7-foot Indian-Canadian brothers: Tanveer and Sim Bhullar

[albiongate]

The Bhullar brothers look really raw and too slow for NBA, but like they say you can't teach height. India really needs to get them, a coordinated 7 footer is rare even in a land of a billion, much less two.

They are very young. Sim is 16 years old (1993) while Tanveer is one year younger (1994). I agree that they have to work a lot ot fullfill their potential. But you have to realize that US scouts consider them as tremedous prospects. For instance, ESPN rank Tanveer in the top 5 of the 2013 class in USA !!!!!

Sim is currently averaging 18.7 points, 14.2 rebounds and 8.1 blocks per game.
And his younger brother, Tanveer is averaging 14.6 points, 11.9 rebounds and 4.2 blocks.

[jdbasketball]

7-foot Indian brothers: Tanveer and Gursimren "Sim" Bhullar Reply to Thread

i went to go meet them (and I took BFI president Harish Shirma) with me to try and convince them to play for India. i know their hs coach from years back,

they are nice kids- big kids ( not 7 4 or 7 2-- more like 7 1 and 6-10-11 -but growing!) they are huge, they have along way to go to grow in the big bodies. decent hands , actually good coordination (for someone that young and that size) and they do have potential -but need alot of work. much of the game ( i saw) they made it foul line to foul line and were not as aggressive as you would hope. -its not good enough any more just to be big the younger one plays with a lot more fire. it will be fun to watch their development in the next year!

regardless, they are really nice kids, speak punjabi and love basketball!

love to spend some time working with them-- maybe even bring them to one of my camps in india one day? ? ?

yao singh.... i am not so sure yet - but who knows!!!! i'd sure love to see it!


-jdBASKETBALL

[mvblair]

i went to go meet them (and I took BFI president Harish Shirma) with me to try and convince them to play for India.

That's fantastic. I'm really glad to hear that you're involved with them, coach.

they are nice kids- big kids ( not 7 4 or 7 2-- more like 7 1 and 6-10-11 -but growing!) they are huge, they have along way to go to grow in the big bodies. decent hands , actually good coordination (for someone that young and that size) and they do have potential -but need alot of work. much of the game ( i saw) they made it foul line to foul line and were not as aggressive as you would hope. -its not good enough any more just to be big the younger one plays with a lot more fire. it will be fun to watch their development in the next year!

Absolutely it will be great to see how they develop. They sound like any high school junior that size: unaggressive.

I hope you, or anyone else, is succesful in helping these kids develop and eventually play for Team India. There is so much potential in India. These kids might be a good start towards building a viable NT.

[albiongate]

Sim Bhullar… Elevating His Game

Since coming to Kiski Prep in the fall of 2009, Sim Bhullar has gone from a relative unknown, to a household name in the college recruiting circle. The 7-foot-4 sophomore phenom, is constantly improving and is already seeing his hard work pay off. Bhullar is now consistently mentioned in the top 50 players in the class of 2012, and has already received an offer from Big East power, West Virginia University. While also receiving attention from the likes of Stanford, Duke, Villanova, Syracuse, Maryland, and Pitt, it is sometimes hard to remember that Sim is still only finishing his sophomore school year.
Sim Bhullard has significantly improved since heading to Kiski Prep.

Sim Bhullard has significantly improved since heading to Kiski Prep.

In less than a year, Sim has seen the benefit of bringing his talents to the U.S. When talking about basketball in the states Sim says, “It’s more fast paced, going up and down the court. You have to be able to play against bigger and stronger guys.” It’s hard to believe that you could find someone to match the 7-foot-4 280 pound frame of big Sim, but that is luxury of playing against top talent in the U.S. Throughout his prep school and AAU season, Sim will be challenged by other top big men in the country, and will be given the opportunity to continue to make a name for himself. After just one season at Kiski Prep, Sim sees the benefits, “It has made me stronger, faster, and better all-around. Playing at Kiski has gotten me ready to play with the best in my class”.

Most of Sim’s development has come from Kiski Prep’s head coach Daryn Freedman. Freedman, a former Division 1 assistant coach, immediately saw the potential in his sophomore big man, but realized that he was definitely a work in progress. Coach Freedman is happy with Sim’s improvement thus far, “Sim has dropped 30 pounds and added muscle. When Sim first arrived, he could only stay on the court for a couple minutes at a time. He has really improved his conditioning, and now can stay in for most of the game. Sim has also really improved his low post game, and has been dominant both offensively and defensively at times.”

While Sim is still working on improving his strength and athleticism, he possesses an uncanny touch and feel for the game. His tremendous footwork and ability to step out and hit a 17 foot jumper are things that most 7-foot-4 seventeen- year olds would not be able to do. As he continues to develop at Kiski Prep, the expectations are great for big Sim. So far he is living up to them….all 7-foot-4.

http://crownmagonline.com/recruiting/sim-bhullar-elevating-his-game/

[albiongate]

Sim & Tanveer Bhullar.

