2024 CEBL Draft Results

We are inching closer and closer to the start of the 2024 CEBL season. While many rosters have mostly been solidified, the three round U Sports draft will help fill out a couple remaining spots. If you are unfamiliar with the new CEBL draft format, here is a link to explain how it works: https://www.cebl.ca/new-cebl-draft-format-unveiled-for-2024

With that being said, here are each teams three selections and my thoughts!

Scarborough Shooting Stars

Round 1: Malcolm Christie (Dalhousie University)

Round 2: Koat Thomas (STFX)

Round 3: Davante Hackett (Brock University)

I thought it was only fitting to choose the 2023 champs as the first set of picks to cover. They had two of their draft picks be pivotal parts of their rotation late in the season and all the way to their eventual championship win. While one of them was no longer draft eligible (David Muenkat), and they decided not to go with David Walker either. I love the pick of Malcolm Christie. Fantastic shooter with good athleticism as well. His defending isn't the best, but in a bench scorer roll he would do really well. He has had some really big performances the last two seasons for Dalhousie and it's great to see him get a chance at the pro level. As for the other two selections, both Thomas and Hackett are coming off their first seasons in U Sports. Both of them had more minutes played down the stretch, and I assume these are picks more so for the future. Neither are great shooters but seem to be able to finish around the rim decently well. Interesting enough that all three of their selections are guards, but I would assume that Christie will be the only one getting important playing time.

Calgary Surge

Round 1: Dondre Reddick (STFX)

Round 2: Mike Demagus (McMaster University)

Round 3: Noah Wharton (University of Calgary)

If we started with the reigning champs, we should go next to the 2023 runners up. Another team to select all guards, which to me, with the Surge especially is weird. Not sure how much time each of them will get, but it should be interesting. All three of Reddick, Demagus and Wharton are coming off of great seasons and hopefully can keep that momentum going. Both Reddick and Demagus are not shooting threats, better at getting to the rim and are great in transition. They are taller guards that will bring a different element to the team. When it comes to Wharton, he brings a little bit of a different style than the other two picks. He is super shifty and more of a distributor. He also is a great three point shooter, having bounced back from a slump last season. Interesting selections from the Surge.

Niagara River Lions

Round 1: Jordan Tchuente (Brock Unversity)

Round 2: Luka Syllas (Queen's University)

Round 3: Jerry Jr. Mercury (Mohawk College)

With the new format, there was the ability to now draft CCAA players, not just U Sports athletes and we didn't have to wait too long to find out if one would be selected. First off, the River Lions bringing back Tchuente is great. This will be his fourth year with the team, and I think it will be the one where he contributes the most. He is a do it all forward who can score at three levels, rebound and isn't afraid to have the ball in his hands. Their second round pick was also a good one, bringing in one of the Syllas brothers. Luka had a breakout season this past year, being the main scoring option for the Gaels. He showed the ability to rebound his own misses inside and distributed the ball decently well. And now to the first ever CCAA draft pick. Mercury dominated the OCAA this year, playing more so as a forward. He showed a great blend of scoring and rebounding, doing most of his damage on the inside at both ends. He is a streaky three point shooter, but when hot, he can't miss. Interested to see how each of their roles shake out, as I can definitely see Tchuente playing. Not sure about the other two.

Vancouver Bandits

Round 1: Adam Olsen (UBC)

Round 2: Jerric Palma (Western University)

Round 3: Connor Platz (TWU)

The Bandits went with a little mix of older and younger players here in 2024. Their first round selection Adam Olsen is a first year forward that saw lots of playing time with the Thunderbirds. Scoring well at a decent clip and showed he can do it inside and a little bit outside. He has size, but played more so on the perimeter. Intrigued to see how much he plays. Palma from Western had a super hot beginning to 2023, then cooled off quite a bit into 2024. But nonetheless, he's a good scorer and really good shooter that can fill it up. Being more experienced as a fourth year, I would be curious to see if he gets some run. Platz is a bit more in the middle as a third year (and also being a centre) who showed decent ability to be a force on the inside. He took a lot of shots on the inside, but also showed that he's been working on his range from deep. I could see all three of these guys get an opportunity to play a little bit and be somewhat effective.

Ottawa Blackjacks

Round 1: Dragan Stajic (U of Ottawa)

Round 2: Justin Ndjock-Tadjore (U of Ottawa)

Round 3: Michael Kelvin II (Queen's University)

Some interesting selections from the Blackjacks. In 2023 they did not use many of their U Sports players, mainly using those roster spots as ways to develop players. This season I believe they are doing the same and also selected some very close to home talent. This will be Stajic's second season with the Blackjacks, after being a selection in 2023. A great defender, Stajic is due for some steals, getting his hands in on ball handlers quite often. He rebounds well for a guard and is a good passer. Not a great scorer, but shoots decent percentages when he does. His teammate Ndjock-Tadjore was also selected by the Gee-Gee's. He brings size, athleticism and good inside scoring. He rebounds decently for playing mostly on the wing. I can see Ndjock-Tadjore getting some playing time with his playstyle for the Blackjacks. Finally, the third round pick, Kelvin II has a similar build to Ndjock-Tadjore, but has a better ability to hit shots on the outside. Kelvin only ended up playing in one game this season, so I am curious to see if this is mainly just a development slot for him to get prepared for next season. An interesting group of players that I am not 100% sure where they stand on their roster.

