NEW YORK — It may not have been the massive breakthrough some suggested it would be, but Thursday night was a successful one for Canada nonetheless.

There was talk at Wednesday’s NBA Draft Media Day of an unprecedented amount — seven or eight — of Canadians being selected. Though that wasn’t the case, the four Canadians taken in the 2014 NBA Draft set a record, surpassing the three that were taken a year ago.

Former Syracuse point guard Tyler Ennis joined the Cleveland Cavaliers’ No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins and Sacramento Kings lottery selection Nik Stauskas as the three Canadian-born first-rounders in Thursday night’s NBA Draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

“I think this is a big year,” Ennis said. “We had the No. 1 pick. At the end of the night, Canada has something to be proud of.”

Dwight Powell of Stanford was taken 45th overall by the Charlotte Hornets to round out the group.

After just one Canadian was drafted at all from 2006-2010, the country is slowly establishing itself as a source of basketball talent.

Including the player selected before all others Thursday night.

“Great thing for Toronto,” Wiggins said. “Great thing for Canada, actually. It opens doors for all the youth and everyone in Canada.

“I just think it gives everyone in Canada hope that they can accomplish what I do because it’s possible if they work hard. It’s a huge accomplishment for Canada.”

Published on June 27, 2014 at 2:12 pm

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