Oshawa basketball phenom commits to Texas Tech
Published May 27, 2022 at 8:38 am
A basketball phenom from Oshawa who has been talked about as the ‘next one’ since he was 13 years old has committed to Texas Tech and will suit up for the Red Raiders this fall.
Elijah Fisher, who plays for Crestwood Preparatory School in Toronto, is a five-star small forward who is the number one high school basketball prospect in Canada and one of the hottest recruitment targets among the big NCAA schools.
The 6’7” Fisher chose Mark Adams’ program over a final list that also included Kentucky, Memphis and Louisville because he said Adams made him feel like “family.”
“I chose Texas Tech because I believe the coaching staff and future teammates will help me improve my defensive game while I continue to grow offensively,” Fisher told The Canadian Press. “I found the environment as a whole really welcoming when I visited earlier this year.”
Fisher has four brothers and said his motivation to try to be the best is so he can make enough money to look after his family but turned down a chance to turn pro immediately with the NBA G League’s G League Ignite team. The G League serves as a stepping stone for young, talented basketball players to get a taste of professional life before their draft year.
“I chose college because education is really important to my family and I. Playing in the NCAA will help me prep my mind and body to compete with the best,” Fisher added. “G League is an option, and I don’t discourage others to go that route if it suits them.
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“The basketball journey is a marathon, not a sprint. College basketball will keep me on the right path and help me progress at a steady pace. I don’t want to lose out on the college experience and look back down the road wishing I’d done things differently.”
Fisher became the first middle school-aged player to play for Crestwood’s varsity team and in February of this year set an Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association record with 75 points in a 119-102 win over Burlington’s New Horizon Academy.
Among other accolades, Fisher was named the 2022 BioSteel All-Canadian Game MVP. The BioSteel All-Canadian Game is a high school all-star game that features Canada’s top hoops talent. Among the names that have won the MVP before are NBA stars Jamal Murray and Luguentz Dort.
Fisher had at least 72 scholarship offers. Texas Tech, which made the sweet 16 in Adams’ first year at the helm at last year’s March Madness Tournament – ultimately bowing out to Duke – was his first official visit.
Fisher has played for Crestview, where his father Rohan is an assistant coach, since he was 12. He is ‘reclassifying’ to the class of 2022 to make himself eligible for the 2022-23 season.
Canadian Press photo by Chris Young