon Vert can do amazing things for him. You know, some things we talk about Isaiah Hamilton when we're talking about things to improve or, you know, some of the decision making stuff and some of the, you know, some, some scouts have told me shot shocking. But I think with the coach at Monverd, with the system he's going to be playing at, with the players, he's going to be playing around him like Javion Tyndale throwing him lobs is going to be amazing. It's going to be cinema. So I think just having that sort of ecosystem around them for the next two years is going to be really fun to watch. So I think it's a good decision. [00:10:27] Speaker B: You kind of touched on it. Some of his strengths, some of his weaknesses. What do you see in this game right now that you're like, hey, I might work on this if I'm Isaiah right now. Because for me, I think the probably the biggest thing is the ball handling. Sometimes he dribs the ball a bit too high. I talked to him too. He was like, hey, the motor is something that he said he's working on. Which I was like, wow, like that's something you don't really hear a lot from players. It's like they don't really be like, yo, the motor is something that I need to work on. Is there something that you, you watch is here over the past few years that you're like, hey, I think this is what's needed for him to take that next leap. [00:11:01] Speaker A: I think he just needs to start playing in control a bit more, you know, slowing down the game. There's some stuff that slides at the younger levels that might kind of not slide at this level, you know, like, let's say even in the World Cup. He's going to be facing some pretty crazy matchups. Like, you know, there's some really high level prospects that are me playing at this event and I'm not just talking about the American players. I'm talking about, you know, recently in the media we're talking about Nicola Kusaricha a lot. It's a Serbian wing who colleges are offering him tons and tons of money to come play a year early and spend two years in college at the moment. So matchups with him, matchups with the Americans, I think, you know, that stuff that he has to work on to kind of stay at that level and perform against some of These guys, yeah. [00:11:50] Speaker B: Canada's backcourt I feel like is also tough. Kenyon, St. Louis, Liam Mitocaro, what are your thoughts on them and how do you evaluate Canada's guard play entering the term? Do you feel like it's one of the stronger ones when it comes to the other nations playing in this tournament? [00:12:06] Speaker A: Yeah, for sure it's one of the stronger groups. I would have to look at some of these rosters again to see if it's the top guard duo, but I love this duo of players. I think both of them got so much valuable experience playing in the US Last year and for different reasons. Kenyon, obviously he was the leading scorer on Winston Salem. He had the ball in his hands a ton of. He was a big time scorer. I think he had a game where he had like 45, 47 points and you know, he got his name out. I know a lot of scouts like him and he's still, I think, a bit underranked. You know, he's ranked in the 50s usually. I think he should be a little bit higher and I think he will be a little bit higher when we're all said and done. Liam DeCaro, for a different reason. You know, he didn't play much this year, but I don't see a better situation for a young guard than playing behind our. Arguably the best point guard in high school basketball last year. The best point guard. I'm going to plant my flag here. He was the best point guard in college in high school basketball last year. [00:13:01] Speaker B: Shout out to Miles Sadler. [00:13:03] Speaker A: Shout out to Miles Sadler at his finest. I think, you know, playing behind him probably gave him a ton of experience. And then this year he's going to step up as probably the starting point guard for this Bella Vista team. So I'm a big fan of Mitakaro. Like the ball handling, the fluidity. He's kind of growing into his body athletically. You can see that start coming through right now. He's still pretty skinny, so I think when we get a few years down the line we could be talking about a completely different prospect. So I'm super excited to watch this group play. [00:13:33] Speaker B: Yeah, he's. He told me he was six' four. He described his game as smooth. I agree. Obviously a lot of shitty comparisons to the way his pace is as a game. Obviously so young but you know, I kind of see a little bit of that in him. Obviously he's his own player too, you know. So excited to see Leah M. Picked up raw offer recently from Arkansas. Has Kansas calling him UCLA like you you guys got to listen to the, to the interview we had with him. But yeah, Calipari FaceTiming it, man, like it's. It's getting nastiest. I don't think Calipari facetimes a lot of people, you know, so. So that's big time. Another guy I was going to ask you about, Jeremy Go here. Big man out of Montreal. You're back. You're. That's your backyard, right? Or see Montreal, Lavelle, Quebec. Shout out to Lavelle. But I'm guessing you probably have seen him more or have gotten to. To scout him a lot more than maybe some of these other players. What are your thoughts on Jeremy go here? And I don't think he had the best FIBA U16 experience last time. Still adjusting with his size. But man, the. I still think there's a lot of upside for this guy. What do you think about Jeremy go here? [00:14:50] Speaker A: So last year he kind of got that nod just based off kind of liking to develop their big men. Right. He's a year younger than everybody else. He was obviously he was kind of like a step behind every play and you know, that's expected. A guy who was playing in the local Laval youth leagues who's suddenly being put in international competition. But giving him credit, he's gotten a lot better over the last year. You know, I think he recently signed the Compsport Wemby's agency he's signing with. Yeah, he's training in France with Wemby's agents. And you know, I see stories he's out of here. If you see his stories, he's developing the ball, handling the physicality. I think they're going to do a great job with him. So just having that in his back pocket is obviously going to be a big thing. And I think as a long term play, there is a lot of cool stuff to do with him. And I think we'll already see kind of the step up he'll take this summer against last summer. And I think there's still one or two more steps to take before we talk about him as a real, real NBA, NBA guy. But I think this is already some pretty cool stuff that we can develop on. And this is gonna be another step for him to kind of show. Show the world what he can do and how he can produce more than just being big. [00:16:12] Speaker B: You got Wemby's people calling you. That's when I know it's serious. You know, I'm excited. I'm excited to watch them just to see. I'm not like expecting so much you. He's still so young. He's younger than all these guys. But I just want to see more of a feel for the game, that kind of stuff and just kind of like using his size to kind of dominate at times, you know. So excited to see you see Jeremy and how he comes along and looks at this U17 tournament. What would be your starting lineup? Because I feel like we kind of went through some names. The guarantees to me, I don't know if Jeremy starts in my opinion, maybe he starts just off the first few minutes and kind of what they did last year where they had him starting and then they rotated him out pretty quickly. What would be your starting lineup? Because I feel like there is some shoe ins but there's probably some names that you really like too. [00:17:05] Speaker A: I would probably just stick to what they did last year with Mitakaru St. Louis, Hamilton, Clark and Goye to start off and then either remove Goye and put in Curtis Bowman, who's our backup center, or kind of put in Tristan Edwards, kind of have him as a small ball, five rim protector, shot blocker type of player. So I think that's kind of how I would do it. Like I said, there's three guys that are shoe ins. The 1, 2 and 3, the 4 and 5 is kind of where you can be more creative. But one thing about this team is there's a lot of size and a lot of versatility. There's tons of guys you can play at the 44 if you want, you can slide Kingston Thomas at the three and Isaiah Hamilton at the four and there's a lot of stuff you can do. So watching the training camp that they streamed on YouTube, which is awesome by the way, like shout out to them, we were able to see some of the lineups that they were willing to play. So I think that's kind of what I would do. But I'd be happy to see a lot of the other lineups they can run. It's a really versatile squad. [00:18:10] Speaker B: Yeah, the stream that they had so many rave reviews just from people like they had set you 17s u18s they did for both the men's and the women's and a lot of people are just so happy that they got access to that, you know, because it's been oftentimes a pretty closed off event. You'd be like close, people would get invited to it, you'd be able to watch it. But I think this is a great time to like broadcast your guys, you know, and kind of Showcase the world. I don't know if guys got offered from there or if they're allowed to get offers during that time, but it puts guys on the radar. You know, it's like, hey, I can just go watch a stream, watch Isaiah Hamilton, watch these guys cook. And I think it's a good thing. I hope they continue doing it. I do think they will from just like the reception that they got. So I'm happy with that for you. You talked about it. You kind of see this rap, this roster, very versatile. Right. How balanced is it when it comes to size, Shooting, playmaking, defense? What are the strengths? What are the weaknesses when you look at this roster? [00:19:07] Speaker A: So I think the, like I said in the beginning, the athleticism is a big thing. You have a lot of guys who can get up. You have a lot of guys that. Not even just vertically, you know, we're talking about lateral athleticism, guys who could run, guys who can run and gun. I think that'll kind of be the style where they're going to try to outpace players, they're going to try to get in lanes and defense and they're going to try to just run electric offense. So I think that's kind of what I would expect. But I like, I like kind of like the versatility at the wing forward position. You have like maybe seven guys on this team who can play the three, the four you can switch with ton of these guys. You can have some bigger, bigger guys play the guard positions. There's a lot of big players in the top four. I mean, you have the biggest guy playing the center. I would have kind of hoped to see more center depth. Like bigger as in, like if there were any seven footers available. I don't think in this crop there's that many or 6, 10 and above. [00:20:05] Speaker B: We got a bad issue in Canada. [00:20:09] Speaker A: Yeah. But we do have the biggest guy. Yeah, right. [00:20:12] Speaker B: That, that it levels out, you know. [00:20:14] Speaker A: Yeah, it kind of levels up. So in that sense, that's the only thing about the roster that I was kind of uncertain about. When you're planning on what do you think the rotation is going to look like? Questions are who's going to be the backup center, who's going to be the guy who's going to play a lot of the five when Jeremy's not playing. Their choice ended up being Curtis Bowman. I'm going to assume we end up seeing a little bit of Tristan Edwards there, maybe some really small ball with some guys like Isaiah Clark or whoever else. But I think there's A lot of versatility, specifically in the backcourt and how big their backcourt is. So that's what I like the most. [00:20:51] Speaker B: Yeah, we were texting like in the lead up to this and you basically predicted this entire roster. Were there any snubs when it comes to this roster that you were surprised that were like, hey, maybe I would have considered or concluded because all these guys were in training camp you saw. I forget how many players they had. Exactly. But was there anybody that you're like, ah, I might, I might have gave this person a, a roster spot. [00:21:15] Speaker A: So there's one guy and it's Ilya Maiden, just committed to Bella Vista. I like him a lot. I