Michigan

2016 Jamal Murray Sweepstakes 1.0

Posted on by Hoops Hype Canada

2016 Jamal Murray (Athlete Institute/CIA Bounce) recruiting sweepstakes has officially begun. Murray a member of the Cadet Men’s National Team who will participate in the 2014 U17 FIBA World Championship for Men has seen his legend grow by the game.

Currently ranked #37 by Scouts.com the 6’5″ 190lbs Murray is being recruited as a combo guard at the next level, while primarily playing point guard for his high school team Athlete Institute in Orangeville, Ontario. Murray last week cracked the Fox Sports Scouts.com national top 100 list which is a rare feat for a Canadian playing high school ball on Canadian soil. Justin Jackson (Findlay Prep/YAAACE) is the highest sitting Canadian at 21. Both Murray and Jackson have been arguably the top player in the highly touted 2016 Canadian class.

“Jamal Murray is a special player…He wants the ball in his hands at the end of the game.” In talking about Murray’s recruiting AI HS head coach Larry Blunt mentioned to American media in December ,“His recruitment is heavy. A lot of colleges on him already as a sophomore.”

One school that has been consistently keeping in contact with Murray’s coach is Michigan. Who already boast a Canadian product with Mississauga native Nik Stauskas whose enjoying a stellar sophomore season.

“They’re looking at him as a one or two,” Murray’s father Roger told Scout.com “A lot of people haven’t seen him yet though…Once they see him I know it’ll be different. “He’s a point guard but you can put him anywhere and he’ll produce, basically.”

“For Jamal, anywhere he is going we’re looking for him to play and not really to sit; his game is to play. We’re looking for somewhere where he can go in and play.” Father Roger Murray added.

In the United States for game action this weekend at La Lumiere (IN) School the Murray’s will swing through Ann Arbor to visit Michigan as they host Michigan State at Crisler Center Sunday afternoon.

“This was just kind of on the fly,” Murray said. “Coach told me to call them to get up for the game so this is just on the fly.”

“We want to see how the team is setup, how they run the plays, just seeing how it is there, just to see what the environment is like. I’m not the one playing, he’s playing so.”

Murray is also hearing from Illinois, Syracuse, and Louisville, among many others, growing and learning under the tutelage of his father.

“I trained him all his life,” Murray said. “I’d say he doesn’t have much weaknesses. He can get a little more hops probably but he’s just a floor general…He can control the floor, shoot from anywhere, pull up and do all the moves you could imagine, has a nice handle.”

Kitchener, Ont. native Jamal Murray played a key role for Team Canada capturing bronze at the 2013 FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Uruguay. Murray led the Cadet Men’s National Team (CMNT) in scoring in four of the team’s five contests. His best game of the tournament came against Puerto Rico, where he scored a game-high 24 points, while rounding out his night with seven rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals. The 6-3 guard was one of Canada’s more productive players, averaging 17 points on 46 per cent shooting, with averages of six rebounds, three assists and 2.4 steals in the tournament. Jamal and the CMNT will now set their sights on the 2014 U17 FIBA World Championship for Men later this summer.

2016 6’5″ Jamal Murray expected to lead  U17 Team Canada team into the U17 FIBA World Championships this summer in Dubai.

Jamal Murray Sweepstakes

Pole Position

- Syracuse
- Michigan

Roger Murray not one to divulge details but many close to the situation see Jamal Murray ending up close to home. Bordering American cities with Ontario make Syracuse & Michigan obvious favourites from the start.

In The Mix

- Florida
- Illinois
- Louisville

If your not based in Western New York or the state of Michigan it doesn’t mean you don’t stand a chance. However with ‘Cuse & ‘Blue allready rolling out the red carpet you better come aggressive. For example, circle the Athlete Institute HS showcase tournament this March 21-23rd, also add the 2014 Caribana NCAA camp to the agenda too.  Illinois’ has been fond off CIA Bounce talent dating back to losing out on Xavier Rathan Mayes on his decision day. Despite the Negus Webster Chan Louisville debacle, with it’s pedigree of reigning defending champs the Cardinals & Hall Of Fame coach Rick Pitino present a stage for Murray second to none. The same goes for the University of Florida who have been monitoring Murray since he took home the 2013 Jordan Brand MVP award.

