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Honey Badgers Look to Maintain BCLA Winning Streak at Home as Action Kicks off at CAA Centre in Brampton

Holly Mackenzie • February 7, 2023

A huge week of basketball kicks off in Brampton on Tuesday. An all-Canadian roster for the Brampton Honey Badgers will represent Canada and play host to the Basketball Champions League Americas third window in Brampton at the CAA Centre this week.


The Honey Badgers will face Nicaragua’s Real Estelí today at 8 p.m. ET before also taking on Mexico’s Libertadores on Thursday, February 9 (also at 8 p.m. ET) with all of the action being broadcast live on NBA TV Canada. The games will also be livestreamed internationally on CEBL’s OTT platform,
CEBL+.


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The all-Canadian roster that will compete in the third window of the BCLA features Canadian talent from across the country in a showcase of CEBL talent ahead of the league’s fifth season which will tip-off on May 24. 


The BCLA brings together 12 teams representing seven different countries in the Americas. Brampton is representing the CEBL in the event after winning the 2022 CEBL Championship. This tournament features all 12 teams competing over four months for a chance to win a berth to the 2024 FIBA International Cup.


Though the Honey Badgers are still looking for their first BCLA victory in this year’s competition, they will look to maintain an undefeated BCLA record for a CEBL team after the Edmonton Stingers won both their games last season in Calgary.


With 10 of the 11 players in this window’s Honey Badgers roster having previous experience in the CEBL, this collection of players speaks to the depth of basketball talent in Canada. This window is extra special for Brampton natives Alex Campbell, Jahvon Blair and Sean Miller-Moore, who have participated in the previous two windows and will now represent Canada on home soil with friends and family present.


Kitchener’s Murphy Burnatowski joins the Brampton trio in their third BCLA window this year, along with Winnipeg native Chad Posthumus and Toronto natives Jaylen Babb-Harrison and Shane Osayande.


Montreal will be represented by Kemy Osse and Alain Louis who will make their BCLA’s debut after playing for the Montreal Alliance during the 2022 CEBL season. Toronto native Daniel Walden-Mullings will also be making his BCLA debut after playing for the Niagara River Lions this past CEBL season. The lone player on Brampton’s roster without CEBL experience is Toronto’s Elijah Lufile who comes to the Honey Badgers after spending time with the Salt Lake City Stars of the NBA G League where he was coached by Canadian Scott Morrison earlier this year.


CEBL Commissioner and co-founder Mike Morreale recently spoke with Eric Smith and Paul Jones on the Smith and Jones Podcast about the continued growth of the league shortly after it was announced that Morreale had signed a new six-year contract extension. “I'm blessed to be part of the CEBL and be part of the creation of it,” Morreale said. “We’re still scratching the surface [of what’s to come.]”


As Morreale spoke about the success of the league through its first four seasons, he explained the importance of not just creating a domestic league for Canadian talent but providing an opportunity to play at home that doesn’t rule out playing elsewhere as well.


“We structured our league to play at a time when we had access to the best available players,” he said.  “That’s in spring and summer, opposite the [NBA’s] G League, opposite the NBA, opposite the major international leagues. Our ability to hone in on that particular time [has allowed the CEBL] to create a pathway to success, which we’ve been able to do, mostly through the players and their talent level. Nine guys in the last 12 months signing NBA contracts, we’ve created this pathway.”


During the first two BCLA windows this winter, Brampton has been coached by Honey Badgers lead assistant Sheldon Cassimy as head coach Ryan Schmidt has been unavailable due to commitments with the British Basketball League. On Monday, Brampton announced that Schmidt had resigned his position with the club due to scheduling conflicts with the BBL, where he led the London Lions to a BBL Championship last week. In addition to coaching the Honey Badgers to a CEBL Championship in 2022 and being named CEBL Coach of the Year, 30 of Schmidt’s CEBL players went on to ink pro contracts immediately following their time with him. 


“I would like to thank Honey Badgers president John Lashway and general manager Jermaine Anderson for giving me the opportunity to begin my career as a professional head coach and for their support and friendship,” Schmidt said. “It’s rare in pro sports for three people in our roles to work together so well and to share common beliefs about organizational culture and values. “I would like to thank our players, coaches and staff that have made the past three years so enjoyable and unforgettable. They’re exceptional people. And I would like to thank the CEBL and its staff for providing a platform where coaches and players can further develop to reach their next level. This has been an incredible experience for which I will always be grateful.”