think a lot of people like him because he got ranked in the top 75 on, on three recently, which I didn't expect. I mean he's playing out in Vancouver. How often do you see a guy who's playing high school ball in Vancouver shout out to Vancouver in the top 80. And I thought that that meant he was basically a shoo in for this roster as kind of like a 6th 8 guard, 69 guard wing hybrid with great feel for the game, could shoot. It can kind of create in the mid range. So I'm a fan. I was surprised he was left out, but I kind of understand that you need some, some bigger dudes and some stronger dudes to kind of play in the trenches. But I think he'll be a name we kind of see once we roll on with the next few 18s Europe U19s. So that's, that's the only guy I was kind of surprised about. But other than that, this is pretty [00:22:11] Speaker B: much what I was expecting if I had to guess. I think they already like their guard play and then like having a, another guard where, you know, you don't really know how he fits because you already have this established foundation with Kenyon, with Liam, it's like, how does this all fit? Yeah, sometimes you wish you could. They can carry maybe like an extra, extra body or some sorts. Right. But it just tells you like this, this guy that was ranked pretty high on, on three and it's not on Canada's roster. Man, we got some players coming up because it's going to be, it's going to be hard decisions maybe in the next few years when all these guys lead up and eventually become NBA guys. Right. So speaking of NBA guys, how many players on this roster do you see potentially being guys we see in the league in the next few years? [00:23:02] Speaker A: That's so hard to say because you know Things change so much in just a few years. You know, there's guys that are ranked number one that I'm going undrafted. Like who was it? Justin Edwards a few years ago at Kentucky where he was ranked the number one player and then he ended up going undrafted. Now he has a solid career for the Sixers. But if I had to be safe, I would probably say 2, 3. I think if I kind of go with what my heart says, I would say four. [00:23:30] Speaker B: You know, I love your heart. I love that. [00:23:33] Speaker A: But you know, if you want to be safe, I think the safest picks are probably Isaiah and Jeremy. I think Isaiah just because of how heralded he already is and kind of the track that he has to improving. Jeremy is 7 foot 6. You know, if you're 7 above 7 foot 2, 7 foot 3, there's a pretty big chance you make it to the lead whether you're good or not. And I think with the people he has in his back pocket, I think there's going to be a serious push down the line to kind of see what he looks like for NBA scouts. So I think that he's pretty cool otherwise. Mitakaro Kenyon, if they can put some good college years together. I'm super high on Mitakaro. Like, I think he's going to keep rising and rising and I think we'll see him or hopefully we'll see him in the league. Kenyon, I think if he spends a few years in college could be really fun. But who knows, a few years from now there might be the 10th down this roster that ends up being the NBA player. We never know. [00:24:28] Speaker B: You never know. From my conversations with Liam, I just get that he's like mindset wise, a killer, you know, and what he's been doing with uplay on the EYBL circuit, I think it's taken a lot of people by storm. So if I had to put a number, man, I might say four. I might say four guys that I see. I might. Germany is also interesting. I might say five if I really want to believe it, may be interested Edwards down the line. But then also it's like kind of like, man, I've like praised Bodejo, who we haven't even talked about yet, who I thought just completely killed in the NPH as a younger guy, which was like they called him up and he played for King Heights and he dominated. Man, I could maybe make a case for half that have NBA potential, which is kind of crazy. But like I said, I'm not a scout. I don't do this for a living. I'm not you guys, where it's like I get ridiculed for my call outs of saying this guy's a player, this guy is not. I just literally tell stories, you know. So I tell stories on these guys. I follow their journeys. That's all I kind of do. So I'm not. Don't listen to what I'm saying. Listen to, listen to, to Alec, you [00:25:35] Speaker A: know, So I just like being safe when it comes to this stuff, you [00:25:38] Speaker B: know, you have to be. [00:25:38] Speaker A: I've had, I've had crazy takes in the past and I've had guys that was super high on that a few years down the line. Nobody's even talking about. I mean now they're talking about them because they're going in college. But you know, guys that you see at the U16 level and you say, man, there's no way this guy's not an MVP caliber. Like when he was an MVP caliber at the U16 level. Like no way this guy's not an NBA player. And you know, they kind of end up becoming a 25 year old like going up at the state or something. So, you know, I like being careful. [00:26:06] Speaker B: I like that. Because college, when you get there, it's a complete new environment. How they just had to fill into the bodies. It's all question marks. Right? My question though, going back to Jeremy a bit, you know, you talked about it, the 7 6. I feel like there's not enough hype when it comes to this guy. So much hype about Olivier Ryu. Shout to him. Everyone keeps asking me, is he the next big man for Canada? I'm like, look at this guy Jeremy. This guy is the one we should be talking about. Why do you think there's not much conversations about Jeremy, especially his height and shooting touch. I don't think anybody his size has had the shooting touch that he's had the handle. I saw this guy do an East Bay dunk. [00:26:48] Speaker A: Yeah, like what? [00:26:49] Speaker B: I've never seen this 76 doing an East Bay dunk. Like why isn't there more hype? Is it because he's from Lavelle? [00:26:56] Speaker A: It's possible. I think people have been tricked by the young giant archetype before. So people are starting to be a bit more cautious, especially with Ryu. Like all respect to Ryu, but you know, he's. He's not close to being an NBA player right now. Unfortunately. Zach Edie took some time, right, so. But he eventually got there. So I think the spotlight has kind of been off Jeremy. But you Know he still gets his hype. I mean, he started playing high level Eyblat, not AU basketball recently for on the Under Armour circuit. And he gets his spots here and there, he gets to play, he gets his dunks and people are watching, you know, I think people are waiting to see what his next step ends up looking like if he's going to go to a prep school, if he's going to stay in Canada, if he's going to do something else. So people are still, are still kind of cautious, but I think that once he kind of hits the soil, wherever his next destination is, I think we're going to end up seeing a lot more hype for him, especially with how crazy some of the stuff he's done and how much he's developing. [00:28:00] Speaker B: Yeah, still so young. Don't want to put the pressure on him like, you know, and like that size is so hard to, you know, but I feel like he has like for his phrases, I feel like he's pretty, pretty developed when it comes to that size. But yeah, if he stays in Canada, who knows, if he goes to follows the lineage of like big men that have gotten to IMG Academy, who knows, maybe he goes to France, especially with the connects to WIMBY connections, who knows? It'll be interesting for you. Is there a breakout candidate that you have on this Canada roster? You're like, hey, I think a lot of people are going to be talking about this guy and they're not really just yet. [00:28:38] Speaker A: I think the Liam Car stuff can really kind of like boost his stock. I mean, right now he's ranked 23, 25. I think we can get up to 14, 15, 16, 16 if he has a good event, especially if he can show people who can score like constantly and kind of be the driving factor of this team. A guy who's not currently ranked as high as he probably should. Kingston Thomas, who played in the U.S. i think he was one of the better players in Michigan the last year and now he's making his debut for Team Canada. He's going to play for La Lumiere next year and I believe they were playing for Nike YBL on the YBL Scholastic League. So I'm excited to see him. He looked awesome in the scrimmages that they were. They were broadcasting, you know, doing a little bit of everything. The shooting, the defense, the athleticism, specifically the shooting. If he can be kind of like the shooting threat that this Canadian team needs, I think he'll put his name on radars. He obviously already has the Michigan State offer. He has some other offers, I think Toledo, if I'm not mistaken. But I think Kingston Thomas and Damie Okaro are out for some pretty big events. [00:29:46] Speaker B: Yeah, Kingston Thomas, his father was a player at Michigan State and a Canadian guy, played under Tom Izzo, won a national championship, I believe in 2000 with, with that program. And I think his dad pulled up to the, to the trading camp in April, the, the Easter camp. And he was there. But yeah, a lot of lineage. Right. Like his dad played for Canada, now he's playing for Canada, so it'll be interesting to see how he does. But he had a funny speech too, talking about how he's not really Canadian. But, you know, he got his passport, I think a few weeks back. So I'm excited to watch him and see how he does. For me, I think my breakout candidate, I might be a bit biased because I, I did a store on his coach, Tristan Edwards. I'm kind of expecting him to. In the minutes that Jeremy can't play full, where he might get tired. I'm thinking of Tristan Edwards comes in and he was playing at Huntington Prep. This guy is an elite shot blocker for his size. I think the defense is what's going to get him on the court and just the athleticism he also has, man, I think Chris Chang is going to love this guy on the court for him, just solely off the defense. So I'm expecting him to kind of shock some people. [00:31:05] Speaker D: He's. [00:31:05] Speaker B: I don't know if he's a bit younger, but he's a guy that went to the States and not much worried about him. Played at Cedar Brae, which is a school out of Scarborough. But yeah, I'm expecting Tristan Edwards to kind of like put his name in this as one of the top players in this class. Let's get to Canada's identity. What do you expect when it comes to like this roster? They talked about, obviously watching Fibe, U18 watching Canada. There are a bunch of dogs on that roster. I don't know if they have similar dogs, comparable. What are your thoughts on that? Because I'm looking at. They had Dang on that roster. They had Kymani Walters on our roster. Jayvion Tyndale. I don't know if you have that on this U17 rosters, but what kind of identity do you expect from this Canada team? [00:31:54] Speaker A: So I think what made that U18 team so special was kind of how unheralded a lot of their guys were. You know, guys that weren't even ranked. I thought Dangan Gore was going to get a massive jump in rankings after this tournament. He still didn't get a massive jump. You know, JV on Tyndale did for the 247. At least that came out. But I think the specialty about that group was kind of how everybody counted them out. I mean, if you really look at roster to roster, this is like the U17 team is the more talented roster. Like, I thought that if there was a team that could win, it would have been the U17 and A team that might kind of get taken care of, it would have been the U18 team. But they proved us wrong. I think this team's identity is going to be more. A bit flashier, more running, run and gun. I think playing intense. I think that's another thing that could carry on between these teams. So I think it'll be kind of a different mindset, but I think you can still get some pretty cool results from it. [00:32:53] Speaker B: Yeah, let's go through some rapid fire. I want to ask you some, some questions on who you kind of like on this Canada roster. Who do you see leading Canada in score? You kind of touched on Isaiah Hamilton. Is there nobody else you see kind of in that, in that picture? [00:33:08] Speaker A: I think it'll be him. I think Kenyon could