The first, a simple dap and chest-tap, has become a sort of Crestwood greeting for the roughly 465 students across grades 7 to 12 that attend the school. As the final bell rings and students file into any of the science labs, open-concept study halls, or student mentoring sessions before going home, it's not hard to catch the greeting being shared at lockers or in the hallway. It's in this environment that Crestwood has built its academic reputation, and it's here where Elijah Fisher is just another eighth grader trying to make honour roll.

Walk through the halls of Crestwood Preparatory College in Toronto and you're likely to see one of two greetings being shared between students, coaches, and sometimes even teachers.

"Staying at home would be a big thing, because I can come home to my family, help support my brothers and everything," Fisher explained to VICE Sports. "It means a lot to me, to put my country on my back and show people, inspire young kids and show them that they can do what they want, they can be great. It's not always about the Americans, it's about them, too."

That's the goal, anyway, and it's one of several lofty ones that Fisher has. Outside of winning (and possibly going undefeated) in both leagues he plays in, Fisher will spend his weekends at elite camps and tournaments around the United States to continue to build his reputation among talent evaluators. Making those inroads for both Fisher and Crestwood is important now because the plan currently calls for Fisher to do something no other elite prospect has done: Be the No. 1 recruit in his class while playing his high school ball in Canada.

He recalls a recent challenge that Fisher couldn’t do a between-the-legs dunk, something that got Fisher to break with his normally all-business approach between the lines. "He's one of those guys that will prove you wrong and show you. He's driven by proving you wrong. He's going to show you you're wrong. That's what he's driven by: 'I'mma prove you wrong, I'mma show you that I'm that dude, and if you think I'm not and someone else is, then bring him and I'll show you that I am.' That's what he's driven by."

"We're trying to change history. Elijah's in Canada. It's a little bit tougher for him, so he has to work even harder, and we have to go down to America that many times to show that he's No. 1," Russell, equal parts coach and advocate, told VICE Sports.

After all, this is the best pre-high school prospect in all of Canada and, to hear him and head coach Ro Russell tell it, the best Class of 2023 recruit anywhere in the world.

The other greeting is less prevalent, at least until later. Once extra school time has been put in, Crestwood's basketball elite will assemble for practice. Here, a slightly more elaborate greeting—used primarily by players in the Grassroots Canada Elite program—is common, and it's here where Fisher stands out. Amid a strong girls program with four players to watch in the Canada Basketball youth system and a growing roster of boys talent, Fisher is currently the key to growing the school's ascendant basketball reputation.

"We have a whole plan of him being the first-ever Canadian to be No. 1 his senior year and also play in the McDonald's All-American Game," Russell says about the prestigious high school basketball event. "Right now, the way it stands is, the rule is that you have to play high school ball in America your senior year. But if someone is going to all the best tournaments in high school, playing against the best teams, the best players, going to the top camps in America, playing in the best AAU tournaments, and you're ranked No. 1 in America, they'll have to change the rule.

They can't exactly control how the recruiting rankers make their adjustments for Fisher playing his regular-season games against competition in the improving Canadian ecosystem, but they're hoping to break at least one major barrier in the process of achieving No. 1 recruit status.

Canada has boasted a number of elite recruits in recent years, but all of them went to prep school in the United States. Those that did stay behind, like Jamal Murray, were strong recruits but not No. 1. Fisher and his camp want to change the thinking that as we enter the 2020s—where online mixtapes are prevalent, information disseminates easily, and elite Canadian programs can attend the bulk of the best US events, anyway—that a top Canadian prospect has to go south of the border to play prep ball.

"It'll make no sense to have the No. 1 player in that class not play in the game."

Russell estimates that Fisher will play upwards of 80 games this year between all of his commitments, and perhaps as many as 100. That's in addition to practices, work with an individual trainer, and the relentless time Fisher puts in on his own time, studying the footwork of Kevin Durant or the passing of LeBron James and then taping his workouts to see where he can better replicate the stars.

This past summer, Fisher shifted to more of a combo-guard role despite standing 6'5" with a 6'10" wingspan, and that additional work on the perimeter should only help his development even if he winds up closer to his projected 6'8" or 6'9" height, where he'd likely be a wing or a forward. Some scouts have noted that Fisher looks less remarkable when he's not dominating in his age group, and trying out those new point guard skills against more developed high school talent will be a focus this season.

"Elijah has no interest in video games. All he wants to do is play basketball. ... He's just really super hungry for this sport."

"It's a challenge I look forward to, playing with competition, put my talents against them," Fisher says. "I feel like it's more of a good fit for me. I can get my shot off, get different moves to go. At my age, I'm always killing 'em. So when I play up, it's more hard-nosed defense and I have to use my IQ more. It's better for me because I get to use the IQ that I have. I was used to catching the ball in the high post and then scoring. Now I get to bring up the ball, look for different options, be more of a point guard."

All of that work is aimed at being the top recruit, as Fisher is eager to prove it can be done. Realistically, it is a little early to narrow in on prospect rankings. While there are specialized sites that will rank players before they reach high school, the primary trusted outlets—ESPN, Rivals, 247 Sports, and so on—will withhold judgment just a little while longer. NBA teams struggle to project how seasoned college players will continue to develop; trying to get a handle on what a 14-year-old will become as a player seems too tall (and probably unnecessary) a task.