Vancouver Bandits Select Diego Maffia and Brian Wallack at 2023 CEBL U SPORTS Draft

LANGLEY, B.C., April 19, 2023 – The Vancouver Bandits announced Wednesday that the club has drafted two local university standouts, Diego Maffia from the University of Victoria and Brian Wallack from the University of British Columbia (UBC), at the fifth annual Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) U SPORTS Draft. 

An alumnus of Victoria’s Oak Bay Secondary, Maffia recently completed his third year of U SPORTS hoops and was selected by the Bandits sixth overall in the first round. Wallack starred at Semiahmoo Secondary before embarking upon his post-secondary career with the UBC Thunderbirds, where he has played for four seasons prior to being selected 15th overall in the second round of this year’s draft.

“We are really excited about working with Diego. He is an outstanding young Canadian player with an extremely bright future. He has an elite knack for scoring and making big plays. We are looking forward to working with him and helping him grow as a player,” Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius said.

“We love the way Brian plays. He is tough and he plays with big time energy. We are excited about helping Brian improve and having his passion and effort enhance our culture.”

A 6-foot-1 guard, Maffia’s ascent up the CEBL U SPORTS Draft boards coincides with the Vikes’ recent postseason success, earning back-to-back trips to the U SPORTS Final 8 in 2022 and 2023. Maffia led the nation in scoring during the 2022-23 season with 24.9 points per game while also averaging 4.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game on 47.3 and 37.3 per cent shooting from field goal and three-point range, respectively. 

Maffia’s 10.6 attempts from three-point range were tops in the country, as were his four conversions per game from long range. The marksman was named Canada West Player of the Year and a U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian. Maffia’s reputation as a talented shooter dates back to his high school days when he scored what is believed to be the record for points in a game with 96 on Feb. 9, 2019 at the 46th annual Western Canada tournament in Kelowna.

“The opportunity to be drafted into the CEBL is a special privilege and I am grateful to be selected by my home province’s professional team in the Vancouver Bandits. I have followed the club since its inception and I have watched the CEBL grow year after year. I am keen to learn from the veteran pros on the roster and through the tutelage of the Bandits’ coaching staff,” Maffia said.

Two of Maffia’s most impressive performances came when the Vikes needed it most. He dropped 42 points in the Vikes’ season finale victory versus UBC and followed it up a month later with a 40-point Final 8 quarterfinal performance against UPEI that included the game winning basket to seal the game and a semifinal berth for Victoria. 

“Diego’s talent and dedication have earned him a well-deserved opportunity to play in the CEBL. Playing and practicing versus professional players will provide him with experience and development opportunities that will help him grow as a player. The CEBL has a talented pool of players and Diego will have the chance to compete against some of the best basketball players in Canada,” Vikes head coach Craig Beaucamp said.

A 6-foot-7 forward, Wallack is currently working toward his master’s of kinesiology and balances his graduate studies with his on and off court commitments for the Thunderbirds. The result of this past campaign was his best U SPORTS season to date. After averaging 5.6 points per game in 2021-22, Wallack bumped his averages across the board, setting career highs with 18.8 points and recording 7.3 rebounds and two assists per game on 56.1 per cent shooting from field goal range.

“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Vancouver Bandits this summer. It has been a dream of mine since the CEBL started to be a member of the team. I would like to thank Bandits management for this opportunity as well as my family, friends and coaches that have helped me get to this position. I am very fortunate to be surrounded by great people,” Wallack said.

Wallack scored a career-high 31 points (13-of-15 from the field) in a 92-79 win over Brandon University on January 7.

“We are thrilled that Brian has earned the opportunity to be drafted by the Vancouver Bandits,” said UBC head coach Kevin Hanson. “This is a result of Brian’s remarkable work ethic both on and off the court that has seen him evolve into such an effective all-around player who had a breakout season for us as a team leader. He’s a tough competitor that set the tone for us on many nights and he is a first class individual that will only continue to build his talent in a professional basketball environment with the Bandits.”

The Bandits tip-off the 2023 CEBL campaign on Saturday, May 27 when the club takes on the Winnipeg Sea Bears at Canada Life Centre. Fans will have their first chance to watch the Bandits on home soil at 7 p.m. PT on Saturday, June 3 when Vancouver welcomes the Calgary Surge for its first-ever visit to LEC.

Season tickets for the fifth season of Bandits Basketball are available for purchase and can be accessed by clicking here. A full seat map, price chart breakdown, season schedule and a complete list of season ticket holder benefits can be found by clicking here.

A key highlight of Vancouver’s fifth CEBL campaign will be its hosting of Championship Weekend, which takes place between Friday, August 11 and Sunday, August 13. An annual celebration of the highest level of Canadian professional basketball, Championship Weekend features a postseason format that combines three games of playoff basketball as part of a multi-day festival experience designed to celebrate the intersection of arts, culture and sport. As hosts of Championship Weekend, the Bandits receive an automatic semifinal berth.

Individuals interested in learning more about tickets for the Vancouver Bandits’ 2023 season are kindly asked to call (604) 455-8881 or email 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.