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Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
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Saturday / November 23.
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Recruiting

By MATT WHITFIELD

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Simi Shittu, a versatile 6-foot-10 forward from Canada, was named co-MVP of the NBPA Top 100 Camp on Saturday.

Keldon Johnson was also named co-MVP.

During an interview this week, Shittu talked about his game and his recruitment.

“I affect the game in many ways on both offense and defense,” he said. “I have a high motor. I rebound really well. I score the ball.”

Shittu compared his game to that of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Lebron James, and Draymond Green at this stage. He also mentioned that some of college basketball’s elite programs are watching but hat he’s wide open at this time.

NBA Draft

Kevin Boyle has coached Ben Simmons and coached against Markelle Fultz — and he believes the two players would complement each other well on the rebuilding Philadelphia 76ers.

“I think that would be a be a good fit for Ben to get somebody who can really make shots,” Boyle, the legendary Montverde (FL) Academy coach, said Friday evening by phone.

The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers are engaged in trade talks that  would send the No. 1 pick (Fultz) to the Sixers in exchange for a combination of picks, presumably including the No. 3 pick this year. That would give the Sixers back-to-back No. 1 picks in Simmons and Fultz, neither of whom made the NCAA tournament in college.

“My understanding was the Sixers were going to play [the 6-foot-10 Simmons] at point,” Boyle said. “I don’t know what they’re thinking there, if that would change their mind or not.

Recruiting

Class of 2019 star R.J. Barrett, Iowa State-bound guard Lindell Wigginton and Oregon signee Abu Kigab headline the Canadian U19 Men’s National Team for the upcoming FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2017

The 6-foot-7 Barrett, who is being recruited by a Who’s Who of Division 1 programs, is considering reclassifying to 2018 from 2019.

Several top Canadians are not part of the team, including  Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Kentucky), who was originally listed as a tryout participant but then pulled out, Emmanuel Akot (Arizona), Nickeil Alexander (Virginia Tech), Ignas Brazdeikis, Oshae Brissett (Syracuse), Luguentz Dort and Simi Shittu.

“It was a competitive tryout and we’re pleased with how the team is coming together as we prepare to take on the world in Cairo,” said head coach Roy Rana.

Canada will face Japan, Spain and Mali in the group phase of the tournament, tipping-off against Mali on Canada Day, July 1st, at 9:30 a.m. EST. The full tournament schedule is here.

The squad will train in Mississauga until June 20th and then travel to France for exhibition play en route to Egypt.

2017 U19 TEAM

LAST NAME FIRST NAME HEIGHT HOMETOWN SCHOOL CLUB TEAM
Bamba Amidou 6’9″ Scarborough, ON Coastal Carolina University Canada Elite
Barrett RJ 6’7″ Mississauga, ON Montverde Academy Uplay Canada
*Bennett Khaleem 6’4″ Hamilton, ON Sunrise Christian Academy Uplay Canada
*Brown Joel 6’3” Brampton, ON Aspire Academy CIA Bounce
Darling Nathan 6’5″ Sackville, NS University of
Alabama Birmingham		 Basketball Nova Scotia
Djuricic Danilo 6’8″ Brampton, ON Harvard University CIA Bounce
Henry Jordan 5’10” Pickering, ON Pine Ridge SS Canada Elite
Kigab Abu 6’7″ St. Catharines, ON University of Oregon Uplay Canada
Kirkwood Noah 6’7″ Kanata, ON Ashbury College Brookwood Elite
Longpre Anthony 6’9″ L’Assomption, QC Saint Joseph’s University Brookwood Elite
Miller Emanuel 6’7″ Toronto, ON Bill Crothers SS Uplay Canada
Oduro Prince 6’8″ Toronto, ON First Love Christian Academy Canada Elite
Shephard Grant 6’10” Kelowna, BC University of British Columbia Drive/Uplay Canada
*Wagner James 6’7″ Winnipeg, MB University of Manitoba Basketball Manitoba
Wigginton Lindell 6’2″ Dartmouth, NS Iowa State University Stackhouse Elite

*Alternates

 

 

Kentucky

CAMDEN, N.J. — With Malik Monk, De’Aaron Fox and Isaiah Briscoe all now gone from Kentucky, Hamidou Diallo will be expected to play a major role during the 2017-18 season.

And Monk, for one, thinks Diallo is up for it.

“Yeah that’s my guy,” Monk told me Thursday after his workout with the Philadelphia 76ers. “I think he’ll take a humongous step. A lot of people have seen the player that he is…He’s a leader, just wants to win so I think they’ll be pretty good.”

The 6-foot-6 Diallo tested the NBA Draft waters, but opted to return to Kentucky after failing to get a first-round guarantee.

“I think he’s ready for [the NBA] but I think he wanted the experience of Kentucky,” Monk said. “You gotta have that experience.”

Diallo will begin training this weekend in Colorado Springs, Colo., with the USA U19 team for the upcoming FIBA World Championship in Cairo, Egypt.

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