Universal Hoops
Exclusive: Canada's Top Prospect Elijah Fisher Mulls Future Options Including G League Ignite
It's been five years since Elijah Fisher first walked out into Crestwood Preparatory College's basketball gym a member of the Lions' varsity team. Back then, he was a 6-foot-2 middle school phenom, 12 years old, playing against boys a half decade older than him. Today, now a 6-foot-6, 213-pound junior and arguably the best basketball prospect in the country, Fisher and his family are preparing for life after Crestwood.
Everything is on the table, Elijah’s father, Rohan, told AllRaptors over the phone. No decision has been finalized, but the family is weighing multiple options including reclassifying from the Class of 2023 to 2022 and moving on from Crestwood following this season.
"I think that he needs to move on and based on the conversations I've had with him he's ready to move on," Rohan told AllRaptors. "It's most likely that we're probably going to make a decision to make him move up."
Crestwood honored Elijah at Tuesday's Senior Night, a game attended by scouts from the Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors to see Elijah and Fort Erie International Academy's Leonard Miller, a 6-foot-9 forward every bit as good as Elijah, play. During the ceremony, Elijah's former Crestwood coach Ro Russell said, "he's moving on to the next level" before handing him a commemorative photo and Crestwood scarf.
"I didn't want him to miss out on that experience there because those are the experiences you can look back on and always remember," Rohan said of the Senior Night ceremony. "That's a memory that I want to be engraved in his mind."
An official decision isn't expected to come until after Crestwood's basketball season, Rohan said. The Lions are 11-4 this year, third in their conference, and chasing the only thing missing from Elijah's high school resume: an Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association championship. After the season, Rohan said he plans to sit down with his wife, Thelia, and Elijah to go over a handful of options.
The traditional college route is certainly on the table for Elijah who has offers from over 20 Division I and high-major universities. All of those coaches are pushing for Elijah to reclassify and come next season, Rohan said. One issue the family is trying to navigate is how Elijah's student visa will complicate his earnings ability if he does play collegiately in the United States. It could prohibit him from profiting off his name, image, and likeness despite the NCAA's new NIL rules.
"As it stands right now, international players can't necessarily benefit from it. The only way you can benefit from the NIL deal is, say, for instance, you go to the G League or he goes overseas," Rohan said. "I know there's work being done behind the scenes to see if they can alter the international rules when it comes to the NIL."
Rohan said he's also looking at less traditional paths as he tries to gather as much information as he can before making the decision. He said he's spoken to NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim about potentially joining the G League Ignite for next season and is planning to have further conversations with Elijah about it. Playing in Australia's National Basketball League is also an option for Elijah who turned 18 in January and won't be eligible for the NBA Draft until 2023.
The one option that has been ruled out is leaving Crestwood for another high school, Rohan said. The family doesn't think it's worth sending Elijah to a prep school south of the border if he's ready to take on a higher level of competition and is eligible to graduate from high school ahead of schedule.
Whenever he does leave Crestwood, Elijah will be more than ready, Canadian basketball scout Wesley Brown said. He's been on the national basketball radar since Grade 5 and college coaches have been lining up for years to see Canada's next basketball star. The only question now is where the journey will continue.
