Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:03] 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 Osmond.
Canada just made history at the FIBA U18America cup, winning gold and taking down USA basketball. USA won the last seven tournaments dating back to 2010.
I don't know if I'll call it an upset, but it says a lot where Canada is at as a basketball nation. I'm joined by a guy that predicted Canada would win gold. It's Joe Musa, national scout, North Pole Hoops. How you feeling, man? I'm on a high. That game was.
I feel like I just won gold. How you feeling?
[00:00:49] Speaker C: This is a big deal, man. And, and I'm, I'm thinking about it right now. I think this is up there with the Raptors winning the NBA championship. This is a big deal. Canada just won a gold medal at a FIBA event.
We went out there, we beat usa. It was a close game. So proud of these boys.
I wish we were out there celebrating with them because I know they're having a great time, but they deserved it. They played super hard, start to finish.
From the start of the tournament, you kind of realize there's something different with this team. And obviously they went out and they're bringing the gold back. So this is a big deal.
[00:01:20] Speaker B: Yeah, it's. It's a big deal.
I don't feel like Canada played the best game. Like, correct me if I'm wrong, I feel like there's some points where, you know, mislay ups, where there's bad turnovers and they kept fighting. They kept fighting. They kept it a low scoring game, ended up winning 67, 65 against a team filled with players on USA, highly ranked. I think probably the highest ranked player on this roster is a guy that might be in the 60s on ESPN. And, and they went up and they took down USA. What were your thoughts like throughout the game? Obviously they completely dominated group play, winning by 50 against Puerto Rico, Dominique against Dominican Republic, Venezuela, those teams. And then they come against usa. What was your expectations coming to this game? Kind of like the matchup and when did you feel like, okay, Canada has this.
[00:02:12] Speaker C: So again, there was something different with this team coming into this tournament and realizing this would be, ultimately, when we face them in the finals, a winnable matchup. If you look at this team USA team, it's good. But like I said on your podcast last week when we shot that episode, it's been better. There have been higher level prospects, of course, they got the top level guys, but I'm looking at that, I'm looking at how we match up with them in terms of the size in the front court and our big man play and our guard play and our coaching. Charles Antimakos leading the charge this time, I think that was big.
But as this game was going on, it was close and they did a great job of weathering the storm a couple times.
Re watching the game right now. They were down 1913 in the first quarter, so it looked like maybe USA was about to run away with it. Javion Tindale comes down, hits a deep three, makes it a three point game. Get a stop, score on the other end. They score and then we get on with a fast break. Jvon connects to Dang and Gore on a huge lob, cutting it to one. We have momentum and at that point it's like, all right, we're in this, we're in the game, we're settled in first quarter. And ever since that point, it was a close game, tied at halftime. We came out in the second half going on a 5, 0 run. We took I think our biggest lead of the game at that point, which was a five point lead. But instantly this, you know, us responded, hit back to back, big threes. That kind of took the life of us, life out of us for a bit. But then they got back in the game. The third quarter was the lowest scoring quarter of the game. So if you're Canada, this is exactly what you wanted. You wanted it to be a defensive, gritty, hard nosed game. And they went out in the fourth quarter. The team that wanted it more won, honest, ultimately. And Jon Tindel, there's a point in that fourth quarter where he was manipulating the defense and getting whatever he wanted. To your point, there was a lot of even easy opportunities we didn't even capitalize on. So you could even argue we could have maybe pushed that lead a bit and actually ran away with it at one point.
And then obviously dang going on that huge 50 personal run in the final minute 30. We're down three with a minute 30. Comes off, hits that big corner three, we get to stop. He gets a big dunk and fast break.
We're feeling good. Get a charge on the other end.
Shout out to Satimo. Ugo came in the game late, substitution, came in and he drew that charge, took it on the chest. We came down on the other end. We sealed the deal. They had a chance with like a half court heave at the end, which I honestly thought was maybe going to go in.
[00:04:42] Speaker A: When he let it go.
[00:04:43] Speaker B: My heart stopped. I'll be honest, my heart stopped when he tossed it up. I was like, please, not like this.
[00:04:49] Speaker C: And then it, it, that's it. And the game ended and it's like, wow, they did it. Gold. So amazing game. Proud of these guys, man. And proud of the staff. The coaching staff did an excellent job. They had an identity and they went out and they got it done. And they got it done, man.
[00:05:04] Speaker B: This is the second time Canada has won gold at the age group level. I believe the last time they did with RJ Barrett in 2017 at the FIBA U19 World Cup. I believe in Egypt at that time, led by Roran and company. Those guys and Jayvion Tinto you mentioned, like, this guy is.
I've lost the words to describe him as a player.
And I feel like he came into this tournament. We had him on the podcast in the preview. He had a lot to prove. He looked at his ranking on ESP and I feel like he kind of scoffed at it. And then he also, like in a game filled with, like we mentioned, highly ranked US Prospects, he looked like the best player.
[00:05:48] Speaker C: Yep.
[00:05:49] Speaker B: Which is kind of like insane. What can you say about Jvon Tindo? 19 points, eight assists. I think he also had like three steals. What can you say about Jvon Tindel? And just the heart from a guy like that. And then standing on the, the scores table afterwards, showing off his jersey, man, that was, you know, that that meant everything special, man.
