Once again March Madness is upon us and some of the best players on the best teams are Canucks. I caught up with Rowan Barrett, the executive vice-president and assistant general manager of Canada Basketball, to get his analysis of the players to watch during March Madness from north of the border.
SN: This might be the deepest group of Canadian NCAA freshman ever. Have you been surprised with how well they’ve done so soon?
Barrett: No, I haven’t been surprised. We identified these players years back and had them on our teams. The question that you have more than anything else is what is the environment he’s going to be in and how much opportunity is he going to get. That’s more the question and less their talent. When you look at what Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] has been able to do, what Lindell Wigginton’s been able to do, these are things they’ve been doing.
SN: The guy leading the class is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. How has he become the alpha player leading Kentucky as the MVP of the SEC tournament?
Barrett: Their season started back in the summer. We had Shai Alexander on our team in 2016. He played for the junior men’s U18 at the FIBA Americas and he controlled the game and led us in assists at that point. We also brought him in to our senior national camp and he played so well he made the team. Going head-to-head with Cory Joseph and he showed some really good things, the length and the work ethic.
SN: What’s the best example of his work ethic?
Barrett: We flew him to Italy and it is one of those things when you’re travelling overseas we had the team stay awake during the day when we landed, otherwise the transition will be terrible so we had a practice after we landed to keep them on their feet two to three hours after we arrived.
When it was time to load the bus after we arrived, the young guys weren’t there. We couldn’t find Shai and we couldn’t find [R.J. Barrett Jr.]. So, we said they have to learn, maybe they fell asleep in the room. We’re not waking them up, you have to be here on time. They are going to learn a difficult lesson. So, we go to the gym and who do we see but Shai and R.J. in the gym working out full sweat, going hard before practice.
We asked them, “How did you get here?” They said, “we walked.”
Foreign country, didn’t speak the language, made a sign with their hands to mimic shooting and a basket and people pointed them and they walked there undoubtedly led by Shai as the older-brother figure. This kid has work ethic. [Kentucky coach John] Calipari stated it this year multiple times. He’s always on time, he’s the hardest worker, doesn’t miss a tutoring session, hasn’t missed a class yet, he’s mastered himself which gives you a chance if your skill level and your talent is high enough to master your opponent. He made a difficult decision last summer not to play for our junior national team that won a world championship so he can get to Kentucky early.
It was very competitive at the beginning of the season; he had a McDonald’s All-American, guard Quade Green, who was ranked ahead of him in the rankings and to start the season Green played ahead of him. But he just kept working. Eventually he became the starter and took over the position. His is a story not of hype but of hard work. Now the world is getting to see his ability.
SN: What do you like about the game of Kassius Robertson?
Barrett: Clearly, he’s a shooter. He’s been in the NCAA for some time and has been able to hone his skill. He’s always been able to shoot the ball. At this point he’s seen every defence in college. Michael Porter Jr. being out, who everybody predicted to be a top-three pick in the draft, gave Kassius even more opportunity. He’s clearly taken advantage of that opportunity and made everybody on this side of the border very proud.
SN: My favourite player in the tourney is Oshae Brissett. How does his game project to the next level?
Barrett: Oshae Brissett is another one of the players who we had on our junior national team in 2016. He was second in scoring and first in rebounding. He’s a versatile, stretch-the-floor four. As a power forward, he can put the ball on the deck and get to the rim but can also hit the long ball.
Could he be potentially a small forward in the league? There is potential for that. He has that versatility. He played the three when he was younger. He’s an athlete that will continue to grow positionally as his skill continues to grow. I think he’s had a great year this year. Some would say it was a down year in talent for Syracuse but I think that’s because they underestimated Oshae. He’s not doing anything at Syracuse that he wasn’t doing before. Attack the close-outs and with 8.8 rebounds he’s doing a great job on the glass. He’s a kid that went down to the States early for high school and then came back his last year and played in our OSBA and then moved on to Syracuse.
He didn’t have great success in high school in the U.S., came back home and honed his skill and now the world is getting to see the talent. He’s 6-8 and can shoot the ball and that is what the game is now. He seems to be a prototypical player for the game today.
SN: A name many don’t know yet but will learn by the end of the weekend is Nickeil Alexander-Walker. What’s your evaluation of his game?
Barrett: Another one that we had on our junior team in 2016. A team that almost beat the U.S. and just fell short in the last minutes. We had them and they got away from us with Michael Porter Jr. and Markelle Fultz the difference-makers down the stretch. But Nickeil had a 25-point game, he just could not be guarded. He’s a scorer and he’s playing in a very competitive conference in the ACC.
He’s had an up-and-down year but this is an NBA draft-able player over the next few years because he has good size for his position. While I think he’d get drafted if he were to come out this year, you’d see more consistent performances from him should he decide to stay in college. I think the opportunity is there to leave this year if he wants. This is a player who would put in one-hour to one-hour-and-a-half skill sessions after our practices. Tremendous worker and also has a penchant to come up big in the big moments. Not afraid. Willing to take the big shot.
SN: Bucknell seems to always have a Canadian. What do you make of the latest, Kimbal Mackenzie?
Barrett: Solid player, all-conference performer who is having a good steady career. Will come and give you 10-12 points and is a good team player, He’s an example of a Canadian athlete who has chosen well. Good school, good fit, good coach, good system.
SN: The latest from a family that has impacted the senior men’s and women’s teams is Kyle Alexander. How do you feel about his game?
Barrett: Love him. What a humble kid. This is an athlete that came to the game late. One of my former national team teammates Bobby Allen was training him. I’m not sure he wanted to play. … He took some time until he got the bug. With big guys it takes some time anyway. It was in his teenage years around 15 that he really decided he wanted to play this game. And he really shot up in inches. He was 6-7 when I scouted him and then he shot up to 6-9, 6-10.
He’s still learning his body but he’s getting better year to year. Good length, ability to protect the rim, can rebound. The scoring is coming around. His dad, Joe – who played for our national team – and his sister, Kayla – who is in the WNBA – should be proud.
SN: What can Jackson Rowe of Cal-State Fullerton do to turn some heads?
Barrett: He’s a scorer and can put the ball in the hole. He has a ton of fire in his belly. He can shoot the long ball, he can break the defence down. He still has more time in college. He’s someone who can have a career no matter if it’s in the G League or overseas.
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