Tourigny, Archambault and Yannopoulos to call CEBL action on RDS in 2024

The Scarborough Shooting Stars of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) look to begin another championship season Wednesday as they open training camp at Royal Crown Academic School in Scarborough. The Shooting Stars training camp roster includes six players with previous CEBL experience, four of whom played for Scarborough last season. 2023 Canadian Player of the Year, Kadre Gray and 2023 CEBL All-Canadian Jackson Rowe will join CEBL champions Danilo Djuricic and Kyree Walker on the Shooting Stars roster. Rejoining them at a later date is the CEBL all- time leading scorer Cat Barber, and veteran Kalif Young, who are currently completing their seasons overseas. Scarborough made a splash in free agency with the signings of fan favourites Devoe Joseph and Nick Lewis. The pair, both from the Scarborough region, have a combined 23 years of pro experience. This season will mark the first time Joseph and Lewis have played at home since high school. American guards Donovan Williams and Tevian Jones bring additional NBA and G League experience to Scarborough’s roster. Williams played 2 NBA games for the Atlanta Hawks and 4 games during NBA Summer League for the Washington Wizards in 2023 and 5 games for the Brooklyn Nets in 2022. He recently finished a 17.2 point per game season for Santa Cruz of the NBA G League. Jones competed in last year’s NBA Summer League for the New Orleans Pelicans and played 50 games this season for their G League affiliate the Birmingham Squadron. Joining them as an international non-American import is Barbados born forward, Hason Ward, who will make his professional debut with the Shooting Stars this summer. Rounding out the training camp roster are Brampton guards Shamar Givance, Jaden Campbell and CEBL Draft pick Koat Thomas. Givance played in Slovakia this season in his first as a pro. Samford University alum, Campbell, will step on the court as a pro for the first time with Scarborough. Thomas joins the CEBL as a draft pick after one season at St. Francis Xavier University. Coming off a historic 2023 season, the reigning CEBL champions will tip-off 2024 at the Canada Life Centre on May 24 against the Winnipeg Sea Bears. The team hosts the Niagara River Lions at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre on June 1 for their home opener and championship banner drop. For more information on the team, tickets and schedule visit scarboroughshootingstars.ca About the CEBL A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 73% of its 2023 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. Fourteen players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year. The CEBL season runs from May through August. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram , Twitter , TikTok , LinkedIn , Facebook & YouTube .

St. Catharines, Ontario – The Niagara River Lions announced today the players that will report to 2024 training camp set to begin later this week. The camp will take place from May 16th to May 21st, before the team prepares for their first road game in Brampton. Training camp will take place at Ridley College , as well as the Walker Sports and Abilities Centre at Canada Games Park in Thorold. An intrasquad scrimmage is scheduled for May 21st. After six consecutive days of training, Head Coach and General Manager Victor Raso will select the final roster that will tip-off the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season on May 24th. “As always, this is the most exciting time of the season,” said Head Coach and General Manager, Victor Raso. “We finally get together as a group and start building towards reaching our potential as a team. Training camp is all about developing winning habits, building chemistry, and beginning our journey of finding clarity individually and as a group. This is an incredibly important week for us, and we're ready to get going!” Returning members of the team include Americans, AJ Davis and 2023 CEBL Defensive Player and Clutch Player of the Year, Khalil Ahmad, along with Canadians, Eddie Ekiyor, 2024 CIBACOPA All-Star Jahvon Blair, Kimbal Mackenzie, and TJ Lall. The River Lions welcome former Raptors 905 forward Omari Moore, from Pasadena, California, American forward Loudon Love who is joining the team after a short stint in Italy with Victoria Libertas Pesaro , and Naythan Shaw-Clarke from the University of the Virgin Islands . The River Lions have also signed new Canadians, Aaryn Rai, Elijah Lufile, and Nathan Cayo who each bring a wide range of domestic, international and CEBL experience. Jordan Tchuente of Brock University , Luka Syllas and Cameron Bett of Queen's University , and Charles Andre Robert of Bishop’s University will join the training camp roster as current and graduating U SPORTS athletes. Jerry Mercury of Mohawk College will also be joining the River Lions camp as the first ever Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) player to be drafted in the CEBL U SPORTS/CCAA Draft . With a mix of both returning and new players, the training camp roster was built to reflect players who are looking to develop during the spring and summer months while sharing the common goal of winning a 2024 CEBL Championship. After making the semi-finals last season and coming up short of the goal, Head Coach Victor Raso has been tirelessly working to acquire phenomenal players that align with the River Lions culture and values, while contributing to the on-court success of the organization. The River Lions will tip off the 2024 CEBL season versus the Brampton Honey Badgers on May 24th at 7:30pm (ET). The River Lions home opener will take place on May 30th versus the Brampton Honey Badgers. Tickets for the 2024 season are on sale now. Visit www.riverlions.ca/tickets for more information.

The Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Tuesday its official training camp roster in preparation for the 2024 CEBL season. Led by General Manager and Head Coach James Derouin, and Vice-President of Basketball Operations, Jevohn Shepherd, Ottawa’s current training camp roster consists of 16 players. Earlier today, the BlackJacks also announced the signing of six-foot-six forward Alonzo Walker, who just completed his fourth professional season in Slovakia. Walker has experience in the CEBL, having competed with the Niagara River Lions in 2022 and 2023. Highlights of the 2024 Ottawa BlackJacks roster include: Five players with NBA G League or NBA Summer League experience (Abu Kigab, Brandon Sampson, Ibi Watson, Peter Jok, and Tyrrel Tate). Six players who have suited up for the BlackJacks in the past (Abu Kigab, Dragan Stajic, James Jean-Marie, Lloyd Pandi, Tyrrel Tate, and Yasiin Joseph). Seven players with ties to the nation’s capital (Dragan Stajic, JD Muila, Justin Ndjock-Tadjoré, Kevin Otoo, Lloyd Pandi, Michael Kelvin II, and Yasiin Joseph). Two American players (Brandon Sampson, Ibi Watson). One Sudanese player (Peter Jok). Three players who have signed their first professional contract (Justin Ndjock-Tadjoré, Michael Kelvin II, Kevin Otoo). 10 players with CEBL experience. 11 NCAA Division I alumni. The Ottawa BlackJacks have previously announced the signing of American forward Jakeenan Gant, Canadian guard Javon Masters, and Canadian guard Keevan Veinot. These players have been placed on the club’s suspended list and will join the team upon the completion of their current international season. Training Camp is set to on Saturday, May 18, at Collège La Cité. Members of the media who are seeking accreditation for BlackJacks Media Day, training sessions and home games are invited to apply through the BlackJacks portal: https://www.theblackjacks.ca/media-accreditation . The BlackJacks will be responsible for the review process and delivery of the accreditation decisions. Further information will be sent to media once accreditation is approved. Ottawa BlackJacks 2024 Training Camp Roster

LANGLEY, B.C., May 14, 2024 – The Vancouver Bandits announced Tuesday its training camp roster for its sixth season of professional basketball, which tips off on Thursday, May 23 when the the club welcomes the Montréal Alliance to Langley Events Centre (LEC) for its highly anticipated home opener.  Single game tickets for the home opener are on sale now at this link . Vancouver’s 2024 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) training camp roster features 15 athletes ; including 12 Canadians, 7 British Columbians, three Americans and four U SPORTS development athletes. Media availability to attend Bandits training camp has been scheduled for Wednesday, May 14 at 11:30 a.m. at LEC. Journalists interested in attending are kindly asked to RSVP to Andrew Savory ( [email protected] ) to request credentials. Accreditation is required. The upcoming summer campaign will be head coach and general manager Kyle Julius’ fifth season with the club. Julius coached the Bandits to a CEBL championship finals berth in 2020 and the franchise has qualified for the CEBL postseason in each of the past four consecutive years. “This group is special. We have a new core and we are headed in a new direction. We are all really excited about the roster this summer. We have a tremendous opportunity to work with homegrown players and help them develop while also growing the game locally,” said Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius. “We have some high-level talent with very high-level experience. We want to make our amazing fanbase proud and we can't wait to come together and compete for a championship.” Returning members from 2023’s Bandits roster are Kur Jongkuch, Diego Maffia, Duane Notice and Nick Ward. Rounding out the returning cast is James Karnik, who missed the entire 2023 CEBL season due to injury. Together, the five players bring a mix of energy, shooting and size to the Bandits’ new roster. Nick Ward, a 6-foot-9 forward from Gahanna, Ohio, averaged a team-high 18.5 points and 7.9 rebounds (second on the team) through 19 regular season games with the Bandits last summer. Among CEBL leaders, Ward’s field goal percentage and offensive rebounding prowess ranked him first and fourth among the league’s top players, respectively. Jongkuch made his pro debut with the Bandits last summer after wrapping up his NCAA Division I career at Temple University. He appeared in nine regular season CEBL games and recorded season-highs in minutes played (18), points (nine), rebounds (six) and blocks (two) against Montréal on July 16, 2023. Joining Jongkuch in the frontcourt is Karnik, who shone in his lone 2022 season with the Bandits. