What a weekend it was in Saskatoon! If you didn't tune in, you missed out on another amazing tournament that showcased some of the best talent Canada has to offer. The fact that a 100-year-old school in central Saskatoon consistently hosts the top tournament in Canada is a true testament to the dedicated staff, students, and the community.
The students were incredibly loud all weekend, with the host Bedford students adopting teams as their own. Local schools showed up in huge numbers to support their classmates. In the end, it was the #2 ranked school in Alberta, St. Francis Xavier, that came out on top, defeating a very athletic Holy Cross team in the finals, which was a closely contested match until the final seconds.
I attended every game in person during the tournament, and I was truly impressed by the talent on display. I received messages from people across the country asking about players on various teams. After the tournament, I sat down with fellow Maple Minute contributor Will Johnson (from City and Love), who was busy creating his fantastic videos throughout the event (be sure to follow him on Instagram as well). We decided to select two All-Star teams and a "Next-Up" team featuring the top five underclassmen from the tournament.
We based our selections on the players’ performances throughout the tournament and their impact on their teams. It wasn’t easy, and we had some debates, but I genuinely believe these players stood out over the weekend.
ALL-BRIT FIRST TEAM (Alphabetic Order)
Aleksandar Popovic 6'6 Forward St Francis Xavier (Edmonton) Class of 2026
Aleksandar was a dominating presence in the paint all weekend. His classic post game is refreshing to watch. He consistently established position against defenders, and when the team faced a zone defense, he effectively sealed off the defenders to create space. His exceptional footwork allows him to utilize a variety of moves and counters to drive to the rim and draw fouls. Additionally, his ability to make free throws and comfortably extend his shooting range to hit three-pointers makes him very challenging to guard.
Defensively, I found him even more impressive. Aleksandar possesses a great feel for the game and directed his teammates all over the floor, showcasing how effective he will be at the next level. He is a strong rebounder who competes hard through contact and box-outs to secure the ball. Once he gains possession, he demonstrates his ball-handling skills by pushing the ball up the court and leading the fast break, eliminating the need for an outlet pass and sets up his teammates for easy points.
His athleticism is often underrated. In the final game, he caught the ball in the high post and, with one quick dribble, exploded to the rim, slamming the ball off the backboard. While it didn't result in points, it sent a clear message that he came to play and would be the dominant player in the gym.
Kian Tyson 6'6 Guard Holy Cross (Saskatoon) Class of 2026
Kian was as impressive this weekend as I have ever seen him before. His unique skill set allows him to play as a guard on offense and as a rim-protecting big man on defense, and he excels in both roles.
He scores in a variety of ways, making it hard to believe that it’s the same player doing it all. His dunks, whether in traffic or on the fast break, showcase his dominance as an athlete. Meanwhile, his mid-range and three-point shooting display a finesse that reflects a deep understanding of the game. Kian knows how to get to his spots to score when his team needs points while also distributing the ball to keep his teammates engaged.
Kian's biggest impact is on the defensive end, where he is a game-changer. As Holy Cross employs a pressing defense, he has an elite feel for the game that enables him to anticipate passes and shoot gaps for easy steals. If opponents manage to get past the press, he quickly settles into the back line of the defense, where he stands out as one of the best shot blockers I have seen in high school basketball—players tend to avoid challenging him. His quick second jump allows him to regularly grab rebounds from shots he just contested and then initiate the fast break.
Nathan Yambayamba 6'5 Wing St Francis Xavier (Edmonton) Class of 2027
Nathan is incredible to watch and seems to constantly take leaps forward every time I see him. His athleticism was incredible to watch, as he can run the floor and play defense with such ease. During BRIT, though, it was his shooting from 3 that truly impressed me. In the semi-finals against Walter Murray, he knocked down 6, and that was just too much for the hometown team to overcome.
The other skill that stood out was his ball handling. With their point guard out for the weekend, Nathan took on some lead guard duties and looked smooth in his ability to get the team into various sets and distribute the ball. While this isn't a role he would fill often in his basketball future, it did show his ability to think and adapt to the game, which impressed me.
Settimo Yugu
6'9 Forward
Kildonan-East (Winnipeg)
Class of 2027
Settimo was a standout throughout the weekend, and I’m grateful I had the opportunity to watch him play in person. His 6'9" athletic frame instantly catches attention when he enters a gym, and he competes with a fluidity that is enjoyable to observe. Over the weekend, it became clear how he alters shots on defense, making players think twice about attacking the rim. He excels at grabbing rebounds well beyond his designated area and consistently makes the game challenging for opposing forwards.
One skill that particularly impressed me was his finishing around the rim. He secures offensive rebounds at a high rate and almost always converts those opportunities into points. He uses a clever approach to attacking the rim, employing a variety of hooks and finger rolls to maneuver around any defenders. Even when fouled, he often finds a way to score, showcasing his ability to apply the right touch on each attempt, making it appear effortless. When he goes to the free-throw line, he is an excellent shooter, punishing defenses for fouling him, and his form hints at the potential to extend his shooting range to the 3-point line.
