2017 Biosteel All-Canadian Game Might Have Been Best One Yet

The third annual BioSteel All-Canadian Game wrapped up yesterday and, despite some technical issues on the big night, the overall event over the weekend was arguably the best yet.

Patterson, Maker, Win Future’s Game MVP’s

There was no shortage of entertainment at the Future’s game on Sunday night. The highlight of the game came in the first half with class of 2020 guard Addison Patterson and Shemar Rathan-Mayes having a back and forth battle for a couple of possessions.

Rathan-Mayes gave us the break down on how the faceoff began.

"“Patterson is like my brother, but as soon we touched the floor, I was like, ‘we aren’t friends anymore’, so he was scoring and I was scoring, but we weren’t guarding each other. So I said ‘I’m going to lock you up’, that’s how it started,” said Rathan-Mayes."

Patterson got the better of that skirmish, finished with 39 points, and managed to gain MVP honours for Team Black.

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Rathan-Mayes managed to finish with a couple of impressive highlights that will definitely have him on the watch list for a few high-profile colleges on both sides of the border next season.

But the number one player to watch for next year and this summer out of this game was without a doubt Makur Maker.

Maker, the younger cousin of Thon and Matur, who in fact participated in the BioSteel game the previous two years, physically looked like a man among boys in the paint alongside his 2019 and 2020 classmates.

Just by looking at him, Maker already has superior size compared to his two older cousins when they were the same age.

Makur also displayed that almost patented Maker hustle that has earned his older brother Thon a starting spot on the NBA Playoff bound Milwaukee Bucks.

Shamiel Stevenson Wins the BMO Dunk Contest

The slam dunk contest was simply put, the best one BioSteel has had yet.

Shameil Stevenson brought it home with a ridiculous 360 between the legs, while Daniel Sackey harnessed his inner Nate Robinson at 5-foot-9 to try to steal one for the little guys. Despite Sackey and Oregon commit Abu Kigab’s best attempts in the final round, nothing was going to top Stevenson on this night, as he took home the trophy and bragging rights.

Dort Introduces himself at BioSteel Game

The first half had a number of highlight reel moments, but none were better than the feud between Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Abu Kigab.

Between NAW with his “this is my game” announcement to Kigab right after the first possession for Team Red, to Kigab responding with flexing his muscles after an and-one on NAW during the second, they were truly the story of the first half.

Meanwhile, Team White’s Jaelin Llewellyn and Team Red’s Lugenetz Dort quietly stated their case for MVP’s of their respected teams, scoring twelve and sixteen by the half.

The second half saw the Montreal kid Dort continue his assault towards the MVP trophy, with 23 points through three quarters.

Llewellyn unfortunately had a more quiet second half, only playing an additional ten minutes, and lost his chance to build up his assist totals as more players elected to try to get on the stat sheet by themselves.

Meanwhile Ignas Brazdeikas of Orangeville Prep managed to find his scoring touch in the third, scoring 11 points and helping Team Red establish a 113-98 lead going into the fourth.

The fourth was a combination of Dort continuing to make a name for himself, and Matur Maker, someone who seemed to have been lost in the shuffle in the first half, finally make a push for the MVP honours for Team White.

Maker finished with 25, while Dort finished with 30, and Team Red capped off the event with a 155-135 win over Team White.

Overall, the weekend was one of the better ones that has taken place in the young history of this game, but above all else it wasn’t without its flaws.

Toronto Raptors

The fact that the game has not officially been made to graduating class only, like in the McDonald’s All-American, has been an odd decision at best. Of the 24 players on the roster, only 14 were graduating this year. The fact is that all ten of those spots could have been given to uncommitted seniors that truly would of needed this more than their younger counterparts in exposure.

In the end, this is supposed to be about the kids right?

Despite that issue I have with this event, it was a must-watch this year, the players maintained a competitiveness throughout, the facilities were top-notch (except for the wi-fi, at times), and the celebrities that came out were some of the top class of Toronto sports. Donovan Bailey, DeMar DeRozan and Chad Owens just to name a few, were all on hand to support their younger counterparts.

Next: Toronto Blue Jays Home Opener Live Thread

Once again, if you are a true hoops fan, this is something you need to experience in your life.