Jun. 1—A quartet of former Gonzaga players will be part of the Canadian men’s national team player pool ahead of 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifying games taking place next month in Hamilton, Ontario.
Brothers Andrew and Ryan Nembhard were named to the 23-player pool that also includes Kelly Olynyk, Kyle Wiltjer and a handful of Canadian NBA players. The team will be coached by Gordon Herbert, a former North Idaho College standout and Idaho forward who was appointed by Canada Basketball last spring after previously working with the German national team.
The Canadian national team will continue World Cup qualification on July 3 against Puerto Rico at TD Coliseum in Hamilton before facing Jamaica three days later at the same venue. Canada will regroup for two more games in August as part of the fourth qualification window.
The Nembhard brothers, who account for three of the top 10 assist seasons in Gonzaga history, could share the floor for the first time on the senior national team.
Andrew, who just completed his fourth season with the NBA’s Indiana Pacers, competed for Canada during the 2019 FIBA World Cup and was named to the nation’s 2024 Summer Olympics roster in Paris.
The elder Nembhard posted career-high scoring and assist numbers in 2025-26 for an Indiana team that played the season without All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton. Andrew averaged 16.9 points and 7.7 assists while shooting a career-best 36.1% from the 3-point line.
Ryan Nembhard has played in a handful of international competitions for Canada’s youth teams, but could be making his senior national team debut next month during the FIBA World Cup qualifiers.
After setting Gonzaga single-season assists records as a junior and senior, the younger Nembhard went undrafted last summer and signed a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks. Ryan’s contract was eventually converted to a standard multiyear deal and the rookie started in 27 of 69 games for Dallas, scoring 6.6 ppg to go with 5.3 apg.
Olynyk could join the Canadian national team coming off an NBA championship. The veteran forward is making the second Finals appearance of his career this week for the San Antonio Spurs, who outlasted fellow former Zag Chet Holmgren and the Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games.
Primarily a reserve for San Antonio this season, the 35-year-old Olynyk averaged 3.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg and 1.2 apg. He won a bronze medal with Canada during the 2023 FIBA World Cup and was named a captain ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Wiltjer hasn’t participated in a major competition for the senior national team since the 2019 FIBA World Cup. The forward, who played two seasons at Gonzaga from 2014-16 after transferring from Kentucky, just completed his third season with Reyer Venezia of Italy’s Lega Basket Serie A.