Ottawa BlackJacks Re-Sign American Forward Jakeenan Gant
The Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Monday the signing of American Forward Jakeenan Gant for the upcoming 2024 CEBL season.
A six-foot-eight forward from Springfield, Georgia, Gant has competed in Israel, France, South Korea, in the NBA G League, and in the CEBL across a six-year professional career following a successful NCAA Division I collegiate career.
Last summer, Gant averaged 7.9 points and 3.9 rebounds in eight games played with the BlackJacks. He recorded season highs of 13 points and seven rebounds while also hitting the Target Score winning bucket on July 9 against Vancouver. Gant gained his first CEBL experience during the summer of 2021 with the Saskatchewan Rattlers, averaging 13.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in seven games.
Gant spent the 2023-24 campaign in Israel with Hapoel Beer Sheva. He averaged 14.9 points and 5.9 rebounds in 25 games played. He scored a season-high 32 points to go along with five rebounds, one assist, and three steals on Dec. 9 vs. Ironi Nes Ziona.
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette alumnus tipped off his professional career with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the NBA G League. In 29 games played, he averaged 8.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 16.5 minutes. He scored a season-high 27 points, shooting 11-for-19 from the field and four-for-eight from three-point range on January 3 against the Capital City Go-Go. He also played four games with the Indiana Pacers at the 2019 NBA Summer League and averaged 3.0 points and 2.5 rebounds.
Gant split his university career between the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (63 games) and the University of Missouri Tigers (53 games). As a senior with the Ragin' Cajuns, Gant earned first-team All-Sun Belt Conference honors, was named the league's Defensive Player for the second straight year and claimed Lefty Driesell Defensive All-America honors for the second consecutive year. He led Louisiana and finished third in the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) in scoring (20.5), led the league in rebounds (8.7), blocked shots (2.6), and double-doubles (13) while finishing second in the SBC in field goal percentage (.543) and offensive rebounds per game (3.2). He finished the season ranked in the top 50 among Division I players in six categories, and his 81 blocked shots and 2.6 blocks per game average were the fourth-best, single-season marks in school history.
The Ottawa BlackJacks 2024 single game tickets are on sale now at https://www.theblackjacks.ca/single-game-tickets. The team's fifth season will kick off at The Arena at TD Place on May 29, promising professional basketball and exciting entertainment in a family-friendly environment. For more information, please visit www.theblackjacks.ca or contact the Ottawa BlackJacks Membership Services team directly at 613-690-0519 or by email at [email protected].
Quotes:
"I’m excited to be coming back to Ottawa. I am ready to have a great summer and win!”
- Jakeenan Gant, Forward, Ottawa BlackJacks
“Jakeenan is an athletic forward who excels in shooting and scoring, while also adding a strong defensive presence in the key. He joined the team halfway through last summer's season, and we're excited to have the opportunity to begin working with him right from the start this summer, allowing us to build on the foundation we established last year.”
- James Derouin, General Manager and Head Coach, Ottawa BlackJacks Basketball Club
About the Ottawa BlackJacks
The first expansion franchise of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the Ottawa BlackJacks showcase the best of basketball and entertainment in the nation’s capital. The Ottawa front office brings NBA, NBA G League, national team, NCAA and major international pro league experience to the franchise. Led by General Manager and Head Coach James Derouin, Ottawa plays its home games out of the world-class Arena at TD Place in Lansdowne Park. The anticipation is building for the upcoming 2024 season, slated to tip off at home on May 29 against the Edmonton Stingers. For more information, visit www.theblackjacks.ca.
About Canadian Elite Basketball League
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 73% of its 2023 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. Fourteen 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. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.