The NCAA Division 1 basketball regular season kicks off Tuesday with plenty of storylines to take note of in both men’s and women’s college hoops.
This is especially the case if you’re a follower of Canadian talent as this year’s crop features plenty of Red and White blue-chippers for fans to keep an eye on for the next four months.
Here are nine Canucks to keep track of as the 2018-19 collegiate season gets underway:
Men
R.J. Barrett – Duke
If you don’t know who R.J. Barrett is by now, you’re either simply not a basketball fan or you’ve been living under a rock.
Put simply, Barrett’s entering this season as the No. 1 story to follow across all of college basketball.
He was the No. 1 recruit, playing for a Duke team that also features Nos. 2 and 3 recruits of 2018 in Zion Williamson and Cam Reddish. Barrett won a gold medal with Canada at the 2017 under-19 world championships – capturing MVP of the tournament – and is also, now, among 49 players who have been named to the Naismith Trophy Men’s Watch List as a guy who could win national player of the year at the end of the season.
Hailing from Mississauga, Ont., Barrett is the son of former Canadian national team member Rowan Barrett, and could go No. 1 in the 2019 NBA Draft thanks to an intoxicating combination of size, athleticism, shooting ability and basketball IQ.
His No. 4 ranked Blue Devils open the season Tuesday evening against the No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats. That clash marks the first time that Barrett will face off against a John Calipari-coached team since the famed 2017 under-19 world championship semifinal game, when he went off for 38 points and 13 rebounds against the U.S.
Simisola Shittu – Vanderbilt
Though lesser-known than Barrett, Simi Shittu is a fellow five-star recruit for the class of 2018 with NBA potential.
A six-foot-nine, 220-pound forward prospect, Shittu is a gifted athlete with a strong build, and excellent length coupled with surprising ball skills that should make him a nightmare to defend at the collegiate level.
Shittu is coming in as part of a strong Vanderbilt recruiting class that includes five-star point guard Darius Garland and four-star two-guard Aaron Nesmith.
Part of the reason why Shittu isn’t as widely known as other highly-touted Canadian freshmen coming in this season is likely because he hasn’t played much for the national team coming up and also because he suffered a torn ACL back in January that he’s managed to rehab in time for the start of the season.
He’s gone under the radar for a while now, but that will quickly be corrected as soon as he takes the court.
Andrew Nembhard – Florida
Best known for being Barrett’s running mate during high school, four-star point guard Andrew Nembhard will finally get out of the Duke star’s shadow and come into the spotlight he has always deserved at Florida.
Nembhard may well be the best pure passer in this year’s crop of recruits with his feel and command for the pick-and-roll already at an NBA level.
He’ll never wow you with his athleticism, but because of his size (six-foot-four), handle and vision he has a chance to be very special in college and beyond.
Luguentz Dort – Arizona State
A Montreal native, Luguentz Dort is a five-star guard blessed with remarkable athleticism, strong defensive skills and an indomitable work ethic.
At six-foot-five, 220 pounds, Dort is a natural shooting guard — a position that’s becoming more of a rarity these days at the NBA level. As such, he chose Arizona State in order to learn some more valuable point guard skills from the Sun Devils’ head coach Bobby Hurley – Duke’s point guard during its 1991-92 back-to-back NCAA championship years.
It will be interesting to see how Dort adjusts to playing the one, as he isn’t a natural playmaker. However, with his athletic abilities and endless work ethic it wouldn’t be surprising to see ASU with a pretty decent combo guard in Dort by season’s end.
Lindell Wigginton – Iowa State
A member of that 2017 under-19 gold-medal winning team, Lindell Wigginton is a super sophomore who is entering this season, like Barrett, as a Naismith Trophy Watch List candidate.
Last season, Wigginton led the Cyclones with a 16.7 points per game scoring average as a freshman, showing off incredible leaping ability, and a strong three-point stroke that could make him a late first-round pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Expect the same and more from Wigginton this season as a guy who very well could end up being the best Canadian performer in the NCAA.
Ignas Brazdeikis – Michigan
Another product from the highly-touted Orangeville Prep program, Iggy Brazdeikis is a versatile combo forward with a game built for today’s basketball.
At six-foot-eight, 220 pounds, Brazdeikis has shown an ability to play inside-out, with a strong perimeter game and shooting stroke, coupled with an array of post moves and a rare comfort playing with his back to the basket.
He isn’t an elite althete, something that may hurt his NBA stock, but there’s little doubt he can play the game and play it well.
A four-star recruit, the Wolverines just may have gotten themselves a steal of a player as his skill level is more on par with a five-star guy.
Women
Shaina Pellington – Oklahoma
Shaina Pellington is looking like Canada’s “next one” when it comes to women’s hoops.
Averaging 13.1 points per game last season, Pellington was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year and an All-Big 12 Honourable Mention, and is looking to have an even bigger sophomore season.
Hailing from Pickering, Ont., Pellington is a five-foot-seven point guard who helped Canada capture a bronze during this summer’s under-19 women’s world championship.
Aislinn Konig – North Carolina State
Entering her junior year with the Wolf Pack, Aislinn Konig is a key starter for a No. 17 ranked NC State team.
Becoming a starter last season, Konig averaged 10.3 points per game for the Wolf Pack and remained just as consistent for Team Canada at the under-19 world championships, posting a 10.7 average.
A natural scorer, Konig and fellow guard Kiara Leslie will figure to carry the load this season for NC State.
Hailey Brown – Michigan
Another member of that bronze-medal winning under-19 team, Hailey Brown was originally a five-star recruit heading into her freshman season with the Wolverines last season, but a leg injury robbed her of the conclusion of her season, including the Big 10 and NCAA Tournaments.
Prior to going down with injury, Brown averaged nine points and 5.2 rebounds per game, starting all 27 games she appeared in.
Brown has the potential to be a deadly contributor for Michigan, as evidenced by a 23-point, eight-rebound outburst last season against Indiana. It’s just a matter of staying healthy and staying consistent for her.
[relatedlinks]
