The new Canadian Elite Basketball League is convening many of Canada’s top professional basketball players for the inaugural CEBL Showcase, scheduled for Sunday, August 26 at Ryerson’s Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto.
The Showcase is designed to introduce players to the professional basketball league, and for league officials to meet and assess the skills of approximately 40 of the country’s top players. Only players invited by the CEBL will be in attendance.
“This will be an important opportunity for many of Canada’s top basketball players to spend a day working with and getting to know many of the people behind the creation of Canada’s top professional basketball league,” said Greg Francis, head of basketball for the CEBL. “We will have some of Canada’s leading coaches on hand to conduct drills, assist with evaluation, and lead scrimmages. It’s a rare opportunity to have so many of the country’s top basketball personnel in one location.”
Assessments of players will include measuring vertical jump, sprint speed, agility, and height, weight, and wingspan. Skill evaluation will be conducted through drill work and scrimmages. New Era will provide all players with jerseys, shorts, t-shirts, caps, and drawstring bags.
The tentative schedule sees the Showcase begin at 10 a.m. and end at 5:30 p.m., with media interviews available starting at 4:30 p.m.
“As a league created by Canadians for Canadians to further the development of Canadian basketball talent, more than half of each of our teams’ rosters will be Canadian players,” said Mike Morreale, chief executive officer of the CEBL. “Our league provides players who play internationally during the traditional basketball season with the unique opportunity to return home to play competitively during the summer months. This serves their professional development, and at the same time enables fans across the country to see homegrown talent perform for the first time.”
The only FIBA-affiliated professional basketball league in the country, the inaugural season of the CEBL tips off in May 2019 and runs through August with teams in Hamilton, Guelph, Edmonton, Saskatchewan (Saskatoon), Niagara (St. Catharines), and Fraser Valley (Abbotsford). Teams will play 20 regular season games, including 10 at home.
Season tickets will go on sale this fall, with an announcement planned shortly that will inform fans on how to sign up for seats with a deposit prior to the public on-sale. Further information may be obtained at www.cebl.ca.
###
For Media Credentials or More Information: Nathan Brady, Director, League Operations, CEBL, (905) 984-1574