The fledgling Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) will reveal the results of its first-ever entry draft in Hamilton, Ont., on March 23, the league announced Thursday.
After conducting the draft via teleconference with the league's six clubs on March 16, the CEBL will host a reveal event at the Art Gallery of Hamilton a week later. The reveal event will be invite-only, although the CEBL will also live stream the results.
“It's an exciting time for our league as fans will get a first-hand look at the top players that will play in our inaugural season,” CEBL CEO Mike Morreale said in a statement. “Team general managers and other officials will be joined by celebrities and influencers, Canadian basketball officials, community leaders, media, and sponsors for a monumental night in the history of basketball in our country. This will be a unique event for a unique league, and one that can be experienced by people around the world through a live stream.”
Consisting of 13 rounds, the CEBL draft will feature domestic players as well as those from around the world. The first four rounds will limit teams to players from their own regions, while rounds 5-11 will not have any geographic restrictions. The final two rounds will involve U SPORTS players as the league looks to develop talent currently in Canadian universities.
The CEBL will play its maiden season this summer, with a 20-game regular season starting in May. The league will consists of franchises in Edmonton, Guelph (Ontario), Hamilton, Fraser Valley (Abbotsford, B.C.), Saskatchewan (Saskatoon), and Niagara (St. Catharines, Ont.).