[00:06:08] Speaker C: And there's certain things about certain players that you just can't teach. And when we say it factor, it's these type of things where you have to throw all labels about a player out the window. You have to got to throw all potential boxes or ceilings. We have them in out the window. Call him a small guard, call him whatever you want, but his confidence in himself is sometimes to a point, irrational with the type of shots he thinks he can hit. And he does hit at times, but he has to be like that. And in order to play like he does, he's just at a different level mentally than everybody else. He took over that game. He sees the floor differently. His IQ and his processing speed allowed him take over that game and almost move the defense around and manipulate it to his advantage, constant advantage, every single time down the stretch in the fourth quarter.
And he's special, man. Like I, I can see him. You know his recruitment's going to blow up. Of course, he's already on high major radars and that's going to continue to grow.
But that kid Is special. And wow, what a run. Like we said before the tournament, they're going to go as far as he takes them and took them all the way. Yeah.
[00:07:12] Speaker B: Tournament mvp. If college coaches are not ringing his line after this, not bombarding him, it's a disservice because what he did, similar to, like, Miles Saller, you know, they're proving, like, the stereotype of these small guards and what they can do. Especially, like, I feel like on the college level, these small guards are gonna be like, it is what it is. Like, they're talented and they can win you when you gold.
[00:07:41] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:07:42] Speaker B: Dang. Talk about Dang, man. He hit arguably the biggest shot. When I thought, oh, man, this might be, like, I think they were down 5 at one point. And he went on his own personal run to tie the game. A big three.
A big three to cut the lead. And then just yelling after. After that three. What'd you think about Dang, man? And just the heart that he showed. And then a big dunk afterwards. Like, Dang is, man.
I feel like he deserves his flowers. And I think he. He's the key to this, to this win at that point in the fourth.
[00:08:17] Speaker C: Hey, man, I. I truly think if he doesn't hit that corner three, I don't think that we come out of this game victorious. Like, he hit that three at such a big moment. We were kind of stuck in the mud for a bit before that. Lyrus had hit a big three. And then Dang comes down, he hits that three in the corner, gives us a. A boost of energy, and. And then he came out and he scored. Man, I just love watching this kid play. His motor and. And his attitude towards winning is infectious. It rubs off on his teammates. But it's almost like this is the type of player that he. He loves winning and competing so much. You can almost guarantee he's going to get better and better and better every month, every year, so on and so forth, and that's what we've seen. I was even thinking in the fourth quarter, I'm thinking to myself, that was the point when JVON was going takeover. But I'm thinking, I really hope we can get Dang involved in these next couple possessions, because he showed some stuff in the first half. I think up until that point where he took over, he maybe only had five or six shots in the game, but there was a point in the first half, he hit this, like, tough shot where he got into the paint.
[00:09:24] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:09:25] Speaker C: Spun go like, right side. Which usually for him, he's usually More comfortable going left. So he hit that over like two defenders. I'm like, man, every game I'm watching, showing me something new. So when he's hitting that shot and I'm like, okay, I hope we can get him involved. And then right on cue, they ran that excellent, you know, set to get him open for that three. Knocked it down. And then like he just did so much from the start of the tournament. He can guard the best player. He can rebound, he can pass, he can score. His. His shot was, was getting better and better. He can post up. Creates advantages.
And then that motor he plays with. That's why me personally, I'm so high on him as a prospect, is because of that motor combined with all of his physical tools.
Man, he's going to be a monster. And he's going to continue to get better. His ceiling is limitless. Yeah.
[00:10:11] Speaker B: Playing Lou Dort Elite. And I'm hoping, I'm hoping he's celebrated right now because. Well deserved by Daniel Key. So Key for this win.
If you're usa, how you feeling? USA Basketball in a game like this, I don't know. They've won. Like we said, they won the last seven tournaments.
I don't want to diminish this by saying, did they take this serious?
But do you feel like they're kind of like, wow, our neighbors are coming and it's a scary sight. They're killing us World Cup Olympics.
The Kevin Durant's of the world are about to be done. The Steph Curry's of the world, the LeBron James of the world about to be done. And we're losing to a country that also just won Back to back MVPs. And now on the age group level.
And I don't blame Canada for losing the last few tournaments because like crazy how stacked the last few age groups was for. For USA Basketball when you had Cam Boozer, AJ and those guys, right, like certified, like numb. Number one to three picks in this year's draft, Mikhail Brown, all those guys, you know, like, it's a stacked roster. But what are you thinking if you're USA Basketball when you're seeing this talent and a team like Canada that's creeping up?
[00:11:33] Speaker C: I think like you said, they might have come in thinking they're going to handle this situation and come into this tournament like they traditionally do and win in dominant fashion. But I think, I don't think they took seriously enough last year's game in the U19s when they played us with that stacked team that you mentioned with AJ Debenza and those boys and Boozer and Brown Jr. And they only beat us by six. And that was one of the things I mentioned on your podcast last week as well is it's like we played them tight last year when they had a much better team. And you can argue this team here is at least better constructed with the addition of the size in the front court and the guard play. So I think that point last year should have been a little bit of a wake up call for them. And then this year there's a handful of guys that could have made this team that, that could have been on that roster. But then you also say on our side we were missing arguably our best player in Paulo Sui. So no excuses. I don't want to hear Baba Olotundin didn't play or Anthony Thompson. I, I don't want to hear that cuz Paulo Serie didn't play. And we got it done. We got him out of there.
So I think they got to start taking this seriously. Like you said, it's, it's becoming an international game. The last how many MVPs and the NBA are international players.
