With Duke showing interest in Canadian hooper Kalif Young, I wanted to find out a little more about the PF/C in the 2016 Class. No better place to go than Tariq Sbiet of NorthPoleHoops.com
Dukeblogger: So one thing I hear in regards to Kalif Young is that he has a ton of potential, what do you think about that statement, how would you describe his game and do you think he’s more of a kid who will make an immediate impact at whatever school he chooses or a multi-year guy that blossom at a slower pace?
Tariq Sbiet: He does have upside. He eats up a lot of space down low on both ends and is a lefty that has shown decent skill set around the rim. That said, at the college level I do believe there will be a transition period for him, as he gets acquainted with the speed, and improves his stamina.
Dukeblogger: What do you think his best asset is going into the next level?
Tariq Sbiet: An area of his game that I really like is his passing ability; when he’s aggressive and is demanding attention in the low post, Kalif gets his teammates open shots. He’s also a high character kid and good teammate which translates on the floor.
Dukeblogger: What are names we are likely to hear buzzing soon from scouts from Canada?
Tariq Sbiet: Christian David is making a lot of noise right now at Vermont Academy. 2017 Canadian trio at Hamilton Heights Tennessee – Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Shai Alexander (Florida commit) & Therren Schmidt. 2018 Simi Shittu and 2019 Rowan Barrett Jr are tearing it up at Montverde. The list goes on and on.
Dukeblogger: Obviously Canada over the past few years has just blown up in terms of the amount of talent being introduced in division one and then on into the league, we spoke earlier last year and you mentioned that the talent was always there. Do you think with the amount of travel that coaches do and with teams like the Spurs who are stacked with international players the international game has benefitted from that?
Tariq Sbiet: There are currently 100+ Canadian men playing D1 Basketball. That number will increase by the year. There’s no doubt that Basketball has become an international game. Back to Back #1 Picks from Canada (Bennett, Wiggins) and Ben Simmons (Australia) next in line as possible #1. The game of basketball has benefitted greatly over the last decade with the assimilation of different styles and influences around the globe.
Here is a helpful link for Canadians in NCAA. It will help you sort out the top producers http://northpolehoops.com/2015/11/21/introducing-canadian-ncaa-stat-tracker-2/#.VqFE6klOnqA
Dukeblogger: Thank you so much man, really appreciate your time and insight.
Tariq Sbiet: My pleasure. Anytime my friend
A little background on North Pole Hoops:
NorthPoleHoops.com is the #1 Source for Canadian Basketball. National Scouting Service. NPH Showcase camps.
A little background on Tariq Sbiet:
Tariq is a National Scout, discovering and evaluating Canadian Basketball talent across the country.
You can follow tariq @tariq_NPH on twitter and visit the sight at NorthPoleHoops.com.
