The Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), Canada’s largest professional sports league, announced today that the team has signed forward Rueadale “Rudi” Williams to a contract for the 2025 season.
Williams, a 6’ 2” native of Hamilton, Ont., returns to the CEBL after previously participating in two games for the Edmonton Stingers during the 2023 season which began upon the completion of his collegiate career at Brigham Young University (Big 12) in 2022-23. The NCAA campaign saw him suit up as a graduate student where he entered the Cougars record books as one of three players in program history to record at least 25 points or more off the bench three times in a single season.
“We are really excited to add one of the top Canadian talents currently playing overseas,” said BlackJacks general manager James Derouin. “Rudi’s combination of skill, work ethic and commitment to winning is going to be a perfect fit for the culture we are building here in Ottawa and we are looking forward to seeing him compete in what will be his first extended run of CEBL play.”
Williams has spent the 2024-25 season with Egis Kormend of the NBIA (Hungary) where he currently leads the league in points-per-game (23.1) while also pacing his team in assists-per-game (5.6) and steals-per-game (2.0) while ranking in a tie for first in rebounds per-game (5.9) and minutes per-game (34.4). Having suited up for each of his club’s 22 regular season contests this year, the 26-year-old has registered at least 20 points in 17 of those instances and has produced at least 30 points in a game three times this season capped by a 31-point, eight rebound effort on Dec. 14 vs. Sopron KC.
He spent his first full professional season with ece bulls Kapfenberg in A Bundeslig (Austria) where he led the team in assists-per-game (4.6), ranked second in points-per-game (19.9) and sat third in rebounds-per-game (5.2) on a team which included Ottawa native and former CEBL guard, Ali Sow.
After spending his junior season with the Kansas State Wildcats (Big 12), his senior year saw him participate with the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (Sun Belt) in 2021-22, where he played in all of his teams 33 games and ranked second on the club in points-per-game (14.7) to place ninth in the conference in scoring. He led the team in steals with 48 while becoming the only player to eclipse 30 points in a game, which he did on two occasions.
Williams began his collegiate career with Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (NJCAA) in 2018, where he was named the 2020 NJCAA Region II Player of the Year and helped lead the Norsemen to a 52-14 record across his two seasons with the program while establishing school records for career assists (492) and assists in a season (267).
He becomes the first Canadian player to sign with the BlackJacks for the 2025 season.
Flexible ticket packages are currently available to purchase by visiting
theblackjacks.ca/tickets.
BlackJacks 2025 season-seat memberships are available now. For additional details, fans are encouraged to email
[email protected] or call 613-690-0519.
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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 75% of its rosters being Canadian and a record 12 players with NBA experience in 2024. Players also bring experience from the NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, NCAA programs, as well as U SPORTS and CCAA. More than 20 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 with games broadcast live on
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