get up there. I mean, Kenyon is a really good scorer. I think if the three shot, three ball falls for him in, in this event, I think he could end up as one of the leading scorers of this team. But I think the team will be built around kind of Isaiah Hamilton and him leading this team and scoring. So I think that'll be the leading score. [00:33:31] Speaker B: Who do you see leading in assists? Is it Kenyon? [00:33:35] Speaker A: Kenyon, Liam? Both of them, I think will see some similar playmaking numbers from them. I like Liam's kind of versatility and kind of what I saw last year, kind of the way that he was willing to kind of give the ball away, kind of make the smart play. So I think we're going to see him do a lot of cool stuff. Kenyon obviously is really ball dominance. So I think though the ball is going to go where he goes. I think the playmaking stuff with him is fun. I think the scoring stuff is more fun. So I would expect both of them to kind of share those ball handling duties. Having two guys like that in the backcourt together is obviously really special because you have two guys that can on, on either day be a score, a playmaker or a bit of both. So, yeah. [00:34:18] Speaker B: Where does this group rank for you? When it comes to the Most talented, maybe U17 teams Canada has sent over [00:34:25] Speaker A: for a World cup, well, for, for the teams that I've watched, this is the most talented team, I think. I don't know if further back there are some more talented groups, but I think in recent memory this is definitely one of the better ones. You know, obviously there was a team with RJ Barrett's. I don't know if that was U17 or U19, don't remember, but that team obviously had some guys. And then I think this team talent wise can project to be at a similar caliber. When we talk about in five to seven years how much talent there was on this roster. [00:35:00] Speaker B: Yeah, Initial thoughts for you. When it comes to USA and their roster, are they the team to beat? Because let me just read some of the names that I know. Beckham Black, the guy on this roster. J.J. crawford, the son of Jamal Crawford, Eric Dampier, Kaden Daughtry, who's been killing it. CJ Rosser. Like guys that are, man, they're getting so much buzz right now in the States, top of their classes. What are your thoughts on USA's roster? Are they the team to beat? [00:35:30] Speaker A: They're the team to beat. I think this is a way different team compared to, compared to the U18 guys. I think going into it, everybody knew that this was going to be the most talented team I like. I think it's crazy that, you know, they have their list of 40 initially out and you can make two teams that could compete in this tournament and they saw you see names getting cut and you're like, damn, like this guy should have been on here. You know, Colton Hiller, who's a top ranked guy, he didn't make it. Drayden McDaniel, who I think is an amazing, amazing person prospect, see him live a few times. He didn't make it, you know, and you know someone who did make it. Joaquin Buche Bumche is an amazing prospect. Played for FC Barca last year and the last few years developed overseas. It's considered some of the best. One of the best prospects in the world and is going to play at Duke a year early. He's gonna play two years at Duke as he's playing as a 17 year old at Duke and won't even be eligible for the draft. So just having a guy of that caliber who could have played for a lot of different teams. Think he was born in Germany, I think he's Cameroonian, I think Spain kind of naturalized him. He's coming and in his first action in the US since leaving Florida at 14 years old. He's going to be playing for Team USA at this level. Seven foot stretch, big, amazing prospect. So I think this is the team to beat. [00:36:49] Speaker B: Yeah, I've never watched him play, but I'm excited to now. You got me hyped going to Duke early as a 17 year old. Man, that's going to be crazy. But when it comes to fiba, how different is it when it comes to aau? Eybl, like, what stuff are you going to be like? You like, maybe these guys can't get away with that. You're like, they kind of have experience playing last year, but man, now you're playing against some of the top nations in the world. [00:37:13] Speaker A: Some of these European teams, some of these international teams have been playing with each other since they were 14, 15 years old. I know that the Australians and the New Zealand teams, they Both have their U15 Oceania Cup. And if you look at their rosters then and you look at their rosters now, the Australian team, I think has 8 of 8 of 12 the same guys. You know, these guys know each other. These guys like love playing with each other. I think that the difference is that how much structure these teams have. You know, some of these guys are playing like this is their job right now. Guys that are pros overseas, that have been pro since they were 14, 15, they're playing for their livelihood, they're playing for all this stuff. They're not playing for the cameras. So I think there's a lot more of a serious tone when it comes to these games. Especially even if you compare America versus the World cup or America and compared to Eurobasket, I think there's a lot more of a serious tone. The coaches are super intense. So I think there's a lot to be looking forward to when it comes to quality and structure compared to, let's say aau. Yeah. [00:38:18] Speaker B: Is there a non USA team that you're really excited for? You're saying people should be paying attention to this team. [00:38:25] Speaker A: Man, the Serbians are going to be a tough team. Yeah, yeah. They, they first off, they match up super well against Canada. Like, I think if, if they have to match up against them, it's gonna be a really, really tough matchup. But they have four guys and they're starting five above six, eight. [00:38:39] Speaker D: God damn. [00:38:40] Speaker A: So that's ridiculous. They're starting. Their point guard is 6, 5. Their two guard is 6, 8, 6 9. Their three guard is 6 or three guard, small forward 6, 8, 6, 9. And then their power forward, center are 69 and 7 1. So already that is crazy. And then if you look at the roster, I think nine out of 12, their guys on the roster are six, six and above. It's a massive team, super talented. They won the euro basket to 16 pretty easily. And you know their star player, I talked about him earlier. Kustaritza is one of the best prospects in the world. I think right now people are talking about Michigan, ucla, Gonzaga. [00:39:16] Speaker B: I saw. [00:39:17] Speaker A: That's crazy. And him too. He was a teammate of Joaquin who's playing for Team USA and they were both supposed to have another year before they're even college eligible and they're is going to probably come over. So that's a team to watch then. The French team is always a roster. You have to keep an eye on another top prospect, wing prospect, Nathan Solomon. I know for the last few years a lot of guys in my international circles have been debating who's better, Isaiah Hamilton, Kustaritza or Nathan Solomon. You know, now we're going to actually see it happen. So I'm super excited. The French team is a bit smaller than usual. Them too. They don't have tall player, they don't have like a 6 foot 10 center. Their center is like 6, 8. But I think they're supposed to have a matchup that just happened and I don't know how it went. It was supposed to be streamed but it wasn't because of the heat. I think France won it from what I understand, but I can't give too many details on that. I wasn't able to watch it, so not sure, but another threat. [00:40:19] Speaker B: So as always, yeah, I'm disappointed. I couldn't get out to the U17s and turkeys. I had plans originally, but then the World Cup, I got busy. I'm covering that. So man, it's a lot of talent. A lot of talent. A lot of decision makers will be out there. What are your realistic expectations for Canada? Because we're talking about. Serbia is going to be tough. France is going to be tough. USA is the favorites. What is your realistic expectations for Canada and what should we be expecting as viewers? Like not because U18s, everyone's kind of, you know, we're on a high. Right. But I feel like we need to kind of dim down maybe our expectations and not get too like pissed off if they don't medal potentially. [00:41:00] Speaker D: Right. [00:41:00] Speaker B: What are your expectations for Canada? [00:41:02] Speaker A: I mean, my expectations would be that they'll have anywhere between two and five. I think that's reasonable. I think they have enough talent to be the second team. I think their group stage is pretty solid for them to kind of get out of that pretty easily. And like, if you're predicting what a Serbia or France, I think Serbia is probably going to medal. I think it's fair to kind of put Canada on that podium. But if they don't, you know, I think there's a kind of a big divide between the top teams and the bottom teams in this event. I think there's a solid five, six teams that could compete for a medal, but outside of that, it should be pretty solid. You know, Canada's known to kind of lose some, buy games early, you know, get taken a bit by surprise, right? [00:41:44] Speaker D: Yep. [00:41:45] Speaker A: So I think you have to be vigilant in the early round. And let's say specifically the Lithuania matchup, that's the one that I'm thinking about early on that first game. They have to make sure to win that one. If you can start off with a win, you can continue going. I think sky's the limit for this team. Like, there's a non zero chance they can win gold, I think. But, you know, the expectation to me would be between 2 and 5. That's where I'd be happy if I was to Canadians. [00:42:12] Speaker B: I like that. Canada's group includes Lithuania, Cameroon and China. Starts June 27th. Before I let you go, this is something happening with a lot of players on this roster. They're all transferring to different programs. We mentioned Isaiah Hamilton. I know a bunch of guys are going to Bella Vista. What are your thoughts on that? Guys just transferring to different schools, obviously going to the States. Is this a good thing? Praise Bodegio. I think one might be the one of the few guys staying and going to Orangeville Prep. Obviously he's a bit younger, but. What are your thoughts on all these Canadians transferring? [00:42:47] Speaker A: I think it's a testament to the level of this Canadian group. I think usually you'd see this maybe a year later or two years later, but I think because of how talented these guys are, because of how highly ranked they are, I think it's more kind of expected. I expected to see a lot of movement. There's a lot more movement. Specifically with how many players are going to Bella Vista. It seems like every Canadian player is going there. Maiden, Caleb Banfield, Isaiah Clark. Like every week [00:43:17] Speaker B: they're building avengers over there. I don't know what's going on. [00:43:20] Speaker A: It's a juggernaut. I mean, they won last year, so yeah, there's no better sell than that, so. [00:43:25] Speaker B: And they got another Prospect that won top 100, camp MVP Ahmed Noor. I was like, God damn, they still got Paul's over there. Liam, man. [00:43:35] Speaker A: Yeah, no, I mean, it's, it's gonna happen more and more. I think even with the transfer portal in college, it's becoming more and more normalized. So I think we're gonna see it more. I think, again, it's not often you get a group of guys. I think the 2009, 2010, 10 board generations in Canada are super talented. I think the. The kind of younger guys that all ended up getting cut from this roster also are pretty special prospects. So I think we're gonna see a lot more movement, but I think it's just part of the game. You know, talent attracts talent. Some of these players end up going to try to perform in better situations. So I'm, I'm cool with it. I know some people, the purists might have some problems with it, but I, for the moment, I think I'm cool with it. Yeah. [00:44:21] Speaker B: Alec Kishian, NBA Draft Point ak. That's a new nickname for you that I'm coming up with. But my guy can't thank you enough for jumping on this podcast, chatting, Previewing the FIBA U17s. Where can people find your work? Any stuff you want to plug in that you got