Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
4 Canadians to Take Part in NBA Combine Beginning Next Week
Four Canadian NBA draft prospects will be heading to Chicago next week for the annual draft combine beginning Wednesday.
1. Bennedict Mathurin
Bennedict Mathurin, a 6-foot-6 guard out of Arizona, is expected to be the first Canadian off the board at next month's NBA Draft. A sophomore originally from Montreal, Mathurin likely would have been drafted after a phenomenal freshman season two years ago but decided to return to college for another season and raise his draft stock even further.
The decision paid off.
The 20-year-old averaged 17.7 points, 2.5 assists, and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 45% from the floor and 36.9% from behind the arc and was named Pac-12 Player of the Year in 2021-22.
"Mathurin put himself in the lottery conversation with a breakout sophomore season that had some impressive peaks and occasionally frustrating lows," wrote Sports Illustrated's draft analyst Jeremy Woo. "He projects as a quality two-guard, with elite run-jump athleticism and enough shooting ability to plug and play early. He’s hard to stop in transition and proved he could take over games on a number of occasions this season, although he can be pretty streaky. The main question teams have is how much he can improve as a playmaker, as improvising doesn’t come naturally to him. Without that element, he profiles better as a supporting scorer than as an offensive anchor. Still, between his rebounding, open-court play and potential to improve guarding the perimeter, there’s enough of a secondary skill set here to buy into. He’s earned a spot in the mid-to-late lottery."
2. Shaedon Sharpe
Shaedon Sharpe, 18, is one of the most unusual prospects in the draft this year. A 6-foot-6 guard from London, Ont., Sharpe was a top prospect coming out of high school before reclassifying and leaving high school early to commit to Kentucky. He didn't play a single game with the Wildcats this past year but is still expected to be a top pick in the draft.
"He’s an extremely explosive and smooth athlete gifted at creating his own shot and making tough ones," Woo wrote. "His strengths point to star-like outcomes if everything breaks right. Sharpe creates separation easily off the dribble and, if his shooting continues to improve, should be a dangerous offensive option and three-level scoring threat. Sharpe has some lazy habits, and like most players making an accelerated leap from high school, he has maturing to do in terms of motor and tendencies. Given most high-level execs haven’t seen him play in person, there will be a lot of weight placed on his pre-draft workouts and interviews to get a sense of his trajectory. But in terms of sheer basketball ability and room for growth, Sharpe has major upside to offer and should be worth an early investment. It’s not crazy to think he could go higher than this."
3. Leonard Miller
Thornhill's Leonard Miller, 18, is the other big question heading into draft season as another highly-touted prospect who never played a game in college. He's a 6-foot-10 forward coming out of prep school in Fort Erie who took the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association by storm this past season, posting gaudy numbers and winning MVP of the Canadian prep league.
The NBA has ruled him eligible to be drafted this season despite his unorthodox path. However, he is maintaining options and may opt to withdraw his name from draft consideration until next year.
"Considering how young and inexperienced he is, taking an extra year before making an NBA leap makes some sense," wrote Woo. "If Miller is able to enter the draft this year, he’s someone teams will be fascinated to learn more about—he’s a projectable scorer and passer with size and length, and a capable shooter, albeit with unorthodox mechanics. He’s so far away from contributing that it’s a tricky sell for some, but the upside is such that he’s draftable, should he choose."
4. Andrew Nembhard
The veteran of the group is Aurora's Andrew Nembhard, a 22-year-old point guard out of Gonzaga who helped lead the Bulldogs to a 59-5 record over the past two seasons. While he may not be the flashiest prospect in the draft, he's a high IQ player whose 6-foot-5 frame sets him apart from most of the other guards in the draft.
"(He) has made big strides as a shooter and plays defense, a package of strengths that profile pretty nicely into a backup point guard role," wrote Woo. "Although he’s not likely to be a big time scorer and sometimes struggles with high ball pressure, he impacts winning and has a chance to help a team right away with his ability to manage the game and distribute the ball where it needs to go. Nembhard doesn’t have the highest ceiling, but he could have a solid career if he keeps improving, and arguably makes for a better bet than developing a teenage guard in this part of the draft."
Nembhard averaged 11.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists as a senior while shooting 45.2% from the floor and 38.3% from behind the arc.