So I think it's a wake up call. Canada's here and then the U17 World cup coming up at the end of the month. I think we have a chance to go back to back in that Isaiah Hamilton and those boys, they're going to be real deal in that tournament too. So they got to start looking at that tournament and saying, all right, we got to, we got to start bringing our big dogs.
[00:13:11] Speaker B: Joel, let's take a quick little break and I'll be joined by one of the star players on that FIBA U18America roster.
Liers Robinson, named to the All Star 5 averaged 14 points. He'll be joining us live from Mexico to talk about Canada winning gold for the first time at the FIBA U18America. We'll take a quick little break and we'll be back after this.
Welcome back to the Canadian Basketball Show. I'm joined by someone that was just part of the historic team that just won gold at the FIBA U18America. And he was also named to the All Star five of the tournament.
It's Lyrus Robinson, my brother. How you doing?
[00:14:04] Speaker A: I'm doing great, doing great.
[00:14:07] Speaker B: What was that feeling, Lyrus winning gold?
That buzzer sounded. What was that feeling like running across the court beating a USA team that won the last five, last seven FIBA U18 tournaments?
[00:14:22] Speaker A: It was an unreal experience for sure. I was running around with my jersey showing the Canada sign So now it was a crazy experience. I was running around everywhere, you know, everybody was screaming. It was loud in there. And then the confetti came. So
[00:14:39] Speaker B: I was gonna ask you too. It felt like Mexico was cheering for y'.
[00:14:41] Speaker A: All.
[00:14:41] Speaker B: Did y' all feel that?
[00:14:42] Speaker A: Yeah. I feel like during the second half of the game, it kind of changed to Team Canada.
It was kind of both. Both ways. And then it kind of switched.
[00:14:52] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:14:52] Speaker B: What was the locker room like in that environment? Were you guys celebrating?
[00:14:56] Speaker A: It was. It was loud in there.
We wet the coach up, so it. The floor was wet.
Just smiles everywhere. Everybody having a great time.
[00:15:06] Speaker B: Yeah, for you, 14 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2 steals per game throughout the FIBA U18America, what was your mindset maybe coming into this tournament?
I feel like you were one of the more well known Canadian players on this roster. But for you, what was your mindset coming in and maybe what were you looking to prove?
[00:15:25] Speaker A: My mindset was just to show why Canada basketball is one of the best.
Like have one of the best players in the country or in the world, actually.
And then I just wanted to. I wanted to go out there and make all star team. That was my plan for sure, was to go in there and show everybody why I'm all star and then just go there and win everything. That was the plan.
[00:15:48] Speaker B: You guys beat a bunch of highly ranked players and I'm thinking you're probably the highest ranked player on this Canada team. Should be higher in my opinion. But what does that mean when you're going up against the guys? I think it's like 7D1 guys. You guys have just one guy that's going to D1 next year. Like, did you guys know that going in? Like, wow, this is a team that has a bunch of guys obviously going D1.
[00:16:10] Speaker A: Yeah, we knew that. We just had a different mindset, like going in, we weren't, we weren't scared, we weren't nervous when we went playing these guys. We like, we're the same caliber as these players, so we're going to show them why we can bang with them on the court.
[00:16:23] Speaker B: Was there a moment for you that you realized, wow, I feel like this team can compete, we can win gold. When did it hit you that this team was, you know, as talented as it was?
[00:16:33] Speaker A: I would say maybe after the first two games, after we just like destroyed our opponents, I was like, yo, this team, our chemistry just is on a different level. We play together. No one's with, no one's selfish on this team. We all vibe on and off the court. So just seeing that, I was like, we, we. We can be really dangerous.
[00:16:52] Speaker B: Yeah. JVON Tindo runs on the scores table. What's going through your mind? You're seeing that he's showing off his jersey and like, what's that moment like when you're. You guys just getting like rained on cheers?
[00:17:05] Speaker A: Just hearing a different country chant your country is, is. It's. It's an unreal experience for sure. Hearing Mexico chant, Canada just.
[00:17:13] Speaker C: It's.
[00:17:14] Speaker A: It's the type of feeling that you won't ever get again.
[00:17:17] Speaker B: Yeah.
And I'm guessing too, you guys get out. What's that? What's the fan fans like outside when you guys are coming out?
[00:17:24] Speaker A: Oh, it was crazy. I took like pictures with I think 20 to 30 people.
I signed a bunch of. I signed shirts, I signed hats, everything.
And then everyone's just cheering and then obviously Javon comes on. They're chanting mvp, which is quoted here too. So.
Yeah, yeah.
[00:17:42] Speaker B: Tie game at halftime.
What was the messaging from Charles, head coach, in terms of what you guys need to do to get things done and beat this USA team?
[00:17:52] Speaker A: We were right where we wanted to be, you know, tie game with Team USA and then we weren't even playing our best basketball. And I know they weren't too, but they were killing us on the offensive glass. And for us to be. Tie game and they're killing us. Offensive glass. It was right where we wanted to be. So he just told us to stay level headed and then we have to. When we come out of the second half, we have to be the first ones to punch him in the mouth.
[00:18:12] Speaker B: Yeah. Was there a turning point for you in the game where it felt like. Like we're in a good position?
[00:18:17] Speaker A: I would say fourth quarter is when I was like, yeah, it's a close game. I feel like we have the inch against them.
[00:18:25] Speaker B: You had a three ball too. I feel like that was huge. That was kind of for me, like one of the turning points too. What was that like? Because I feel like I think that was the only three you hit that game.