going on. I know you're going to be traveling, obviously scouting these guys and closely following this game. [00:44:41] Speaker A: Yeah, you can find me at NBA Draft point on Twitter, on Instagram, if you were to look out for something. I have an article previewing the World cup that should be out soon. I'm working on it, covering every team, players to watch, some, some hidden gems. So that's going to be a project I'm excited to get out. And then I also have a really, really cool project I'm working on that I can't give too many details on, but to keep an eye on because it's going to be really big. I'm working with some really cool people and I think we're going to attempt to change the game when it comes to recruiting and scouting. So we're super excited. [00:45:17] Speaker D: I love that. [00:45:18] Speaker B: It sounds very interesting. I'm excited to follow NBA Draft Point, AKA my guy. Appreciate you excited Canada Police to open the tournament on June 27th. We'll take a quick break and we'll have those interviews with Kenyon St. Louis, Liam Maro and Isaiah Hamilton for FIBA U17 training camp before they headed out for Turkey. And we'll be back after this quick little break. Welcome back to the Canadian Basketball show. I'm joined by one of my favorite prospects in the class of 2020. I might be biased. He's a downtown kid in my eyes. He's starting to take US Basketball by storm and is set to represent Canada at the FIBA U17 World Cup. I don't know if he claims Region park, but Regent park claims him as Kenyon St. Louis. How you doing, brother? [00:46:18] Speaker D: I'm good, I'm good. How are you? [00:46:20] Speaker E: Good, man. [00:46:20] Speaker B: I'm excited to chat with you. Long time coming. VBU 17 training camp. What's the mood like around camp getting compared to head to Turkey? What's the feeling like? And obviously second time soon for Canada. [00:46:32] Speaker D: It's a surreal feeling, to be honest with you. You know, the U18 just won, so that just brings so much joy to us. We got to see the trophy and everything like that. Training camp's been tough. You know, I was injured. I was hurt a little bit just watching on the sidelines, giving my best input. But it's been really hard. You know, we've been here for like a week now. It's tired on the body, coming from wherever we came from and. But it's really good, you know, just being with new guys and just learning how they play. [00:46:54] Speaker B: Talked about obviously being a little bit hurt. Are you going to be 100% when it comes? [00:46:57] Speaker D: For sure. [00:46:57] Speaker B: For sure. [00:46:57] Speaker D: Yeah. [00:46:58] Speaker C: When game. [00:46:58] Speaker D: Game time comes, just kill time. [00:47:00] Speaker B: Well, what's the injury? [00:47:00] Speaker D: So a quad low quad injury, yeah. [00:47:03] Speaker B: But playing for Canada, you know, it solves that, right? [00:47:05] Speaker D: Solves that. [00:47:06] Speaker B: Where did the injury come from? Is it mp? [00:47:08] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:47:08] Speaker D: No, no, no. I had a live period in dmv just playing for a college coach that got hurt. [00:47:12] Speaker B: So, yeah, Obviously coming off MBPA, top 100 camp, what was that like, that experience, like playing out there? Top 100. Some of the best players in North America. What was that experience like for you? [00:47:23] Speaker D: That was a dope experience, to be honest. Just all the NBA guys were there. Taj Gitch was my coach, so he has passion for the game. Like, crazy passion. Like he wanted us to get better. Like, this stuff he was telling us was crazy. Like just giving us little gems here and there. He said, wow, wow, I want this. I can't want this more than you have to want yourself. And it just fed into me. I was just so hungry for it. It was a dope experience, though. Ronda was there. We got to watch Kyrie work out. I'm a point guard, so of course I want to watch Kyrie workout. It was just really Crazy experience playing against all the top guys in your class, classes above you, seeing where you rank up. That was a great measuring stick for me. [00:47:58] Speaker B: I seen those clips like Kyrie was cooking. [00:48:00] Speaker D: Guys cooking. Oh, cooking. [00:48:02] Speaker B: What was your takeaway? [00:48:03] Speaker D: Just from watching him, Just how he works out. Like everything's game speed. Like boom, boom, pace, pace. It's crazy. Pace. It's just game speed reps. Game speed reps. Yeah. [00:48:12] Speaker B: I want to get into your journey. Your pops, if I don't know if he's told you this, he's a legend downtown. I think he's coached for like 35 plus years. Kevin Jeffries. People don't know Coach Mack, that's what we know him downtown. What are your maybe early basketball memories? Coached at Eastern Commerce, like on the legendary basketball programs. A lot of guys, a lot of guys coming up, talk about Kevin Jeffries. What's your maybe early basketball marriage? And what do you know about your dad's fame downtown? [00:48:39] Speaker D: Yeah. So early. They called him like the Godfather in Regent park by Saint I'm sorry by John Ennis. And there's pictures of him everywhere. Like I was a kid so I didn't really know too much. But there's like this one famous picture, not famous, but known picture that I have. And he was coaching and I was standing up and I was holding like a yop drink and I was pretending to be like a mini little coach. And you know, he used to say his practices were my daycare. We would, me and my sister, I have a twin sister, we'd go to the daycares. I meant practices all the time. He would say, that's our daycare. My sister got an iPad, he gave us iPad. But I didn't want the iPad. I just fell in love with basketball. [00:49:14] Speaker B: What's he told you about Eastern Commerce? What do you know about those? [00:49:16] Speaker D: I know a lot. I know a lot. Like I was I think 5 years old or something like that and the game was on TV and they made a crazy like game winner. I know like a lot about Eastern Commerce, the church and everything like that. It was just really cool. [00:49:28] Speaker B: You probably don't remember this. I was doing a store on your pops and we came to pick you up from school. [00:49:35] Speaker E: I think. [00:49:35] Speaker B: You were going to school, like was it like Queen Street east? Like Saxville area? [00:49:39] Speaker D: St. Paul. St. Paul Catholic School. [00:49:40] Speaker B: We came to pick you up and I'm doing a story on your pops and the whole time we're trying to leave. We're about to go, I think mph like Sheridan to go like to go watch some games. And we couldn't leave because you wanted to hoop. You, like, you were young at the time. But what do you remember? Just about the love for the game, was that. Just how early did it come? And what was that like for you? Just a kid. [00:50:03] Speaker D: I came so early. I remember I was about 3, 4 years old when I first touched. Touched the ball. [00:50:09] Speaker E: I got. [00:50:09] Speaker D: My dad got me a little mini hoop. And just seeing him coach and his passion for it, I was just so intrigued on, like, why? Well, what's the reason why he wants to coach and the things he's done to young men now, they always thank him. And I always see them. They're always like, I remember you. This. This little. You just run around the gym, running with us, shooting. And I just really fell in love with it. Like, I was in the gym so much, it was hard not to. [00:50:30] Speaker B: I was going to say, what's that like for you now as a point guard? Being a son of a coach, how has that maybe changed your mindset and helped you out? [00:50:38] Speaker D: Well, it's perfect. It's like a match made in heaven. To be honest with you. Anytime, I don't know what to do. I ask my pops, and he has little gems here and there. He's not the best coach. I say he's not the best coach, but it's my dad, so I love him. [00:50:50] Speaker B: Yeah, take me through the decision to leave Canada. I kind of was like, when's my guy gonna leave? You know, when is it? The talent level, obviously, in the States is. People say it's better. You know, take me through that decision. When did you realize, hey, I kind of want to move south of the border and play against some of the top competitions over there. [00:51:08] Speaker D: So really, after my grade tenure, I was at Full Circle, a little school in Pickering, and I was like, I didn't really feel challenged. I get bored fast, so I didn't feel challenged as much. And Coach Lowe from what's in Salem Christian, he hit me up. Funny story. I didn't follow him back for, like, the first week. And I looked at his profile, I was like, give it a shot. Then from there, the way he recruited me, to be honest, that's one of the biggest things. It was just mostly about getting challenged. Like, Canada, basketball is good, but in the States, it's, like, so much more eyes on you. I'm not saying you have to go to the States to be a good player, but it's way easier than Canada. So much eyes are on you, and I get Pushed every day and just coming back here, it wasn't easy, but it was way easier for me. [00:51:47] Speaker B: What was that like leaving home for the first time? Was it homesick? Winston Salmon, completely different from Toronto. [00:51:52] Speaker D: So different. Like, the food's different over there. Like, I miss my family a lot. Like the first two weeks I missed my family badly. Like, I cried a little bit, but at the end of the day, it was the best decision for me. And I knew I had to do. [00:52:06] Speaker B: Grind session you're putting there. I was like, cook some Canadian teams. I seen you go up against top ranked guys. What was that like playing on that stage against some of the top players in the world? [00:52:17] Speaker D: It was a real measuring stick. My first month there, I was, I was the new guy. No one really knew who I was. I had hype, my coach said, and I struggled a bit. Turnovers, I had a lot of turnovers, physicality. But you know, once if you go to a school that coach believes in you, you'll thrive. And he believed in me, the coaching staff believed in me. And we just worked every, every day and work, work pays work, work. It shows, the work shows. So, you know, playing against the top point guards in classes ahead of me, I'll have to eventually see them. My dad always says, when do they ever say you're all 16 year olds go on the court, all 15 year olds go on the court now you're always going to have to be playing up. So it was really, really good for me. [00:52:55] Speaker B: You got a can on your chest. When was the first time they called you? What was that feeling like? And getting that call up and playing U16s and now on the World cup roster, head of the turkey. [00:53:06] Speaker D: So last year, you know, it was a surreal feeling. I used to get called up for the older teams and I always got cut and it hurt. But like, you know, they had great point guards in that class, like Jordan Charles, Miles Sadler, amazing point guard. So I was like, okay, I'm gonna come back every year and try to try to get this closer, this closer. And when I finally got it last year, it was the best feeling in the world. Like, I almost cried seeing my last name on the back of a jersey. Canada fronts like almost every kid's dream. And this year this one's different. Cause I had a taste of it, you know, before I was a little nervous, but. But have a taste of it and I'm really ready to go. [00:53:41] Speaker B: What are you looking to prove for yourself? Cause I feel like you're, to me, one of the best point Guards in your class and also traditional point guard. I don't know how would you describe yourself, but you can obviously score, but I feel like you also get. You get guys going, you know what I'm saying? Like, you're always looking to pass, too. So how would you describe yourself? When are you looking to prove, you [00:53:58] Speaker D: know, I have more joy than seeing my other. Other guys score or me throwing lobs, dunk, get hyped for them than me scoring, to be honest with you, you, I'm just ready to. Really ready to just prove that I belong. Prove that I belong with the best, best of the best. [00:54:12] Speaker B: And for you, like, what does it mean for you? [00:54:15] Speaker D: Just representing Canada personally literally means the world to me. Like, I've