Carleton Ravens' Philip and Thomas Scrubb invited to Toronto Raptors Free Agent Camp

Carleton Ravens’ Philip and Thomas Scrubb Invited to Toronto Raptors Free Agent Camp

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The CIS’s top two basketball players are getting a shot at the Toronto Raptors just before the NBA draft, which is less than two weeks away.

Philip and Thomas Scrubb, two brothers originally from Richmond BC, spent their college years playing for the juggernaut Carleton Ravens of the CIS, capturing five straight CIS national titles in the process.

If that were not enough, the two also have a rather impressive international resume playing for Canada, playing alongside NBA talent like Tristan Thompson, Cory Joseph, and Kelly Olynyk just to name a few.

Philip Scrubb, right, is a 6-foot-3 guard who scored 88 points in Carleton’s most recent three-game romp through the CIS Final 8 tournament with Thomas Scrubb who stands 6 foot 6 and is a two-time CIS defensive player of the year.

(Chris Young For The Globe and Mail)

Now they will have a chance to make CIS history, and become the first Canadian university players to play in the NBA’s summer league.

It won’t come easy though, as they will be going head-to-head with some of the best young talent that isn’t already playing in the NBA, such as former Ohio State shooting guard LaQuniton Ross, and Toure’ Murry, an undrafted free agent who has played in 52 NBA games since 2012 for the New York Knicks and Washington Wizards respectively.

Thomas Scrubb will definitely have the tougher task ahead of him, being the smallest forward on the floor by about three inches. He will have to outwork everyone around him and have his defensive awareness and shot blocking ability on full display in the paint, while occasionally stretching to the small forward position and hitting some outside shots, something he rarely did in his college career, just to get a look from scouts.

At 6-foot-3, younger brother Philip will have a better shot at the roster simply by his size alone. Both Scrubb brothers have an impressively high basketball IQ, but being a bigger combo guard who is used to getting the ball in his hands, Philip will likely get more opportunities to showcase his abilities, which he has a variety of.

Not the greatest ball handler by NCAA standards, Philip’s length and strength will certainly help keep his defenders at bay, while causing fits for anyone he guards up top. He also displays the ability to hit tough contested jump shots from almost anywhere on the floor, and shot an impressive 57 percent from behind the arc this past season, good enough for first in the CIS.

Most importantly Philip has always been very responsible with the ball, posting a 1.9 assists to turnover ratio during his fifth year at Carleton.

If either of them do make it, it creates an intriguing narrative for a lot of young basketball prospects looking to make the trip south for school, especially the ones looking at smaller division one and two schools.

If the Scrubb brothers can crack the Raptors’ summer league roster over the likes of players with the pedigree of an Ohio State, or a Memphis, is their really only one way to the pro’s?

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