Talent aplenty headlines 2019 BioSteel All Canadian Basketball games

Emanuel Miller, Brynn Masikewich, and more will be lacing them up

Addison Patterson soars for a one-handed jam as (from left to right) Emanuel Miller, Jaden Bediako, and Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe look on. Patterson is a five-star recruit out of Milton, Ontario. He scored 18 points in last year's BioSteel All Canadian Game. Photo Courtesy of Biosteel All-Canadian Game

Every spring, the temperature begins to rise, plant life begins to grow, and Canadian basketball gives birth to its newest stars.

This is what comes of the annual BioSteel All Canadian Basketball Games, now in its fifth year as the country’s premier showcase of burgeoning young talent.

The All Canadian Girls Game will air first Sunday on TSN at 3 p.m. ET, with the All Canadian Boys Game following later on at 7:30 p.m. ET. 

The event features the 24 most outstanding male and female Canadian high school students who are either native to Canada or attending a Canadian institution, and has produced such NBA talents as Jamal Murray, Thon Maker, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

NBA scouts and general managers are commonplace throughout the weekend’s proceedings, but are especially frequent at the central games on Sunday.

Of the two contests occurring that day, the All Canadian Boys Game (the longer running competition) is considered the main event. Out of the 24 participants, 16 are from Ontario, and some are coming from as far as British Columbia and Nova Scotia.

The group is headlined by top prospects Emanuel Miller and Addison Patterson.

Miller is a slashing forward hailing from Scarborough, Ont., whose game relies on strength, off-ball cutting, and adroit finishes. He’s been deemed a four-star recruit by ESPN and has already committed to Virginia Tech as part of the 2019 class, where he’ll look to eventually land himself a spot in the NBA draft.

A returnee to the All Canadian Boys Game, he scored 18 points, grabbed five rebounds, had six assists, and recorded four steals last year.

Another heralded prospect, Milton, Ontario’s Patterson is currently considered a five-star recruit for the 2020 class by ESPN, though he has yet to commit to a program. His game can be streaky, but when he finds a rhythm his combination of raw athleticism and in-the-gym range is lethal.

In last year’s game, Patterson was the youngest player (16 years old) on the All Canadian Boys Roster and yet he finished with 18 points, five rebounds, and two assists.

Also taking place on Sunday is the inaugural All Canadian Girls Game, which will feature 12 athletes from Ontario and the rest from various other provinces. The new event will be highlighted by Brynn Masikewich and Aaliyah Edwards.

Masikewich, a forward out of Calgary, Alberta who has committed to the 2019 class at UCLA, has a modern-style game. Rather than post-up continuously as most bigs are wont to do, she is comfortable stepping out to shoot three-pointers, and has an explosive first step that makes her dangerous on the perimeter.

She is just coming off a tournament (she plays for Lincoln Prep) in which she sank Bill Crothers Secondary with 6.4 seconds remaining on a foul line jumper.

Another forward, Aaliyah Edwards of Kingston, Ontario has not yet pledged herself to any particular post-secondary program, but she certainly has put herself in a position to draw interest as a two-year member (15 games played) with Team Canada. She can shoot from the midrange, sees the floor well, and has noteworthy defensive instincts. 

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Posted: Mar 31 2019 10:54 am
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