Welcome to the first Naismith Notes of 2024! We’ll catch up with the Canadians worldwide over the holiday break. Here’s the agenda for today:

• NBA: RJ Barrett Traded to Toronto Raptors, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Remains Top MVP Candidate
• WBB Overseas Tracker: Kayla Alexander (Tango Bourges Basket - France), Emily Potter (Perth Lynx - Australia, WNBL)
• NCAA standouts: Four Canadians go undefeated in the holiday season

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1. RJ Barrett Comes Home

For many people, the New Year is about fresh starts, motivation, and new beginnings. For Canada Basketball, the holiday season brought us a hometown hero in a blockbuster trade this year.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Turn the six upside down…<br><br>Welcome home, RJ! <a href="https://t.co/g9lpqqfXyG">pic.twitter.com/g9lpqqfXyG</a></p>&mdash; Canada Basketball (@CanBball) <a href="https://twitter.com/CanBball/status/1741255476828836208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2023</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The New York Knicks traded RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to the Toronto Raptors in a package that included Raptors vet OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa, among others. "I'm back home, baby," Barrett told reporters after his first win with the Raptors.

Hailing from Mississauga, Ontario, Barrett has been a member of Team Canada for nearly a decade. His most recent showing with the team was back in September for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, where Canada won Bronze. 

Barrett fits right in with his hometown team, averaging 21 points per game, 6.5 rebounds per game, and three assists in his first four games with the Raptors, including a standout 37-point performance against the Golden State Warriors on January 7. The Raptors have also won three out of their last four games with RJ Barrett in the lineup.

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2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Moves to #3 in MVP Standings

2023 was a fantastic year for the Hamilton product, winning the Northern Star Award, leading Canada to national success, and setting new milestones in the NBA. His success in the NBA continues as the Kia MVP ladder updated for the first time in the last month, moving Gilgeous-Alexander to the top three.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been named the <a href="https://twitter.com/Kia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KIA</a> 𝙒𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝 for December <a href="https://t.co/zvbzZfPyOU">pic.twitter.com/zvbzZfPyOU</a></p>&mdash; OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) <a href="https://twitter.com/okcthunder/status/1743024607656116515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

He sits behind Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid; both considered the best two players in the NBA at this point in time. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.5 points per game on 54.9 percent shooting. The OKC Thunder have won seven of their last ten games and are second in the Western Conference with a 24-11 record.

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3. Bridget Carleton, Kayla Alexander, Emily Potter Shine Overseas

Three members of the SWNT are in action around the globe: Hungary, France, and Australia.

Bridget Carleton, who will become a UFA in the upcoming WNBA Free Agency period, has been playing for UNI Györ in Euroleague action during the offseason. Just before the holidays, she put up 30 points, five assists and four rebounds in 30 minutes. Carleton returns to action this week, hoping to secure a win with her team.

Over in France, Kayla Alexander has been putting up consistent numbers for Tango Bourges Basketball in the LFB. She is nearly averaging a double-double, putting up 18 or more points in their last three games. On December 17, Alexander put up 19 points and 12 rebounds, leading her team to the win.

Our Toyota Canada Player of the Week, Emily Potter has been solid for the Perth Lynx in the WNBL in Australia.

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She’s averaged 17 points and 7.5 rebounds over their last two games, including the dominant double-double performance that earned her this week’s Player of the Week honours.

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4. Canadians in the NCAA go undefeated over the holiday season

Four Canadians have had stellar college seasons so far: Aaliyah Edwards, Yvonne Ejim, Xaivian Lee, and Zach Edey. They have all won their last four games with their respective teams, many of which rank high in the standings.

The last time we checked in with Aaliyah Edwards, she was experiencing her very own homecoming game. After a huge win in Toronto in front of a sold-out crowd, Edwards has continued to impress with the UConn Huskies this season despite the multiple injuries to their roster. The Forward from Kingston, Ontario, has scored 16+ points in UConn’s last four games.

Over at Gonzaga WBB, senior Yvonne Ejim has helped the Bulldogs to a 14-2 record on the season, winning eight games in a row. Ejim recently went on the They've Got Now podcast to talk about her growth with the team and her experience with the Canadian SWNT.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">New pod!<br><br>Caught up with Yvonne Ejim (<a href="https://twitter.com/_vonnyyy_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_vonnyyy_</a>) on her growth, <a href="https://twitter.com/ZagWBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ZagWBB</a> huge start, playing for the Canadian senior national team, and so much more!<br><br>Spotify: <a href="https://t.co/3vySdtRIe4">https://t.co/3vySdtRIe4</a><br><br>Apple: <a href="https://t.co/NpmwuwOGGc">https://t.co/NpmwuwOGGc</a><br><br>Now on Youtube:<a href="https://t.co/xAIcELgP8c">https://t.co/xAIcELgP8c</a></p>&mdash; Mark Schindler (@MG_Schindler) <a href="https://twitter.com/MG_Schindler/status/1744378313995399238?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

In NCAA MBB action, two Canadians have been solid for their respective teams. Xaivian Lee, our second Toyota Canada Player of the Week, scored 33 points in Princeton’s Ivy League Opener against Harvard. The sophomore and Zach Edey, the other young Canadian phenom in NCAA MBB, broke out onto the Canadian scene in the last couple of years.

Edey has been one of the most consistent players for Purdue this season, including a highlight game over the holidays where he put up 23 points and 12 rebounds. All four Canadians look to lead their teams to the NCAA tournament in March.