Yeah. But you got off to like a hesi pull up. Walk me through that.
[00:18:38] Speaker A: I was, I told my teammates after the game, I was like, I don't know what made me.
I don't know what made me shoot that shot, actually. I don't know. I don't know what. It was an out of body. It was an out of body experience to shoot that, but just to see it go in and the crowd explode. It was, it was. That was Crazy.
[00:18:55] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:18:56] Speaker B: And then Dang had, like, a few plays. I felt like that just.
[00:18:59] Speaker C: He.
[00:19:00] Speaker B: A three tied it. Like, talk about that. What was that? Like, the. And, like, how contagious was, like, Dang's energy. I feel like you guys probably meshed well together and, like, the energies that he brought.
[00:19:11] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. Dang. He said he's an energy guy. He might be my favorite energy guy ever. He's just, you know, always yelling, but for the good reasons. Like, it brings. No, never. No, never. No negative energy. He's always positive.
Every dunk. Every. Like, you hit a three, you would hear him on the. You'll be on the bench, you would hear him. So, you know, you always need those type of guys. And then when he had that dunk, the crowd pop was probably the loudest I've ever heard in my life.
[00:19:36] Speaker B: Yeah, for you. I'm just thinking about the year that you had. I had you on the podcast back in February.
You talked about, obviously, you wanted to win Chipotle. You got that done. And then you talked about playing for Canada, talked about winning gold. You got that done. Now you're headed to top 100 camp, MPPA, NBA, pa.
What's that feeling like, just in terms of what you've accomplished in the last few months? Not even, like, year, but like, the last few months for yourself?
[00:20:07] Speaker A: I would say unexpected. You know, I. I said it, but, you know, when it comes to reality, it's like, damn, it really happened. So just to win gold, when Chipotle win all these things, it's just like, I'm so blessed that I'm able to, you know, achieve these awards.
[00:20:22] Speaker B: For you, where would you rank this moment? Like, winning gold with Canada? Like, where would you rank this moment for yourself as a player?
[00:20:28] Speaker A: I would say. I would say, number one for sure. Just, like, the environment, it's on a different level. Just the crowd, the game. The final game was probably one of the best games I've ever been a part of. Just the way it was back and forth, and then just the international experience, for sure. It also adds a part in it, too.
[00:20:49] Speaker B: I was gonna say, what's the biggest difference? You say, maybe, like, from fiba, AAU basketball, or just, like, just regular high school basketball. What was the biggest difference for you?
[00:20:57] Speaker A: I would say it's like a. It's like a program that you have to play in. You can't just go ISO. You know, you have to play within, like, the plays, your teammates, you know, all these sets and all that. And then just, like, the toughness, these Other countries bring, you know, like, like teams like Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, they kind of like, they like to hit you on screens, like bump you on all that stuff. So just having to play tougher is a, you know, a big thing for you too.
[00:21:25] Speaker B: What's been your comments with your pops? I'm guessing he's super proud seeing you represent Canada. What was that feeling like putting on the jersey? Obviously he did it before and what, what did it mean? I'm guessing you chat with your pops, huge smile on his face after you chat with him. What was that, what was that moment like with you guys?
[00:21:41] Speaker A: When the buzzer hit, I was kind of running around. Then I pointed to him in the crowd. He had a big smile on his face. Probably the biggest smile ever seen him in his life. So just to see that, so, you know, see your dad smil like that, it's just, you know, it's something that you can, like, you can't even like, fathom.
[00:21:57] Speaker B: Yeah, I seen Virginia Tech just offered you. What are you up to, 30 offers now?
[00:22:03] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:22:04] Speaker B: What's that like when the offers keep coming, trickling? What's that, what's that, what's that like for you?
[00:22:09] Speaker A: You know, it's, it's good, but sometimes, you know, it's a lot, you know, a lot of coaches hitting you at one time, you know, different conversations, different programs. But, you know, I'm also grateful that, that they. A lot of schools have offered me, but it's been, it's been nice.
[00:22:24] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:22:25] Speaker B: For you. What are you looking for when it comes to a school? I think we talked about it. I know you went on a visit to Creighton, but what are you looking for? Tell me about that visit on Creighton and also, what are you looking for in school?
[00:22:33] Speaker A: The visit on Creighton was really nice.
They put me to like a presentation that really opened my eyes about like, my development there and then, like where they can see me as a role. And then what I'm looking for in the school is just some. Somewhere I can play early, you know, and then good campus and then, you know, I want to have a good relationship with my coaches.
[00:22:57] Speaker B: Yeah, for you.
Tell me about the decision making process. When do you maybe envision that happening? Obviously it's still early. You're still going through AAU, going to top 100 camp. But when do you maybe envision yourself maybe making this a decision and going on maybe more visits?
[00:23:15] Speaker A: I see myself making a decision probably in November or start of my senior year or middle of my senior Year somewhere around there. And then. Yeah, I want to go on. I want to go on some more visits this summer, actually, after, like, all AU stuff is done.
[00:23:30] Speaker B: What does this win mean for Canada? Canadian basketball? I'm guessing your phone's been blowing up since that. What's that been like? Trying to respond to people and then I'm guessing your phone's probably crazy, huh?
[00:23:42] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. A lot of dms. I have to answer back. But, you know, I always love answering back. But for Team Canada, I think it's just we're here to stay, you know, I think next year, World cup, hopefully we have the same team so we can do the same. Do the same thing.
