Border Crossing: Nothing to Declare but Talent
Canada Top Flight Academy (CTA) is a basketball prep academy in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada’s capital, built around a structured study, practice and play program designed to prepare players for college basketball. Founded by Tony House about a decade ago as Ottawa’s first basketball prep program, CTA was created to give the region’s top players a reason to stay home rather than head to the United States or Toronto. CTA’s teams train out of Ottawa’s Notre Dame and St. Pius X high schools.
Canadian prep teams coming south to take on top-level American programs is common, but competing as a full member of an American-based conference is much rarer. CTA’s top team, the Gold, has done exactly that since 2024-25, when it joined the Elite Prep League (EPL) as the league’s only Canadian member. That puts CTA players on the same floor, week after week, with national-level programs such as Hargrave (VA), Massanutten (VA), Mt Zion (MD) and Western Reserve (OH). Canadian programs don’t appear in the NEPrepBasketball.net national computer rankings, which rank American programs only, but CTA’s results last season would have placed it among the national top 100. CTA also comes south to pick up more high level games by participating in the BasketBull Showcase in December and the HoopHall Prep Showcase in January, where they will match up with formidable opponents in Masters International Academy Prep (CT) and St Thomas More National (CT).
The program has already sent about a dozen players to NCAA D1, with many more going on to university basketball teams in Canada, junior college and other American college programs.
The Gold team is led by founder and head coach Tony House, who also coaches CTA’s Senior Red team. Under House, CTA won the Canadian National Preparatory Association’s first two national championships, in 2017 and 2018, and became one of the top prep programs in Canada. Basketball runs in the family: his late father, George House, starred at Glebe Collegiate and Carleton University and coached the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees.
The Canada Top Flight Academy Gold 2026-27 players are profiled below.
#1 Bryce MacKenzie (2028) 5'11 guard - MacKenzie, from Moncton, NB, is a top 2028 prospect out of Eastern Canada. He was the leading scorer at the U17 National Tournament. He has great court sense, is an elite playmaker and scores at all three levels.
#2 Caleb Osman (2027) 6'5 guard - Osman, from Ottawa, ON, is one of the best two-way players in Canada. A combo guard, he can run the point and is also very effective off the ball. He is a solid defender who usually draws the toughest defensive assignment.
#5 Diego Vitta (2027) 6'3 guard - Vitta, from Gatineau, QC, holds offers from Fresno State, Holy Cross and Cleveland State. A combo guard who can play on or off the ball, he creates offense for himself and his teammates and is always a threat.
#10 Willy Nambajimana (2027) 6'3 guard - Nambajimana, from Ottawa, ON, is a solid two-way player. He can match up physically with smaller forwards while still being able to defend guards. On offense, he is a threat from three-point range and a reliable catch-and-shoot option.
#13 Marc Esmond (2027) 6'5 guard/forward - Esmond, from Ottawa, ON, is an athletic guard with good height and length. He is skilled offensively and can handle bigger guards or wings on defense.
#17 Guillaume Malengele (2027) 6'5 guard - Malengele, from Montreal, QC, is an athletic guard who can get to the rim and shoots the three consistently. He can also be a lockdown defender.
#18 Ibrahim Oumarou (2027) 6'8 forward - Oumarou, from Ottawa, ON, is a force on both ends of the floor. He is dynamic on offense, able to score inside or take his defender outside and either drive or knock down the mid-range jumper or three. He is also a strong rebounder and defender.
#21 TJ Whelan (2027) 6'6 forward - Whelan, from Ottawa, ON, is the ultimate stretch four with point-forward skills. He can play big and defend fours and fives, and he is a solid rebounder. Offensively, he is a matchup problem who can post up but is also an elite knockdown three-point shooter.
#22 Brennan Hinds (2028) 6'7 forward - Hinds, from Ottawa, ON, is a top 2028 prospect and the team’s Swiss Army knife, playing multiple roles at forward and on the wing. He can guard positions two through five, and on offense he scores at all three levels.
#25 Noah Kabuya (2028) 6'3 guard - Kabuya, from Ottawa, ON, is another top 2028 prospect. He is a physical guard who gets downhill and scores in transition. He is also a solid defender and rebounder for his size.
#35 Nazirou Mouhamed Diop (2027) 6'11 forward - Diop, a native of Senegal (is expected to arrive in Canada in the coming weeks). With his height and a 7'3 wingspan, he should play a huge role. He has all the tools and skills to be great.