Skip to main content

Canada to face Venezuela in key FIBA World Cup qualifying game in Edmonton Thursday

Canada's Melvin Ejim celebrates scoring against the Dominican Republic during their FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifier game in Toronto, Friday June 29, 2018. Canadian veterans Ejim and Phil and Thomas Scrubb headline the national men’s basketball roster for Thursday’s World Cup qualifier against Venezuela. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Mark Blinch Canada's Melvin Ejim celebrates scoring against the Dominican Republic during their FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifier game in Toronto, Friday June 29, 2018. Canadian veterans Ejim and Phil and Thomas Scrubb headline the national men’s basketball roster for Thursday’s World Cup qualifier against Venezuela. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Mark Blinch
Share

Canadian veterans Melvin Ejim and Phil and Thomas Scrubb headline the national men's basketball roster for Thursday's World Cup qualifier against Venezuela.

The Canadians are just one win away from qualifying for next summer's World Cup. They're 8-0 and the only undefeated team in Americas zone qualifying. Venezuela is 7-1.

The team gathered earlier this week for training camp in Edmonton ahead of the game at the Edmonton EXPO Centre.

While several of Canada's top NBA players were part of the team in previous windows, the conflict with that season means No. 18-ranked Canada has none of its NBA players for this window. The team, instead, is stocked by players mainly playing overseas.

Nate Bjorkgren, an assistant to Canada and Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse, is the acting head coach for this window.

Eighty national teams are playing games across six qualifying windows to secure their place among the 30 teams who will join hosts Japan and the Philippines in the 32-team FIBA World Cup, Aug. 25 to Sept. 10.

Canada roster:

Melvin Ejim, small forward, Toronto; Thomas Kennedy, power forward, Windsor, Ont.; Owen Klassen, centre, Kingston, Ont.; Conor Morgan, power forward, Victoria, B.C.; Jean-Victor Makama, guard, Hamilton, Ont.; Kassius Robertson, guard, Toronto; Phil Scrubb, shooting guard, Richmond, B.C.; Thomas Scrubb, small forward, Richmond, B.C.; Kalif Young, forward, Toronto.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 10, 2022.  

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

W5 Investigates

W5 Investigates What it's like to interview a narco

Drug smuggling is the main industry for Mexican cartels, but migrant smuggling is turning into a financial windfall. In this fourth instalment of CTV W5's 'Narco Jungle: The Death Train,' Avery Haines is in Juarez where she speaks with one of the human smugglers known as 'coyotes.'

Stay Connected