[sinobball]

They look freaking huge but #1 not agressive #2 not skilled #3 slow. I still think India would benefit by adding them to the roster, but at this stage they have a LONG way to go.

[bitoy_mola]

Wow the 7'4 guy has range and plays like Sabonis, India should get these 2 kids ASAP. They'll give Kazakhstan a run for the championships.

[LordOfLeyte]

I heard that Tanveer is 7'2 and is being eyed by Virginia Tech.

[Khalid80]

Since these guys r now playing in U.S high schools, if they have a good coach and work hard on improving their fitness and athleticism these guys could end up in the NBA and would make great centers since they're still young.

[albiongate]

When basketball players Sim and Tanveer Bhullar visited Saltsburg (Pa.) The Kiski School last summer, they were awestruck at the size of the sprawling, 350-acre campus replete with a golf course, Tudor-style dormitories and hiking trails.

"I was like, 'Wow, this is big,'" Tanveer said.

Others react the same way when they meet them.

Sim, 17, is 7-4, 285 pounds.

Tanveer, only 15, is 7-2, 260 pounds.

Both have solid skills and are developing quickly on the court.

They have a chance to become top college basketball players. They have the opportunity to become national sports heroes in India.

"Their potential is unlimited," Joe Lewandowksi, one of their first prominent coaches, said.

Either way, they are determined to get a good education, which is how they ended up at a school in Western Pennsylvania known for a lot of things - but not basketball.

Until now.


The Bhullars dwarf the last notable pair of 7-foot brothers to play basketball together on the high school level - Brook and Robin Lopez, who went from San Joaquin Memorial (Calif.) from 2003-2006 to Stanford to the first-round of the 2008 NBA Draft.


Sim Bhullar
And while the Bhullars are still growing into their large frames, they both are nimble and have skills to complement their height.

Sim, who just completed his sophomore season, averaged about 16 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocks. He has three-point range and is a strong passer, but he also can run the floor and finish strong with power dunks.

"You just don't find big guys that agile," Kiski School head coach Daryn Freedman said. "There's nothing like him in the country right now."

Tanveer averaged about 12 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks during his freshman season. He possesses a smooth 15- to 17-foot jumper and has quick feet and soft hands, key attributes to low-post success.

They both have improved immensely at Kiski School under Freedman, a longtime college and NBA assistant who arrived at the school about a month before the Bhullars did. They have since remade their bodies, regularly working out at 5 a.m. with the Kiski wrestling coach.

Sim, who has lost 30 pounds, could not run the court more than two or three times. Tanveer, who started last season as a backup, needed a month before he could dunk after a running start.

And while they both have areas to work on - Tanveer must resist the urge to shoot fadeaway jumpers and improve his foot speed; Sim needs to be a more active rebounder and to maintain his composure after committing a silly foul - there have been glimpses of greatness.

Sim displayed his tantalizing skill during an AAU open gym session featuring top Pittsburgh-area prep players. He stole the ball at half court, dribbled between two defenders and then threw down an acrobatic dunk.

"Everyone was just kind of shocked," Freedman said. "That was the first time I was like, 'Wow, he's really come far.'"

Far is an appropriate term.


The Bhullars' road to Kiski School is a long one - and started more than two decades ago when their father Avtar (who stands 6-1), moved from Amritsar, India, to Toronto. His wife, the 5-foot-10 Varinder, joined him later.

They had three children - the boys plus older sister Avneet, who attends law school in England.

"They left their home to a whole new country so their future family would have a better life," Avneet said. "All three of us are very grateful to them."

The brothers were playing with the Youth Association for Academics, Athletics and Character Education (YAAACE), an inner-city Toronto program for which Lewandowski assists.

Their parents, however, knew that their basketball opportunities were limited in Canada.

Varinder asked Lewandowski if he could help them find an American school where her sons could better develop their basketball ability.

The Bhullars considered other schools, including well-known basketball schools DeMatha (Md.) Catholic and Montrose (Md.) Christian. Then Lewandoski, a former Pittsburgh-area high school coach and player at Slippery Rock University, suggested The Kiski School, where Freedman had just taken over as coach.

The Kiski School - an all-boys, prep school of 210 students located 30 miles east of Pittsburgh and just a six-hour drive from Toronto - turned out to be the perfect combination of academics, location and coaching.

Freedman, who has coached at various Division 1 schools and with both the Nets and the Sixers in the NBA, has been a perfect fit.

His background not only allows him to develop the kids as players but prepare them for the recruiting process that's ahead


West Virginia has already offered Sim a scholarship. Duke plans to visit him.

Duquesne, Florida State, Kentucky, LSU, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Stanford, Texas, UMass, USC and Washington State have expressed interest in both brothers.


Tanveer Bhullar
Because Freedman spent eight years as an assistant under John Calipari in college and the pros - "He was my mentor, my coaching idol," Freedman says - some assume Kentucky has the inside track. Freedman just laughs.

"They're going to wind up wherever they want to go," he said. "I know way too many people in basketball to tell a kid where to go... I can't do that. It would be unfair to too many people."