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 15.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in 10 regular season contests. 2022 marked the debut of Karnik’s professional career. He followed up his promising summer with the Bandits by later suiting up as a member of Czechia’s national team in its pursuit of qualifying for the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Bolstering the backcourt are Notice and Maffia, who emerged as key guards in the team’s rotation last summer. Notice averaged 5.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 25 minutes per game while nailing 40.6 per cent of his three-point attempts to lead all Vancouver players in accuracy from long-range and to also rank among the top 10 marksmen in the entire CEBL last summer. Notice scored three target score game winners in just his first season with the club, which ties him for fourth all-time among Bandits players. 2024 will be Maffia’s second year with the Bandits. He was announced as a standard player but signed a ‘U SPORTS development athlete’ contract to allow him to retain his eligibility for a potential final season at the University of Victoria. His 2023-24 U SPORTS season saw the talented guard and Oak Bay Secondary alumnus be named the most valuable player in all of U SPORTS men’s basketball. Added firepower at the guard position are American guards and newcomers Zach Copeland and Tazé Moore as well as Canadians Koby McEwen and Glen Yang, who join the Bandits after previously playing for Brampton and Winnipeg, respectively. McEwen brings a championship pedigree to Vancouver after winning a CEBL championship with Brampton in 2022 (then known as the Hamilton Honey Badgers) – a season that also saw him named CEBL Sixth Man of the Year for his efforts. McEwen currently stands as Brampton’s all-time franchise leader in minutes played (1123) and assists (155). Also swapping CEBL jerseys to join Vancouver is Yang, who was born and raised in Burnaby, B.C., but moved to Hong Kong at a young age before eventually spending his teenage years as a Calgary resident. The versatile 6-foot-4 guard started all 20 regular season games for the Winnipeg Sea Bears in 2023 and scored in double figures five times throughout his first CEBL stint; including a season-high 15 points versus Calgary on July 16 and Vancouver on July 23. Copeland is a prolific shooter who is enjoying his most decorated professional season to date as a member of Bamberg Baskets. In 34 games played in Germany’s renowned Basketball Bundesliga, Copeland averaged 17.7 points and 4.2 assists per game on 37.8 per cent shooting from three-point range. Moore appeared in four games for the Portland Trail Blazers this past year, scoring an NBA career-high 12 points, eight rebounds (four offensive) and four assists in 30 minutes of action on April 14 against the Sacramento Kings. In addition to being called up to the NBA, Moore played 22 games for Portland’s G League affiliate, the Rip City Remix, where he averaged 15.6 points, 7.2 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game on 49.8 per cent shooting from field goal range. A late arrival for Vancouver’s 2024 season is Josip Vrankic, who is currently playing for Gipuzkoa in the LEB Oro where he is averaging 8.6 points per game in 33 contests. The LEB Oro is the second highest division of professional basketball in Spain, which as a nation boasts the second best national team FIBA ranking in the world behind the United States. Vrankic will report to Vancouver upon the conclusion of his current season. A recognizable name also attending Bandits training camp is Vancouver’s own, Drew Urquhart, who at 6-foot-8 brings an ability to stretch the floor with his long-range shooting. Urquhart attended St. George’s School in Vancouver before finishing high school in Washington and later playing at the University of Vermont between 2014-18. He appeared in one game with the Bandits in 2019 when he scored 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting in nearly 20 minutes of action at the club’s inaugural home opener on May 9. Three CEBL Draft selections will also be at training camp; including Adam Olsen (first round, fourth overall), Jerric Palma (second round, 17th overall) and Connor Platz (third round, 24th overall). Each of the BC-natives were selected by