#37 in America and climbing. The pride and joy of 519 hoops is on demand and the sweepstakes for his signature have officially begun! Stay tuned.

Triano: I was Miserable in TO

Posted on by Hoops Hype Canada

Current Canadian Senior Mens National Team head coach Jay Triano, now an assistant with Portland recently opened up about his tenure in Toronto. More specifically time spent as head coach. In a feature posted on Blazers.com Triano told Casey Holdhal the Blazers beat writer “Right now I am at one of the happiest moments in my life,” said Triano. “I love Portland, I love my role here, I love this team, I love the people I work with. And when I look back to being a head coach, I didn’t feel like this. I love coming in here every single day. I know in Toronto it was a little bit of a different situation and I had been there for 10 years in different capacities. I look back and I was miserable as a head coach. A lot of it has to do with the pressure but a lot of it has to do with the fact that, when you’re a head coach, there’s a lot less basketball. That was the biggest difference. I did less basketball as a head coach than I do as an assistant.”

Jay Triano all smiles as assistant coach in Portland.

Makes you wonder how he feels about controlling the sideline with Team Canada. The Raptors have long struggled to shake off the ‘losing’ label that’s haunted them since Vince Carter departed in 2004. In other words nobody expects the Raptors to win a championship, 50 games let alone clinch a top 4 seed in the East. But Canada? Different story.

Last Summer in Venezuela Canada failed to secure a ticket to the 2014 World Cup this September in Spain. A major set back for a nation who’s growing basketball prowess was starting to garner global attention. The failures at the FIBA Americas was devestating for supporters but is still salvageable if Canada can claim 1 of 4 wild card spots allocated in March later this year. A shady system FIBA uses that most experts think with a Andrew Wiggins verbal agreement to participate Canada is all but assured at this point to be taking their talents to Spain this September.

Coach Triano has decisions to make both in the front court and back court.

Up front Tristan Thompson and Andrew Nicholson patrolled the post in Venezuela. In addition to Anthony Bennett and Kelly Olynyk added to the mix now are:

In the back court the call get’s even tougher. Highly doubt Corey Joseph has the same back up corps as last summer. Pick your Phillip Scrubb & Junior Cadougan replacements.

At the wing spot is where Canada was critiscised most last summer. A position many back home thought belonged to Michigan sophmore Nik Stauskus. Consensus around basketball circles was Stauskus turned down the opportunity in early summer time to join Canada’s University squad that travelled to Russia. Stauskus wanted to meet personal goals of adding strength to his frame in order to improve his case as an NBA prospect but had the senior team stint a personal goal also. Triano following the last game in Venezuela said the non invite to participate with Team Canada late in the summer was something Michigan head coach Jim Beiliene and Triano agreeed on mutually and the late summer snub was not related at all to Stauskus’ personal decison to skip the  early summer tour of duty for the Canucks,

“Nik is part of our program. He was at our camp last year (2012). This year he had a couple of health things that he needed to take care of to get ready for his year at Michigan thats why he didnt participate on the student team that went to Russia or the team that went to China earlier this summer. He is definately in our plans and a guy we definately think can be part of this program.” reiterated Triano. When directly asked if he was invited to the Senior camp in August Triano spoke candid, “No he was not invited in August, he made it clear at the begginning of the summer that he would be staying the summer working with the coaches in Michigan. I had a great chance to speak with his coach John Beiliene who was coaching as an assitant for the U.S. team while we were in Russia. We spent alot of time talking about Nik and his future with the Canadian program. We both agreed this summer wasn’t a good summer for Nik as far as taking care of his bodyso he could play a injury free season next year at the University of Michigan.” 

Considering how scoring was an issue that plagued the programs success it was suprising that Stauskus was not invited. Moving forward Canadians can be optimistic and hopeful Stauskus and freshman phenom Andrew Wiggins can fill the scoring void on the international level at the wing.