Canada’s national senior men’s basketball team will be holding a training camp at the Richmond Olympic Oval next month before embarking on its international summer schedule that will include a two-game series with China in B.C.
The camp, slated for June 20-21, will feature 18 players, including a number of NBA regulars. Canada will take on China on Friday, June 22 at Rogers Arena, then again in Victoria on Sunday, June 24 as part of the inaugural Pacific Rim Classic.
Canada will then resume its FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Americas Qualifiers with a first-place showdown against Dominican Republic on Friday, June 29 in Toronto, before concluding the first-round with a Canada Day long weekend matchup versus U.S. Virgin Islands at The Arena at TD Place on Monday, July 2 in Ottawa.
“We're excited to continue the positive momentum that has been created through the first two windows as we look to take another step forward in our goal of qualifying for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019," said Jay Triano, Head Coach.
The list of training camp invites includes NBA players Kelly Olynyk (Miami Heat), Cory Joseph (Indiana Pacers), Tristan Thompson (Cleveland Cavaliers), Khem Birch (Orlando Magic), Dillon Brooks (Memphis Grizzlies), and Dwight Powell (Dallas Mavericks).
There is even some local flavour in Phil and Tommy Scrubb who starred at Vancouver College before decorated university careers at Carleton. They now play professionally in Europe for Fraport Skyliners (Germany) and S.S. Felice Scandone (Italy) repsectively.
The rest of the training camp invites include: Anthony Bennett (Maine Red Claws, G-League), Aaron Best (Raptors 905, G-League), Melvin Ejim (BC UNICS, Russia), Olivier Hanlan (Austin Spurs, G-League), Brady Heslip (Trabzonspor, Turkey), Kaza Kajami-Keane (Raptors 905, G-League), Andrew Nicholson (Guangdong Southern Tigers, China) and Kevin Pangos (BC Zalgiris, Lithuania).
“The new qualification structure has showcased the depth of our program, that we have grown over several years, as we currently find ourselves near the top of our group heading into pivotal matchups to conclude the first round," said Rowan Barrett, Assistant GM/Executive VP, Senior Men's Program. "Hosting meaningful games at home on Canadian soil is an experience our players won' ever forget.”
