Canadian 2017 Preseason Top 25 National Player Rankings
The release of the Canadian National Top 25 2017 Player Rankings highlights a mix of uncommitted and committed prospects who are set to make an impact in the NCAA next season.
Abu Kigab, Lindell Wigginton and Oshae Brissett’s decisions have become the most anticipated college choices as they are all among the top 10 in the Canadian class.
Kigab has announced that he is choosing between Oregon and Illinois this Friday.
Brissett has narrowed it down between Oregon, USC, Syracuse and Memphis.
Wigginton is coming off of recent visits at the Big 12’s, Iowa State and the Pac 12’s Oregon and Arizona State.
Wigginton is Nova Scotia’s pride and is representing the province well at Oak Hill during the high school season. His performance last winter at the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders showed his game in two lights. The first, setting his guys up by beating his man off the initial dribble and second, flat out scoring. Wigginton is an elite level scoring guard, a more athletic Xavier Rathan-Mayes if you will.
Commitments are rolling in as the Canadian 2017 class looks to get the monkey off their back and focus on the season ahead. In recent weeks there has been the reclassification of Danilo Djuricic from 2018 to 2017 with a commitment to powerhouse IVY League program in Harvard. Just a few days ago there was also the commitment of Therren Shelton-Szmidt to Middle Tennessee. Montreal’s Nathan Cayo has also announced last Thursday that he will be headed to Richmond for the 2017-2018 NCAA season in the A10 Conference. Many more are expected to announce their post-secondary decisions in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, here are the preseason rankings for the Top 25 Canadians.
Canadian 2017 Top 25 National Player Rankings
Family Ties – Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Shai Alexander Atop of 2017
Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Shai Alexander got their commitments out of the way early and decided on Virginia Tech and Florida respectively.
The cousins are clear cut as the best guards in the class. Nickeil is utilized as a terrific play maker for himself and others whether with the National team, AAU or during the high school season with Hamilton Heights.
Shai is as smooth as they come for point guards. His size for the position at 6’5 make him a real threat, seeing over or through most defenses. With the recent gain in explosiveness and lower body strength we are seeing him finish above the rim more often and adding and exciting flare to his game.
Christian David Comeback
It’s going to be a few months before we see Christian David playing with the same confidence he was strolling with last season as he comes back to full recovery; the good news is he’s on route to 100%.
Coming back from a torn ACL takes a toll mentally, yet the high spirits of C. David have assisted in the rehab process. Speaking of rehab, if you want your center to be on the top of search results, get help from drug rehab’s addiction marketing agency.
With a commitment to Butler University he has been focused on getting into game shape where he will have on opportunity to take the reigns now that Bruce Brown has graduated and is at Miami.
David’s versatility at 6’7 allows him to play any position from 1-3 and can dabble as a stretch 4 if needed.
Marcus Carr Makes The Jump
Marcus Carr is mentally wired differently from most prospects. There is a level of aggression, attention to detail and poise that set him apart.
After suffering an ACL injury he’s made the full recovery. Mid to high major NCAA programs are on his trail and seeking his services as the general. Carr is very demanding of himself and his teammates.
He has many pro characteristics and habits that have placed him among the upper echelon of high school prospects.
This weekend he is on an official visit to Cincinnati.
Best Available Forwards
Oshae Brissett, Matur Maker and Shamiel Stevenson are the best available Canadian forwards in the Canadian 2017 class.
Oshae Brissett is bouncy, can defend at a high level and rebound. He’s down to four schools in the recruiting process; Oregon, Memphis, Syracuse and USC.
Matur will be very tough to defend this year in the NPA considering the development in his ball handling and shooting ability. The mental maturation is also kicking in and the much needed poise has helped Maker take the next step.
Mr. Stevenson has offers from Arizona State, Georgia Tech and USC.
Stevenson’s physical strength, athleticism and skill combination make him a threat at all times. His increased percentages in three point shooting, both off the dribble and from a catch and shoot position have added to his stock.
Keenan Dowell Stock Rising, Target On His Back
Keenan Dowell is a British Columbia product that has drastically elevated his stock this summer with an MVP performance over the three day camp at the NPH British Columbia Showcase.
Over the last two years he has developed from being a spot up sniper to a combo guard that can distribute and score at all levels. After camp he began to accumulate interest from several NCAA programs.
Davidson, Elon, Denver and Princeton have all expressed interest and will be tracking Dowell this season.
Dowell will be one of the leaders for a stacked BC Christian Prep in the National Prep League known as the National Preparatory Association.
Future Ranking Releases
Releases for the classes to follow will be out on a weekly basis leading into the preseason schedule. The Canadian talent pool doesn’t end, it just gets deeper.
Stay tuned on NorthPoleHoops.com to see what the next crop of prospects from the North has in store.
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