Toronto NPH Showcase Day 2 Recap
Top high school talents are given the tools and opportunities to shine at day two of the NPH Toronto Showcase.
After day one’s ID process of organizing the top talent by class, day two got underway.
Wrap-up
The second day of the Toronto Showcase at the Goldring Centre started with testing player’s basketball IQ.
Coach David Tyndale led with no dribble half and full court games. The main focus of this drill is for the boys to learn how to set good screens and learn how to move without the ball in their hands.
Coaches and scouts are looking for players with these fundamental skills with a high IQ of the game.
After the coaches were pleased with the competitive effort, they moved into a three-dribble drill.
It’s important for these young players to keep the same mindset from the previous drill. Continue to move without the ball, make the right play and communication.
AJ Lawson, Jevonnie Scott, Taryn Todd and Kaosi Ezeagu started to gain momentum and pull away from the rest.
Moving away from the on court learning, the players were separated into two groups for different seminars.
One group went into the classroom with Duane Watson, and NBA Analyst for TSN, Justin Alliman, pro skills trainer and Josh Collins. In this session players learned about the importance of social media.
Being true to yourself and showcasing you have leadership qualities on and off the court through social networks is extremely vital.
The other half of the session focused on having an identity as a prospect, student and to your peers. Through these three categories prospects are encouraged to regularly self-evaluate and grade themselves quarterly.
In the other seminar players were able to sit down with the coaches who previously played and are currently playing professionally.
Jesse Young, Warren Ward, Srdjan Pejicic and Enrico Diloreto spoke with the players on building pro habits as high schoolers and acting like a professional, building relationships, learning the small things that will increase the longevity of a player’s career.
Following the seminars coaches Young and Pejicic took a group of players through a set of mid-range shooting and post scoring drills.
In these drills the coaches showed the boys a variety of post moves they can use to create space for themselves by opening their body correctly, shot fakes and a quick first step around the defender.
Tyndale, Diloreto and Collins took another group of players through different dribbling drills.
The players learned multiple dribbling techniques and the proper posture and footwork that go into getting their handle right and being able to get to the basket.
Showcase games were the final part of the day but the fatigue throughout the day took a toll on the players. Most of the games were played on the fast break with no defender stopping the ball.
Although the final scrimmages were slightly sloppy from the players, they started the day with a lot of intensity.
GTA Prep coach, David Cooper, finished the day with strong and motivational words for the prospects to take in for tomorrow. “Come back tomorrow hungry, if you aren’t going to come back tomorrow hungry, don’t come back. There are some kids that would give everything, their life, to be where you are.”
Top Performers
Jevonnie Scott: Athletic Institute 6’7 Small Forward (2019)
Jevonnie Scott emerged as a top two talent at the showcase showing his two-way game. Loves to have the ball and create plays for his teammates with his great passing ability and court vision. A relentless finisher at the rim with the ability to finish strong. His size and physical build allows Scott to block and alter shots.
AJ Lawson: GTA Prep/UPlay 6’7 Guard (2019)
AJ Lawson came in as the top ranked player representing his class in the showcase and he continued to prove why. He is an elite athlete that is able to get to the rim and finish consistently. His length also makes him a nightmare to defend because he can shoot over his defender and get to the basket with his quick first step. A very high IQ player who makes the right play with great passing ability when driving in the lane.
Tayrn Todd: Vaughn Secondary 6’5 Guard (2020)
After coming off a great tournament for Canada in the U16 FIBA Americas Championship, Taryn Todd continued to up his stock during the showcase. Todd’s athleticism and length allows him to get to the basket easily. His finishing at the rim and above average shooting ability makes him one of the top scorers in his class.
Kaosi Ezeagu: Hamilton Heights/UPlay Canada 6’10 Forward (2019)
Kaosi Ezeague’s height and huge wingspan automatically makes him a defensive beast. His great vision and defensive positioning helps him to be an elite shot blocker and rebounder. His presence inside forced opponents out of the key. If he is able develop a stronger offensive game he will have incredible upside.
Tariq Bakri-Hamad: T.L. Kennedy/Hoops Canada 5’9 Point Guard (2018)
Tariq Bakri-Hamad came into the camp and all he did was be the hardest worker. He showed up with a mission and he proved why he should be talked about. A very high IQ player who always found a way to make the right play. His great handle allows him to create his own shot and get into the lane.
Coaches
David Tyndale: Former point guard for York University and Brampton A/Orangeville A star of the NBL of Canada.
Josh Collins: Former guard for the University of Windsor.
Jesse Young: Former professional centre. Played ten years in Europe and also eight years for the Canadian Men’s National Team.
Warren Ward: Current guard for the Windsor Express in the NBL of Canada. He ended his career at the college level at the University of Ottawa being the second all-time leader in points.
Justin Alliman: Founder and head trainer of Dream Chaserzzz. Former player at Memorial University and Buffalo 716ers in the PBL.
Srdjan Pejicic: Former forward at the University of Waterloo. Also played professional in Italy for two years.
Enrico Diloreto: Played for the University of Windsor. Three year pro currently playing for the Orangeville A’s in the NBL of Canada.
