Title: ‘An important step in the process of making Canada proud’: Canada Basketball unveils senior men’s camp roster
Date: May 27, 2021
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic Toronto, I looked at Canada’s camp roster for men’s Olympic basketball qualifiers and what they’ll be looking for from the group to finally earn an Olympic berth.
It’s a day Canadian basketball fans have come to look forward to, question and then dread: The announcement of the latest player pool for the senior national men’s team.
The women’s side of the program rarely has questions about commitment, participation and performance. The men’s side, meanwhile, has seen enormous growth in the talent pool but hasn’t been able to turn it into international success. That’s included some inconsistent turnout for understandable individual reasons that, taken together, leave room for pessimism.
It was notable, then, that Thursday’s announcement of the player pool for training camp ahead of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament specified accepted camp invites. It’s a tighter group — 21 players — with some alternates for flexibility around playoff duties and pandemic protocol. It’s a testament to the depth of Canadian basketball that a list of 21 is at the same time exciting and has several “what about” absences. Canada seems to have officially drummed up enough commitment to transition from worrying about what a thin roster looks like to worrying about whom to leave out.
Blake Murphy Sports Writing 