TORONTO (Canada) - Canada took their first steps in the build-up to the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025 as they held an assessment camp with 47 players, including top players such as Jaion Pitt, Will Riley, Tristan Beckford and Olivier Rioux as well as two sons of former NBA superstar Hakeem Olajuwon.
Head coach Ramon Diaz, who guided Canada to third place at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup 2024, called the 47 players to the camp at Humber College in Toronto from April 18-21. Diaz also served as an assistant coach with Mexico's senior national team from 2013 to 2017, helping them reach the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2014 for the first time in 40 years.
The 47-player field included all 12 players from the U18 AmeriCup 2024 team and all 12 who finished eighth at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024.
Canada's preliminary list for FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025
|
|
|
|
|
Spencer Ahrens | Marial Akuentok | Patrick Anamali | Tristan Beckford | Dante Censori-Hercules |
Jordan Charles | Riak Chol | Matthew Dann | Babtunde Durodola | Quinten Ethier |
Edouard Gauthier | Austin Goode | Kole Grandison | Yuvraj Grewal | Malik Guiseppi-Kitson |
Jacob Hammond | Justus Haseley | Stefan Ilic | Torian Lee | TJ St Louis |
Favian Mbaoma | John McMahan | Maxime Meyer | Kieran Mullen | Max Ndlovu-Fraser |
Promis N'Landu | Onyx Nnani | Deng Ngor | Ramogi Nyagudi | Adriel Nyhora |
Godson Okokoh | Abdul Aziz Olajuwon | Abdul-Malik Olajuwon | Efeosa Oliogu | Paul Osaruyi |
Jaion Pitt | Tyrus Rathan-Mayes | William Riley | Olivier Rioux | Jean Rougier-Roane |
Miles Sadler | Kamai Samuels | Rohan Scott-Smith | Amari Upshaw | Andrew Urosevic |
TJ Wal | Nathan Yambayamba |
|
|
|
Two of the players have already played at the FIBA U19 World Cup as Pitt averaged 4.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 2023 and Rioux only played limited minutes.
Pitt also played at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022 and finished second on the Canada team in rebounds at the U18 AmeriCup. He also appeared at the 2025 Nike Hoop Summit, picking up 3 rebounds in 15 minutes.
Beckford was named to the All-Star Five of the U18 AmeriCup last summer, leading his team in scoring (13.0 ppg) and rebounding (7.3 rpg). Spencer Ahrens and Efeosa Oliogu both averaged in double figure scoring in the tournament as well while Justus Haseley was the top assist man for the team.
Jordan Charles meanwhile led Canada in scoring (15.9 ppg) at the FIBA U17 World Cup 2024; Miles Sadler was the top assist man and was second in scoring; and Quinten Ethier also scored in double figures. Stefan Ilic topped the Canadians in rebounding and blocked shots while Paul Osaruyi played under his expectations but was considered one of the team's top players.
Tyrus Rathan-Mayes, meanwhile, played at the U18 continental tournament last summer and is the younger brother of Xaxier Rathan-Mayes and Shemar Rathan-Mayes, who both represented Canada as well.
One big name on the list who has yet to represent Canada internationally is Will Riley, who tallied 4 points and 2 rebounds at the 2024 Nike Hoop Summit and was named MVP of the 2024 Basketball Without Borders Global Camp.
The Canadian 47-player pool also included Abdul Aziz Olajuwon and his younger brother Abdul-Malik Olajuwon, both sons of former NBA legend Hakim Olajuwon. Both youngsters are playing high school basketball in Sugar Land, Texas.
Canada are playing in the FIBA U19 World Cup for the 10th straight time, having won the title in 2017 and finished third in 2021.
The team has been drawn into Group B along with China, Germany and Slovenia. The games will start on June 28 in Lausanne with a champion to be crowned on July 6.
FIBA