As head coach of Canadas junior mens national team, Roy Rana has worked with the countrys brightest talent, and having coached the likes of Tristan Thompson and Andrew Wiggins among others, knows what separates the good from the elite. Cheap Basketball Shoes Free Shipping . Coincidentally, it only took two summers for Tyler Ennis to prove he could make the jump, during which, Rana witnessed a maturation in the Brampton, Ont. native, that makes his standout play leading the undefeated Syracuse Orange (18-0) a logical progression rather than a surprise. During the 2012 FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship, the 6-foot-2 point guard endured an arduous tournament, struggling in pressure situations. Matchups and defensive schemes posed challenges for Ennis as the Canadian squad had a strong showing, but lost to the host Brazilians 66-62 in the semifinal round. As a result, Rana and his staff talked with Ennis extensively regarding his leadership and need to carry the team. Ennis took the direction and loss to heart and came back a reinvented player the following summer at the FIBA Under-19 World Championship. “It was amazing to see his transformation within that year,” Rana said. “Just how much more confident he was in himself, how much more assertive, how much more of a leader he was. He really started to understand the subtleties of how to impact his teammates.” This time around Ennis was also asked to shoulder Canadas scoring load, something he did effortlessly. Ennis averaged a tournament leading 20.9 points, outscoring projected 2014 NBA lottery picks Marcus Smart, Dante Exum, Dario Saric and Aaron Gordon. By riding that performance into his freshman season at Syracuse he has been a steadying force, toning down his scoring to facilitate the team offence, but also making key baskets when needed. Ennis averages 11.9 points per game and shoots 40 percent from the three-point line and leads the Orange with 5.5 assists and 2.7 steals per (the latter, good for ninth in the nation). His numbers and Syracuses record make a very strong case that Ennis is the best point guard in college basketball right now - regardless of class. Despite his solid stats he maintains the individual numbers and accolades arent his ambition. “I dont really have any personal goals,” Ennis said. “I just want us to win the ACC and I know its close to impossible to go undefeated in a college season, but to just get better as a team and lose the least amount of games.” Syracuse has yet to lose and Ennis wont concede a loss to anyone, not even his own family. His older brother Dylan, a sophomore guard for the number four ranked Villanova Wildcats squared off against his younger sibling when both teams met in late December. Tyler was all business in that game scoring 20 points in a 78-62 Syracuse win, but still values the advice his brother gave him on preparing for his first year at the collegiate level. “He always told me to get in the gym by myself and work on my own stuff,” Ennis said. “Just get in the gym as much as possible, while taking care of your body.” Ennis wasnt overlooked coming into the season, but not even the most optimistic experts pegged him as a one-and-done NBA prospect. Ennis had other plans however. “Thats pretty much what I worked for,” he confidently said. “Not to be one, but to just have the opportunity to get to the professional level. Not to leave, but just to have the opportunity.” Still, he hasnt given leaving after his first year any consideration and is only focused on winning games for Syracuse. But ?talent evaluators are starting to take notice that his play to date says first round pick far more than it says first-year student-athlete. “Absolutely, I think hes a one-and-done guy,” Rana said. “Its his choice, does he want to come back for a second year of college, or does he want to go to the NBA? If Im a GM and Im drafting, hes certainly a guy I would be going after pretty hard. Hes going to be a fantastic pro, a great NBA player and whatever organization he goes to, theyre going to be a better organization because of it.” Regardless of his future, Ennis is focused on the madness of March. His maturity, ability to score, pass and affect the game in a myriad of ways is no longer a surprise to anyone. The summer ahead could prove to be even more promising than the last, particularly if he chooses to forego his college eligibility for the NBA Draft, making another jump, this time to the highest level. Cheap Chinese Basketball Shoes . -- Top-ranked Stacy Lewis birdied the last three holes and five of the final six Thursday for an 8-under 64 and a share of the lead with Mi Jung Hur in the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic. Cheap Basketball Shoes Authentic . The 30-year-old Kottaras served as Kansas Citys backup catcher last season after being claimed off waivers from Oakland in January. http://www.wholesalebasketballshoes.com/ . Its other five picks were all six foot or better, with three at 6-1 or above. Third-round pick Brett Lernout stands six foot four and weighs 206 pounds. LAS VEGAS -- The Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors have reopened trade talks for All-Star forward Kevin Love, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Tuesday. With most of the NBA in Las Vegas for summer league games, the sides have had a chance to meet face-to-face to talk about a deal mentioned as a possibility for more than a month. The person requested anonymity because both teams are not publicly commenting on trade discussions. Timberwolves president and coach Flip Saunders was seen talking to Warriors general manager Bob Myers at the arena on Sunday as the teams look to bridge the gap that caused discussions to stall. The Warriors have been reluctant to include shooting guard Klay Thompson in any package, which has been considered a deal-breaker for the Timberwolves. There were no signs that the Warriors were ready to change their position on Thompson. New Warriors coach Steve Kerr is keen on pairing Thompson with Steph Curry in the backcourt that has become known as the "Splash Brothers," even as he acknowledged earlier in the summer that he would like to add a power forward with shooting range. There is none better at bringing that dimension than Love, a 25-year-old who plans to opt out of his contract at the end of next season and go looking for a contender. Love has not made the playoffs in the first six seasons of his career in Minnesota. So far, the Wolves and Warriors have discussed swapping Loove and veteran shooting guard Kevin Martin for David Lee, Harrison Barnes and a future draft pick. Basketball Shoes Outlet. That hasnt been enough for Saunders, who has been adamant that that 24-year-old Thompson be the main piece to come back. The Wolves also have talked to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have LeBron James coming back home to play next season. A three-player core of James, Love and Kyrie Irving would immediately make the Cavaliers a favourite in the wide-open Eastern Conference, but Cavaliers GM David Griffin has refused to part with No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins to land Love. The Timberwolves have demanded Wiggins be a part of the deal, which has put those discussions at a standstill. Love and James were teammates on gold medal-winning Team USA in London in 2012 and James has long been an admirer of the super-athletic Wiggins, who has been a much-hyped prospect during his prep days in Canada and his one season at Kansas. Saunders has said hed have no issues keeping Love, making a couple of moves to improve a roster that finished 10th in the West last season and trying to make a playoff run to convince the face of the franchise he should stay in Minnesota. That strategy worked for the Portland Trail Blazers with LaMarcus Aldridge, and the Wolves believe Love could change his mind if enough improvements are made. The Wolves also can pay Love about $26.5 million more than any other team with the extra year they can offer him. ' ' '