Morreale spoke about Schmidt’s success with the BBL while speaking with Smith and Jones, highlighting the many avenues and opportunities that the CEBL provides for Canadians in sport, beyond just the players suiting up on the hardwood.


“It’s not just the coach, the GM, the player,” Morreale said. “It’s the player, the support staff, the trainer, the broadcaster. You don't have to look much further than Jevohn Shepherd who took this opportunity and has parlayed it into bigger and better things. Joel Anthony, Jermaine Anderson, that's just scratching the surface of people that didn’t get the opportunity to play in a domestic league when they came through the ranks but are back now, giving that opportunity to a new group of people. 


Proof of that ever-growing ecosystem will be on display at the CAA Centre in Brampton on Tuesday night as Brampton’s all-Canadian BCLA’s roster seek victory at home.

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Les BlackJacks d'Ottawa de la Ligue Élite Canadienne de Basketball (LECB), la plus grande ligue sportive professionnelle du Canada, ont annoncé aujourd'hui que l'équipe a signé un contrat avec le arrière Shakur Daniel pour la saison 2025. Daniel, 25 ans, se joint aux BlackJacks après avoir récemment terminé sa première année dans la G-League de la NBA, où il obtient une moyenne de 2,4 points par match et de 2,4 rebonds par match pour les Clippers de San Diego. Il est l'un des 11 Canadiens à avoir joué dans la ligue au cours de la saison 2024-25. Ses 27 matchs joués au cours de la campagne l'ont placé à égalité au deuxième rang parmi les Clippers de première année, tandis que ses 2,0 passes décisives par match l'ont placé à égalité au premier rang parmi tous les joueurs canadiens recrutés dans la G-League. « Shakur est un compétiteur de haut niveau qui a la capacité d'influencer le jeu de différentes façons », a déclaré le directeur général des BlackJacks, James Derouin. « Tout au long de son expérience dans la NCAA, au niveau international et dans la G-League, il a montré qu'il était prêt à faire tout ce qu'il fallait pour gagner. Nous avons hâte de le voir démontrer cette compétitivité dans la capitale nationale cet été. » Le natif d'Ajax, en Ontario, qui mesure 6'6 », a déjà une expérience internationale du basketball puisqu'il a passé la campagne 2023-24 avec le KK Feniks 2010 de la première ligue macédonienne, où il a joué en moyenne 29,2 minutes par match en 25 rencontres de MA Superleague. Ses 4,8 rebonds par match l'ont placé au troisième rang de l'équipe et son pourcentage de .451 à trois points sur 3,6 tentatives par match l'a placé au deuxième rang de tous les joueurs du KK Feniks. L'un des cinq meilleurs joueurs canadiens de niveau secondaire classés par USA Today à sa sortie de la Southwest Christian Academy de Little Rock, en Arkansas, Daniel a entamé sa carrière collégiale à Southern Mississippi (Conference USA) en 2018, où il s'est classé deuxième pour les passes décisives par match (0,7) parmi les joueurs de première année, tout en se taillant une place au tableau d'honneur de la CUSA. Lors de sa deuxième campagne, il a joué pour le Ranger Junior College sous la direction de Billy Gillispie, ancien entraîneur de la division I de la NCAA, où il a été nommé joueur défensif de l'année de la NTJCAC et a mené son équipe à un record de 28-3 en saison régulière. En 2020-21, Daniel rejoint son ancien entraîneur principal à Tarleton State (WAC) alors que le programme passe de la Division II à la Division I. Au cours de ses trois saisons avec les Texans, il réalise une moyenne de 2,6 passes décisives par match tout en jouant en moyenne 33,4 minutes par match, y compris en menant toute la conférence avec 35,6 minutes par match lors de sa saison diplômée. Il est actuellement possible d'acheter des forfaits de billets flexibles en visitant le site theblackjacks.ca/fr-ca/tickets . Les abonnements de saison des BlackJacks 2025 sont disponibles dès maintenant. Pour plus de détails, les amateurs sont invités à envoyer un courriel à [email protected] ou à composer le 613-690-0519. À propos des BlackJacks d'Ottawa Première franchise d'expansion de la Ligue de basket-ball de l'élite canadienne (LECB), les BlackJacks d'Ottawa présentent le meilleur du basket-ball et du divertissement dans la capitale nationale. Le bureau de direction d'Ottawa apporte à la franchise son expérience de la NBA, de la NBA G League, de l'équipe nationale, de la NCAA et des grandes ligues professionnelles internationales. Dirigée par le directeur général James Derouin et l'entraîneur-chef Dave DeAveiro, l'équipe d'Ottawa joue ses matchs à domicile dans l'aréna de classe mondiale de la Place TD, dans le parc Lansdowne. Pour plus d'informations, visitez le site theblackjacks.ca .
