Ottawa BlackJacks Re-Sign Starters Deng Adel and Zena Edosomwan
The Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Thursday the re-signing of Deng Adel and Zena Edosomwan for the upcoming 2024 CEBL season. The two players will join the team at the conclusion of their international duties.
A six-foot-seven forward from Juba, South Sudan, Deng Adel returns to the Capital for a third season after becoming the first non-American import to sign with Ottawa in 2022. Last summer with the BlackJacks, Adel averaged 17.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 31.8 minutes in 17 games played with the team, earning a spot on the All-CEBL Second Team. He led the team in points per game and recorded a season-high 28 points, shooting nine-for-18 from the field, along with seven rebounds on July 27 against Vancouver.
In 2019, after starting in 24 of his 25 outings with the Raptors 905, Adel signed a two-way NBA contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Four days later, he was called into the game against Denver and scored his first triple. It would be his first of 19 games with the Cavaliers. He played a season-high 36 minutes, totalling five points, two rebounds and a season-high two blocks February 8 against Washington and scored a season-high six points, shooting two-for-two from behind the arc January 27 against Chicago. He also played for the Houston Rockets during the 2019 NBA Summer League, where he averaged 8.8 points in five games.
Collegiately, Adel started in 71 of 89 games in his three years at Louisville. His junior season, he led the team in scoring with 14.9 points per game. He also averaged 5.2 rebounds that year.
A six-foot-nine center from Los Angeles, California, Zena Edosomwan is set to make his return with the Ottawa BlackJacks for a third consecutive season. Last year, he averaged 8.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 22.3 minutes in 13 games played with the team. He concluded the regular season leading the team in rebounds per game and blocks per game. He recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds on June 22 against Montreal.
The Harvard University alumnus began his professional career in 2019-20 with the Gigantes de Jalisco in the Basketball Circuit of the Pacific Coast, a professional basketball league based in Northwestern Mexico before moving to Canada to complete the season with the Sudbury Five, recording averages of 16.8 points, 11.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 17 games played.
Collegiately, Edosomwan suited up for 107 games with the Harvard Crimson and finished seventh all-time at Harvard in blocks with 108. Upon graduation, Edosomwan was named to the 2017 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Watch List, an annual honour recognizing the top centers in men’s college basketball in the United States. The Los Angeles native had his best statistical season as a Junior in 2015-16, averaging 13.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 28 games played. He was named to the NABC All-District 13 second team and All-Ivy League second team that year.
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:
“Deng and Zena were two key pieces of our roster over the past two years, and we're happy to bring them back for a third season. They are solid players, great teammates, and inspiring role models for our community. We're looking forward to welcoming them back to Ottawa once they conclude their duties in Europe."
- 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.
