Canadian basketball was on the cusp of something special back in 2008. Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson – years away from their NBA debuts – silently pioneered a youth movement to one of best prep schools in the U.S., opening the doors for their fellow countrymen. The high school talent was exploding with two basketball titans – Eastern Commerce and Pickering High – taking centre stage and showcasing a record number of future National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Canadian ballers. And an off-season deal for the hotly touted Hedo Turkoglu had the Toronto Raptors’ fanbase delirious for the upcoming season. But in the middle of it all the Ryerson Rams basketball program stood oddly still.

Travis McKie's strong play helped lead Wake Forest back from a halftime deficit and...