Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drops 32 points for Canada in World Cup qualifier

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is back playing for Team Canada and he has them looking like a legitimate contender in next year’s 2023 FIBA World Cup.

On Friday, the 23-year-old former Kentucky Wildcat turned Oklahoma City Thunder star suited up in a Canadian jersey for the first time since he was 17. It was a homecoming for Gilgeous-Alexander at the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, Canada, who posted an impressive stat line of 32 points, five rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocks in a 95-75 win over the Dominican Republic — on Canada Day, too.

SGA shot 11-22 from the floor overall including a 5-11 clip from beyond the arc. He also went 5-6 from the free-throw line.

“It was so fun,” Gilgeous-Alexander said postgame. “Just knowing that all the people that seen me grow from when I was in high school (got) to see me play today, it’s something I can describe… it went just how I wanted to.”

🇨🇦 @shaiglalex drops 32 at home! #WinForCanada | #FIBAWC | @canbball pic.twitter.com/iWseZ99iQm

— FIBA Basketball World Cup (@FIBAWC) July 2, 2022

Now holding a 5-0 record in Group C, Team Canada has already qualified for the next round of games. SGA’s cousin, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, is teammates with him on the roster, too. Alexander-Walker added 17 points, three rebounds, and three assists for Canada. Additionally, Team Canada expects to have one-time Kentucky player Jamal Murray on the roster once he fully recovers from his knee injury.

For the Dominican Republic, another former Wildcat took the hardwood opposite of Gilgeous-Alexander in Eloy Vargas, who played for the Wildcats from 2010 until 2012. The 33-year-old center posted seven points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals in his 21 minutes of action.

The Canadians have a great chance at making signifcant noise on the international stage over the next several years, and it starts with SGA as the centerpiece.