[00:23:59] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:23:59] Speaker B: I was going to say, what's your expectations? FIBA U19 World cup? Looking ahead to that. And what do you envision for this team and bringing most guys back? And I guess the USA is going to come even more hunger, more hungry than. So what's that mindset coming to FIBA U19? What do you expect?
[00:24:17] Speaker A: I think our confidence as a team going into that World cup is going to be like the highest it's ever been.
And we're not going to fear nobody, especially USA since we dethroned them. So it's kind of like we're going in there expecting to win gold.
Yeah.
[00:24:33] Speaker B: Favorite moment for you from this entire tournament.
[00:24:37] Speaker A: Favorite moment O.
[00:24:38] Speaker B: That you're going to cherish,
[00:24:41] Speaker A: obviously, the buzzer going off and winning.
I would probably say winning All Star, though, that was pretty neat. That was. That was a good moment for me.
[00:24:51] Speaker B: Yeah. All star. 5L Robinson, my guy. I can't thank you enough for dropping by after winning gold in Mexico.
I appreciate you. Excited to follow you. I'll be out in Eybl, I think in Vegas next month to come. Check y' all out. So excited for that. Appreciate you always dropping by and just sharing some insight from winning gold.
FIBA U18America Cup. FIBA U19 World cup in Czech Republic. I believe it's next. I might. I might come out to that because now I'm like, you know, I gotta. I gotta come see that in person.
Yeah, for sure, my guy. Appreciate you. We'll chat soon.
[00:25:27] Speaker A: Yep. Thank you.
[00:25:38] Speaker B: There you have it. Joined by Liers Robinson, one of the top prospects coming out of Canada.
Joe, man, just tell me about for you.
What's your level of just like, seeing Canada go from being a powerhouse nation to take down usa? What does this say for you in terms of like, U19? What are your expectations for that? Obviously, lyrics is taking gold, right?
But now it opens up to a larger field. You're going to be facing teams like France, you're going to be facing teams like Slovenia. All these other teams that are across the world, they're, they're pretty tough.
[00:26:15] Speaker C: I think, I think we're putting ourselves in a great position right now. This is the core that for the most part, we're going to move forward with. And then U19s, you can look to add if Paula Serui wants to play, but then even looking to bump up an Isaiah Hamilton, right, for the Worlds, why not load up, get all of our talent. Imagine what that team would look like. You add those guys in the mix and then a couple others that are going to continue to rise up. I think we're in a perfect situation.
This, I think, really solidifies where Canada is at. I think there were some question marks with, you know, maybe the lack of.
We always make it to this point. We always lose to the States. Obviously, a few years ago, I think it's 20, 23 U16s. There was that big loss at that point. And then people are saying, I thought Canada was catching up. I think this kind of confirms what we all think of our talent.
But it starts at the top, having this group and this, this core that is so tight knit with the coaching staff. We talked about how important it's. It is to have Charles as the head coach now, someone that knows these players, that's coached these players.
And again, you asked me what their identity is going to be, is I think they should buy into that defensive side. And they really took that on. And by the end of the game, you're watching in the middle of the game, you're like, man, these guys are playing so hard, harder than the U.S. they're diving for loose balls. They're getting the 50 50s. They're making the effort plays. Liers just said they were getting out rebounded going into the half. They came out of the second half with a different mindset. So I think this solidifies everything that we're building top to bottom, and we just got to keep growing in this direction. I think this is perfect because it's like, all right, it kind of silenced some of those haters. Even a lot of them are, are in our own backyard. Funny enough, the own, the ones in Canada that are saying they're not going to do anything till they beat the States. But when you're watching the growth in real time, you're going to keep growing and growing and growing until eventually you're going to reach that goal, which they made a Huge step forward with this win and then they're going to build on it.
[00:28:15] Speaker B: Yeah, it takes times holding Canada, I mean USA to 65 points. I don't know if that's been ever done. Yeah, you mentioned Charles to me about damn time that he was a head coach on an age group level. Man, I'm so happy for him. What'd you just think about like the way Charles managed this game, managed the tournament. And I don't know if you saw like during the national anthem after they won. He was tearing up, he was emotional and I think it kind of just says how far he came. You know, just finally getting this chance to coach Canada.
Last time was assistant Coach with the FIBA U19s, U18s.
Now getting his shot. Obviously built a powerhouse program at Fort Erie and now is heading to Orangeville. Was at D1, man.
What, what are your thoughts on just Charles as a head coach? Because I think he's up there now as one of the greatest high school basketball coaches in Canada on that age group level. Youth wise too. I think he. His resume when you think about it, he has to be up there. What are your thoughts on that?
[00:29:26] Speaker C: He's in rare air man. Gold. We're talking about a gold medal at a fever tournament. You know he's up there with the Roy Rana's I think with this one.
And just seeing his emotion come out in the end you're just so happy for him because he cares so much and that care shows to the players and it rubs off on the players. These players want to run through a wall when you're playing for him and they, they take that for pride. They take just as much pride playing for a coach like Charles as they do playing for their home country and having that Canada on. On their chest.
And. And that's the beautiful thing about having a group when everything clicks and everything seems to work perfectly. It's really hard to put together in basketball. But once you do and once you can build off of it, you know, then we're talking, you know, dynasty level stuff and gold medal again. Like I can't stress how much of a big deal this is in a FIBA tournament against the U.S. like right. What they going to say now? That's. I've been saying that all night.
[00:30:26] Speaker B: Yeah. If I'm a prospect coming up, I'm thinking of going to Orangeville Prep at this point.