Vancouver in April at the annual draft. Olsen starred at Elgin Park Secondary before taking his talents to the University of British Columbia where he just wrapped up a solid freshman season that saw him average 8.5 points per game in 2023-24. Palma is also a St. George’s alumnus and has made a name for himself as a deadeye shooter at Western University. Through 77 games (55 starts) with the Mustangs, Palma is averaging 24.2 minutes, 13 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game on 41.2 per cent shooting. Bringing additional size to Vancouver’s training camp roster is Platz, who at 6-foot-11 has emerged as one of Canada West and U SPORTS’ best shot blockers over the course of his three years at Trinity Western University. Platz nearly averaged a double-double in 2023-24, posting imposing averages of 34.4 minutes, 12.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and 2.9 assists per game. The 15th and final member of the Bandits’ camp roster is Sam Maillet, who hails from Monton, N.B. and has been a key cog at Dalhousie University during his four years with the Tigers from 2019-2024. Dalhousie has advanced to three U SPORTS Final 8 tournaments during Maillet’s tenure; including a second place finish in 2020. Maillet’s points, minutes, rebounds and assists totals have increased in each year that he has played at Dalhousie. His steady progression was rewarded in 2022 when he was named the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) conference’s defensive player of the year. In his most recent 2023-24 season, Maillet averaged 8.7 points, 6.6 assists, 6.2 rebounds and 30.4 minutes per game. Vancouver will play a total of 10 regular season home games in 2024 between Thursday, May 23 and Thursday, July 18. The Bandits wrap up regular season action on the road against Montréal on Sunday, July 28 at 1 p.m. PT. All CEBL regular season games including playoffs will be live-streamed on TSN+, as well as the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+ , and on CEBL Mobile, the official app of the CEBL (available on Android and iOS devices). Individuals interested in ticket flexibility or purchasing a bundle of tickets are invited to consider a flex pack or season tickets . More information can be found at thebandits.ca/tickets or by speaking with a Bandits representative by calling (604) 455-8881 or emailing [email protected] . A complete regular season schedule can be found by clicking here . More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok , as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter .

Québec natives Ba-Amara Djame, Nginyu Ngala, Rudolphe Joly and Jaheem Joseph join training camp roster

The Brampton Honey Badgers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Tuesday their roster ahead of the first day of training camp on Thursday at Humber College North Campus in Etobicoke. This year’s 15-man training camp roster brings a mix of experienced veterans and players in the early stages of their professional careers. Greek forward Petros Melissaratos leads the Honey Badgers with 12 years of professional basketball experience, while 22-year-old Ayub Nurrussion recently completed his junior season at Ontario Tech University. Familiar faces returning to Brampton this summer include Prince Oduro, Zane Waterman, Shamiel Stevenson, and Callum Baker. The four players combined for 100 games played for the Honey Badgers entering opening night on May 24 at the CAA Centre. “We have an incredibly talented group in Brampton this summer, but more importantly some amazing people and role models in the community,” said Sheldon Cassimy, head coach and assistant general manager for the Brampton Honey Badgers. “I can’t wait to get to work this week and get the season going.” A native of Columbia, South Carolina, Javonte Cooke arrives in Brampton following a second season with the Iowa Wolves, the NBA G League affiliate of the Minnesota Timberwolves. He signed with the Timberwolves on October 20 and was released the following day and assigned to Iowa where he averaged 16.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 33.1 minutes in 48 games. In April, the Honey Badgers selected Callum Baker (2nd overall), Cole Syllas (19th overall), and David Walker (22nd overall) in the 2024 CEBL Draft. All three players will look to build off their first professional campaign in the CEBL last summer. Syllas appeared in 10 games with the Ottawa BlackJacks last season, while Walker averaged 10.2 points and 2.7 rebounds in nine contests with the Scarborough Shooting Stars.