Tigers get a chance to earn national stripes
Three Ridley College players invited to national men’s camp
Hometown hoops? No.
Adopted hometown hoops? Most definitely.
While no players from Niagara were invited to attend the under-18 men’s national basketball training camp now underway in Ottawa, the region nonetheless has a rooting interest in the selection process now taking place.
Malcolm Bailey is from Stratford and Jaden Bediako and Noah Wharton both from Brampton, but during the school year their home away from home is Ridley College. All three are in Grade 11 at the private school in St. Catharines.
Ridley head coach Tarry Upshaw isn’t surprised in the least that three of his players who invited to showcase their skills. He pointed out a fourth player, centre Anthony Daudu was in the conversation as well, making the top 30.
“They know how to play because the stuff we run at Ridley is very similar to what they run with the national program,” said Upshaw, who has experience coaching at the international level. “A lot of the systems they use we’ve been using the entire year, and I do that on purpose so our guys can get a stronger at a Team Ontario or a Team Canada.” Bailey, a 6-foot-8 forward in Grade 11, Bediako, a 6-foot-8 centre, and Wharton, 6-foot
guard, play travel ball together with Nike UPlay Canada.
Each one brings a lot to the table in terms of skill and basketball IQ, said their coach at Ridley.
“Jaden is the best big in the country, he should be the starting centre,” Upshaw said. “He’s probably your best low-post guy in the country.
“He is a returning player, he’s played two years previously with the national team.”
Upshaw described Bailey as “arguably the most-athletic four man in our nation in his age group.”
“He can really change other people and how they play. Defensively, he’s very tough and can really rebound on plays well above the rim.”
Noah Wharton is a “prototypical” point guard.
“He gets everybody else involved,” Upshaw said. “He will take open shots, but his main goal is to run the team, and he does a very good job of running the team.”
Only 12 players will take the floor for Canada when the FIBA U18 Americas Championship June 10-16 at Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, but Upshaw is confident Bediako and Bailey will make the cut.
“I think Jaden’s a lock, I think Malcolm if he does what he does, he’s pretty well a lock, too.”
On the other hand, Wharton will have to “really fight” to earn a roster spot.
“He’s a guard, and there are lots of guards,” Upshaw said. “But, saying those things, I think all of them have a very, very good chance of making it.
“We have some talented guys, especially at that age group.”
Upshaw, who will be entering his third season coaching at Ridley, has coached with Team Canada, the Jamaican national team the last two years and the Hong Kong national team about 15 years ago.
Tasked with making the difficult decision of setting the roster for the world championship roster is a coaching staff headed by Dave Smart of Carleton University. Smart, who has led the Ravens to 12 Canadian men’s university championships, will be assisted on the sidelines at the training camp by Michael Meeks of Canada Basketball, Jamie McNeilly of Virginia Tech and Chris Cheng of Nipissing University in North Bay.
After training camp wraps up in Ottawa next Thursday, the team will travel to St. Catharines where teams will be playing exhibition games that will be closed to the public.
Canada, which is ranked second to the United States in the FIBA rankings, is grouped with Argentina, Chile and Ecuador. The U.S., Dominican Republic, Panama and Puerto Rico make up the other group.
Winner advances to represent the Americas in the world under-19 championships.
“I think Jaden’s a lock, I think Malcolm if he does what he does, he’s pretty well a lock, too.”
TARRY UPSHAW
Ridley College boys basketball head coach