It pretty much goes without saying that Andrew Wiggins has been great for Kansas so far—posting 16.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while putting up a 27.2 player efficiency rating without ever looking like he’s left second gear. But he’s not the only Canadian tearing it up in the NCAA this season, and he’s not the only one garnering attention from pro scouts and draft watchers.
It’s early, and players’ stats tend to take a hit once they start conference play. But here’s a look at the numbers of eight other elite Canadian NBA prospects currently suiting up for colleges down south (ranked by PER).
1) Kevin Pangos, PG, Jr., Gonzaga
6-foot-2, 182 lb.
Attracting more attention than ever now that Canadian running mate Kelly Olynyk has left the northwest for the NBA’s northeast, Pangos is proving he belongs in the spotlight.
The coach’s son from Newmarket, Ont., is hitting 57 percent of his twos, 49 percent of his threes and 92 percent of his free throws. Pangos also has the 6-1 Zags—ranked No. 11 on the AP Top 25—first in the nation in offensive rating with 132.2 points per 100 possessions.
Stats: 22.0 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 3.9 APG, 30.1 PER
2) Jordan Bachynski, C, Sr., Arizona St.
7-foot-2, 248 lb.
When Bachynski blocked a shot at the buzzer to preserve a 79–77 win over Marquette on Monday, it came as no surprise to anyone who’s tracked the Calgary native’s season thus far. He’s swatted three or more shots in each of the 6-0 Sun Devils’ games, and he’s put up a double-double in each as well.
The one bee in Bachynski’s NBA draft bonnet: he’s a 24-year-old senior (nearly four years older than Anthony Davis) as he spent his first two years after high school on a Mormon mission.
Stats: 14.0 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 4.8 BPG, 29.7 PER
3) Melvin Ejim, F, Sr., Iowa State
6-foot-6, 220 lb.
After missing the first two games of the season while recovering from a knee injury, Ejim made his debut at home against the eighth-ranked Michigan Wolverines and dialed up 22 points and nine rebounds in an upset victory. He’s scoring 28.8 points per 40 for the season while taking and making threes at a career clip.
He just may want to stick to giving opposing fans the metaphorical finger, rather than the literal one.
Stats: 18 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, 28.3 PER
4) Nik Stauskas, SG, Soph., Michigan
6-foot-6, 205 lb.
When Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. moved on to the NBA, everyone turned their eyes to Glenn Robinson III and Mitch McGary, pegging them as the guys who would carry Michigan basketball this season. But that hasn’t been the case. Stauskas—after putting on some much-publicized muscle in the off-season—has taken on new responsibility and flourished.
He’s hit 47 percent from behind the arc and has shown off the ability to put the ball on the floor and finish at the rim when defenders overplay his jumper. With the relative lack of depth at two guard across the NBA, Stauskas will no doubt get more and more attention as the season progresses.
Stats: 20.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 3.0 APG, 26.1 PER
5) Olivier Hanlan, SG, Soph., Boston College
6-foot-4, 184 lb.
Last year’s Atlantic Coast Conference freshman of the year broke out in a big way in the ACC tournament, going for 41 points on only 18 shots against Georgia Tech. This year, he’s already had a similar performance, scoring 38 on 19 shots against Florida Atlantic.
Though his Boston College team (2-4 in the early going) isn’t likely to be playing deep into March, the Quebec product will get all the looks he wants and every opportunity to flash his burgeoning playmaking skills. He’s currently using 31.1 percent of BC’s possessions, and has a 22.2 assist percentage.
Stats: 21.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 3.3 APG, 24.6 PER
6) Khem Birch, PF, Jr., UNLV
6-foot-9, 220 lb.
Another guy who’s emerged from a teammate’s shadow (in this case, the one cast by Anthony Bennett), Birch is second in the NCAA in blocks per game with 5.2. Always an elite shot blocker on a per-minute basis, Birch is getting 30-plus minutes for the first time and making the most of them.
The scary thing here is that Birch is putting up a respectable 10.6 points per game despite an uncharacteristically low field-goal percentage (36 percent). If he can bring that up to career norms while maintaining his improved free-throw shooting (85 percent), he’ll be bumped up draft boards accordingly.
Stats: 10.6 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 5.2 BPG, 23.8 PER
7) Dwight Powell, PF, Sr., Stanford
6-foot-10, 240 lb.
A possible stretch-four at the next level, Powell was getting late-first/early-second round buzz last year before announcing his intent to return to school.
So far this season, the Torontonian has done nothing to hurt his stock. He’s averaging career highs in points and assists per game while nailing 52 percent from the field. That said, he’s hitting only 30 percent of his threes (down from 46 percent last year).
Stats: 16.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 3.7 APG, 22.9 PER
8) Tyler Ennis, PG, Fr., Syracuse
6-foot-2, 180 lb.
A freshman filling the exceptionally large-for-his-position shoes of Michael Carter-Williams, Ennis struggled to score out of the gate, hitting only 25 percent of his shots in the Orange’s first five games. Then came the inevitable explosion: He went off for 28 points on just 12 attempts from the field in a win over Cal on Tuesday.
Even when his shot wasn’t falling, the rest of Ennis’s numbers were solid, and he’s averaging an impressive 2.9 steals per game in 30 minutes. While his PER puts him at the bottom of this list, his size and heady play give him an outside shot at being Canada’s second one-and-done candidate after Wiggins.
Stats: 11.7 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 4.7 APG, 22.6 PER