
TORONTO -- Two years ago Tyler Ennis was at the Air Canada Centre practising as part of a national mens basketball team camp. [
TORONTO -- Two years ago Tyler Ennis was at the Air Canada Centre practising as part of a national mens basketball team camp. [
in Infos 17.01.2020 09:20von jokergreen0220 • Cliath | 655 Beiträge
TORONTO -- Two years ago Tyler Ennis was at the Air Canada Centre practising as part of a national mens basketball team camp. Joe Ethridge . He was still a kid, going into his senior year of high school. Thursday, the point guard stood in front of a couple dozen members of the media and spoke with poise about how much hed grown since then, and how hes ready for the next level. "Yeah, yeah. It felt like so long ago," Ennis said before taking the court for his pre-draft workout for the Raptors. "To look back and see the people I was playing against and the position Im in now, its a big jump for me. I feel like Ive improved a lot and Ive learned a lot along the way and Ive had some fun along the way as well. "Ive pretty much enjoyed my time playing basketball for fun. Im ready for the professional level now." Nik Stauskas, Khem Birch and Dwight Powell played alongside Ennis at that camp two summers ago in Toronto, a gathering of players so promising, it prompted Canadian coach Jay Triano to call it the most basketball talent hed ever seen under one roof. That promise is about to come to fruition. A bumper crop Canadians -- Ennis, Stauskas, Birch and Powell among them -- are eligible for the June 26 NBA draft (live on TSN, TSN2 and TSN GO). Ennis, who starred in his one season at Syracuse, is expected to be the third highest Canadian picked behind Andrew Wiggins and Stauskas. Most mock drafts have Ennis going around No. 16. The 19-year-old from Brampton, Ont., worked out for the Raptors on Thursday along with fellow Canadians Jordan Bachynski of Calgary (Arizona State), Chadrack Lufile of Burlington, Ont., (Wichita State), and Chad Posthumus of Winnipeg (Morehead State). "To have so many Canadians first of all in the draft is big for the country. . . its great for basketball in Canada and its great for us individually," Ennis said. "And no matter where we end up, (NBA teams will see) Canadians are hard-working and good people off the court, and I think were all going to find success wherever we end up." While the Raptors dont expect Ennis to still be on the board when they pick at No. 20, he has some big fans in Canadas NBA franchise. "Fantastic kid. Very straightforward," Raptors president and GM Masai Ujiri said. "I was just talking about him with coach (Dwane) Casey, hed just met him. Super kid. Very professional and carries himself the right way. "I think hell make a good professional." Bachynski, meanwhile, was practically pinching himself after his workout in Toronto. He said while some players get caught up in the monotony of travelling from team to team in the rigours of the pre-draft workouts, he was loving the process. "I was in the airport for eight or nine hours yesterday because all of my flights got cancelled, but youve just go to embrace the moment. How often do you get to do this? Not only how often, but how many people get to take part in this stuff? Its a dream come true," Bachynski said. "Im in a very special situation because June is a great month for me. I have the draft and I also have a baby due in a few days. Im so excited." The 7-2 centre from Calgary and his wife Malia, a former volleyball player, are expecting a baby June 8. "I love that I have her there for me, she was an athlete so she knows the time it takes to be excellent at something," Bachynski said. "Its just a testament to the kind of woman she is, she told me if she goes into labour, go to my next workout. Dont come home. Baby is going to be there when I get back." At 24, Bachynski is the oldest player in the draft. "Im one of those young guys," Bachynski said, when someone pointed out that fact. "My bodys young, Ive got an old head." He was plagued by injuries in high school and was forced to take time off to recover from surgeries. He was late to start college, spending two years in Miami on his Mormon mission. "It was the most valuable experience for me," Bachynski said of his time in Florida. "Guys tell me all the time that it was the dumbest thing I could have done, to take two years off of basketball. I barely touched a basketball in those two years, but I wouldnt be the basketball player I am today. I learned huge life lessons, I learned the importance of hard work, and perseverance." Bachynski said his age makes him better prepared to go pro. "Definitely. Im married. I have a dog," he said, prompting laughter from reporters. "Ive got a kid on the way. Im not one of those guys whos going out and partying on the weekends. Im sitting watching Netflix. Im a guy you dont have to worry about off the court." While Ujiri has said he wont draft a Canadian player just for the sake of it, he doesnt believe there would be added pressure on a Canadian playing in Toronto. "No concerns at all," he said. "I think this has been a good process for the Canadian kids, I think the last few years, a kid has gone No. 1 (Anthony Bennett to the Cleveland Cavaliers last season), kids