[00:30:31] Speaker C: He's.
[00:30:31] Speaker B: He's there now, man. Just the way like winning and Charles go hand in hand is very contagious. So shout out to Charles, Maxie Meyer, man, I know he didn't score the ball much in this game, but five steals, three blocks, the Duke commitment, I'm like, I'm not even worried about Canada's big man issue anymore because we got Maxime Meyer from Toronto, Ontario. What are your thoughts on him? Because I just felt like he blew up a lot of the stuff USA was trying to do and just the rim, the paints like usa. I don't know how many points they had in the paint, but it felt like not a lot.
Max just closed that off. What were your thoughts on just Max
[00:31:14] Speaker C: performance so crucial, so pivotal? His defense was excellent. His timing, he held it down almost at times it felt like single handedly he's kind of brushing off two defenders as he's grabbing the rebound. He got dirty, he was diving for loose balls. You're seven footer doing that and, and the five Seals that show up in the stat sheet just show his instincts on the defensive end are so elite and for a big man that can cover that much space and then on offense, you know, great in the dunker spot. Him and Javon had a great chemistry. A lot of easy opportunities that they were kind of going off of each other and, and he was just excellent. I think the rotation between him and Stefan Ilic, who I think was a major stock riser in this tournament and his recruitment, I was blowing up in, in real time. The rotation of having two bigs, you can kind of slob in and out for each other and even at times play them together is so big. But Max was pivotal and coming into this tournament, I know having a big like him is going to be a difference maker.
[00:32:16] Speaker B: Has he changed maybe like your expectations maybe of like what we can expect for him at the college level in first year? Because I think some people are like, okay, maybe he needs some time to develop. But I'm like, man, if I'm Duke, I might just toss him out there for like, I don't know, 10, 12 minutes a night and seeing what he's doing just to be able to.
There was one block that he had where like I think it was he was guarding Caleb Gaskin at one point or um, and Caleb kind of got, pushed him a bit, got the position went up. What if it felt like an open layup and the match just came out and over. Said, get that hat out of here. It was just like the, the quickness at his size, he can pass the ball really well too level headed, like, doesn't make too many mistakes as a big has he kind of like Maybe adjusted. I don't know what your expectation was for him at Duke going next year, but what do you. What do you think? Just like what we can see from him maybe in the immediate future at
[00:33:12] Speaker C: the college level, he can definitely have an impact now, depending on the usage they're going to have for him. I can see him being a player that, as he gets better and better and better in real time, it's going to come to a point where he's going to find himself in games and he's going to find himself impacting those games with his smarts, with his size, his skill. Like you said, his passing ability is really good for his size. He just does so much and, and he's so active. Like, I can definitely see him getting the, not the. An opportunity early on and then running with that and then who knows what that can end up for him and where he finds himself on the depth chart over at Duke in the big man position.
But whatever opportunity he gets, he's going to run with it. And then from there having a serious impact on, on a, you know, obviously a title contending team is going to be big, and then from there, sky's the limit. Like I said on your podcast, NBA level big.
[00:34:07] Speaker B: Yeah. Satsumo. Tell me about him. Hugo.
I thought he was big and I feel like he's a bit younger. No.
Playing for Canada. What are your thoughts on him? Because I felt like he was kind of like maybe a last minute AD to this roster.
I think he got cut originally in the original training camp that they had in April. They brought him back from what I heard, and man, playing crucial minutes for Canada down the stretch. What are your thoughts on him? And I think he's playing. Is he playing U16 for Uplay?
[00:34:38] Speaker C: For Uplay, he's with the 17s.
[00:34:42] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:34:44] Speaker C: But no, he was big. And then as soon as I saw him being on that roster, automatically I'm like, all right, they're gonna have him in as a long wing defender who can come in and be really active. But he showed some really good stuff. Offensively, I think he's really fluid for his size. He moves really well. He got to the rim a lot and he finished efficiently. So he got there a lot of times and he wasted no time in finishing.
And then he kind of came in and at the end of the game he made that game winning stop, drawn the charge, taking it on the chest and he just subbed into the game. He checked in for Godson. He came in and he wasted no time in having an Impact and he's also under that you play umbrella. So he's. He's gonna continue to develop. His tools are really interesting. 6, 9 and how fluid he is and how his touch and his finesse. He was really good and he had a massive impact.
And everybody on this team you can tell was brought in to play a specific role. And for him and wings like Dang Godson and. And everybody they had at that wing position that can just be long and take up space defensively and then on offensive be a connector and do a couple different things. He was big and I think he definitely turned a lot of heads as well. For sure that everybody came in and played a role. It's man, this team was good, man. And it was constructed perfectly.
[00:36:03] Speaker B: Yeah.
Who's your biggest stock riser in this tournament? That a player that you're like, wow, man.
I expect their phone to be ringing after this tournament.
[00:36:14] Speaker C: Well, obviously the high guys who are already on high major radars between JVON and Lyris and dang, those guys are going to continue to build that stock. But someone who I think took the biggest jump was Stefan Ilitch. And in real time, a couple different schools were hitting me up about him. Ohio State, Boston College. How good do you think this kid is? What level do you see him? Because he's really skilled and he's really smart at 6, 9 and like his, his skill at his size and how he thinks the game decision making is really sharp. So that's someone that was like. And he came off Basketball Without Borders, so he's kind of on that trajectory already. And he was in for a big year this season with Tri City Prep. He also plays, you play as well. But he's 10, maybe I would say 10 to 15 pounds of muscle. Just adding that to his frame this season away from being a high major forward.
