Captain Canuck delivering for his country at Under-18s
Andrew Nembhard steps out of his comfort zone, and the world takes notice
This week’s FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship is a coming-out party of sorts for Andrew Nembhard.
The 6-foot-4 guard from Aurora is fourth in tournament scoring with 17 points per game and second in assists with seven per game.
His efforts helped lead Canada to an undefeated record heading into Friday’s semifinal against Puerto Rico.
It’s not like he has never been in the spotlight. He has already signed his letter of intent to play for the Florida Gators in the NCAA’s tough Southeastern Conference.
But he has played his high school games in the shadow of fellow Canadian RJ Barrett as teammates at Montverde Academy in Florida near Orlando. They led the school to the U.S. national title and an undefeated 31-0 season.
Barrett, a 6-foot-7 Mississauga native, is headed to Duke University — and will likely be the top pick in the 2019 NBA draft. He was also honoured as the Gatorade U.S. national player of the year.
Barrett isn’t taking part in the tournament. He spent the spring working out in Los Angeles with NBA skills coach and consultant Drew Hanlen, who worked previously with Toronto’s Andrew Wiggins, the No. 1 NBA pick in 2014.
In high school, Nembhard was content playing Scottie Pippen to Barrett’s Michael Jordan, but Basketball Canada had bigger plans.
Rowan Barrett, the executive vice-president and assistant general manager of Basketball Canada, said he wanted to see Nembhard become more of a leader on and off the court.
He is also a man with his hand on the pulse of basketball north of the border. Barrett played NCAA Division 1 at St. John’s University in New York City and was a stalwart with the national team, playing for Canada at the 1998 FIBA World Championship, the 2000 Summer Olympic Games, and the 2002 FIBA World Championship.
He also happens to be RJ’s father.
“I think Andrew’s every inclination somehow is to give to the team — which is what you want in your point guard,” said Barrett. “But this team needs him to be more aggressive, and more of a scorer. That’s what the coaches have asked of him.”
Rowan said he wasn’t surprised by Nembhard’s outstanding play this week.
“I have seen him do this year after year after year. The only difference is the world is getting to see it. He is the one player on this team with the most experience at a high level of play. He is trusted by his teammates and his coaches to step up and make plays.
“Sometimes, when you have a player that is aggressive in scoring the ball, it becomes a detriment to the team.
“Andrew is the opposite. By being more aggressive, he is opening up more scoring opportunities for his teammates.”
Nembhard said taking a leadership role didn’t come naturally to him, but he is growing into it. Head coach Dave Smart has relied on Nembhard to be his coach on the floor.
Nembhard often helps his teammates get into the right position on the court. Against Chile, when Canada reverted to a zone defence, he grabbed a teammate by the arm and slid him into the right spot.
“I am trying to improve all parts of my game,” Nembhard said. “I want to be a better leader. I want to control the game and make better decisions on when to score, when to pass and when to get different players involved.
“I’m a quiet guy. I like to stay to myself, but coach has pushed me to be more vocal and get out of my comfort zone. I think it’s been great for me, and my game.”
Canada will need everything Nembhard has if they meet the Americans in the final. The U.S. has destroyed the competition. In the preliminary round, the Americans scored an average of 112.7 points per game. The U.S. won games against the Dominican Republic, Panama, and Puerto Rico by an average of 45.7 points per game and led Panama 43-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Dave Smart, Canada’s coach, feels his team is in good hands. He has known Nembhard for a long time through Basketball Canada.
Smart said from Day 1, Nembhard’s goal was to improve.
“Andrew is a special player,” Smart said.
“People today tend to pout when things aren’t going their way. That’s not Andrew.
“The first time I met him, he was in Grade 9. He and his father asked me to break down some of the things he was doing on tape. I broke down everything he was doing wrong, and it was a lot. I was there for an hour and 15 minutes, and I didn’t say one positive thing to him.
“I left, and he went back to the car with his father to go home. During the drive, he texted me, and thanked me for my time.”
When Smart returned to the hotel he was staying at with the national team, he bumped into fellow assistant Michael Meeks, who asked how it went.
Smart gave Meeks a rundown of his relentless critique of Nembhard’s play. Meeks was incredulous.
“He looks at me and says, ‘You realize he had 12 points and six rebounds and seven assists in that quarter.’
“The thing is the kid wasn’t sitting there saying how awesome he is. He was taking in everything I was saying. He was a sponge.
“He is really easy to coach. He stays humble. The guy you see on the floor is that same person off the floor.”