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Leading up to SportsCentres Year In Review on Christmas Eve, TSN and TSN.ca look back at each of the Top 10 stories of 2013. Today, we look back at the rapid rise of basketball in our country. In Canada, hockey has always been - and will most likely always be - the sport that produces the most professional talent. Yet over the past year it seems basketball north of the border is turning a corner. Most expected it wouldnt truly start until 2014. Andrew Wiggins, the freshman forward from Vaughan, Ont., is dominating in college ball with the Kansas Jayhawks and should go first overall in next Junes NBA draft. Well that all might still happen, but Wiggins wont be the first Canadian to ever be selected No. 1. That title went to Torontos Anthony Bennett of the University of Nevada, taken first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 6-8 forward hasnt had a stellar year – already getting unfairly booed by the Cleveland faithful - but the 20-year-old was never chosen with the expectation hed coast to a Rookie of the Year award. Bennetts potential and raw athleticism was what caught the Cavaliers eye. Regardless, it made history and it was a proud moment for Canadian sports fans. With Wiggins playing well in Kansas and being compared to a superstar-type player, the future is looking pretty decent. And Wiggins and Bennett are just the tip of the iceberg. On both the college and pro stage, Canucks are popping up at a rapid rate - and Canada could have the chance to not only qualify, but compete for a medal in the 2016 Olympics and beyond. The Cavaliers Tristan Thompson (Toronto), the Magics Andrew Nicholson (Mississauga), the Celtics Kelly Olynyk (Toronto), the Spurs Cory Joseph (Toronto) and the Lakers Robert Sacre (North Vancouver) are all young, talented and ready to put Canada on the map of basketball relevance. Dont forget about two-time NBA champion Joel Anthony (Montreal) of the Miami Heat. When it comes to NCAA ball – besides Wiggins – theres Kevin Pangos (Holland Landing, Ont.) of the Gonzaga Bulldogs and Nik Stauskas (Etobicoke, Ont.) of the Michigan Wolverines. Both teams are ranked in the Top 25 and will look to continue the trend when March Madness rolls around. The days of looking up to Victoria, B.C.s Steve Nash as the lone productive Canadian in the Association are long gone. Whether its better coaching at the grassroots level, more interest in the sport or just sheer luck, Canada is improving on the hardwood. This is the golden age of Canadian basketball and its only getting started. James Naismith would be proud. Cheap Saucony Sneakers . Hall had a goal and three assists in a 5-4 loss to San Jose on Tuesday, had an assist in each of Edmontons next two games the capped the week with a goal and two assists in the Oilers 4-2 win over Anaheim on Sunday. Cheap Saucony Shoes . Still, its a start. Josh Baileys goal with 1:40 left capped a furious third-period rally, and the Islanders edged the Penguins 4-3 on Friday night. http://www.wholesalesaucony.com/.com) - The Eastern Conference-leading Toronto Raptors are back in the great white north for a brief moment and will host the Dallas Mavericks Friday night from Air Canada Centre. Cheap Saucony Shoes Store . Six years of waiting are finally over for the Dallas defenceman. Daley had a goal and an assist, Kari Lehtonen recorded his fifth shutout of the season, and the Stars clinched their first playoff berth since 2008 with a 3-0 victory against the St. Wholesale Saucony Shoes . -- Crystal Webster avoided elimination at the 2013 Capital One Road to the Roar Olympic pre-trial curling tournament with an 8-5 win over Amber Holland on Thursday.VANCOUVER -- Corey Perry and Saku Koivu each had a goal and an assist and Frederik Andersen made 31 saves Saturday as the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Vancouver Canucks 5-1. The result is another serious blow to Vancouvers fading playoff hopes as the club remains five points back of the Phoenix Coyotes for the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference. Luca Sbisa, Matt Beleskey and Mathieu Perreault also scored for Anaheim (48-18-8), while Andrew Cogliano and Daniel Winnik added two assists as the Ducks moved into first place in the Pacific Division. Brad Richardson replied for Vancouver (34-31-11), which got 16 saves from Eddie Lack. The Minnesota Wild left the door open for the Canucks to move within three points of the Wests final playoff spot after a 3-1 road victory in Phoenix, but Vancouver was unable to capitalize on the opportunity. With just six games left on their schedule, it looks as though the Canucks can start making their off-season plans. The Ducks led 2-1 after the first period and increased their lead at 11:02 of the second off a Canucks turnover when Winnik chipped a pass from the side of the net into the slot to Koivu, who buried his 10th of the season. Vancouver had a number of opportunities to make things interesting, including three power plays in the second alone that yielded a lot of possession, but not many clear-cut chances for the leagues 27th-ranked unit. After Koivu gave the Ducks a 3-1 lead, Andersen made consecutive saves off Vancouver forwards Chris Higgins and Jordan Schroeder from in tight before shooting out a pad to stone Zack Kassian moments later. Perry then put the game out of reach by banging home his 38th of the season at 6:45 of the third. Vancouver had a chance to pull one back with about 11 minutes to go, but both Daniel Sedin and Nicklas Jensen failed to find the range from in close against Andersen, who started in place of No. 1 goalie Jonas Hiller. Perreault added insult to injury with his 18th of the season on a Ducks power play at 14:03. Anaheim has thoroughly dominated the ffirst four meetings of its five-game season series with Vancouver, outscoring the Canucks 21-6 and surrendering just one point to its division rivals.dddddddddddd The teams meet for the final time April 7 at Rogers Arena. The Ducks opened the scoring at 7:36 of the first period after the Canucks had a couple of good chances at the other end against Anaheims rookie netminder. The puck was played back to the point to Sbisa, whose shot found its way through a maze of players and past Lack for his first of the season. Beleskey then made it 2-0 just 1:11 later with his sixth of the campaign. Ducks forward Rickard Rakell collected a puck in front of Lack and fed a behind-the-back pass to Beleskey, who beat the helpless Canucks netminder upstairs as Anaheim scored on two of its first five shots. Vancouver got one back at 11:12 off some nice work from Kassian in the offensive zone. The big forward maintained possession at the blue-line before feeding defenceman Ryan Stanton. His shot was kicked out by Andersen right to Richardson and he buried his 10th of the season. Anaheim had a great response to that goal, with Perry hitting the Ducks second and third posts of the period on a dominant shift that saw Vancouver hemmed in its zone for an extended period of time. Higgins had a nice deflection in the slot that Andersen was quick to handle with just over a minute to play before Lack made a glove save on Anaheims Patrick Maroon. Notes: Richardson had a great chance with the game scoreless in the first period, but Andersen made a phenomenal stick save on a shot that he deflected onto the post. ... Ducks forward Teemu Selanne sat out after playing Friday night in Edmonton against the Oilers. The 43-year-old has not played back-to-back games this season, but said after the morning skate that he will play against the Canucks in Vancouver on April 7. ... Kassian now has two goals and five assists during his four-game point streak. ... Perreault now has six goals in his last eight games. ... Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf took a shot off his foot prior to Anaheims fifth goal and did not return. ' ' '