So he looked really good and he's somebody that I think went from like here to here and he honestly that's what he's been doing since he came back from Basketball Without Borders. He had some really good games in the npa, doing good with uplay and for him his stuff is. Is starting to blow up in real time. So I would say that's definitely one that really impressed a lot of people that people might have came in, they were going to say, I'm going to watch these three or four guys now. He's on that radar as well. I think Nathan Yambayamba showed some flashes as well. I believe he was their best shooter percentage wise from three.
So he's he's going to be interesting as well. Like you said, Satimo.
But Stefan is that guy that I think in real time from just the conversations I had with college coaches, took a big leap.
[00:37:56] Speaker B: Yeah.
What do you think about Malik Kalajuan? Tell me about him. Just, I felt like obviously he didn't play much in this game. I think he had like nine minutes. But I thought he was also great throughout the entire tournament.
Great minutes off the bench. What were your thoughts on him? And obviously we know his brother from Aziz from playing FIBA U19 last year. But I feel like he kind of, you know, made a name for himself a bit here too.
[00:38:20] Speaker C: Yeah, he was good and he was extremely reliable throughout the whole tournament. It's like every time he was in the game, he did his thing, he had an impact. He was scoring, he was defending. He had a couple good. I think against puerto Rico, had 17 points early on.
So he just came in and he had an impact and you can tell there's a lot of polish with him.
So like, no, no BS to his game. No extra stuff. Just catch, attack. The closeout finish, catch and shoot was sharp in. In transition. He got to the rim and he was able to finish a couple different times. Some pretty tough finishes around the rim he made and he brought a level of toughness to that team. And just another guy that can think the game at a high level just because his kind of his basketball pedigree, who he is, who his dad is, etc. So he was underrated and he was, he was a very important piece. Like I said, everybody came in and played a specific role at a high level and they all bought into that role. Not everybody was asked to score. Kymani Walters came in and he played defense in his minutes and he played hard in his minutes.
And everybody else had a role to play and they did their thing. And that was a big thing with this team is having the personnel and having the buy in for that personnel to know what role they're going to play and excel in for you.
[00:39:37] Speaker B: What does this win do for Canadian basketball? When you think about it in a grand scheme of things like you Talked about, obviously 2019 championship had a huge impact.
I wish there was more media coverage on this.
I feel like now everyone is like, oh my God, Canada wants FIBA U18. What's going on? What's happening now? People are paying attention. I feel like the entire week me and you were trying to be like, this team has a chance at gold. People should pay attention.
But until they actually want it everyone's like, oh my God, Canada did this thing. What do you think this does for Canadian basketball? Maybe like on an age group level or like maybe inspiring some kids that are seeing this and being like, wow, this is, this is big time. But I'm guessing you're, you're, you're, you're on the grassroots scene. You know what, what, what kind of impact this type of win means, especially BD usa because some people don't think like, let's be real people think this happens once every blue moon.
[00:40:38] Speaker C: Yep, yep. This is huge, man. And I think there's kind of a lot of different areas where this impacts obviously the youth level.
There's going to be, I think a lot more interest now. Maybe a lot of kids that probably didn't know a tournament like this was going on and fair enough, U18, FIBA basketball only people that are kind of involved in it in different areas might be really tapped in at that level. But now the fact that we won, you know, I would expect to see it on TSN tomorrow sportsnet. I saw they probably posted a couple things online.
So now everybody's going to start, oh, Canada won a gold medal. Maybe they didn't know a tournament was even going on, but now that we won, they're definitely going to know. And then maybe this will result in them tuning into the next couple tournaments. But also what I'm really looking forward and hoping that this really touches is that is the top and like corporate buy in and sponsorship and infrastructure for the game.
More, more, just more investment.
Not even just when it comes to whatever funding that they can get at the higher levels, but more facilities,
[00:41:46] Speaker A: more
[00:41:46] Speaker C: higher level skill development, you know, personnel and programs for kids to kind of access now. So I think it's just going to grow at all levels. But what I would really like to see is, you know, getting to that level that hockey is in Canada. Like every time I feel like every time There's a hockey U18, U19 tournament that's all over TSN. I never watch it. I'm watching this type of stuff on YouTube. I think there was a point I had 15k live viewers, the FIBA channel, which I think is pretty good.
So I want to see this stuff on tsn. I want to see it on live tv. I don't want to always have to watch, watch it on YouTube. Right. So I think that's the next level. But as we continue to win and get medals, you know, I think it's going to come, become undeniable at that point where there's got to be, you know, more eyeballs and more people kind of trying to build this thing together with everybody that's on the boots, on the ground.
[00:42:35] Speaker B: I agree. It's kind of disappointing. Like, all the games are obviously on YouTube. I don't know if it's broadcast in the States. I doubt it is. But I feel like these type of games, a gold medal match between USA and Canada should be on tsn. You know, I got a bone to pick with TSN too. They stole my video, acted like it was their own, and posted online. Yeah, it is what it is, man. Tsn. Show some credit next time.
But this should be on tv. This should be for people to watch at home. We talked about the 15,000. Like, for me, my problem with a lot of, like, legacy media, I'm part of this. We normally only care about these Canadian players, and I've talked about this on the podcast before. We care about them when they're about to get drafted, when they're in the. When they enter the NBA. It's like, oh, my God, this guy's Canadian. Let's find out about him. Why aren't we doing the background research? Why aren't we speaking to them beforehand, following their journeys from a high school level, like the stuff that you do, you know, and it's like scouting them. And that's kind of what I wish, you know, because this win isn't a surprise to you.
