Everyone and their grandmother has heard of the vaunted McDonald’s All-American Game, where the best high school basketball players in the United States play against one another. It’s an event littered with college coaches and NBA scouts on the sidelines. Some of the world’s best players have graced its floor. Former MVPs of the game include current NBA stars Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard, and LeBron James. But not many Americans know that there is a similar tournament north of the border called the BioSteel All-Canadian Game. The 2017 game was the third iteration of the event and was probably the deepest and most talented up to this point.
BioSteel All-Canadian Game Recap
The Event
Started in 2015, the Bio-Steel All-Canadian Game features the best high school players Canada has to offer. Non-Canadians who are playing basketball in Canada, like the Maker brothers, are also allowed to participate. Just like the NBA All-Star Game, the event hosts skills competitions including a dunk contest and a three-point contest, as well as on-court training by the top coaches in Canada and former NBA players. The selection process includes all ten provinces and three territories on the committee as they try to select the best players from across Canada. The inaugural event saw two future NBA players in Jamal Murray and Thon Maker, with Murray taking home MVP honours. The 2016 game featured notable players like Justin Jackson, who had a terrific freshman season at the University of Maryland.
Star Performers
Emmanuel Akot
A physically dominant player, Emmanuel Akot is a five-star recruit and the 21st player in the ESPNU top 60 recruits of 2018. In March, he committed to play at the University of Arizona for head coach Sean Miller. Akot, a 6’7″ small forward from Winnipeg, plays his high school basketball at Wasatch Academy. Akot has shown promise as an athletic point forward. He has impressed many with his ability to play in the pick-and-roll, as well as his vision in the open court. Defensively, he has shown the capability of guarding positions one through four due to his tough-nosed demeanor.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
A 6’5″ point guard with a 6’9″ wingspan, Nickeil Alexander-Walker attends Hamilton Heights Christian Academy but hails from Toronto. Alexander-Walker has committed to play for Virginia Tech and is another five-star recruit. He’s ranked 25th in the 2017 ESPNU Top 100 recruits. Alexander-Walker, who is considered to be one of the best guards in the U.S., is an elite playmaker. It helps that he is ambidextrous. He uses his length and tight handle to navigate through traffic and find open players. At the Nike Hoops Summit, he showed his much-improved shooting ability with a more refined stroke. If he becomes stronger, he will certainly be on some NBA teams’ draft boards in a few seasons. He performed well in the 2017 BioSteel All-Canadian Game, finishing with 19 points and four assists.
O’Shae Brissett
A Pickering, Ontario native, O’Shae Brissett recently left Findlay Prep in Nevada to return to Canada and play for Athlete Institute. Brissett is listed at nearly 6’9″ with a strong 205-pound frame. Heis best out in transition, where he can show off his impressive athleticism. Although he doesn’t have the most refined offensive game, he makes up for it with an improved shot and aggressiveness in the paint. He led the 2016 FIBA U18 tournament in free throw attempts at 9.6 per game. Brissett has committed to play at Syracuse next season, where his defensive versatility and size will be invaluable to Jim Boeheim‘s zone defence. If he can refine his offensive game, Brissett has the size and athleticism to play at the next level. Prior to the game, he was honoured as the High School Player of the Year in Canada before scoring an impressive 20 points.
Simisola Shittu
Simisola Shittu comes from Burlington, Ontario, and plays at Vermont Academy. Currently an uncommitted player in the class of 2018, the five-star recruit is ranked ninth in the ESPNU Top 60 Recruits. He is currently being recruited by the likes of UCLA, Louisville, and UConn. At 6’10″ and 210 pounds, Shittu is a gifted athlete capable of playing multiple positions. This season at Vermont Academy, he has shown a lot of promise as a point forward. His versatility as a defender makes him a very desirable prospect. He also has great quickness for his size and is a very strong rebounder. Shittu grabbed 6.2 offensive rebounds per 40 minutes at the 2016 FIBA U17 tournament. There is no doubt that Shittu has NBA lottery-type talent. He dominated this game, scoring 21 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.
Andrew Nembhard
Andrew Nembhard, the youngest player to be playing in this game, is a 6’3″ point guard from Aurora, Ontario. Ranked 15th in the 2019 recruiting class, Nembhard plays for the one of the best high schools in the United States, the famous Montverde Academy. With great size for a point guard, Nembhard is the highest rated point guard in his class, ranking above the much more talked about LaMelo Ball. Nembhard’s court vision and change-of-pace game is already elite. Rarely does Nembhard turn the ball over, as he manages his team’s offence carefully. There are some question marks about his athleticism, but Nembhard is quicker than he looks. He is being heavily recruited by Stanford, Florida, and Villanova.
Luguentz Dort
One of the fastest rising stocks, Luguentz Dort is the definition of a physical specimen. Hailing from Montreal, Quebec, Dort is an uncommitted point guard in the class of 2018. Already standing 6’5″ and a muscular 225 pounds, he was invited to the Nike Hoops Summit last week. Dort plays a physical and aggressive style of game, similar to that of Russell Westbrook. With him being recruited by teams like Oregon and Louisville, do not be surprised if Dort shows up on draft boards one day. He took home MVP honours in the BioSteel Game, accumulating 30 points on 12-of-16 shooting.
Missing Players
Unfortunately, there are four players who were invited to this event who couldn’t attend, either due to injury or other commitments. Junior Farquhar, a talented point guard from Quebec, is playing for Orangeville Prep in Canada. Shai Alexander, a 6’5″ point guard from Hamilton, Ontario, will be playing at Kentucky next season. Alexander is the 32nd-ranked recruit of the class of 2017. Lindell Wigginton, from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, is currently playing at Oak Hill Academy and will attend Iowa State University next season. Wigginton is currently the 42nd-ranked recruit of 2017.
The most glaring absence was R.J. Barrett, who is the number one recruit in the class of 2019. A 6’7″ combo guard, Barrett is one of the best athletes in his class and has shown flashes of being a point forward. He recently attended the Nike Hoops Summit and showed off his improved shooting mechanics. There has already been talk of Barrett being a top five selection in the NBA Draft. Scouts had to have been disappointed to miss seeing Barrett dominate this game.
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