The two former Zags have gone up North for the summer as each plays for their country of Canada in their respective international tournaments.
Kyle Wiltjer will be competing in the FIBA AmeriCup in Managua, Nicaragua, from August 22nd to 31st.
The Toronto Star’s Libaan Osman spoke with Canada’s coach during AmeriCup, Nathaniel Mitchell, about the importance of the former NBA player with the Houston Rockets (as well as two current NBA players) for their national team.
“Mixing in Kyle Wiltjer and Mfiondu Kabengle with these younger players like Leonard (Miller) and Kyshawn (George) is very important for them to get tutelage, understanding of the FIBA game, how they can play, what’s acceptable, what’s not. There’s a accountability and space from the older players as well. It doesn’t need to come from me.” – Canada coach Nathaniel Mitchell via Toronto Star’s Libaan Osman
Wiltjer has been playing with Reyer Venezia of the Lega Basket Serie A in Italy since 2023. During his two seasons in Venice, the sharpshooting big man averaged 10.9 points on a shooting split of 41 field goal percentage/34 three-point percentage/75 free throw percentage plus 3.2 rebounds per game.
In other Canadian basketball news, Gonzaga’s Yvonne Ejim was recently named a Globl Jam champion. The U-23 Canadian national team took down the Brazilian national team, the Puerto Rican national team, and the Texas Longhorns on the way to being crowned. After getting waived by the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, Ejim has been spending most of her time with the national team this summer as she figures out the next steps in her professional career.
Gonzaga has had a recruiting pipeline with Canada for well over two decades now, including names like Pierre Marie Altidor-Cespedes, Robert Sacre, Kevin Pangos, as well as Andrew and Ryan Nembhard. Ejim recently called Kelly Olynyk the greatest Canadian Zag during a segment with CBC Sports.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
