Former Pitt F Joins Canada Olympics Training Camp

A former Pitt Panthers forward will join the Canada National Team for Training camp prior to the Summer Olympics in Paris.

Nov 2, 2022; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Toronto Raptors center Khem Birch (24) goes after a loose ball during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports / Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers don't normally have many players that represent their national side, but they do have one former player that is looking for a shot to play in the Olympics this summer in Paris.

Khem Birch made the final 20 spots for the Canada National Team Training Camp for the Paris Olympics.

Team Canada will train in Toronto from June 28-July 7. They will practice at both the OVO Athletic Centre and the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport on the campus of the University of Toronto.

Birch came into Pitt as one of the highest rated recruits in program history, even after reclassifying a year early into the Class of 2011. ESPN, 247Sports and Rivals all rated Birch as a five-star, and he participated in the McDonald's All-American Game.

The 6-foot-9 forward would only play the first 10 games for the Panthers, starting six of them, before choosing to depart the program before the turn of the year. He averaged 15.0 minutes, 4.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game, respectively. He also shot 57.1% from the floor and 54.5% from the foul line.

Birch had two solid games as a freshman that showed his talents and what he brought to the team.

He scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double in a 78-58 win over Penn at The Palestra in Philadelphia on Nov. 25. In the next game in a 81-71 win over Robert Morris at home, he scored eight points, grabbed 11 rebounds and made six blocks.

Pitt had a 9-1 record before he left, but had a terrible start to the Big East season, losing the first seven games and ended the regular season with a 16-15 record, finishing 7-14 after Birch's departure.

That season was just one of two under head coach Jamie Dixon that the team didn't make the NCAA Tournament in his 13 seasons at the helm of the Panthers (2003-16).

Birch spoke to 93-7 The Fan shortly after leaving on his decision to do so. He mostly came to Pitt because of then assistant coach Pat Skerry who recruited him. Skerry left after the 2011 season to take over as head coach of Towson, a position he occupies to this day.

He also didn't like the slower pace of the offense, when the coaching staff originally promised him a faster style of play. He also felt that some of his teammates were jealous of his McDonald's All-American status and he didn't like the attitude of players in the locker room during games, saying some of them were selfish about their production.

Birch transferred to UNLV, where he spent the next two seasons. He excelled with the program, playing in 59 games and starting 47, while averaging 27.2 minutes, 9.6 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game, respectively. He also shot 52.7% from the floor and 67.8% on free throws.

He earned back-to-back All-Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors at UNLV. He also made Second Team All-Mountain West Conference as a junior in the 2013-14 season.

Birch went undrafted after declaring for the 2014 NBA Draft, and would spend time in the G-League, and Greece from 2014-17.

The Orlando Magic signed him in 2017 and he spent four seasons with the franchise, before spending 2021-23 with the Toronto Raptors. Birch played with Bàsquet Girona in Spain this past season.

A native of Montreal, Quebec, Birch will look to make the final cut of 12 players out of the 20 and represent his country at the Olympics this summer.

Other players vying for a spot on the Canada team include Oklahoma City Thunder guard and two-time reigning All-NBA First Team honoree Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver Nuggets guard and 2023 NBA Champion Jamal Murray, two-time reigning National College Player of the Year in Purdue center Zach Edey, Golden State forward Andrew Wiggins and Toronto Raptors wing RJ Barrett.

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