have played in the league, so I dont think its anything new any more for them." The Raptors have three picks in the draft -- 20, 37 and 59. While Ujiri isnt ruling out the possibility of making a trade to move up, hes preparing to remain where he is. "The one thing I say about the draft is we all fall in love with it the day of, a couple days before," said Ujiri. "I never let my (staff) or myself get hopeful that were going to move up. We want to study 20 and figure out 20. If youre hoping for (a trade), there are 29 other teams that are hoping for the same, and 29 other teams that are trying to do other deals. Ive been heartbroken a couple times. Ive learned not to rely on that at all." Jamie Thompson .Y. -- First, Patrick Kane gave his family and friends something to cheer about by scoring a highlight-reel goal in a rare trip home to Buffalo on Sunday night. Cheap NFL Jerseys China Discount . The Henry Burris-led squad finished second in the East Division before advancing to the Grey Cup where they ultimately fell to the home field advantage wielding Saskatchewan Roughriders. https://www.cheapnfljerseyschina.co/brett-brackett-jersey-for-sale/ . The 57-year-old Tietjens has coached New Zealand to nine IRB World Sevens titles and to four Commonwealth Games gold medals as its only coach in the professional era. New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew said the re-signing was made with a focus on 2016 when sevens will be in the Olympics.SAKHIR, Bahrain -- Mercedes locked out the front row for the Bahrain Grand Prix as Nico Rosberg claimed pole position on Saturday, qualifying ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton. Rosbergs time of 1 minute, 33.185 seconds at the Bahrain International Circuit was a quarter of a second faster than Hamilton, who had to abandon his final flying lap after running wide at the first corner. It was Mercedes third straight pole to start the Formula One season but the first for Rosberg, who equaled his father Keke with five career poles. Rosberg leads the championship on 43 points, 18 ahead of Hamilton. "It has just worked well through the weekend, finding my way, making progress and getting through some issues," Rosberg said. "I have good memories of this track, winning the GP2 championship and starting my first race in F1. I enjoy coming here and again today its suited me." Rosberg and Hamilton have a win each from the opening two races of the season and Mercedes also dominated the three practice sessions leading into qualifying, both in day and night conditions, with Sundays race to be held at night for the first time. The only surprise was Rosberg taking pole ahead of Hamilton, who usually thrives in the one-lap format. "I locked up in the last lap but generally I am happy for the team," Hamilton said. "Nico did a great job and naturally Im happy my teammate is there and not someone else." Defending four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel did not even make the final session of qualifying and will start from 10th on the grid -- promoted one spot as his Red Bull teammate Daniel Ricciardo, who qualified third, gets a 10-place grid penalty from the previous race in Malaysia. Vettel paid the price for a session-ending spin in pre-qualifying practice which prevented him from getting valuable data on how to set up the car on tthe soft-tire, low-fuel setting. Cheap NFL Jerseys China For Sale. He also complained of a downshifting problem. "The final run for some reason was a bit more difficult, the rears were locking up," Vettel said. "We had been playing around with it for quite a while, we are still not where we want to be but I dont want to blame it on that. There was a little bit more in the car which I couldnt get to, so I am not happy with today." Williams driver Valtteri Bottas and Force Indias Sergio Perez qualified fourth and fifth respectively and, with the one-place promotion, both equaled their best career starting positions. Ferraris Kimi Raikkonen qualified sixth, four places ahead of Fernando Alonso, to take the qualifying honours over his teammate for the first time this season in what is expected to a year-long fight between the two former world champions. Alonso said the car was down on power in the final part of qualifying, though he felt the teams starting grid positions of fifth and ninth were "more or less what we expected to be honest." "Q2 we were down a little bit and Q3 we lost more," Alonso said. "Still, we didnt miss out on the possibility of pole position because we are not in that kind of position. Its just a couple of places that hopefully tomorrow we can recover." McLarens Jenson Button, contesting his 250th grand prix, qualified in seventh and his teammate Kevin Magnussen was ninth, separated by Felipe Massa of Williams. Aside from Vettels early elimination, the main surprise of Q2 was Force Indias Nico Hulkenberg qualifying in 12th, having been fastest of all drivers in Q1 and showing strong pace during the practice sessions. Saubers Adrian Sutil was hit with a five-place grid penalty for impeding Lotus Romain Grosjean in the first session of qualifying, sending him to the very back of the grid. ' ' '

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