(12:19 PM CT, Thu September 17, 2015)
Orlando, FL (Future150) -- The initial influx of Canadian basketball players took place a few years ago. Cory Joseph, Tristan Thompson, and Anthony Bennett paved the way for Andrew Wiggins* and Tyler Ennis.
If you were expecting this to be an aberration, then you were sorely mistaken. The high success rate of Canadian aspirants in United States prep schools has only paved the way for a deluge of highly-talented, hungry hoopers to make the move even earlier in the basketball development.
Marcus Carr played for St. Mike’s in Toronto last year. The junior exploded in July.
No Midwest school exited the month unaware of the powerful, explosive lead guard. His performance and capable advisors landed him several invitations, Montverde Academy among them.
He will be apart of a monster basketball team at Montverde Academy.
Kajon Gordon spent the final week of August visiting a prep school in New Jersey, RISE Academy. Then he drove from New Jersey to Atlanta for the Atlanta Future150 Camp, which he easily ranked in the top five.
In addition to dominating all weekend, Gordon curtly ended the Dunk Contest with a ferocious between-the-legs slam. Isaiah J.R. Rider was the first to complete this difficult dunk in NBA Dunk Contest lore.
Gordon, like Carr is tremendously athletic in addition to highly skilled.
Last year he competed with St Marguritte D'Youville Catholic School in Brampton, Ontario. Though he has not selected a school for 2015-2016, Gordon looks certain to leave Canada too.
According to his AAU coach, Gordon's dad is sending him to a school in Pennsylvania, Rocktop Academy.
Rocktop Academy was formally RISE Academy. They have re-branded. He leaves next weekend.
"The motivation is that obviously it can help them secure a Division One scholarship," said NIKE Team Ennis AAU Coach Nick Davis. "I don't know why they don't think they can get that in Canada. They think that is the best interest of their kid. A lot of kids go down there because they are trying to seek that elusive D1 scholarship."
Montreal Impact
Most of the talent from Canada is emigrating from Toronto and the Greater Toronto area. Luguentz Dort is from Montreal though. He competed in July with Brookwood Elite.
"Junior (Farquhar) is at John Carroll, and change of plans for Luguentz, as he should be arriving in Florida to attend Arlington Country Day in Jacksonville," said Brookwood Elite Coach McKitt.
Luguentz had a strong showing at adidas Nations with Brookwood Elite's 17’s in Vegas.
Dort is powerful, like Wayne Selden (Kansas) was at the same age. He completely overpowered elite athletes on ATL Xpress 15u in Atlanta mid-July. His aggression mixes well with his natural strength.
Dort already has interest from Providence, Alabama, and Ohio State. The move will vault him into the top 150 for sure. He is remarkable in traffic and seemingly has no fear attacking the rim.
This new breed of Canadian guards is wonderfully fearless. They are tough, physical, and not at all soft. The knock on Canadians used to be that they didn't have the same grit as a New York City guard.
It is an outdated concept to consider Canadians second-class citizens on the court. They are beyond capable of holding their own. And at younger and younger ages these players are coming to America to prove it.
*Wiggins earned the #1 overall pick and actually calcified the belief that Canada basketball has arrived. He was the second straight #1 overall pick from Canada, a shocking takeover of the American game in the most obvious ranking system in sports…the NBA Draft.
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