TORONTO (Nov. 5th, 2024) — The NCAA basketball season started with dominant performances from Canadians around the league – so we are back with another edition of The Naismith Notes! Catch up with your favourite rising Canadian stars:

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Canada’s youngest basketball Olympian stuns against defending champs South Carolina

After making her debut as an Olympian for Canada's Senior Women's National Team, Syla Swords entered her freshman season at the University of Michigan with a powerful statement - putting up 27 points, 12 rebounds, and two assists in 36 minutes during a closely contested 68-62 loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks on Monday night. The Gamecocks, who come into the season as defending champions, avoided the upset.

Swords was everywhere—from knocking down stepback threes to hustling for the rebound and second-chance opportunities—and Michigan is set to be a competitive team to play against this season.

Kitchener product Will Riley sets Illinois scoring record in his freshman debut

If you’re sensing a common theme, record-setting debuts seem to be the one this week. Will Riley, a 6-foot-9 forward, came off the bench for Illinois in their first game of the regular season scoring 31 points on just 13 shots. Along with seven rebounds and three assists, Riley helped the Fighting Illini secure a 112-67 win over the Eastern Illinois Panthers. 

Riley’s 31 points are the most by an Illinois freshman in their debut (per the Associated Press) – something fans can get used to after he scored 42 points in the spring to set a Canadian Nike EYBL record.

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Duke’s Canadian duo combine for 18 points, 11 rebounds, and four steals in a 53-point win over Radford

In another highly-anticipated debut, Toronto’s own Toby Fournier scored 10 points in ten minutes, knocking down fadeaways and grabbing three boards and a block on the other end of the court. Her Canadian teammate - and Duke vet - Emma Koabel added eight points and eight rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench. 

Fournier and Koabel have experience playing together—they were on Canada’s U19 Women’s National Team, which captured bronze at the U19 FIBA World Championships in July 2021. They will look to continue putting Canada on the map as Duke has its eyes set on another competitive season.

Toronto’s Xaivian Lee continues to impress at Princeton

Lee is coming off an explosive sophomore season in the NCAA, where he recorded a career-high 33 points in January and went from averaging 4.8 points per game in his first season to 17.1 points per game in year two.

Picking up where he left off, Lee secured the 81-80 win over Iona for Princeton on Monday with free throws in crunch time. He finished with 27 points, four rebounds, and six assists on 64 percent shooting from the field and knocked down three triples.

Three Canadian Seniors show poise & experience in their last first days

With all the debuts made this week, the senior class showed why they’re the leaders of their teams.

Jahmyl Telfort led all seniors with 29 points in Butler’s 72-65 win over Missouri State on Monday. Telfort was 4-6 from three and knocked down free throws in the third quarter to maintain the lead for his team for the rest of the game.

Lashae Dwyer stepped up for St John’s when she produced 16 points, four rebounds, and four assists on 63 percent shooting from the floor. Dwyer, who made her team debut with St John’s after playing for Miami, brings a veteran presence to the team in her fourth year.

Over at Villanova, Enoch Boakye recorded a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double on 80 percent field goal shooting against Lafayette. Boakye, a former Fresno State player, brings a new level of physicality to a Villanova team looking to make a deep run this season, shown by his presence in the paint and a throw down slam that solidified his strong performance.

Another first-time Olympian makes her Irish comeback

After missing last year with Notre Dame due to a lower leg injury, Cassandre Prosper returned to basketball this summer with the Canadian Senior Women’s National Team. From training camp in Victoria, British Columbia, to her first-ever Olympics in Paris, France, Prosper returned to Notre Dame with a fresh and motivated mindset.

The Fighting Irish recorded a decisive 105-61 win over the Mercyhurst Lakers. Prosper looked comfortable again out there - finishing with 17 points, five rebounds, two blocks and one assist in 31 minutes of play. With a strong roster of vets and young stars, Notre Dame is poised for a deep run this NCAA season.

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Big numbers from Boston College’s T’yanna Todd & TCU’s Vasean Allette lift teams to victory

Following a nail-biting loss to a ranked Louisville team in the second round of the ACC Tournament last season, Boston College started the 2024-25 season with a 30-point win over Lafayette. 

T’yana Todd was one of four players in double-digits, adding 17 points on 58.3 percent shooting in 30 minutes. At TCU, Vasean Allette recorded 20 points, five rebounds, and three assists in 25 minutes to give TCU a win in their first game of the season.

NCAA basketball action continues tonight, with more Canadian rising stars like Olivia Leung and Yvonne Ejim playing in their first games of the season.

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