Canada U18 team has a target on its back
Men’s hoops squad a favourite at FIBA Americas tourney
Canada captured more than a gold medal at last summer’s FIBA U19 World Cup in Cairo.
The team’s historic basketball victory, including a thrilling upset of the mighty Americans in the semifinals, cemented a measure of confidence in the country’s best young men’s players.
But now the perennial underdog Canadians tip off the FIBA U18 Americas championship with a target on their backs, said Michael Meeks.
“I think we’re definitely the hunted and not the hunter now, because we’ve actually acquired a gold,” said Meeks, Canada Basketball’s manager of men’s youth player development and assistant coach on Canada’s U18 squad. “I know the U.S. is going to be out to rectify that.”
The Canadians look to fend off the revengeful Americans when the FIBA Americas tournament tips off Sunday at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, Ont. The top four teams earn a trip to next summer’s World Cup.
The United States is 53-2 in the tournament, and has won gold in eight of the last 10. Canada finished runner-up to the Americans in both 2014 and 2016, and finished third in the previous three FIBA Americas tournaments.
Canada, which just wrapped up a training camp in Ottawa, is led by 6-4 guard Andrew Nembhard, who played alongside Canadian star R.J. Barrett at Montverde Academy. Led by Barrett, the Florida powerhouse went 35-0 in U.S. high school action this season, capturing the U.S. national title.
Nembhard, an 18-year-old from Aurora, Ont., told FIBA.com he’s looking forward to playing an important tournament at home.
“Playing at home may add some extra pressure to other guys, but personally I just see it as a great opportunity to play in front of our fans and show them how much Canada Basketball has improved over the last few years,” said Nembhard, who will play college basketball for the Florida Gators next season.
Canada won’t have Barrett for the tournament. The 17-year-old, who’ll play for the Duke Blue Devils next season and is a projected No. 1 pick for the 2019 NBA draft, is in Los Angeles working with skills coach Drew Hanlen.
“R.J. played three summers, two years as a cadet and then last year as a U19,” Meeks said. “At some point they need to take a summer where they can just focus on training and getting after some things and preparation for college, so he’s taking that time now.”
Carleton Ravens coach Dave Smart leads Canada’s staff that includes assistants Meeks, Jamie McNeilly of Virginia Tech, and Chris Cheng of Nipissing University.
Canada opens against Argentina on Sunday, then faces Ecuador Monday and Chile Tuesday. Group A has Dominican Republic, Panama, Puerto Rico, and the United States.
The quarter-finals are Thursday, and the medal games Saturday.