The Canadian Men’s National Team has announced their roster for the FIBA AmeriCup 2017 in Argentina. The current version of the national team features several connections to the Toronto Raptors.
The Canadian Men’s National Team has announced their roster for the FIBA AmeriCup 2017 in Argentina. The current version of the men’s national team will not feature the big name Canadian NBA players like Tristan Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Cory Joseph or Kelly Olynyk.
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Instead, the Canadian team will feature a handful of NBA hopefuls who are hoping that a strong performance at the FIBA AmeriCup could help land them on an NBA roster for the start of training camp.
The Canadian team features several connections to the Toronto Raptors including 6-foot-2 guard Brady Heslip from Oakville, ON who spent last season with the Raptors minor-league affiliate Raptors 905.
Heslip played his college ball at Baylor University and averaged 14.3 points per game last season during his stint with Raptors 905.
Former University of Dayton star Dyshawn Pierre will also be a major contributor for the Canadian team in Argentina. He was invited to the Raptors free agent camp back in June after spending last season playing in the German Bundesliga.
Xavier Rathan-Mayes worked out for the Raptors during the pre-draft process this year after an impressive career starring for the Florida State Seminoles. XRM recently signed a contract to play for the New York Knicks in the upcoming NBA season while his younger brother Shemar Rathan-Mayes recently committed to play the upcoming season for the famed Orangeville Prep program.
Former Raptors head coach Jay Triano has been involved with the national team for over 20 years and will once again be a key figure on the coaching staff at the AmeriCup 2017.
Here is the complete roster for the Canadian Men’s National Team for the FIBA AmeriCup 2017:
| Name | Position | Height | Hometown | 2016-17 Team |
| Jermaine Anderson | Guard | 6’2 | Toronto, ON | Chalons-Reims (France) |
| Joel Anthony | Centre | 6’9 | Montreal, QC | San Antonio Spurs (NBA) |
| Richard Amardi | Forward | 6’9 | Toronto, ON | Niagara River Lions (NBL) |
| Murphy Burnatowski | Power Forward | 6’7 | Kitchener, ON | Fribourg (Switzerland) |
| Junior Cadougan | Guard | 6’2 | Toronto, ON | London Lightning (NBL) |
| Ammanuel Diressa | Guard | 6’5 | Toronto, ON | Ryerson University |
| Grandy Glaze | Forward | 6’7 | Toronto, ON | Caballeros de Culiacan |
| Olivier Hanlan | Guard | 6’4 | Gatineau, QC | Le Mans (France) |
| Brady Heslip | Guard | 6’2 | Oakville, ON | Raptors 905 (G-League) |
| Xavier Rathan-Mayes | Guard | 6’4 | Scarborough, ON | Florida State (NCAA) |
| Andrew Nicholson | Power Forward | 6’9 | Mississauga, ON | Washington Wizards / Brooklyn Nets (NBA) |
| Dyshawn Pierre | Small Forward | 6’6 | Whitby, ON | Banco di Srd (Italy) |
The head coach for the national team is Roy Rana who is also the head coach at Ryerson University in Toronto.
The FIBA AmeriCup 2017 will be played from August 25 to September 3, 2017 and brings together America’s best 12 men’s national teams.
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The Canadian schedule is as follows:
- August 27 vs. Virgin Islands
- August 28 vs. Argentina
- August 29 vs. Venezuela
- Semifinals
- Finals
The Canada’s Men’s National team is currently ranked eighth in the Americas and 24th globally.