The Bhullars are looking for a strong academic school that excels at developing big men and is close to Toronto. And they'd like to play together.

"If we could," Sim said, "we most likely would do it."

Anyone who has seen them together, understands why.

"Everyone thinks they're twins," Freedman said. "They're really, really tight... They definitely have each other's backs all the time."

Avneet used to drive her brothers to and from a Toronto-area gym. But on the one day that she could not pick them up and the boys had to walk, Tanveer rolled his ankle. Sim's shoulder would later ache because he served as a crutch, supporting Tanveer the whole way home.

"Had it been another older brother, he'd probably laugh at his younger brother for his foolishness," Avneet said via e-mail. "But Sim was more worried than amused for the well-being of his little brother."


The brothers are serious about their future - and would welcome roles as Indian basketball pioneers.

The NBA had players from 36 countries and territories this season, but none from India.

The brothers already have a following. When they visited the Golden Temple, a Sikh spiritual and cultural center, last summer, about 100 people crowded them.

"If I was able to make the NBA," Sim said, "that would be something big for India."

That, however, can wait.

This summer will be spent in Canada playing for the AAU team, Team Takeover, and the Canadian national teams.

In 2010-11, the Bhullars will return to a loaded Kiski School squad, which went 16-4 last year and also includes Serbian Stefan Jankovic, a super-talented 6-9 forward who grew up in Toronto.

It's reason enough for Freedman to be thrilled with his career move.

"I love this," he said. "It's just such a great situation.

"I have no interest right now in going back to college."

Why should he? With a pair of brothers such as the Bhullars, the colleges will be coming to him.

http://highschool.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1087336

[albiongate]

Sim Bhullar hearing from High Majors

At 7-4, Sim Bhullar doesn't exactly know what it's like to fly under the radar. When he enters the gym at an AAU event, he ducks underneath the door and all eyes immediately flock to him. It's not just his size that have people drawn, his game has been doing a lot of talking as well. He's increased his mobility, been outstanding in the middle of Team Takeover Canada's 2-3 zone, shown range on his jump shot, and played like a school yard bully; dunking on anyone who gets in his way. So far in the spring Sim's been outstanding at every stop. Whether it be Pitt Jam Fest, the King James Shooting Stars Classic, or the Nike Baltimore Elite Invitational, the buzz has certainly been there. With all the new exsposure created by media outlets and scouting services during the closed period, it's no surprise that schools have started doing their homework and taking interest.

I talked with Sim earlier today and he told me he's heard from Georgetown, USC, Washington State, Texas, Penn State, Duke, Syracuse, Villanova, Maryland, Stanford, Cornell, and Kentucky. He also holds an offer from West Virginia.

He also told me he plans to attend the Kentucky Elite Camp this summer.

So what's Sim's game plan for making a decision? According to Sim "I'm just going to play AAU this summer and let everything happen. I'll start taking visits after the summer throughout my Junior year."

When the open period in July begins you can be rest assured that coaches will be at his games doing their due diligence. If he continues to protect the rim, hit the glass, and run the floor…… coaches will be lining up next year to get him on their campuses.

http://www.flagrantfouls.com/2010/05/sim-bhullar-hearing-from-high-majors/

[mbenga]

They look freaking huge but #1 not agressive #2 not skilled #3 slow. I still think India would benefit by adding them to the roster, but at this stage they have a LONG way to go.

Sure they're slow, but not much slower than Haddadi for example.

[thespywhozaggedme]

Hi guys,
Been lurking for a while, just joined today on my b'day. I wanted to give a heads up about the Bhullar bros. They're both suiting up for Canada this summer for their respective U16 and U17 teams. I've been posting about them on the Gonzaga board, as we really recruit the top Canadian kids, and these guys are starting to blow up. I'll repost the latest news here:

The latest blurb on Sim from the Pangos camp:

• Sim Bhullar (Saltsburg, Pa./Kiski), a 7-3 sophomore, has as much upside as any prospect that was at the camp. He converted a number of plays around the rim with remarkable agility and terrific hands. He is more mobile (decent feet) than most realize and he has terrific hands. Bhullar converted a number of plays around the rim with remarkable agility, considering his youth.

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncb/recru...t= http%3a%2f

%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fncb%2frecruiting%2ftracke r%2fplayer%3frecruitId%3d103322

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recru...ory?id=5259917

Reply With Quote

[albiongate]

Hi guys,
Been lurking for a while, just joined today on my b'day. I wanted to give a heads up about the Bhullar bros. They're both suiting up for Canada this summer for their respective U16 and U17 teams

Yes, they are both suiting up for Canada, but not for their respective U16 & U17.

Sim will play for the U18 team (Americas Championship), while Tanveer will play for the U17 (World Championship).

BTW, some indian olympic committee officials should kill themselves. They are the ones who create that silly law that prevent Bhullar bros to play for India.

[thespywhozaggedme]

Yes, they are both suiting up for Canada, but not for their respective U16 & U17.

Sim will play for the U18 team (Americas Championship), while Tanveer will play for the U17 (World Championship).

Yeah, that's what I meant.