Apr 8, 2016
The paths taken from the BioSteel game
With the 2016 BioSteel All-Canadian Game taking place on Monday, TSN Basketball Analyst Duane Watson revisits the players in last year’s game to chart their paths and see out what they’re up to now.
By Duane Watson
The inaugural BioSteel All-Canadian Game last year marked the first time the country’s best basketball talent shared the floor in front of a national audience.
Jamal Murray and Thon Maker both played in the 2015 showcase and have recently declared for the upcoming NBA Draft.
With the 2016 edition of Canada’s new basketball tradition taking place on Monday, it’s worth a revisit to the players in last year’s game to chart their paths and find out what they’re up to now.
Jamal Murray, 6’5” guard
Hometown: Kitchener, Ontario
Status: Declared for 2016 NBA Draft
The 2015 BioSteel Game MVP and Kentucky Wildcat was an NCAA Third team All-American and First Team All-SEC player. Murray set a school record for most 3-pointers in a season by a freshman and finished eighth in the NCAA in 3-point field goals made.
Jalen Poyser, 6’4” guard
Hometown: Malton, Ontario
School: UNLV
Poyser averaged 5.4 points and 2.1 rebounds in 16 minutes per game as a freshman with the Runnin’ Rebels.
Corey Johnson, 6’5” guard
Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario
School: Harvard University
The Harvard freshman started 26 of 29 games for the Crimson, averaging 9.8 points and shot 39.8 per cent from the 3-point line, good for second in the Ivy League in 3-point field goal percentage and 3-point field goals made.
Nelson Kaputo, 6’0” guard
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
School: St Bonaventure University
As a freshman, Caputo played in all 30 games, logging 16.7 minutes per contest and averaging 4.4 points and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 35.7 per cent from 3-point range.
Nevell Provo, 6’0” guard
Hometown: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
School: Loyola University Maryland
As a freshman, Provo averaged 8.4 minutes, playing in 26 of the Bulldogs 30 games.
Jermaine Haley, 6’7” forward
Hometown: Burnaby, B.C.
School: New Mexico State University
Haley originally committed to the University of Washington, but changed his mind and signed to the New Mexico State and was a redshirt in his first year.
Matthew Neufeld, 6’11" centre
Hometown: Victoria, BC
School: St Louis University
Neufeld played in 25 games, starting in two of them and averaged 1.8 points and 1.2 rebounds in 9.7 minutes.
Thon Maker, 7’0" forward (Class of 2016)
Hometown: (Sydney, Australia)
Status: Declared for 2016 NBA Draft
Maker has been a blue chip prospect ever since he arrived at Athlete Institute. He led A.I. to the OSBA Championship, and his post-secondary plans have been heavy speculated, amidst offers from Kansas, Notre Dame, Indiana and St. John’s. He has declared for the 2016 NBA Draft, foregoing college.
Justin Jackson, 6’7” forward (Class of 2016)
Hometown: Scarborough, Ontario
School: The Hill Academy (Concord, Ontario)
Jackson is playing again in the 2016 BioSteel All-Canadian Game and was the only Canadian invited to participate in the 2016 Nike Hoop Summit. The UNLV commit averaged 16.5 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.4 steals in OSBA play.
Howard Washington Jr., 6’2" guard-forward (Class of 2017)
Hometown: Buffalo, New York
School: Montverde Academy (Montverde, Florida)
Played at top-ranked Montverde Academy, originally committed to Butler University, but reclassified and has since transferred to Athlete Institute Academy for Class of 2017.
Jordy Tshimanga, 6’10" centre (Class of 2016)
Hometown: Montreal, Quebec
School: The MacDuffie School (Granby, Massachusetts)
The developing big man has offers Arizona, Boston College, Minnesota and Oklahoma State University.
Kalif Young, 6’9" forward (Class of 2016)
Hometown: Vaughan, Ontario
School: Orangeville Prep (Orangeville, Ontario)
Young has made big strides this year, playing again in the BioSteel All-Canadian, with offers from Providence, Alabama and Marquette.
Koby McEwen, 6’3” guard (Class of 2016)
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
School: Wasatch Academy (Mt Pleasant, Utah)
The Top 100-ranked guard has committed to Utah State University.
Eddie Ekiyor, 6’8” forward (Class of 2016)
Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario
New Hampton School (New Hampton, New Hampshire)
Ekiyor has committed to Xavier University.
Awak Piom, 6’5” guard (Class of 2016)
Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta
School: Pacific Coast Prep (Coquitlam, BC)
Jahvon Blair, 6’3” guard (Class of 2017)
Hometown: Brampton, Ontario
School: Orangeville Prep (Orangeville, Ontario)
Blair was named an OSBA Second Team All-Star and a Jordan Brand Classic MVP in the International game in 2014. He returns to play in the 2016 BioSteel All-Canadian Game.
Christian David, 6’7” forward (Class of 2017)
Hometown: Milton, Ontario
School: Vermont Academy (Saxtons River, Vermont)
A top-rated prospect that is receiving offers from Florida, Illinois, Baylor, Oregon and Providence.
Marcus Carr, 6’2” guard (Class of 2017)
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
School: Montverde Academy (Montverde, Florida)
An off-season ACL injury prevented the highly touted prospect from playing the majority of the season, but was able to play in the U.S. High School National Tournament, where Montverde lost in the quarterfinals.
Matur Maker, 6’9” forward (Class of 2017)
Hometown: Sydney, Australia
School: Athlete Institute Academy (Orangeville, Ontario)
Matur was an OSBA Champion with A.I. and named an OSBA Second Team All-Star. He is playing alongside his brother Thon for the last time in the 2016 BioSteel All-Canadian Game. Offers: Arizona State, Indiana
Jerome Desrosiers, 6’7” forward (Class of 2017)
Hometown: Montreal, Quebec
School: Northfield Mount Hermon, (Mount Hermon, Massachusetts)
Desrosiers returns to play again in the 2016 BioSteel All-Canadian Game. Offers: Yale and Boston University
Abu Kigab, 6’7” forward (Class of 2017)
Hometown: St. Catharines, Ontario
School: Prolific Prep (Napa Valley, California)
Offers from Virginia Tech, Minnesota, Baylor, Oregon and Kansas.
Simisola Shittu, 6’9” forward (Class of 2018)
Hometown: Burlington, Ontario
School: Montverde Academy (Montverde, Florida)
Shittu continues to impress on one of the top-ranked schools in the country, alongside other Canadians like RJ Barrett and Marcus Carr. Montverde lost in the quarterfinals of the U.S. High School National Tournament.
Danilo Djuricic, 6’8” forward (Class of 2018)
Hometown: Brampton, Ontario
School: St. Michael’s College School (Toronto, Ontario)
Djuricic starred for St. Mike’s leading them to the quarterfinals in the OFSAA Championship, he is back playing again in the 2016 BioSteel All-Canadian Game. Offers from Washington State, Niagara and Duquesne.
Keshaun Saunders, 6’5” guard (Class of 2018)
Hometown: Brampton, Ontario
School: Orangeville Prep (Orangeville, Ontario)
Offer from University of Illinois.
Live coverage of the 2016 BIOSTEEL ALL-CANADIAN BASKETBALL GAME airs Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET exclusively on TSN, live from the University of Toronto’s Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.