Duke-bound R.J. Barrett headlines All-Canadian showcase

Rowan Barrett Jr. (FIBA)

Last week, the NBA league offices certified the Signature All-Canadian Showcase all-star event taking place on April 23 in Mississauga, Ont., home of Duke-bound and No. 1-ranked high schooler R.J. Barrett, the most lauded and anticipated homegrown hoops talent since Andrew Wiggins was dominating the American high school scene more than five years ago.

The event has received approval from the NBA itself as an officially sanctioned event, meaning pro scouts will be in attendance to watch some of the brightest names in local amateur basketball continue to carve out a name for themselves:

Per ESPN:

The NBA league office has approved the Signature All-Canadian Showcase — a new high school All-Star event to be held in suburban Toronto on April 23, organizer Dwayne Washington told ESPN on Friday.

“As Canadian basketball continues to expand and the talent is increasing, just like the U.S., the athletes deserve another game,” Washington told ESPN. “Not everyone gets into the other game [BioSteel], and the timing can make it difficult.

“This is an opportunity for us to showcase the talent we have in Canada. We want to give people in Canada the access to see all these kids before they head to college.”

Barrett, who helped lead Canada to its first ever gold medal at the U18 world championships last summer, headlines the list of 24 invitees, but is hardly the only player worth watching.

Florida commit Andrew Nembhard from Aurora, Ont., — a teammate of Barrett at Monteverde Academy in Florida, the same program that produced 2017-18 Rookie of the Year favourite Ben Simmons — is one name that stands out among the class of 2018, but be sure to check out some of the biggest recruits in the class of 2019 as well, including Brampton, Ont., guard A.J. Lawson and Montreal’s Quincy Guerrier. Here’s the full list of invitees (graphic via North Pole Hoops):

Since 2011, Canada has produced 10 NBA first-round draft picks, including first-overall selections Wiggins and Anthony Bennett.

The event will take place at the Hershey Centre, home of the G League’s Raptors 905, and will be streamed online.

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