Edmonton Stingers

Round 1: Aaron Rhooms (TMU)

Round 2: Taye Donald (Wilfrid Laurier University)

Round 3: Nate Petrone (University of Calgary)

This class might be one of my favourites of the ten teams. All three of these players are bucket-getters that can fill it up anywhere on the floor. Each of them were their leading scorers on their team and all three should be contributors for the Stingers this summer. While Edmonton is one of the deeper teams once again in 2024, not so much in the guard positions. I would expect to see at least one of these guys crack into coach Jordan Baker's typical rotation. Great gets for the Stingers and should allow them to be even deeper for the upcoming summer.

Brampton Honey Badgers

Round 1: Callum Baker (Toronto University)

Round 2: Cole Syllas (Queen's University)

Round 3: David Walker (TMU)

Next to the Stingers class, this one from the Honey Badgers is another one of my favourites. It is a mix of a returnee, and two new players, but with familiarity in the CEBL. Callum Baker was with Brampton last season and had a couple opportunities to showcase his abilities, which he did decently well. He is a great shooter and scores the ball really well. He is also a really good ball handler and could most certainly run the point for long stretches. My assumption is that with Baker having taken another step this season with the Varsity Blues, he will get more run this summer. That is also to say that with the Honey Badgers current roster makeup, that would allow any of these players to get a lot of playing time. Cole Syllas was with the Ottawa Blackjacks in 2023, but somewhat like Baker, never really got an opportunity to play. While Syllas had a down year, he can still be an impact player for this Brampton roster. A great finisher and rebounder inside. He isn't a great shooter, but he did hit the game winning three in the OUA championship game, so go figure. David Walker is an absolute steal here in the third round. He got a lot of run in the back half of 2023 with the Shooting Stars and played really well along side David Muenkat off the bench. He is fantastic in the mid range and a great finisher at the rim. He is a good athlete and loves running the floor. With that athleticism, he is really good at jumping passing lanes. Great job from the Honey Badgers front office this year.

Winnipeg Sea Bears

Round 1: Simon Hildebrandt (UofM)

Round 2: Tyler Sagl (Lakehead University)

Round 3: Shawn Maranan (UofW)

The Sea Bears decided to run it back in 2024, while bringing in another player they are really familiar with in the third round. Simon Hildebrandt was the 2023 CEBL U Sports Player of the Year and showed that his breakout wasn't just a fluke when he made it to the pros. Hildebrandt is the primary player for the Bisons, and has more in a bench role with the Sea Bears. He is a good shooter, while also being able to play on the perimeter and put the ball on the floor. He rebounded well for his first season and I expect him to have an even bigger role this summer. Tyler Sagl was also with Winnipeg last year and played sparingly. While he did not get too many opportunities, I thought he played well when given the chance. Sagl is a great spot up shooter that fights hard on defence. With the strength of the roster, I would assume he is in the same position as last year, but I may be surprised. The third and final pick was not a surprise to anyone if they watched any Wesmen games this season. You could call it a breakout year for Shawn Maranan if you didn't know he had that ability. A shifty point guard that distributes to teammates really well and shoots the three at a good clip. While Sagl may not get much time, I could see Maranan getting a good amount of run because of the current roster make-up. But we will have to see how the rest of the roster shakes out.

Montreal Alliance

Round 1: Ismael Diouf (University of Laval)

Round 2: Bahaide Haidara (UQAM)

Round 3: Renoldo Robinson (University of Victoria)

This is somewhat an interesting class for the Alliance. They have been very adamant about only bringing in local/French talent to their squad and they continued that here. Ismael Diouf was apart of this years Laval team that won the National championship. Only in his second season, he's shown the ability to score inside as a forward, have a bit of range and rebound at a decent rate. Haidara was a Alliance pick in 2023 and returns after another good season with les Citadins. A previous RSEQ Defensive Player of the Year, he continued that in 2023-2024. While his offence needs some work, he has showed flashes of being good on that side of the ball. My favourite pick of the three is Robinson. Playing next to Diego Maffia as a scorer isn't the best case scenario, but when Maffia went down Robinson showed he can be the next man up. He loves to get to the rim, but also has the ability to get hot from deep. To me, he is the best candidate to get some run with Montreal this summer.

Saskatchewan Rattlers

Round 1: Elias Ralph (University of Victoria)

Round 2: Alexander Dewar (University of Saskatchewan)

Round 3: Isaac Simon (University of Alberta)

The tenth and final class is that of the Rattlers. Another somewhat interesting class, but one that makes sense for them. Their first round pick was the Robin to Diego Maffia's Batman in Victoria, Elias Ralph. He is a tall, smooth guard that can put the ball on the deck, finish a little at the rim and shoot the ball from deep. While playing more so on the perimeter, he rebounds really well. Really smart pick up for Saskatchewan. Their next pick, Alexander Dewar, had previously been with the Rattlers in 2021. Dewar is a great finisher with a little bit of shooting touch. Rebounds at a good rate for a guard, but really isn't too much of a playmaker. Solid choice by the Rattlers. The final pick that I will cover for this article is Isaac Simon. Simon was a choice by the Rattlers last season and will be with them once again in 2024. His time last summer certainly helped him in his second year at the U Sports level, as all of his counting statistics went up. He also looked more poised and comfortable playing at the collegiate level. He got a bit of playing time to begin the 2023 CEBL season, not sure if his role will expand this summer or not.

I have now gone through all 30 selections from the 2024 CEBL Draft! While the off-season isn't over yet, most teams still have a couple spots left on their roster to fill. Keep up to date here on the Maple Minute with my running free agency article, updated almost every single day, and a lot more content coming up next month with team previews, as well as an overall league preview. Stay tuned!