Fraser Valley Bandits Win First Overall Pick at Inaugural CEBL Entry Draft Lottery. Entry Draft Reveal Set for Saturday, March 23

Bandits Staff • March 7, 2019

Bandits’ historic first overall pick will be a regional selection originating from theprovinces of either British Columba, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, or the three territories, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

ABBOTSFORD, MARCH. 07, 2019 – The Fraser Valley Bandits have won the first overall pick in the upcoming Canadian Elite Basketball League’s 2019 Entry Draft.

The closed door Entry Draft will take place on March 16, and will precede the CEBL’s reveal event, which will take place on Saturday, March 23 in Hamilton, Ont., at the Art Gallery of Hamilton.

The draft reveal will be live streamed internationally on CEBL.tv and will bring together community leaders, sports personalities, players, coaches, key officials and media under one roof in the name of Canadian basketball.

The draft order for the first round of the CEBL Entry Draft is as follows:

1st Pick: Fraser Valley Bandits
2nd Pick: Edmonton Stingers
3rd Pick: Guelph Nighthawks
4th Pick: Saskatchewan Rattlers
5th Pick: Hamilton Honey Badgers
6th Pick: Niagara River Lions

“I’m honoured to make the first-ever draft selection in CEBL history. This is a special moment in the development of Canadian basketball and an amazing opportunity to shine an important light on how strong our pool of domestic talent truly is,” said Peter Guarasci, Head Coach and General Manager of the Fraser Valley Bandits. “I look forward to selecting an exciting crop of players that will reflect the basketball talent base that has been developing in British Columbia and Canada at large with regards to the national and U SPORTS levels.”

The CEBL, the official professional league partner of Canada Basketball, opens its inaugural season in May with franchises in Fraser Valley (Abbotsford), Edmonton, Saskatchewan (Saskatoon), Guelph, Hamilton and Niagara (St. Catharines). CEBL teams will play a 20-game regular season from May 9 to August 15, culminating with a league championship playoff at a site to be announced.

“It’s exciting for the Bandits and our fans that we are in a position to select the first player ever selected in a CEBL Entry Draft. Our basketball staff has invested a tremendous amount of time scouting the top Canadian and international talent that will make up our inaugural season roster,” said Lee Genier, President of the Fraser Valley Bandits.

“Our organization is off to an outstanding start building our identity across the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland regions of British Columbia. The addition of talented players who will also be active contributors to the community will enhance our efforts even more.”

Team rosters will be predominantly comprised of Canadians playing professionally during the traditional basketball season, as well as a number of international and U SPORTS players.

The Entry Draft possesses a unique format that will see three separate first overall picks selected as part of commencing three respective round categories—Canadian regional, international, and U SPORTS.

The 2019 CEBL Entry Draft and U SPORTS draft will be structured as follows:

Round 1-4: Canadian Regional Rounds
The first four rounds of the draft will have a regional focus as CEBL teams will select only players from their respective territories, allowing each team to have a nucleus of players from its own region. Guelph, Hamilton, and Niagara must select players with specific ties to Ontario, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. Edmonton, Fraser Valley, and Saskatchewan must select players from Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia as well as the three territories, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.

Round 5-11: General Draft Rounds
Commencing with Round Five, the draft will open up for all teams to select players from any region of the world.

Round 12-13: The U SPORTS Draft
The rising stars of tomorrow—these rounds will see teams select emerging Canadian basketball talent actively playing in U SPORTS programs across Canada.

More information about the CEBL and the Entry Draft may be obtained Here.

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For media inquiries, please contact:
Andrew Savory, Marketing and Communications Manager, Fraser Valley Bandits, (604) 217-6213
asavory@thebandits.ca

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