Canadian hoops analyst says UVA got a hidden gem in SG Sharma

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Ishan Sharma could be the hidden gem in the recruiting class of 2024. Sharma, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Fort Erie in Ontario, Canada, might not be on the radar in U.S. basketball recruiting circles, but in Canada, he’s one of the most sought after prospects in the country.

Josh Millican, one of the top Canadian basketball recruiting analysts and host of the “Mapel Minute” podcast in Orangeville, Ontario, keeps a close watch on all things hoops north of the border. Millican believes Virginia has landed a significant prospect.

“Ishan is under the radar in terms of American ranking systems,” Millican said. “I can tell you he is one of the top five prospects in all of Canada.”

Millican provided a lot of insight into the newest Virginia commitment, who announced his acceptance of a Tony Bennett offer on Thursday. Sharma has carved out a reputation as a dangerous perimeter shooter, but has an extended game as well.

Sharma chose UVA over Virginia Tech, Arizona State, Seton Hall, Rice, Wyoming, Northern Illinois, Indiana State, Marist, Maine and Eastern Michigan, along with a couple of Ivy League schools. He is a young man who solves Rubik’s Cubes in under a minute as a hobby.

“He’s unbelievable with the ball in his hands,” Millican said of Sharma. “He’s a three-level scorer but doesn’t dribble the piss out of it. He’s a tactical playmaker in a sense he’s not beating guys with sheer will or athleticism … he’s thinking the game, finding your weaknesses and exposing them. He’s thinking two, three plays ahead and can’t be rattled by trash talking.”

Sharma averaged 10.5 points per game in FIBA play for Team Canada and made 45 percent of his 3-point attempts in three sessions for Uplay in an EYBL tournament. During his team’s five-game span at Peach Jam in South Carolina this summer, Sharma was 16 of 36 from beyond the arc and had 28 points in one game where he connected on 8 of 14 field goals, including five 3-pointers.

“Ishan was a dominating force on Uplay Canada,” Millican said. “He’s a coach’s dream in terms of leadership and off-court character. He’s 6-5 and can score from anywhere, but he’s not a high shot-attempt guy. It’s within the offense. He doesn’t need 20 shots to be effective. He can get 8 to 10 shots and impact the game dramatically.”

Sharma played alongside Leonard Miller two years ago. Miller, at age 19, was the 33rd pick of the summer’s NBA Draft and is fighting for a spot with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Millican says Sharma is in a two-way race as the best guard in Canada with Jalik Dunkley (Mono, Ontario), who is currently at Canyon International Academy in Glendale, Arizona, but who is listed by American recruiting services as a small forward.