AJAX -- First, Devoe Joseph left his mark on Ontario high school basketball, and now the world.
The 6-foot, 3-inch shooting guard, who led the Pickering High School Trojans to their second consecutive provincial ‘AAAA’ basketball title last month, is headed stateside later this month for the prestigious 11th annual Nike Hoop Summit.
Hosted in Portland, Oregon, at the Rose Garden arena on Saturday, April 12, the Summit features America’s top senior high school players taking on a World Select Team comprised of the world’s top under-19 players, including Joseph, the lone Canadian on the world squad.
Although Joseph, who’ll join the University of Minnesota on a basketball scholarship in the fall, was chosen to the 11-member world squad for the Hoop Summit game more than a month ago, he’s still in awe of his selection.
“It’s unbelievable. It’s going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” says the 18-year-old Pickering resident. “As a kid, I dreamed about making the pros and this is a very good stepping stone.”
Although the world team hasn’t posted many wins in the past 10 years of the Hoop Summit, winning just twice in those years, that dynamic may change this year with not only Joseph’s selection, but also two seven-footers -- Alexis Ajinca, a 7-foot, 1-inch centre from France, and 7-foot, 4-inch Boban Marjanovic of Serbia -- who will be part of the world team’s arsenal. Joseph is one of four guards named to the world team.
Joseph says he’ll join his world teammates in Oregon about a week before the game, where they will practice under head coach Rob Beveridge, a long-time Australian national basketball coach. The actual Hoop Summit game will be played on the home court of the National Basketball League’s Portland Trailblazers.
The talented shooter, whose last-second shot lifted the Trojans past the Eastern Commerce Saints at last month’s OFSAA high school championships, was part of the 2008 All-Canada Basketball Weekend at Ryerson University in Toronto last weekend. There, he scored a game-high 21 points, but his Team Black fell to Team White 112-03. Joseph also contributed five assists, five rebounds, a steal and a block.
He was joined on Team Black by Pine Ridge guard Kurt Alexander. His brother, Corey, played on Team White, along with other Pickering High teammates Dwayne Smith and Justin Wiltshire.
“It was an amazing experience,” says Joseph of the basketball weekend. “I seen a lot of guys that I played with before. It was a special experience, very fun.”
Joseph’s also received an invitation to tryout for the Canadian senior national team, which is attempting to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Summer Games in Beijing, China. He’ll attend tryouts in Canada on June 6. If he’s successful, he’ll join the team for a tournament in Germany, followed by the 2008 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Greece from July 14 to 20.
Joseph says the Canadian coaches, including head coach Leo Rautins, are looking for him to make his mark on the senior national team as a point guard, converting him from his natural shooting guard position.
“They want me to be more of a point guard, so I’ll have to go there and play hard and play strong,” he says.
He admits playing as a point guard is definitely a role he’ll play when he joins the Minnesota Golden Gophers men’s basketball team under head coach Tubby Smith in the fall.
“Being only 6-foot, 3-inches, I have to be more of a point guard and develop my skills. It’s better for me at the next level,” he explains. “I expect to play hard wherever they play me -- at the point or shooting guard, it doesn’t really matter.”
