The Canadian Elite Basketball League’s first-ever Player Showcase, scheduled for Sunday, August 26 at Ryerson’s Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto, will feature several prominent Canadian coaches leading approximately 40 of Canada’s top basketball prospects through drills and physical assessments. The Player Showcase begins Sunday at 10 a.m. and ends at 5:30 p.m. and is open to the public and media. Media interviews may be conducted after 4:30 p.m.

Ro Russell, Adeel Sahibzada, Sean Tyson, and Tarry Upshaw lead the corps of coaches who will be on hand, under the guidance of Greg Francis, head of basketball for the CEBL. Russell is founder of Grassroots Elite, the first and longest running AAU basketball program in Canada and current technical director at Toronto’s Crestwood Preparatory College. Sahibzada is assistant coach at Ryerson and head coach of Toronto Basketball Academy, a member of Canada’s National Preparatory Association. Tyson played three years at Clemson University and currently is technical director of Greenwave Development, an elite basketball development program in Saskatchewan whose alumni includes JaVale McGee, Alan Anderson, and Jermaine Jackson. Upshaw has been on the coaching staffs of several U Sports programs as well as holding head coaching positions with Sagesse Basketball Club in Lebanon and UMF Skallagrímur in Iceland. Currently, Upshaw is head coach at Ridley College and with the Regional Elite Development Academy.

Participating players will have the opportunity to gain exposure in front of prospective professional coaches while having their skills assessed by officials of the CEBL and its member teams. At the same time, CEBL officials will have an opportunity to inform players and agents about what they can expect from the new professional basketball league, slated to tip off in May of 2019. The CEBL will hold additional Combines in the future leading up to its inaugural season.

The only FIBA-affiliated professional basketball league in Canada, 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. At least 60 percent of each team’s roster will include Canadian players. Further information may be obtained at www.cebl.ca

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For Media Credentials or More Information: Nathan Brady, Director, League Operations, CEBL, (905) 984-1574