2014 recruit Marial Shayok
A Canadian prospect from the class of 2014 with a family background in basketball and Kentucky at the top of his list? It’s not Andrew Wiggins. It’s Marial Shayok, an Ottawa native who’s had a big summer and is apparently hearing from UK.
Shayok, a 6-foot-5 wing, played well enough for Team Canada and CIA Bounce’s U-16 squad to earn the No. 33 spot in NBE Basketball Report’s latest 2014 rankings. He averaged 12.0 points and 5.5 rebounds for Canada at the U-17 World Championships earlier this month in Lithuania. His strong play continued on the summer circuit, and UK is one of the schools that has taken notice.
“Kentucky had contacted me a couple weeks ago and since I’ve been a big fan of that school for a while, I’d say they would be the favorites,” Shayok told NBE. “But, I am really considering every school.”
Shayok mentioned Illinois, Ohio State, Boston College and Purdue as the programs recruiting him the hardest. But before he can pick a college, Shayok must first find a high school. He also told NBE that he planned to attend a U.S. prep school this year, though he hasn’t picked one yet.
Most of his family is already familiar with basketball in the United States. Shayok’s father was born in Sudan but played at Dayton in the early ’90s. His sister was an all-conference player at Detroit Mercy, and his brother currently plays at Bradley.
Maybe the next step in the Shayok basketball dynasty will lead to Lexington.
