New CEBL Draft Format Unveiled for 2024

Bandits Staff • March 12, 2024

Three-round draft in April will select 30 eligible players from U SPORTS, CCAA programs. Bandits hold 4th, 17th and 24th overall draft selections.

The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Tuesday that beginning in 2024, the newly rebranded and expanded ‘CEBL Draft’ will serve as the league’s annual entry draft for eligible Canadian U SPORTS and Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) student-athletes. Results of the 2024 CEBL Draft will be announced on Thursday, April 11.


The CEBL’s amendments to its roster composition rules in 2024 adds CCAA athletes alongside U SPORTS athletes as eligible developmental players (recognized Canadians with experience as a student-athlete with remaining eligibility). CEBL teams are incentivized to have developmental players on their active roster as up to a maximum of three will not count against a club’s per game active roster salary cap.


The first opportunity for a developmental player to join a CEBL team is via the 2024 CEBL Draft. Beginning this year, the CEBL Draft will expand to three rounds with each club making three selections total (one in each round) of either returning or graduating Canadian post-secondary players. In total, 30 eligible players will be selected. The priority of selection in round one will be in the reverse order of how each team finished the 2023 regular season, and the following rounds will revert to a ‘snake format’ in reverse order of the previous round.


The Vancouver Bandits drafted University of Victoria Vikes guard Diego Maffia and University of British Columbia forward Brian Wallack in 2023 in the first and second rounds, respectively. The Bandits have a history of drafting some of the most decorated talent in Canadian university sports. This lineage includes back-to-back winners of the Mike Moser Trophy, which is annually given to the most valuable player across all of U SPORTS men’s basketball.


Maffia won the Moser trophy earlier this month after a summer of development with the Bandits in 2023. Similarly, former Windsor Lancers forward Thomas Kennedy earned the honour after winning CEBL U SPORTS rookie of the year after being drafted by and playing the summer of 2022 with the Bandits.


The full 2024 CEBL Draft order is as follows:

ROUND 1 ROUND 2 ROUND 3
PCK OVR TEAM PCK OVR TEAM PCK OVR TEAM
1 1 Montréal Alliance 1 11 Niagara River Lions 1 21 Montréal Alliance
2 2 Brampton Honey Badgers 2 12 Calgary Surge 2 22 Brampton Honey Badgers
3 3 Saskatchewan Rattlers 3 13 Winnipeg Sea Bears 3 23 Saskatchewan Rattlers
4 4 Vancouver Bandits 4 14 Ottawa BlackJacks 4 24 Vancouver Bandits
5 5 Edmonton Stingers 5 15 Scarborough Shooting Stars 5 25 Edmonton Stingers
6 6 Scarborough Shooting Stars 6 16 Edmonton Stingers 6 26 Scarborough Shooting Stars
7 7 Ottawa BlackJacks 7 17 Vancouver Bandits 7 27 Ottawa BlackJacks
8 8 Winnipeg Sea Bears 8 18 Saskatchewan Rattlers 8 28 Winnipeg Sea Bears
9 9 Calgary Surge 9 19 Brampton Honey Badgers 9 29 Calgary Surge
10 10 Niagara River Lions 10 20 Montréal Alliance 10 30 Niagara River Lions

All developmental players will become free agents at the conclusion of the CEBL season and can maintain eligibility to be selected in the 2025 CEBL Draft and/or sign with a CEBL club and re-enter the league as a developmental player next season.


“Expanding the pool of eligible players for our CEBL Draft to include CCAA talent in addition to U SPORTS ensures that every Canadian post-secondary student-athlete playing basketball across the country has an equal opportunity to be drafted into the CEBL,” said Mike Morreale, Commissioner and Co-Founder of the CEBL. “The rising level of basketball talent in Canada is undeniable, and our partnerships with U SPORTS and CCAA will continue to provide opportunities for student-athletes nationwide.”



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).


Exclusive single game tickets for the Bandits’ highly anticipated ‘Home Opener Weekend’ featuring games on Thursday, May 23 and Sunday, May 26 are on sale now at this link.


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 tickets@thebandits.ca.


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.

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