It wasn't a surprise for me. Once they started blowing out all these teams in the group stage, I was like, wow, this team has a chance. And then I was watching the USA Games too, and I'm like, this team doesn't move me. Yep, they're winning, but doesn't move me.
So, yeah, I just wish there was more buying. It's just tough, you know, it's more.
It's tough to sell it. I'll be honest with you. From a legacy media standpoint, to get people, unless they win gold, unless they keep winning gold the next five years, it's kind of tough. But that's why you come to podcasts like this, you know, and you hear, hear me and Joe talk about it after a win like this. We're up. It's 2:23am we just had Lyris on in Mexico. Like, where are you getting this type of content? You know, how much do you credit to. Just the toughness, the confidence? A lot of these guys play in the States, you know, a lot of them were not afraid. I talked to people and saying like yesterday and was telling Me?
[00:44:46] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:44:46] Speaker B: Like, this team's not afraid at all. Like, they're ready for this USA team. They. None of those guys on the other side kind of fear them. How much of that was key to, like, knowing a lot of those guys over there? You have two guys that played in the Chipotle national championship game. You had Javion Tindale, Liz Robinson on the same team. They went up against each other. Montver, Bella Vista Prep.
And for me, I'm like, if I went on Chipotle and I won or I was in that championship game, I got nothing to be afraid of. These guys haven't done what I've done. How much was that key in a win like this?
[00:45:21] Speaker C: Huge. It's huge, man. I mean, they've matched up against a lot of these guys in different settings, like you said, whether it's during the high school or prep season or not during the AAU season. So that just continues to build their confidence and knowing, like, we can beat these guys. We have beat these guys. Let's go beat them again now. Let's bring that confidence back here and then continue to instill that in our teammates, continue to instill that, you know, so I'm looking forward to seeing how everybody responds to this, but that's everything, man. When you can kind of take these guys down and.
And. And understand we're on the same level as these players, whether ESPN agrees or not. Usually, it's like you said, once these guys all get to the next level, that's when everybody kind of wakes up at the talent.
But, man, put our best against the best in anywhere in the world. And we're competing, and. And we've proved that at every level now, every age group.
So I don't know what's gonna take for everybody to kind of really wake up on that and treat these players on this team like how they treat them over there. Of course, there's politics behind all that type of stuff, but the more we win, I think winning takes care of everything ultimately.
[00:46:38] Speaker B: Obviously, you talked about winning how for yourself, like, the last time they won on the age group level was, what, 20, like, gold? 2017.
For, like, nine years? Right. How do we make sure that doesn't take nine years? Again, what needs to, like, continue happening for this success?
Like, is it on a development size side of things? Is it on a kind of basketball side of things, or where? I think they nailed the coaching hire.
I would have said it should have happened years ago, but what needs to happen for this to continue to be the case where we're watching FIBA U19 last year and they're in a battle with USA. Yeah, we're watching again here where they defeat USA. What needs to happen? Where it's not every nine years you're beating USA on the age group level. What needs to happen for success, continued success at the age group level.
[00:47:36] Speaker C: It's crazy that it's even been nine years. Right.
I think it's all about alignment top to bottom.
Starting from roster construction. They nailed it. Coaching. Perfect guy for the job. Like you said, should have been done earlier. Maybe that's why it's taken this long. But we got there regardless.
Buy in with your personnel. Having an identity I think is important. Not just trying to take the most talented players and throwing them together, hoping it works out.
Specifically building a team around your coach's philosophy. And then once you get that, have everybody in a role and have them maximize that role.
Take your core. That works. Take what works and, and build off of that. So for U19, I expect it to be a lot of similarities with this team going forward.
Apply the same things that worked. Get a right coach that knows the players that, that, that understands the players and, and building a roster around what needs to work. So let's just continue with alignment and continuing with what works. And clearly this is what works because everyone's on the same page from the top to the coaching staff to the players and everybody involved. I think there were no holes with this process and I think this is what we got to build off to ensure that it doesn't take nine years again, like you said.
[00:48:59] Speaker B: Yeah, hopefully next year. FIBA U19 is it in Czechia? I don't know where it's at exactly, but FIBA U19. I don't know if it's Switzerland, where they always do it. Maybe somewhere in Europe. FIBA U19 excited to watch a gritty roster led by Charles next year.
Joe, I can't thank you enough for joining us. Shout out to Jayvion Tindall, tournament mvp. Lyos Robinson, who joined us. Obviously first team, also a tournament all star, I believe.
Had a Great tournament, averaged 14 points.
Can't thank you enough for joining us. And this has been fun, man, talking about it. It's 2am Wouldn't, wouldn't have it any other way. And hopefully more medals we can talk about for Canada. FIBA U17 coming up very, very soon. Tournament starts June 25 for Canada at the World cup in Turkey. Excited for that, Joe. We'll discuss even more pretty soon.
And yeah, Canada gold medal at the FIBA U18America. First time in program history.
They got it done. This has been the Canadian basketball show, your go to spot for the latest news stories and analysis on Canadian basketball.
Thank you. Lyris. My guy, Joe.
[00:50:24] Speaker C: Yes, sir.
[00:50:25] Speaker A: Yeah.
