Ottawa BlackJacks Welcome Back Thomas Scrubb for the 2023 CEBL Season
The Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Tuesday that Thomas Scrubb has re-signed with the Club for the 2023 CEBL season.
A six-foot-six forward from Vancouver, British Columbia, Scrubb averaged 12.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 29.2 minutes in 346 games played in the CEBL, in Spain, France, Italy, Germany and Finland.
Scrubb will be competing in his third season with the BlackJacks, having played for Ottawa in 2022 and during the 2020 CEBL Summer Series in St. Catharines. Last summer, he averaged 7.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.6 steals in five games. He grabbed a season-high seven rebounds on August 1 against Montreal. During the CEBL Summer Series, Scrubb ranked fifth in the league in scoring (15.0) and fourth in rebounding (6.8) and led his team in both categories.
This past season, Scrubb completed his second season with Monbus Obradoiro in the Spanish ACB, the top professional basketball league in Spain and averaged 11.7 points and 5.5 rebounds in 33 games played. He scored a season-high 22 points, shooting eight-for-13 from the field, to go along with six rebounds, two assists and four steals on April 23 against Coosur Real Betis. During the 2018-19 campaign playing for Openjobmentis in Italy, the Vancouver native averaged 13.3 points and 6.1 rebounds in 48 games. His team reached the FIBA Europe Cup semifinal and Scrubb received an Eurobasket.com All-FIBA Europe Cup Honorable Mention.
A household name in Ottawa and throughout Canada, Scrubb has a long history of representing Canada internationally. Most recently, Scrubb played 12 games for the Canadian Senior National team in the 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifier, averaging 8.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 21.6 minutes. He scored a team-high 18 points, to go along with six rebounds, five assists and three steals on February 24, 2023, against Argentina.
The Carleton Ravens alumnus is one of the most accomplished players in U SPORTS history, capturing five national championships with the Ravens. He averaged 10.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 104 university games. He was named CIS (U SPORTS) Defensive Player of the Year twice and CIS tournament All-Star on three occasions. The Neuroscience major also earned various awards on the provincial level, such as OUA Defensive Player of the Year in his senior year.
Quotes:
"Tommy is a veteran and a pro that has played at some of the highest levels in Europe and internationally. We look forward to having his experience with our group.”
- Jevohn Shepherd, General Manager and Vice-President of Basketball Operations, Ottawa BlackJacks
“I’m excited to be back this summer. With a lot of players back from last year, I think we will be able to build on what we started and have a successful season. The team has already had a strong start so I’m hoping to keep the momentum going.”
-Tommy Scrubb, Forward, Ottawa BlackJacks
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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.