Zach Hawley 6'1 Guard Walter Murray (Saskatoon)
Class of 2027
Zach had another weekend that showed again why we speak so highly of him. He scored the ball when his team needed him to finish 2 of his 4 games with over 40 points. He hit shots with an ease that no grade 11 player should have. His ability to get to spots that he feels comfortable in was on full display, whether it was his dribble pull-up at the free throw line, his cutting-off ball to free himself for the corner 3, or the dribble handoff 3 at the top, he just finds ways to make baskets.
Since I get to watch Zach play often, 2 specific things stood out to me this weekend that encompass how much he keeps growing as a player and how he will adapt to moving on in his basketball career. The first was a dunk, and yes it is impressive that he dunks every game on the fast-break, but this was different. As I think FX keyed on him, Zach made a beautiful backdoor cut and found himself wide open in the key on the backside which he finished with a nice 2 hand dunk. He could have gone to the ball and looked for his shot, but he made a nice cut and trusted his teammates to get him the ball, it was a simple and smart play. The second was against Kildonan East, who featured a few taller players, and Murray went to a 2-3 zone with Zach as the middle guy on the back. His talking and movement to guard a 6'9 monster was impressive and showed leadership skills every coach wants.
ALL-BRIT SECOND TEAM
(Alphabetic Order)
Calvin Kuzyk
6'1 Guard
West Vancouver
Class of 2026
Calvin is a player that I had not seen play in person. In his four games at BRIT, he showed us what a versatile floor general he is, as in each game, he found a way to let the game come to him. Through the first three games, I was impressed with his passing ability, as he consistently got his teams into their sets and found players for easy buckets. You could see he had a high basketball IQ and was an extension of his coach on the floor.
In the third-place game, he became a scorer and finished with 40 points. He showed a very good shooting touch all weekend, but in the final, he aggressively got to his spots in both the mid-range and beyond the 3-point arc.
Demi Akinmoyero
6'5 Wing
St Joseph (Saskatoon, SK)
Class of 2026
Demi started the tournament with a bang in his team match-up with Brooks. In an up-and-down, free-flowing game, we saw him at his best running out on the wing and attacking the rim. His ability to get into the paint and convert is his best skill, but he was also able to rebound extremely well. Demi also shows signs of being a good communicator and leader. It is clear his team looks to him, and he steps up.
Later in the tournament, we saw glimpses of him shooting the 3-ball at a high rate and with continued improvement, he is a player to watch
Hayden Van Maarion
5'10 Guard
Medicine Hat
Class of 2026
Hayden showed a lot of poise over the weekend as his team faced a lot of very good athletic teams. In several games, he was faced with breaking some good and effective presses and his ability to get his team into their press break and stay calm was noteworthy. He scores the ball well at all 3 levels, and is a very aggressive rebounder for his size, I noted several occasions when he came out of the pack with the ball despite being the smallest player regularly.
Max Smith
6'1 Guard
Margrath (Magrath, AB)
Class of 2026
Max had an outstanding weekend and showed why he will be on a lot of coaches' radar for next season. He is a strong guard who gets himself to the basket with a great deal of success. In the first game of the tournament, we saw him continue to challenge Kian Tyson at the rim and find a way to score. Throughout the tournament, he led his team by being aggressive, getting the team organized and into their sets. He showed the ability to be an effective lead guard finding his shooters in rhythm and also setting up bigs.
Moe Osman
6'2 Guard
Holy Cross (Saskatoon)
Class of 2026
Moe had another outstanding weekend. His ability to attack and pressure defenses is elite. Once he gets to the rim, he finishes at a high rate thanks to his athleticism and touch. It’s clear his confidence is growing, as what used to be layups are now often emphatic dunks, whether the defense challenges him or not. I've noticed that he is also looking to take his shot more frequently and is finding space to do so within the offense.
Another aspect that caught my attention this weekend is how Moe finds his rhythm while ensuring his teammates find theirs as well. While playing alongside Kian, Moe smoothly transitions between attacking and being a playmaker. This is especially evident in close games where his team needs him to take on multiple roles.
ALL-BRIT GRADE 10 TEAM
I also wanted to take some time to recognize some of the Grade 10 players who stood out throughout the tournament. I will not do long write-ups as we will be following them for the next 2 years and will surely have deep dives on all these talented players.
Justice Arciaga 5'10 Guard St Francis Xavier (Edmonton, AB)
Class of 2028
Lado Pitia 5'11 Guard
Medicine Hat Class of 2028
Lincoln Dickson 5'11 Guard
O'Neill (Regina, SK) Class of 2028
Lucien Tyson 5'10 Guard Holy Cross (Saskatoon, SK) Class of 2028
Terry Ogbeide Jr. 6'4 Guard Kildonan-East (Winnipeg, MB)
Class of 2028
As always at BRIT, the talent assembled was impressive and competed at a high level. These 15 players stood out, but there were at least 7-10 others that I would seriously look at if I were still coaching in the CCAA. The level of athleticism and skill that players have is mind-boggling.
I would like to thank the BRIT for hosting us and making sure we had access to everything we needed to cover the tournament and players. I highly suggest that more coaches make their way out to see this tournament in the future or contact me about players for next year.
All of the games are available on BRIT's YouTube page if you would like to check out any of the above-mentioned players.
PHOTO credit for all the action photos goes to @theBritclassic and @bray.elliot on Instagram
This was a lovely article, and I was very impressed watching the games this weekend too. Nathan especially is a great player that I wish to go far. Congratulations to all teams in this tournament