Given the current influx of
Bake-in the unexpected and surprisingly new favorable NCAA rule changes — finally allowing student-athletes much-needed flexibility to test the NBA draft process and still to return to their respective schools if their name is not verbalized by Adam Silver and Co.
With the April 21st deadline for early entrants fast approaching a record 13 Canadians have declared themselves eligible for the 2019 NBA Draft. Led by R.J. Barrett — 2019 consensus All-American and Jerry West award winner as the best collegiate shooting guard — the list is heavy loaded with freshman and sophomore talent — underlining, arguably Canada’s best NCAA class to date.
Ultimately, we’ve reached a point of no return. With Canadian basketball talent bursting out of the pipelines like leaky faucets and improving NCAA rules, one should expect the annual number of declares to continue to rise year-in, year-out.
Canadian’s appetite for the sport is at an all-time high with Canada currently boasting the title as the country with the most international players in the NBA.
The current count stands at 13 active players and much like what we are witnessing at the NCAA level those numbers are expected to continue to rise in the coming years.
The Canadian players will have until May 29, 2019 (22:59 CT) to withdraw their names from the draft and retain their NCAA eligibility.
In a day and age where Twitter announcements have become the norm, below is a list of all Canadians who have put their name in the 2019 NBA Draft, and their respective messages of gratitude towards their support system, educational and athletic institutions.