Jay Triano recalls a Canadian basketball team practice he was coaching in 2012. Steve Nash was at the opposite end of the court working with a 12-year-old boy and the scene caught Triano鈥檚 eye.

The boy was R.J. Barrett.

鈥淲e were just like OK, (Barrett鈥檚) got a chance to be really good,鈥欌�� Triano marvelled. 鈥淎nd sure enough, he鈥檚 just kept getting better and better and better.鈥�

Triano has Barrett, who just turned 18, under his guidance with the Canadian senior men鈥檚 team for the first time ahead of two World Cup qualifying games. Canada hosts the Dominican Republic on Friday at Toronto鈥檚 Ricoh Coliseum, then the U.S. Virgin Islands on Monday in Ottawa.

The team practised Wednesday at Ryerson University鈥檚 Mattamy Athletic Centre, and it wasn鈥檛 lost on Triano that he鈥檇 coached Barrett鈥檚 dad Rowan, who paced the sidelines of Wednesday鈥檚 practice as the assistant GM of the men鈥檚 program.

R.J. was born in June of 2000, just three months before Triano coached Rowan, Nash & Co. at the Sydney Olympics.

鈥淚 think we let Rowan miss practice one day so he could be around for the birth of his child,鈥� Triano laughed. 鈥滺is child happens to be on the court right now. It ages us real quick.鈥�

Barrett made his senior team debut in a pair of exhibition wins over China last weekend, finishing with 37 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists in the two games combined, and playing with the self-assurance of a veteran.

鈥淗e鈥檚 really good. Super talented. He鈥檚 a freak athletically,鈥� said Miami Heat centre Kelly Olynyk. 鈥滺e sees the game really well, has a vast skill set 鈥� which is going to help him 鈥� and if he just keeps growing and keeps growing鈥� Right now he鈥檚 an unbelievable player, but if he makes everyone around him that much better, he鈥檚 going to be one of those guys who鈥檚 unstoppable and a franchise person who鈥檚 at a high level for basketball.鈥�

Barrett, a crafty left-handed wing from Mississauga, Ont., said his game can only get better playing for Canada ahead of his freshman season at Duke.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very different, different speed, different physicality. Even mentally you have to learn a lot of plays. It鈥檚 just a lot different playing with men than playing with younger people,鈥� Barrett said. 鈥淩eally, (I鈥檓) just trying to gain a competitive advantage over people, other freshmen maybe that are going into college next year. Not a lot of people have played at the men鈥檚 level, I鈥檓 playing with NBA guys every day, so not a lot of people can say that.鈥�

READ MORE:

Those NBA guys, meanwhile, have watched Barrett grow up.

鈥淗e had feet that couldn鈥檛 fit his body, he had big floppers, running around, flopping around with his feet,鈥� Cory Joseph laughed, describing a younger Barrett. 鈥滺e was always talented. I just remember his dad putting him through drills and working with him and always playing with the older guys for countless hours. He loved the gym, loved to work and I just see how good he is now and he鈥檒l just continue to get better.鈥�

Barrett鈥檚 jump to the senior squad comes on the heels of an eye-popping high school campaign. He led Florida鈥檚 Montverde Academy to a 31-0 record, and was named the Gatorade U.S. national player of the year, the U.S. high school title, the Naismith Prep Player of the Year, and the MVP of the Nike Hoop Summit.

Last summer, Barrett led Canada to a historic victory at the U19 world championships, earning MVP honours.

Triano likes Barrett鈥檚 coachability.

鈥淗e鈥檚 got a competitiveness in him that he wants to be good, so anything we ask of him or we tell him, he takes it in and he applies it. He spends a lot of time getting better and he鈥檚 had good coaching in the past, and he seems very open to coaching,鈥� he said.

鈥淗e鈥檚 got a little bit of that 鈥� as they call it, the dog in him. He鈥檚 got that. He鈥檚 got that ability. When the game comes on, or if it鈥檚 a competitive situation, he鈥檚 going to go all out.鈥�

Canada takes a 3-1 record into its final two games of the first round of qualifying. The Canadians, who are looking for their first World Cup berth since 2010, have already clinched a spot in the second round which will see games in September, November and February.

FIBA drastically changed qualifying criteria, which for Canada used to mean earning a top spot in the FIBA Americas tournament often held in a far-flung location.

So the Canadian players are cherishing the chance to play meaningful games at home. And Triano said Barrett鈥檚 emergence on the senior level, particularly in front of a home crowd, comes at the perfect time.

鈥淲hen we鈥檝e watched his progression over the last couple years, we鈥檝e known that he was going to be part of the national team and he was going to have a great basketball career in front of him. The fact that it鈥檚 happening now is good for us,鈥� Triano said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e playing in our country, he gets a chance to play in his home city, which is great, and he鈥檚 been really good so far.鈥�

The Canadian Press

Like us on and follow us on .