been, I've been seeing Jamal, Murray, Nikhil, like, Shay, all these guys put on this jersey and it just means something like Dylan Brooks taught us today about it's bigger than you. Like, so much guys have done this before. You, like, it's not you. Like I said in my speech in ceremony, I was like, you got to play for us on the front so they can remember what's on the back. [00:54:37] Speaker B: I love that. I love that. Canada obviously just won gold. You talked about a FIBA U18 gritty roster. I don't know if you watched those games and what is something maybe you're looking to take away from that run. And what did you enjoy watching that roster? [00:54:51] Speaker D: How much fun they had. Like, they had fun with it. Like, they were really gritty. Led by Javion. You know, he's my guy. He's really great. I taught him, was like, hey, Jordan Charles. I taught them, like, give me some advice on how I could come into this with the best mindset possible. And watching the game, it actually gave me chills, like, goosebumps. And when I saw the trophy, when they, they brought it, I like, it just gave me chills. I didn't want to touch it, couldn't touch it, didn't take no pictures with it, Gave me chills. Like, it was, it was such a surreal moment for Canada. And I'm, I'm, I'm glad to be like a part of this. And I'm trying to do the same thing. What they did for Worlds. [00:55:25] Speaker B: I don't want to put pressure on you in this class, but people call your class. I personally think this is one of the stacked classes that we've seen in Canada. Like a lot of NBA potential. When I'm looking down the roster, including yourself, do you agree with that? And if so, what makes this Team. The players so special. [00:55:46] Speaker D: No, I for sure agree with that. You know, we have a. We're young, but we're hungry. Like, we have fun with it. We like to have fun with it. We're flashy and dunkers. This team. We have it all. We have the point guard play, shooting guard, play. [00:55:59] Speaker E: Wings. [00:55:59] Speaker D: We have a lot of wings. High Flyers. It's just about, how bad do you want it? [00:56:03] Speaker E: Yeah. [00:56:04] Speaker B: And what type of style should we expect from you guys? Chris Chan, what kind of role does he expect for you? And then also just potentially this team, what does he want it to look like when you're going up against some of the best teams in the world? [00:56:17] Speaker D: He wants to look like we're dogs. Punch after punch after punch. If you get punched, we gonna take that punch. We damn sure we're gonna punch five times harder than they punched us. Really gritty play defense. Don't let anyone buy you. Just have fun with it, you know, get stops, run out dunks. [00:56:34] Speaker B: How many offers you at now? Cause I feel like I've lost track. [00:56:36] Speaker D: I'm at 15 now. [00:56:38] Speaker B: 15. What's been the latest talk about them? [00:56:40] Speaker D: The latest, you know, Florida State. Hit me up. Butler. I got off from Mississippi State, wake Forest. [00:56:48] Speaker B: Crazy. [00:56:48] Speaker D: June 15th was a great day. Got called from my favorite school. Alabama. [00:56:52] Speaker B: Alabama. [00:56:52] Speaker D: I went crazy. Yeah. [00:56:53] Speaker B: I was gonna ask, did you have a dream school coming up? [00:56:55] Speaker D: Yeah, Alabama, for sure. [00:56:56] Speaker B: What was it about Alabama, you know? [00:56:57] Speaker D: LeBaron, Filon. LeBaron, Filon Jr. He's one of my favorite players by far. Just the way he is off the court, on the court, he's just. He's so, like, he's good at basketball. [00:57:06] Speaker B: Going through the draft process right now, there's a chance the Raptors could pick him. So that'd be. That'll be interesting. And he has that celebration. [00:57:13] Speaker D: I know Max took from Spider Man. [00:57:16] Speaker B: What for you, is there something that you're looking for when it comes to school in terms of evaluating? Like, this is what I need. And obviously you talk about dream school Alabama, but what do you look for in a school? [00:57:28] Speaker D: Just a school that can let you rock out and let you be you. I don't want to have to change for anybody. I don't want anybody to change for me. I just want to go to a place where I fit their play style and now play and I get to be me. [00:57:39] Speaker B: What areas have you looked at in terms of. I need to hone in on this, whether it's like, hey, I'm working on this for next year. That I need to add to my game. [00:57:50] Speaker D: Oh, bounce for sure. You know, I could dunk, I could dunk, but you got some sticky bounce. Yeah, yeah. But I want to be more consistent for sure and just obviously getting stronger year by year and that will help me with physicals, getting, getting to my spot and not letting guys push me where I want to go, but push them to where I need to be. [00:58:05] Speaker B: What is your scouting report for people that maybe are just learning about you for the first time? What's your scouting port? [00:58:11] Speaker D: You know, I think I'm a three level scorer. I can shoot the three if I get by. You just better send the help because I'm a find the open read. I'm going to find open reads. So you got to play me honest for sure. Give me a little bit space. But at the end of the day, you really can't stop me. [00:58:26] Speaker B: Talk your stuff. Talk your stuff. I know. I think you've been in the gym with Shay Nikhil. What was that like? Getting the opportunity to work with Canada's finest. [00:58:33] Speaker D: That was amazing. I had to wake up really early though. [00:58:36] Speaker B: What time? [00:58:37] Speaker D: Like 4:00am I woke up at 4 workouts at like 5:30. [00:58:40] Speaker B: This up in Burlington. [00:58:41] Speaker D: Yeah, yeah. Damn workout at 5:30 in the morning. [00:58:44] Speaker B: Shout out to Nathaniel Mitchell, those guys. [00:58:46] Speaker D: Yeah, yeah, shout out to them for sure. I'm sure. No, just watching Nikhil's pre, pre workout he was, he had these like weird shoes, like these grip socks type of things, stretching, walking on it. And then he didn't get ready until he started off a form shooting. I always thought that was like a little myth, like forearm shots first. But nah, he form shooting. Then we got right into it and he was just giving me gems like just you gotta attack here. Don't go so wide. Like I learned a lot that day. [00:59:12] Speaker B: And for you, what's being in the gym with those guys, how much does that help you kind of be like, I can see, you know what's next. [00:59:19] Speaker D: Helps me a lot. You know, they're Canadian like me. So it gives me like a heart, like gives me spirit to like I could really be. I could be there one day. [00:59:26] Speaker B: Yeah. And is there any specific guys that you watch in the league that you're like, hey, I kind of resemble. [00:59:31] Speaker D: I like Andrew Nemhardt a lot. You know, Coach Meeks, he tells me I could be like him and I play like him. So I watch a lot of his game. And Nikhil, after I worked out with him, I'm like, Nikhil's really good. Like he's really good at basketball. Like Minnesota, he was a role player, but he open shots, play defense. But Atlant, you can see what he really does. He's like a really good basketball. [00:59:49] Speaker E: Yeah. [00:59:50] Speaker B: Any goals for yourself that you have in the next, maybe next few years? [00:59:54] Speaker D: Literally, just get better. Just get better every single day. Don't take no days off and just be the best version of yourself every single day. [01:00:00] Speaker B: And for you, what can people expect from in this tournament from Kenyan St. [01:00:04] Speaker D: Louis, you're going to see my pride. I'm going to have a lot of pride. I'm going to be screaming at my guys. I'm going to be celebrating, smiling. I'm have fun. That's. That's the best part. [01:00:11] Speaker B: What do you know about Turkey? [01:00:12] Speaker D: Nothing, to be honest with you. Not that. [01:00:15] Speaker B: Don't worry. Get yourself a kebab, all right? That's the first thing you got to try. I don't know about the weather over [01:00:19] Speaker D: there, but I heard it's hot. They told us it was going to be hot. [01:00:21] Speaker B: It's probably going to be hot as hell, but enjoy it. Kenyon, one of the top bun guys coming up from Canada. My guy down you came downtown. [01:00:29] Speaker D: Yeah. Regent park region. [01:00:30] Speaker B: Park's finest. [01:00:31] Speaker D: Yes, sir. [01:00:32] Speaker B: I'm glad we got this on the record. Kenyon St. Louis. Follow him. Follow Canada Basketball. We'll be back after this quick little break. This K basketball show. My guy, Kenyon. Welcome back to the Canadian Basketball Show. I'm joined by someone that put the world on notice. The last time he wore Canada on his chest, I believe he broke the Canadian FIBA scoring record with 32 points in a single game at the U16Americas against Brazil. He recently announced he's heading to powerhouse program Mount Vern in Florida. And it's coming off being named first team all camp at the prestigious NBPA camp. It's Oakville Zone. Isaiah Hamilton, Hollywood Hamilton. How you been, brother? [01:01:32] Speaker E: I've been good, you know, just been hooping, doing what I do. School's done, so I'm more focused on, you know, basketball right now. So it's been going well. [01:01:39] Speaker B: Fiber U17 training camp, obviously it's great to be back here. What's the mood like and preparing obviously getting ready to head to Turkey and competing once again. What's that been like? What's been camp like? [01:01:50] Speaker E: Camp's been good. There's been a high compete. You know, we've obviously training two times a day, you know, having guys like Dylan Burks come in the gym and you know, give us. Give US Talks Rowan Barrett. So I feel like we're definitely prepared going into Turkey, and we're on kill mode for sure. That's what Dylan Burks is talking about. You know, he's just saying going with kill mode. So I feel like that's, like, the energy that we're going into Turkey with and, you know, hopefully come back with a gold medal. [01:02:15] Speaker B: Coming off the top 100 camp, what was that like? I seen first team all star, all camp. What was that experience like for you? And I was watching some of the games, I'm like, man, this guy is doing what he does here in Canada. [01:02:27] Speaker E: Yeah, it's definitely a blessing to be there. You know, being surrounded by guys like Rajon Rondo, Taj Gibson, Kyrie was there too. It was definitely a blessing to be there, you know, take advice from those type of guys. Definitely being around a bunch of top players. You know, it's top 100, so there's definitely a lot of good players there. It was a test, but, you know, I feel like I did what I had to do, did what I always do on the court. So it was. It was definitely a blessing to be there and be surrounded by a bunch of top guys. [01:02:56] Speaker B: Now let's talk about what everybody wants to know. Mount Vert. [01:02:59] Speaker E: Yep. [01:02:59] Speaker B: I was waiting because, you know, we talked about it in January. We talked about, like, we. What's gonna happen. Like, obviously, you're playing at Crestwood. Shout out to Crestwood. Amazing program. I know you did your time there. It was great. But a lot of people are like, why is Isaiah gonna make the move to the States? You know, tell me about the decision. How did that come about? And from my understanding, correct me if I'm wrong. I feel like Mountain Vert's been interested in you for a while now. [01:03:24] Speaker E: You know, I've definitely been in conversations with them since, you know, mostly since starting my grade, 11 year old. So, you know, it's definitely a blessing to be able to go somewhere, you know, that good of a school and, you know, that, like, good amount of players that, you know, came out of there. It was a big process. It was a tough decision. But, you know, I just went down to, you know, where I felt most comfortable with the coaches, you know, the campus and where it felt most like home. And that was Montverde. So even talking with, like, the coaches, the teachers, all that type of stuff, you know, I just felt comfortable. You know, they were very welcoming. So it just felt like if I'm gonna be away from my parents, that's where I wanna