Stanford commit Kanaan Carlyle makes USA U18 National Team
The 247Sports composite five-star and Stanford commit will not only be representing the Cardinal in the future, but has a chance to represent Team USA.
Georgia native, Kanaan Carlyle was selected to be apart of Team USA's roster for the FIBA U18 Americas Championship, which takes place June 6-12 in Mexico. He, along with 11 other recruits that made it through all of the rounds of cuts will look to give Team USA its sixth straight victory at this event.
For the group stage they have been grouped with Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. The eight teams competing are playing for one of the four available spots for the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in 2023.
Their first game is against the Dominican Republic on June 6.
Carlyle is one of the best recruits in his class, and 247Sports' recruiting analyst, Brandon Jenkins raved about his ability to score from all three levels, while also being a menace on the defensive side. Here is what Jenkins said about Carlyle's game:
Carlyle is a dynamic ball in hand player with terrific length for his size who can create scoring opportunities for himself on demand. He is simply wired to score from all three levels and never has seen a shot he does not like. His handle is as good and tight as anyone in the class and he can get by a defender with his speed and quickness. While he is primarily a scorer, he is terrific at making attacking plays off the dribble with his excellent handle and when the bucket opportunity does not present itself, he is more than willing to make the right find. What is better than his ability to score is his mindset. His mentality is elite as he is a tough and fierce competitor who is always in full attack mode. His constant aggression is what makes him positively productive. Defensively, he has the length and the foot speed to be elite and devastating on that side of the floor. A terrific two-way guard, Carlyle most certainly projects a reliable scorer who plays through most injuries and goes to war like each game is his last
The Cardinal could certainly use Carlyle this season due to their inferior guard play, but when he does eventually make his way to Palo Alto he may take Stanford to a level they haven't reached in a while.
