Diew Moses, Aaron Fernandez Earn MVP at Northern Exposure Camp
CALGARY, AB–We’re coming off of our fourth annual trip at the Northern Exposure Camp, hosted by CYDC, and the event is in it’s 7th year. The youngest crop of talent (2017 and 2018 classes) have reaffirmed the direction in which the game is heading in the country. Canadian basketball is in good hands. But the work is only beginning for the young guys.
For the past few years, we have emphasized the depth of the 2016 class and these sentiments are not being retracted, but there is clear indication based off our nation wide travels that the 2017 graduating class and those thereafter are also loaded and heading in a similar direction.
Diew Moses: Fresh On The Scene MVP
In the upperclassmen game of the Northern Exposure Camp two notable underclassmen competed in the upperclassmen top prospect game; Eliada Ewa, who was last year’s underclassmen MVP and newly discovered 2017 two guard Diew Moses.
Moses stands at 6’3 with a dynamic and well rounded skill set that showed high potential and was paired with high productivity.
Diew Moses was awarded MVP of the upperclassmen game regardless of his youth, yet he was not satisfied. He realizes that he has much to improve on if he’s going to play post-secondary ball at a high level.
“I mean, I’m happy that I got it but there’s so much more I have to work on. My handle on the ball could be stronger and my mid range jumper needs to be more consistent. I also want to do a better job being more focused even when others are goofing around.”
He’ll bring this humble approach into this year’s high school season at Bishop McNally where he will be looked at to be a major contributor since the graduation of Mathiew Kamba (Central Arkansas) has left a void in the buzz surrounding the school’s basketball program.
Aaron Fernandes and Boris Stanic Battle
Consistency is a factor that is often associated when choosing an MVP. The names in the heading above both showed consistency in the underclassmen showcase games over the two days. Both Aaron Fernandes and Boris Stanic are 2018 guards who have a knack for scoring.
The three ball was often launched and met the mesh gracefully. Both Fernandes and Stanic’s shooting mechanics play heavily into their abilities of putting the ball in the basket.
Fernandes slightly edged Stanic in a tough decision for MVP that was decided in the performance during the last game as the “older heads” watched on.
The MVP is determined to get his conditioning better and increase his speed.
“I never want to feel like I’m slowing down or tired on the floor, that just makes me a negative.”
Alberta is a Potential Hotbed
Alberta has been referred to as the sleeping giant on many occasions and that statement still holds true.
However, as patterns have shown from previous trips to the West, the best prospects usually reach a plateau in their development once they are recognized as the top player in the province. Once they become physically or athletically dominant there is often no further expansion in their game.
The growth in a player’s game is usually stunted based off a mental lapse or inability to challenge oneself.
This is a mental plague that the new school has an opportunity to change.
Top prospects in the province must maintain a sense of hunger, regardless of the competition level–they must also seek new competition whether it be testing themselves against older players or travelling to various regions.
Watching the younger age groups now, and then seeing them again three months, six months and a year from now will show who is putting in the required work, and who is challenging themselves.
Based off of what we’ve seen from the younger classes, it looks like change is coming. As the game in this country evolves and club competition becomes more National, naturally all areas of the country will raise their level of competition.
The game of basketball in Canada will have it’s growing pains, and will be better for it in the future.