be. [01:04:04] Speaker B: Did you visit? [01:04:05] Speaker E: Yes. [01:04:05] Speaker B: What was that like when you got there? Check out the campus and just Florida, different vibes. Also, like, the weather. Come on, man. [01:04:12] Speaker E: Yeah, yeah. [01:04:12] Speaker C: I'm like. [01:04:13] Speaker E: Had to make the jump. Had to make the jump. [01:04:14] Speaker B: Had to make the jump. What was that like, going and visiting over there? [01:04:17] Speaker E: Going to visit. It was great. I had a great time. You know, I got to, you know, watch a game. Uibl, scholastic game. So it was definitely. It was definitely good campus, you know, good vibes, everyone. You know, there's no. I didn't get any negative vibes from the students, from the teachers, from the coaches, any stuff like that. So the visit definitely, like, solidified my decision. You know, just seeing the. The atmosphere of their games, like, you know, that's. I feel like that's where I thrive when there's people around me. So it was definitely. It was definitely a great opportunity to go and visit before I committed and to watch a game. You know, it was a loud atmosphere, a bunch of people there, and they said that was a quiet day. So, you know, I'm definitely excited to go out there and show the world what I can do. [01:04:58] Speaker B: And correct me if I'm wrong, I think they came to Canada to visit you. Did they come here? Did they check you out? Tell me about that, because I seen some people at the Raptors game. I'm like, why are they here? Are they here for. For the Raptors or were they here for you? [01:05:11] Speaker E: They were definitely there for the Raptors. I didn't. They didn't get to watch any games, but, you know, obviously they were watching on the live streams, OSBA live streams. So I didn't. I saw one of them at the Raptors game that I know. So, you know, we kind of chopped it up a little, but they definitely didn't come for me. That was definitely a Scotty Barnes thing. [01:05:25] Speaker B: I want to. Wanted to make sure, because I know obviously the Raptors has a bunch of guys there. RJ Barrett, those guys, too. But excited for you to head to Mount Vert. JVON Tindale, tell me he was sliding your DM sometimes, being like, yo, man, it's cool over here in Florida, man. Come check it out. How much was he messaging you about coming to Mount Verde and how excited you just about to team up with him? [01:05:46] Speaker E: It was definitely, you know, something that I've always wanted to do. You know, he's one of the top guards in the country, and he's definitely shown that since the last America. You know, he was definitely recruiting hard you know, showing, giving me like, like, oh, the slob city over here, man. So stuff like that. So it was definitely, it was definitely great. You know, having Canadians there, that's kind of what made me feel more comfortable. And you know, he's, I've been, that's always been something I want to do is get on the court with him. So, you know, it's definitely going to be a movie down there. And the Florida vibes just, they're just amazing. So it had to, had to happen. [01:06:19] Speaker B: A lot of lobs, right? That's what we expect. [01:06:21] Speaker E: Yeah. [01:06:21] Speaker B: RJ Barrett, Ryan Nemhard, Caleb Houston, Andrew Nemhar, the list goes on. The Canadians that have played there, what's it like adding your name to that? [01:06:31] Speaker E: It's an honor. You know, hopefully one day I'll be where they are right now and I can look back and go back to Mount Verde and show love to them and have my, have my name on that wall. So it's definitely, it's definitely a blessing. You know, take the legacy that they've left on Canada and Mount Verde. So yeah. [01:06:47] Speaker B: What's the latest recruitment wise, I see you posting offers. I'm like Alabama, not Alabama. Correct. Arkansas was just recently Miami. Syracuse is offer you. Georgia has offered you. What's the latest talk about the recruitment process? What's that been like? Because I think it just opened up where coaches can hit you up again. [01:07:05] Speaker E: Yeah. So it's definitely the position that I am was great, you know, going into that live period time where coaches can hit you up. Definitely been, you know, recruited by schools like Arkansas, Syracuse U, Miami, stuff like that. So it's definitely a blessing to be in the position that I am and you know, that's recruitment's been good. Hopefully it'll get better. You know, there's certain things I have to work on to get take it to that next step. So. Yeah. [01:07:28] Speaker B: What do you feel like that is that you need to work on? [01:07:30] Speaker E: I probably say right now my motor. But it's getting better. It's getting way better. You know, just getting used to, you know, going to like a team like Mount Verde where I'm not going to have the ball in my hands 100% of the time. So that's definitely something that I'm adjusting to for sure. [01:07:42] Speaker B: What are you looking for when it comes to like a school, a program, what fits? [01:07:47] Speaker E: Isaiah Hamilton, you know, good coaches, coaches that understand me and trust me. Multiple coaches on the bench, you know, coaches that attack different things, you know, offense, defense, even the mental side that you know, that's definitely something that supports me, and Montverd has that. Another thing that I was looking at, looking for was the recovery standpoint. That's definitely something because, you know, if I'm gonna be hooping all the time, I need to get my body right to have that, you know, longevity and, you know, be the player that. The best player that I could be. So that's definitely something that stood out to me when I went down to visit Montverde and most of all, like, where I felt most comfortable. Like I said, you know, when I went down to Montverde, it just felt. It felt comfortable. It felt like. I don't know, it felt like if I'm gonna be waiting for my parents and my family, though, I have another family to go to when I'm at Montverde. Yeah. [01:08:34] Speaker B: How do you feel like your game translates to the college level? Because it's still. Obviously, still another. Another year, another year or two. How would you describe, like, maybe watching college and be like, I fit in this aspect? [01:08:47] Speaker E: I definitely say the way I move without the ball. You know, they see the lobs, see the cuts, but definitely, you know, getting open threes, because, you know, in college, it's very rare that they miss an open three. So that's something I can knock down the three. I can get to my mid range. You know, I'm very good at playing in a system. I feel like that's where I thrive when I'm put in a system and, you know, have guys around me that could get me the ball and, you know, that's what college is. You have to play within the system and know your role. So that's where I see myself in fiber. [01:09:13] Speaker B: You 16, how would you describe your experience last summer playing for Cannes, first time on your chess? What was that experience like for you? [01:09:20] Speaker E: It was amazing. You know, having that, you know, having the team was also great. You know, having had those pieces surrounding me that made me stand out, like Kenyon, Liamaru, Isaiah Clark, Jordan Fisher, all those type of guys, you know, they had a big role in, you know, getting me the ball and getting in my spots and, you know, keeping me in my head when times got rough. So I definitely want to shout out to my teammates. And overall, you know, just having that, it comes with a different type of pride when you have Canada across the chest, you know, you're not just representing yourself, you're representing your country. So that's definitely something that I focus on and kept me going to, you know, be the best player that I Could be. [01:09:56] Speaker B: Obviously you went down with an injury. Everybody was waiting for that USA Canada game to watch you. But when down in that semifinals game, I believe against Venezuela, what was that like after such a strong start to the tournament? You're still named to the first team all tournament, but what was that like and not getting the chance to play in that finals game? [01:10:16] Speaker E: It was definitely heartbreaking. You know, I feel like we could have done something special if I was in the game. You know, the guys, I feel like I come with a different type of energy that could have helped us in that game. So it's definitely, it was definitely heartbreaking going down. But, you know, I'm, I'm proud of my guys. You know, they, they obviously didn't win, but, you know, it showed me a lot that, you know, they can handle stuff and, you know, without me on the court, you know, again, fitting in that system where I can trust them and, you know, they can do what they do. [01:10:44] Speaker B: What are you looking to prove? U17 World Cup? I think ESPN has you like top 10 now. What's that like? Do you pay attention much to that, to that type of stuff? And what are you looking to prove? Just coming, obviously, I feel like redemption kind of for you, like not being able to play that finals game too. [01:11:00] Speaker E: Obviously it's important, like rankings and stuff, but I don't pay no mind to it. I know the type of player that I am. You know, there's obviously stuff that I have to work on, but, you know, obviously I'm not in that number one spot right now. But if I continue to work and continue to work on myself, I could definitely see myself in that number one spot in years to come. But right now, even, you know, what I'm, what I'm doing right now, like top three, top five in my class, I feel like I should be there. You know, I've proved a lot, so that's definitely something that I'm coming to prove, that I'm top five, top three in the country. [01:11:29] Speaker B: Where do you feel like, you guys, this roster right here stacks up against the teams you're going to be facing from across the world. [01:11:35] Speaker E: What I've seen in camp so far is we're just dogs, you know, we're, you know, in practice every day. We're just competing and, you know, diving on the floor, getting rebounds, going at each other every day. So that's gonna be our hardest. Our hardest games are in practice. So I feel like that's something that we're bringing and definitely like the mindset that we have. [01:11:52] Speaker B: I was gonna say, what type of style should we expect? What does Chris Chang want from you guys? What do you expect from you as a leader on this team? [01:11:58] Speaker E: As a leader, definitely just, you know, doing what I do. He has trust in me, but, you know, limiting stuff like, limiting, like, you know, the type of shots that I could take. You know, making better reads is definitely something that he expects for me. And just being a leader all around so, you know, help my guys up off the floor. Just a little stuff. And I can't say stuff and not do what I'm saying. So he's definitely to be a dog out there. He's expecting me to rebound, dive on the ground, and stuff like that. [01:12:26] Speaker B: I don't want to put too much pressure. You guys already have enough pressure coming up as players. When people call this class, a lot of guys on this roster, some of the best talent we've seen from Canada in years. Do you agree with that? And if so, what makes this class so special? 