Incoming Canadian Freshman to Keep an Eye on for the 2021 NBA Draft
The 2019 NBA Draft was historic for Canadian basketball. It had star power up top with Duke's RJ Barrett who was taken third overall and depth with six Canadians selected and three more signed after the draft. The class gave way to a remarkable NBA season for Canadians with Jamal Murray exploding in the playoffs, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander taking another impressive step in his development, and Luguentz Dort becoming a household name thanks to his 30-point playoff performance against the Houston Rockets.
This year's draft class, however, is going to look pretty different. There are just three Canadians entered in this year's draft, Delaware's Nate Darling, Vanier College's Karim Mané, and SMU's Isiaha Mike who is playing overseas in Germany and is considering removing his name from draft eligibility, and none of them is projected to be drafted by most draft forecasters.
"It’s definitely not as high profile, maybe, as it has been the past few years, but that’s not a sign of anything against Canadian basketball," said Dan Tolzman, the Toronto Raptors assistant general manager. "There’s definitely some interesting (Canadian) players who we see with the right development, the right program put in front of them they could absolutely turn into legitimate NBA players."
Even if Canada doesn't have a player drafted for the first time in 11 years, that shouldn't cause concern for Canadian basketball fans. Instead, the lull is more a product of last year's prestigious draft class and should give way to a 2021 class with plenty of Canadian talent.
Here are some freshmen names to watch for next season:
1. Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe (Oklahoma State)
Moncrieffe is another extremely talented prospect out of Orangeville Prep, the same program that has produced six NBA players including Murray, Thon Maker, and Dort. Listed at 6-foot-7, 195 pounds, he's the kind of freakish athlete that NBA teams are looking for. He earned the 2019 BioSteel Canadian Player of the Year award and it shouldn't be too long until he hears his name called at an NBA Draft.
2. Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona)
Mathurin was one of the pioneers for the NBA Academy in Mexico, moving down south after growing up in Montreal. He's another highly-touted prospect, listed at 6-foot-6, 195 pounds. He is a relentless attacker with all the tools to succeed at the collegiate level. If things click for him next season at Arizona, he should be a one-and-done prospect to watch for in the 2021 Draft.
3. Josh Primo (Alabama)
Primo is one of two Canadians heading to Alabama next season, joining Keon Ambrose-Hylton in a program that is quickly becoming Canada South. Primo is a combo guard listed at 6-foot-6, 180 pounds who should flourish in Alabama's high pace offence. With the right opportunity, he could attract a lot of attention next year with the Crimson Tide.
4. Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Clemson)
Prosper is another Montrealer out of the NBA Academy in Mexico. He's a versatile forward listed at 6-foot-8, 218 pounds who can defend multiple positions. He already has the body of an NBA player, so with some fine-tuning of his skills he could be a rapid riser.
