Four former Zags invited to Canadian national basketball team training camp

TORONTO — The Canadian national team has invited four former Gonzaga basketball players to their training camp as they prepare for the 2019 FIBA world cup.

Brandon Clarke, Kelly Olynyk, Kevin Pangos, and Kyle Wiltjer are among the 29 Canadian basketball players to recieve invites to the training camp, which begins in Toronto in early August.

Clarke, the most recent Zag on the list, was named MVP of the NBA Summer League on Monday. He’s one of four first rounders in this years NBA draft to recieve an invite. Although he spent most of his life in Phoenix, he was born in Vancouver, B.C.

Olynyk is from Kamloops, B.C. He’s played six seasons in the NBA, most recently as a starter for the Miami Heat. He won WCC Player of the Year while playing at Gonzaga in 2013.

Pangos, from Newmarket, Ontario, played starting point guard for the Zags for four years. He currently plays professionally for FC Barcelona.

Wiltjer spent last season playing in Spain. He has dual Canadian/American Citizenship, and his father Greg Wiltjer played for Canada in the 1984 Olympics.

In September, Olynyk and Pangos played for Canada in the FIBA qaulifying round. Olynyk had 20 points, 19 rebounds, and Pangos has 10 points with 8 assists in a victory over Brazil.

Former Zag and new member of the Washington Wizards Rui Hachimura played for Japan during the qaulifying round, notching 23 points and 6 rebounds per game, earning Japan a birth to the 32 team tournament.

The FIBA World Cup runs August 31st-September 15th in China.

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