Andrew Milner Invitational: 16 Basketball Prospects to Watch

Written by Andrew Sharpe

Onsite at the Andrew Milner Invitational tournament in Rothesay, NB this past weekend and was able to catch two games: Canada Top Flight Academy (CTA - Ottawa) defeated Lincoln Prep (Hamilton), while Crestwood Academy (Toronto) came away with a close victory VS home town favourite Rothesay Netherwood.

This tournament was well represented by university scouts in the area.

I talked to coaches from Acadia, UNB and UNBSJ, who were all excited to see some of the country’s best basketball prospects.  Here are the ones that caught my eye in these two games:

ROTHESAY NETHERWOOD

Kareem Aljaibat (2027), 6’7 F, Kitchener, ON.  Every time I watch this apex predator play, I question why he isn’t talked about more at the national level.  He has international experience, playing with Jordan at FIBA U19, and his compete is college ready.  While he does have one official D1 offer (Alcorn St), I still think Kareem is criminally underrated.  27 in this game against one of the best prep teams in the country.

Santiago Plancke (2028), 6’6 F, Barcelona, Spain.  Playing in his first season in Canada, Santiago is a three level scorer.  Versatile, he uses his frame to play out of the post, get downhill, and stretch the floor.  He had 18 in the loss.

Elijah Mantley (2028), 6’1 G, Halifax, NS.  Elijah is a streaky offensive player, he’ll have 28 one game, and 7 the next.  But his pesky defence is ever present, and he brings a college-ready long ball, so expect him to continue to place high on recruiting boards.

Elliot Beverly (2027), 6’3 G, Moncton, NB.  Quiet in this game, but have to mention Elliot, as he is one of the best shooters in the Maritimes, as evidenced by his 7 three pointers in the game before this one.

LINCOLN PREP

Antonio Sempiira (2027), 6’6 G, Toronto, ON.  The leading scorer for Lincoln Prep in this game with 17, including two deep threes, Antonio has length, bounce, and a jump shot.  After returning from this tournament, Antonio transferred back to his hometown JCM Prep, where he should continue to be a featured prospect.

Cadence MacLeod (2029), 6’1 PG, Halifax, NS.  MVP of his varsity team at Halifax Grammar in only grade ten, Cadence transferred to Lincoln Prep this season, where he wasted no time stepping into his usual role as starting point guard.  This floor general and vocal leader had ten points and held his own against older, bigger and stronger players.  The potential is real here.  One to watch.

Bryan Ezeocha (2027), 6’2 G, Saint John, NB.  Smooth release, good handle, gets to his spots, makes the early pass.  8 points in this game.

Tayshaun Gritton (2027), 6’8, Calgary, AB.  Good length, active defender, plays well out of the post, both as a passer and scorer.

CTA

TJ Whelan (2027), 6’6 F, Ottawa, ON.  High percentage stretch four who creates high-IQ opportunities for his teammates.  He’s a responsible, physical paint protector and rebounder who seems comfortable with pressure.  Oh, and he has a LEGIT flame thrower.  26 points in this game, including four 3’s, some of which were in a phone booth.  He is most dangerous out of the high pick and roll, as he not only sets great screens, but his shooting ability makes him a dual roll/pop threat.  TJ will be a sneaky get for the right system.

Diego Vitta (2027), 6’3 G, Gatineau, Quebec.  An unorthodox, crafty, volume scorer, Diego’s high compete and ability to get downhill and score in tight spaces has earned him D1 offers from Fresno State and Holy Cross.  He had 24 in this game.

Bryce MacKenzie (2028), 6’0 PG, Moncton, NB.  A high IQ, low-risk facilitator who’s always three chess moves ahead.  He brought his trademark jaw-dropping passing to this game along with 11 points.

Caleb Osman (2027) 6’6 PG, Ottawa, ON.  Lots to be excited about here.  Athletic, active and long, Caleb is a three level scorer and a very willing defender.  The talent is real.

CRESTWOOD

Tyylon Ennis (2028), 6’2, Pearland, Texas.  Continues to stack offers from D1 schools like Penn State and Syracuse, where his Toronto brother, Tyler, was ACC All-Freshman before he went to the NBA.  Tyylon dropped a cool 30 in this game and is always sticking his nose in and around the ball, pesky on defence and grabbing more than his share of boards.

Mekhi Martin-Burrows (2027), 6’7 F, Barrie, ON.  Somehow flying under the radar, Mekhi stood out to me right away.  A walking highlight reel, he’s an incredibly athletic high-flier.  I was surprised to see him on the bench at the end of the game, but was very impressed at his reaction, as he showed as much energy off the floor as he did on the floor, jumping to his feet to cheer his teammates at every opportunity, his smile never fading.

Markeese Strawbridge (2027), 6’7 F, Sault Ste. Marie, ON.  An athletic alpha dog, Markeese continually bullied his way into high percentage buckets.

Jayden Fagbohunka (2028), 6’4 G, Milton, ON.  He uses his length and explosive first step to get downhill better than the average guard, contributing 20 points on primarily inside scoring.