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The Vancouver Bandits announced Monday that the club is bringing back 6-foot-9 forward and homegrown talent James Karnik for his third season with British Columbia’s professional basketball team. Hailing from Surrey, B.C., Karnik has established himself as one of the league’s premier power forwards, thanks in part for his thunderous dunks and tenacious defensive presence. Appearing in 24 games for the Bandits across two CEBL campaigns in 2022 and 2024, he owns averages of 11.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.9 blocks in 22.2 minutes of action. “Being able to play two seasons of professional basketball in my home province has been an amazing experience; we are really building something special in BC,” said Karnik. “I’m looking forward to coming home and running it back with the team and our fans for another summer!” Karnik is currently playing overseas for Dutch club Donar Groningen in the BNXT League, where he is averaging a double-double with 16.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 blocks in 26.1 minutes per game, while shooting 53% from the field. Karnik will report to the Bandits at the conclusion of Donar Groningen’s season. His overseas basketball career has also featured stints in Switzerland with Geneva Lions (2022-23) and the Czech Republic with Basket Brno (2022-23). “James has been an incredibly impactful player in the CEBL, he is an absolute beast on the court and a great presence in our locker room. It is truly a privilege to be able to coach and work with someone like James.” Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius said. Holding a Czech passport, Karnik represents the Czech Republic in international FIBA play. Most recently, he was called up to the national team at both the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket Qualifiers and 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup European Qualifiers appearing in four games across both competitions. Prior to turning professional, Karnik played in 130 games across a five year NCAA DI career. Split between Lehigh University (2017-20) and Boston College (2020-22), he owns collegiate career averages of 9.1 points on 56.2 per cent shooting and 6.1 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game. Karnik played high school basketball at Earl Marriott Secondary in Surrey and BC Christian Academy in Port Coquitlam before wrapping up his high school career at Orangeville Prep in Mono, Ont., the alma mater of several current NBAers including Jamal Murray, Oshae Brissett, Luguentz Dort and other recent NBA draft selections. Season Tickets and Jam Packs are currently on sale for the Bandits’ seventh CEBL season and are available for purchase at this link . Single game tickets are expected to go on sale later this spring. The Bandits tip-off the 2025 CEBL campaign on Thursday, May 15 when the club hits the road to take on the Saskatchewan Rattlers. Fans will have their first chance to watch the club at home on Thursday, May 22 at 7 p.m. PT when Vancouver hosts the Niagara River Lions in a rematch of the 2024 CEBL Final. Vancouver will play a total of 12 regular season home games in 2025 between Thursday, May 22 and Sunday, August 3. The Bandits wrap up regular season action on the road in Ottawa on Sunday, August 10 at 12 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). Individuals interested in learning more about tickets for the Vancouver Bandits’ upcoming 2025 season are kindly asked to call (604) 455-8881 or email [email protected] . 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 . ### About the Vancouver Bandits: The Vancouver Bandits are British Columbia’s professional basketball team. As the westernmost club in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the Bandits offer an entertainment experience that combines a fast-paced game day atmosphere with a presentation of some of Canada’s top professional athletes within a world-class venue at Langley Events Centre (LEC). 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 CEBL+ , TSN, TSN+, RDS , Game+ and Next Level Sports & Entertainment . More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram , Twitter , TikTok , LinkedIn , Facebook & YouTube .
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