Trust me: I've been watching Canadian University basketball for 45 years. My Dad was a basketball coach in upstate NY & we regularly played Canadian. Carleton is damn good for a Canadian University (and that article was about last years team); but, this was more about Syracuse playing poor.
Last year Carleton was unusual because they had 2 kids that were high US dI players. This year they have 3 kids that are 6-8 that are frosh & a 6-11 kid who hasn't started here in his third year. And they are still ranked tops in the country. The SUNY schools used to play these teams regularly ... And near them good. They are dII in almost every way. No scholarships.
And yet you see a lot of Canadians making it in the US & getting drafted. Both Toronto & Montreal are big urban centre. They've got athletic big kids that learn to play & are big. Then, go to prep & US for scholarships. Rare that top kids don't. Plus you have to get grades in Canada (unlike UNC); class work is tough.