Ottawa BlackJacks Sign Reigning CEBL Canadian Player of the Year Caleb Agada
The Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Friday that they have signed 2022 CEBL Champion and Canadian Player of the Year Caleb Agada for the remainder of the 2023 CEBL season.
This season will mark Agada’s fourth CEBL campaign, having played with the Brampton Honey Badgers in the past three season. Last year, Agada averaged 12.4 points and 6.0 rebounds in 21 starts for the Honey Badgers. He recorded 12 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocks while also hitting the game-winning free throw in Brampton’s CEBL Final victory at the Arena at TD Place on August 14 over Scarborough. Agada was named 2022 CEBL Canadian Player of the Year and was nominated for the CEBL Defensive Player of the Year award. He ranked second on the CEBL’s regular-season Steals list with a 2.1 per game average, and third on the Assists ledger with a 5.2 average.
Following a successful CEBL season, Agada signed with BC Prometey, a club representing Kamianske, Ukraine in the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League and helped the team win the league title. He averaged 12.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.0 steals in 40 games played with the club and scored a season-high 27 points, hitting five triples on January 25 against Bursapor.
A university of Ottawa Gee-Gees alumnus, Agada competed with the Nigerian National Team at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, scoring 17 points to help lead Nigeria to a 90-87 upset victory over a United States squad that included Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal and other NBA stars in a scrimmage leading up to the Olympic Games. His 17 points matched the total of Durant as second-highest on the night.
Agada’s Olympic performance earned him a contract with the Denver Nuggets for the 2021 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. He debuted with 21 points versus the Miami Heat and averaged 11.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.2 steals and 19.6 minutes, scoring in double digits in four of his five appearances. Agada became just the second-ever U SPORTS product to play in the NBA Summer League.
Agada also suited up for the Honey Badgers for games during the 2019 season and 2020 CEBL Summer Series. He totaled 20 points and 15 rounds in two contests during the inaugural season before departing to fulfill his duties with the Nigerian National Team that went on to play in the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualification windows. He totaled 32 points and eight rebounds in two games during the 2020 CEBL Summer Series.
A graduate of Assumption Catholic Secondary School in Burlington, Agada starred at the University of Ottawa from 2012-2017 under BlackJacks Head Coach James Derouin. He won back-to-back national U SPORTS Defensive Player of the Year honours in 2015-16 and 2016-17. He was also a three-time Ontario University Athletics (OUA) First Team All-Star. As a fifth-year senior, Agada averaged 14.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game and earned Second Team All-Canadian honours.
The Ottawa BlackJacks are currently sitting fourth in the Eastern conference with a season record of 4-5. The team will visit the Niagara River Lions tomorrow at the Meridian Centre at 7 p.m. and will be back at the Arena at TD Place on June 27, playing host to Agada’s former CEBL team, the Brampton Honey Badgers. Single game tickets start as low as $25 and are available here.
Quotes:
“Caleb is a proven player at some of the highest levels. He is a tremendous talent who is very familiar with Ottawa’s rich basketball culture. More importantly, Caleb is a CEBL champion and we’re excited to add his experience and winning mindset to the team.”
- Jevohn Shepherd, General Manager and Vice-President of Basketball Operations, Ottawa BlackJacks
“The love in Ottawa is real, being there for almost six years of my life, I’m excited to be back and represent the city like I used to.”
- Caleb Agada, Guard, Ottawa BlackJacks
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. Having recently completed its third season, the BlackJacks have reached the championship semifinal three times. 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 Vice-President, Basketball Operations Jevohn Shepherd, Ottawa plays its home games out of the world-class Arena at TD Place in Lansdowne Park. 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 71 percent of its 2022 rosters being Canadian. TSN, Canada's sports leader, is the official broadcast partner of the league. 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. Nine players have moved from the CEBL into the NBA following a CEBL season, and 28 CEBL players attended NBA G League training camps during October. 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.
