EYBL: Canadian connection of Shittu and Brazdeikis dominant
CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- Nike's EYBL is loaded with big time players, so much so that it's possible for some to go under the radar. However, the duo of five-star forward Simisola Shittu and Ignas Brazdeikis of the Canada based CIA Bounce can no longer fly under the radar.
Let's modify things actually. Shittu is a top 10 prospect in 2018 and Brazdeikis would be in the top 35 if he attended school in the States, so they aren't exactly unknowns. But, the duo hadn't gotten a lot of coverage this spring and watching them combine for 62 points and 19 rebounds in a Friday night win over Nike Team Florida it was pretty clear that they are more than worthy of attention and all of the big time looks they are getting.
"We've been playing together since like seventh grade so we are really comfortable together and our chemistry is really strong," Shittu told Rivals.com. "My game has come a long way. Last year I wasn't handling the ball that well. My handling has gotten stronger and my confidence in my shot."
Friday night's win moved CIA to 6-3 in the EYBL and Brazdeikis echoed the comfort level of playing with his friend and figures the attention will come.
"Yeah, I think we've earned attention," said Brazdeikis. "We live in nearby cities so we are always hanging out with each other. We know each others tendencies and together we play really well. I think we are going to get our time and we are going to force people to understand that we are one of the best teams in the EYBL."
On the recruiting front Shittu has offers from Connecticut, Notre Dame, Oregon, Vanderbilt, UCLA and others to go with recent interest from Duke, Kansas and Kentucky. Powerful and skilled, his game translates well to college but he's trying to weigh everybody equally.
"There's not a school that is really standing out to me yet," said Shittu. "I'm just talking to a lot of schools and seeing what happens."
A shooter with toughness off the dribble, Brazdeikis can play as a floor stretching four man or as a big wing with legitimate perimeter skills. He has offers from Michigan, Oregon, Connecticut, Florida, SMU, Baylor, Pittsburgh and Washington among others.
"I feel like I'll probably narrow things down after the summer," said Brazdeikis. "I want things to kind of start slowing down for me."
With plenty of big time offers in hand, the recruiting world will be watching Shittu and Brazdeikis closely for the rest of the summer and they are well on their way to making sure that their efforts don't go under the radar any longer.