2028. [01:12:42] Speaker E: We definitely have a lot of talent on this team. Probably one of the, you know, like you said, most talented 16U teams, but I feel like talent can only take you so far. So that something that we have different is, you know, our mindset going in with that kill mode that, you know, everything in front of us is just kill. [01:12:59] Speaker B: Yeah. Canada obviously just won U18 gold. Yeah, I know you're watching that. How much were you kind of seeing what they accomplish and be like, hey, we want the same thing. [01:13:10] Speaker E: Just visualization. Like, I can see myself in that spot, you know, in Turkey, holding up that trophy, holding that gold medal. So that's definitely something, you know, that we're focusing on and, you know, carry that legacy that they brought beating Team USA and win gold. [01:13:23] Speaker B: What's the chemistry like? Because I know you played with guys at Kenyon, Isaiah Crestwood. What's that like? How close are you with these guys? How long have you known these guys? And how much is that going to help, too? [01:13:35] Speaker E: That's another thing that's really important. Our chemistry, I feel like, is 10 times better than the chemistry we had last year. You know, just, you know, having our team group chat, you know, being in each other's rooms, you know, just, you know, laughing it up and joking, and that correlates to the court 100%. You know, I'm not. There's not one guy on this team that I'm not comfortable being on the court with. So that's definitely something that's. That's big. [01:13:56] Speaker B: Is there A player that you kind of like, like to watch or you're like, hey, this is kind of who I see myself as. I don't like comparing guys to what it is, but is there a player that you enjoy watching that you're like, hey, I kind of see some similarities. [01:14:10] Speaker E: Someone that I'm definitely similar to, that I watch is Isaiah Evans. I feel like we are basically like the same player. We can shoot the ball, we can get to the basket, you know, we're energetic, we bring that, you know, kind of fire that, you know, can take you at a 20 point deficit. So I feel like that's some, that's a player I definitely see myself, you know, be coming one day and you know, play like between us. [01:14:30] Speaker B: I heard he was in Toronto not too long ago with a workout for the Raptors. So we'll see, we'll see what the Raptors do. They got picked what, 19. Are you expecting much of a jump from going from playing in Canada to going playing in the States? What's that like? And what are you, what are people maybe telling you just about what to expect going. You got teammates that have also done it before, right? [01:14:51] Speaker E: It's definitely going to be, it's going to be a big jump for sure. But I've already mentally prepared for the fact that, you know, I'm not going to be getting that 30 points every game. You know, could cut down to 10 to 15 points and just, you know, 10, 15, 8 rebounds, stuff like that, doing controlling the controllables, you know, the points are going to come if I do what I have to do. [01:15:08] Speaker B: What's your scouting report? If someone like Hatha guard you to a tee, what do they have to watch out for? What do they can't let happen when they're guarding Isaiah Hamilton? [01:15:20] Speaker E: You can't let that first shot go in because once that first shot goes in, I'm a. The confidence is going to go through the roof and definitely, you know, you got a box out. If you don't keep me off that glass, it's going to be a put back on your head. So that's definitely something that, that I would put on a scouting report. [01:15:33] Speaker B: Yeah, Canada Lee, tell me about that au summer. How's that been going for you guys and playing and obviously you guys won last year, made history winning U15s. What's that like coming back again? [01:15:45] Speaker E: We have a great team this year, you know, hopefully going back to back, but I feel like we still have that. You know, people are doubting us, some people are doubting Us that we're not the best team in Canada. So, you know, we definitely have to bring that energy coming into finals and, you know, we're going to go back to back. No doubt. [01:16:00] Speaker B: Yeah. Goals for yourself. Is there anything that you're like, hey, I have this checklist that I want to accomplish in the next few years. [01:16:07] Speaker E: Obviously I want to go to that next level, D1, you know, but I'm just kind of more focusing on, you know, next year and dominating every level. So that's. Even this year, you know, I did regular high school basketball, grade nine prep, junior, grade 10 dominated that, and then grade 11, I dominated. So that's definitely just dominating every level. [01:16:25] Speaker B: What do you know about turkey? You're about to be heading over there. What do you know about the culture there, the food? What do you know about turkey? [01:16:32] Speaker E: I know it's going to be high atmosphere. There's definitely a lot of people watching the games and, you know, me and my team, you know, we have a lot, you know, I wouldn't say we're, you know, used to it, but we definitely have that mindset going in that none of that matters. [01:16:46] Speaker B: The real question, I think people want to know, are you going to give us another east bay dunk with 40 seconds left? Up by two. I wonder what, what's in the bags? What's in the, in. In the tricks that we're going to see out of the FIB 17 World Cup? [01:17:00] Speaker E: Well, if you're asking me, some stuff might come out, but if you're asking my dad or my parents, he's definitely not going to want to see none of that. So I might keep it to a T. You know, my knees are a little, you know, they're hurting a little bit more than they did last year, so hopefully might see something. Depends on, you know, how much we're winning by. But, you know, I have to be more smarter because this is a way bigger stage. [01:17:19] Speaker B: I know Pops is happy listening to that. He's like, keep it simple. Get the job done. Shout out to Pops, man. [01:17:24] Speaker E: Exactly. [01:17:25] Speaker B: Isaiah Hamilton, one of the best players coming out of Canada. My guy, always a privileged chat with you and excited to watch you at the U17 World cup representing Canada and at Montvert. I might come out to Florida, man. [01:17:38] Speaker C: You know. [01:17:39] Speaker B: Come on, come on. Check out the game, check out the atmosphere. [01:17:41] Speaker E: You talk about it. [01:17:42] Speaker B: It's looking crazy, man. I'm gonna have to come out and check you out and. Yeah. Excited just to follow your journey, brother. [01:17:47] Speaker E: Sure. Thank you. [01:17:47] Speaker B: This is Canadian basketball show. We're back. Welcome back to the Canadian Basketball Show. I'm joined by one of the top players in the class of 2:20, 28. He's coming off a Chipotle national title at Bella Vista. He's been dominating with uplay at the EYBL scene, and by the time we end this podcast, he might pick up another college offer. It's Alberta Zone. Liam Mitakar. Welcome to the podcast, brother. [01:18:23] Speaker C: Thank you. Thank you for having me, my guy. [01:18:25] Speaker B: I've been waiting to chat with you. I seen what you've been doing across the border. It's. It's been dope to see FIBA U17 training camp, though. What's the mood like around camp? Getting ready to head to Turkey. What's that been like? [01:18:38] Speaker C: Oh, it's straight vibes, you know, all these guys, funny, energetic, going to every practice with vibes, high energy, going hard, trying to get gold, to repeat after U18 for sure. [01:18:48] Speaker B: What would you describe, like, your experience last time playing FIBA U16 up in Mexico? [01:18:52] Speaker C: It really opened my mindset to really seeing how different countries played, how physical they are, how much they have a chip on their shoulder. You know, some. Some of them are less fortunate than us, so it's really nice to see, like, how hard they have to play to achieve new things. So it really opened my mindset. And now second year got that experience. Now we're ready to go dominate. [01:19:13] Speaker B: How would you describe kind of like this team? Because I feel like a lot of people, myself included, I feel like we call this class one of the best classes we've seen maybe in recent memory, in terms of Canada. What are your thoughts on that? And like, do you agree? And if so, what makes this class so special in your eyes? [01:19:30] Speaker C: Oh, yeah, I agree for sure. Like, from point guard to center, like, we have talent. We have height, length, athleticism, iq, skill. We have everything. A lot of talented guys. I agree that it's probably one of the better generations Canada's had. [01:19:44] Speaker B: Yeah. For you being from Alberta. Tell me about that. What was that like growing up there? I always wonder, I'm like, what was there to do in Alberta? You know? But, like, what was that like growing up there? And I'm guessing you were just locked into the gym. [01:19:55] Speaker C: Yeah, for sure. Alberta. We don't really get as much exposure as, let's say, Ontario, Quebec and all that. So we really just put our head down, grind. So when we get the chance to go Ontario in the States to play, like, for example, when I played Team Alberta, when I really got my name exposed, like that's when we really showed the skill, what we've been working on, you know, and starting to see that we really got some dogs from there. [01:20:17] Speaker B: Where do you feel like Alberta ranks up in terms of the province? People obviously be like, Ontario is number one, you know, but where do you feel like Alberta is? [01:20:25] Speaker C: You know, I gotta say, Alberta is number one. Especially the Canada Games, we just won that too. So, you know, I'm telling you, like, got some dogs. We got some dogs. We got some dogs. Kale, Hart. [01:20:35] Speaker A: Yep. Dang. [01:20:36] Speaker B: Who else is out there? [01:20:36] Speaker C: Nathan, Lamar, Elijah, all those guys. [01:20:39] Speaker B: Zayn. [01:20:40] Speaker C: Yep. [01:20:41] Speaker B: I feel like it would be cool to see like a five on five. Get the. You guys are obviously busy nowadays, but, like, get the top guys in the age group. Go up against Ontario. That'll be a fun showcase. Hey, someone hit my line. Want to do a game? We can set it up, but tell me about the move to Arizona. Iowa. Prep beforehand. Tell me about the move, what happened to get you to there, and what made Bella Vista such the perfect fit. [01:21:02] Speaker C: Iowa was a great place for development, which is what I was looking for in my first year in the States. But after it got bigger, got better, got used to the state's playstyle, we decided it was time to go really play against the greatest. So Bella Vista, you know, you got dogs and you got some real guys. A lot of them are Canadian too, so it's like another home, you know, you don't feel left out. They welcome you with open arms, but it's literally playing against the best of the best. Every. Every day really prepares you for, like, playing eybl, playing everything, ready to be able to dominate, you know? [01:21:34] Speaker B: Yeah, I was. Had Miles on the podcast, Nike Hoop Summit. He called you one of the toughest players. He's guarded. What makes you so tough? What was it? And tell me about the battles of Miles. What was it like guarding him? [01:21:45] Speaker C: Yeah, guarding Miles is hard. Like, it's really like, you can't really do nothing to stop him. [01:21:51] Speaker D: Too quick. [01:21:52] Speaker C: He's too quick. You cannot bump him. He has some sneaky balance, I'll tell you. You seen the poster? He has some sneaky bounce. He has step backs finished top of the glass, you know. Definitely. Probably the hardest guy I've had to guard as well. Yeah, but he's great. He's gonna go dominate in West Virginia for sure. Excited for that. [01:22:10] Speaker B: What was it like playing alongside him and learning from him and like, now, I think a lot of people are like, the keys are in your hands over there at Bella Vista. [01:22:18] Speaker C: It was great. He took me in as a little brother, big role model for me. He was teaching me things along the way. And just being able to watch him in flow state all the time, it really teaches you some things. [01:22:29] Speaker B: What was it like winning that Chipotle national title? You guys are like, the best team in North America. Has that sunk in? Like, a bunch of guys from Canada did that. [01:22:38] Speaker C: It's crazy. They. I don't know. We won EYBL, and then they had us ranked, what, like 3 or 4, which is like, we were the underdogs. They were. They were sleeping on us the whole time, even after winning. So, you know, we were a tough team. We came in with a chip on our shoulder, like, yeah, we're gonna go win this for Canada, especially. [01:22:54] Speaker B: Yeah, for you. When did basketball start, though, Obviously? Was it somebody that got you into the game that was like, hey, I think, obviously. How tall are you now? [01:23:03] Speaker C: Six, Four. [01:23:04] Speaker B: You got the height, you know, but what was it like? Hey, I want to lock into this. And who was like, maybe the first people that got you into it? [01:23:10] Speaker C: Actually, early on, I was a soccer player, believe