Honey Badgers Sign Hometown Guard Shamar Givance

The Brampton Honey Badgers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Thursday that they have signed hometown-guard Shamar Givance for the upcoming inaugural season. Givance returns home to Brampton following a 150-game collegiate career at the University of Evansville and most recently, at the University of Texas El Paso.

The five-foot-10 guard averaged 11.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.9 steals in 32 games, finishing third in the Conference USA in steals and assists per game. Givance showcased his defensive skill set with a career-high seven-steal performance against the University of Alabama at Birmingham on December 28, helping to secure eighth spot in school history with 62 steals on the season. Givance joined the Miners as a graduate transfer student following a four-year journey at the University of Evansville. During his senior year with the Aces, Givance reached the 1,000-point mark in his final home game at Evansville, becoming the 52nd player in program history to reach that accomplishment. 

“Shamar is a gifted playmaker and a proven scorer at the collegiate level” said Jermaine Anderson, general manager and vice-president of basketball operations. “It’s only fitting that his professional journey begins here in Brampton, and we’re looking forward to helping Shamar take his game to the next level.”

Givance attended First Christian Christian Academy in Washington, Pennsylvania for his final two years of high school, where he played alongside current Honey Badgers forward Prince Oduro. Before taking his student-athlete journey south of the border, Givance attended nearby St. Roch Catholic Secondary School in Brampton.

The signing comes days before the Honey Badgers open training camp on May 15 at Humber College, North Campus in Etobicoke.

Coming off a historic championship in 2022, the Honey Badgers start the 2023 campaign May 24 at TD Place Arena in Ottawa, in what will tip off the CEBL's fifth season live on national television, as part of a multi-year deal with TSN. The Honey Badgers play their first home game at the CAA Centre in Brampton two days later, May 26, against rival Scarborough. The CEBL announced the permanent relocation of the Honey Badgers from Hamilton to Brampton on November 28, 2022. For more information on the season and for tickets, visit honeybadgers.ca/tickets or call 905-522-BALL (2255).

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 71 per cent of its 2022 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian national team program, in addition to top NCAA and U SPORTS teams. Nine players have moved from the CEBL into the NBA following a CEBL season, and 28 CEBL players attended NBA G League training camps last October. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.