it or not. Yeah. [01:23:12] Speaker B: What was your position? [01:23:13] Speaker C: I was left back. [01:23:15] Speaker B: Okay. [01:23:15] Speaker C: So I used to play soccer. Used to watch it all the time. But all my brothers played basketball at the time, so we have an outdoor net, outdoor hoop. We'd all be playing, and it'd just be fun vibes, you know? And watching my brothers play throughout their whole career really just made me fall in love with the game. And then they've been big, big role models, big supporters for me, keeping me locked in, keeping me in the gym. And that's how I fell in love. [01:23:35] Speaker B: Who wins the ones now? You and your bros? [01:23:38] Speaker C: Come on. Me for sure. Me for sure. Yeah. [01:23:40] Speaker B: When did it become, like, maybe, like, serious for you? It was like, hey, I could take this far. Where it's like, now I got Arkansas calling my line. I got, you know, like, all these top programs. When did that become serious for you? [01:23:52] Speaker C: I'd probably say my grade eight year. [01:23:54] Speaker A: Yeah? [01:23:55] Speaker C: When? Cause grade seven, I didn't have the best summer. Grade eight, I really, like, locked in the whole grade seven year. Grade eight, I started playing aau. I was playing up, and I really started killing. I was like, yo, like, I could really do something with this. And then going on to grade nine, where I played Team Alberta. I had a pretty. Pretty good run there. Almost beat Ontario. Those guys are lucky. Lucky I found out. But that's when I really realized, and some schools started calling me from the States in terms of prep. So I realized I could take this to the next level. [01:24:24] Speaker B: Yeah. How would you describe your game to people? Because I don't want to get ahead of myself because some people say, hey, you got a little shame. You know, like. But how would you describe your game? I want to hear from yourself. [01:24:35] Speaker C: I'd say smooth. And I don't like. I don't like playing too fast, getting out of. Out of my pace, you know, I like getting others involved, getting myself buckets, bringing energy. Yeah. [01:24:46] Speaker B: And I've seen what you guys been doing on the EYBL circuit. Tell me about that. Playing uplay ball in your hands and you guys been dominating. What's up? [01:24:54] Speaker C: Yeah, sure. Like, a lot of guys there don't respect us because we're Canadians, of course, but, you know, great, great, talented team. A lot of guys. Noah, Malcolm, Satimo, Malachi, all of them. Isaiah, like, we really, we really have a chip on our shoulder. You know, we're the number one team at UIBL right now. 8, 0, hopefully going undefeated, looking to win Peach. [01:25:13] Speaker B: I'm gonna come out to Vegas. Oh, yeah, you guys are playing. I'm gonna check you. I might come out to P cham afterwards to see. See you guys out. But tell me what the latest in your recruitment taking off. I'm like, I can't keep track at this point, to be honest with you. Well, you got offers from ucla, West Virginia, Ole Miss, Kansas, Ohio State, Texas, Arkansas, Syracuse. How do you keep track? [01:25:35] Speaker C: I don't really focus on that. Obviously, I have one of my coaches talking to all the coaches for me, so I just like to keep my head down and work, you know, because I'm not at college yet, so I'm not. I'm not reaching that goal yet. So I'm working, I'm working. So when I get to college, I'm a dominate and go to the NBA, so I don't really worry about that too much. [01:25:54] Speaker B: I love that. Did you have a dream school, though, coming up? And it was like, hey, I like watching this program or a favorite player in college. [01:26:00] Speaker C: Growing up, my dream school was Kentucky. And then Cal left, so he went to Arkansas. Oh, so Kentucky and Arkansas, I'd say, are met too. [01:26:08] Speaker B: Interesting. Interesting. ESPN, obviously, I think they have you ranked 34. I'm guessing you don't pay attention much to that kind of stuff. What's that like too, where it's like, hey, because I don't think they rank Canadians until they get to the states. But what's that like when it's like, hey, I think a lot of people are, like, 34 is too low for yourself. What are you looking to hone in on where it's like, hey, all that chatter stuff, the rankings, whatever it is, probably doesn't matter at the end of the day. [01:26:37] Speaker C: Yeah, it's cool to see your name known for sure, but, like, at the end of the day, the hard work is gonna speak for itself. So, you know, whether they sleep on me or not, I'm gonna work hard. It's gonna show at the end of the day, and they'll fix it up at the end. [01:26:48] Speaker B: Yeah. In terms of a school, what are you looking for when it comes to, like, I want this in a program, and I kind of envision myself playing for a school like this. Well, what terms of, like, a fit? [01:27:01] Speaker C: What do you look for, really school that does well with guards? Obviously, I'm looking for coaches I could build a bond with on and off the court. Good track history with NBA players, NBA guards and. [01:27:13] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. What does it feel like for you, like, representing Canada second time? What does it mean for you personally and getting the call and, like, having Canada across your chest? [01:27:21] Speaker C: It's great. I always say this. It's always, always been a dream of mine. You know, not a lot of guys get to represent Canada. And, you know, you look at a senior men's national team, you got all your role models there. Like, feels good to be able to wear this jersey and try to build up to the steps of playing on that senior men's national team. [01:27:36] Speaker B: We just had Kenyon and Hamilton on Isaiah Hamilton, and they're talking about. Dillon just came and chat with you guys. What was that like hearing from those guys? And I'm guessing you've been around NBA guys, too. And what's that like hearing from a guy that's done it, been here, and obviously has a name like dad and has been doing what he's doing for in the NBA and with Canada. [01:27:55] Speaker C: Basketball, man, Dylan's amazing. You know, you look at that guy, he's like a villain in NBA. Very, very fun to watch. He loves giving wisdom to the youth, likes giving gifts. It's amazing to have them come speak and tell them about their experience, how it went for them so we could learn, not make the same mistakes they did. For sure. [01:28:12] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:28:13] Speaker B: Canada just want gold. FIBA U8s. Do you feel pressure? I'm asking you guys? I'm like. But almost like, how much were you paying attention to that? We're like, yo, we got to do the same thing. [01:28:21] Speaker C: Oh, yeah, we were cheering them on for sure. I'm sure all of us were. And it was amazing history. There's a little bit of pressure, but we definitely can handle it. We definitely can handle it. [01:28:30] Speaker B: Yeah. Is there something that you think people will notice right away from this team? Like, what type of style does coach Chris Chang want you guys to play? What kind of. What should we expect? [01:28:38] Speaker C: Oh, they're gonna notice. We're gonna punch first. And if they. You guys punch first, we're gonna eat it, we're gonna take it, we're gonna be tough. Win the 50, 50 balls, the rebounding balls, and we're coming swinging for sure. [01:28:49] Speaker B: And what's the chemistry been like with this group? Cause I feel like a lot of you guys know each other, have competed against each other. What's that been like? And yeah, just being around this group because I'm guessing it's a lot of similar faces from last year's roster. [01:29:01] Speaker C: Yeah, we played with each other for a year now. Played against each other, Nationals and all that. But these guys are. They're really outgoing, you know, they're really funny. They joke around a lot. It's easy to bond with them, build chemistry and all that. [01:29:12] Speaker B: Yeah. And for you, is there an NBA player that you like to watch that you're like, hey, I like to take bits and pieces from? [01:29:20] Speaker C: Oh, yeah. Jalen Brunson, Shai Jamal Murray, all those guys. Ryan, Andrew Nemhard. [01:29:25] Speaker B: Yeah. Is there something about Jalen Brunson? Obviously he's as much smaller than you. Obviously he just had a stellar run. NBA finals. [01:29:32] Speaker C: Just the way he can, like get in the paint. Playoff two gets his midi. Like he really gets to his spot. You're not stopping him from getting to the spot. He's going to get a bucket. So I love that about his game, you know, whether you're bigger than him or not, his touch is phenomenal. [01:29:46] Speaker B: Yeah, you talked about it. We talked about your far from Burundi. Tell me about that, man. Tell me about the heritage. And you might be the first like I'm trying to last East African guy that's played for Canada. [01:29:58] Speaker C: Yeah, my parents, my parents and a couple of my brothers were born in Burundi. I was born in Edmonton, but you don't see a lot of Burundian guys around, you know, so being able to be one of like a role model for the younger guys who don't think they can do it, really show them they can. They put their head down to work, they can do it. So putting on for the brand new culture is Very nice. [01:30:15] Speaker B: What's your family? You told you about life over there? What was that like? And coming to Canada and. And yeah, I'm guessing it's a lot of pride, you know. [01:30:23] Speaker C: Yeah, my family had a. They had a pretty successful life over there, but they wanted better opportunities for us, so they moved as immigrants to Canada. So like that, that helps me with my game. Really why I'm doing it. A chip on my shoulder for sure. [01:30:37] Speaker B: Yeah. For yourself, goals, talk about that. What are you maybe aiming for and like, do you have like a checklist of like. Yeah, I want to get this done because I feel like I'm going to see you probably what basketball without border soon. Probably see you at the Nike Hoop Summit soon. I might be getting ahead of myself, but like, I feel like you have that potential. What goals do you have for yourself? [01:30:56] Speaker C: The main goal is the league for sure. Obviously all those camps would be nice and all that, but it's really the steps. Work hard, get to college, dominate in college, go to the league and have a long lasting career. Be as great as I can. [01:31:08] Speaker B: You talked about obviously these college coaches reaching out. Was there any conversations you've had with like colleges that were like, wow, like this person just reached out to me. Holy shit. Like, you know, like it hit you where it's like, this is cool. [01:31:19] Speaker C: Yeah, definitely. John Calipari, being on FaceTime with him was like, it was crazy. It was really crazy to see as my dream coach to play for. So it was, it was a great experience for sure. [01:31:29] Speaker B: Did he say anything that was like, damn, like, this is getting serious, like the recruiting process for you. [01:31:35] Speaker C: I mean, he was really just talking about his track record with guards. It's like, yo, this guy really, he knows what he's doing, so being able to play for him would be good. [01:31:41] Speaker B: Yeah. And then getting in early. He's smart. I'm telling you, he's smart. He got like a lot of Canadian guys that played for Che. Jamal, what can we expect from you this tournament? Fiber U17 World cup to go kill. [01:31:52] Speaker C: Be a dog on both ends. Bring the energy and help us win gold. [01:31:55] Speaker B: What do you know about Turkey? [01:31:57] Speaker C: Nothing really. I heard it's hot over there. [01:31:59] Speaker B: It's hot. That's what everyone's saying. Got to get you some kebabs, you know, get the culture over there. Liam Mitocaro, one of my favorite players coming up from Canada. Excited to watch you the FIBA U17 World cup and potentially, obviously this summer. I'm gonna check out some eybl, so appreciate you dropping by and. Yeah. Good luck, man. Get gold. Okay. [01:32:19] Speaker C: All right. [01:32:20] Speaker B: We'll see it. Liam, Carl or Canada's best players coming up this canyon Basketball show your go to spot for the latest news story and analysis on Canadian basketball. I've been your host, Lee Ben Osman. And we out.