KEVIN
OTOO

The Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Tuesday the signing of Canadian guards Joel Brown and Kevin Otoo for the upcoming 2024 CEBL season. A six-foot-two guard from Brampton, Ontario, Joel Brown averaged 5.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 26.1 minutes across 153 games played as a member of two different NCAA teams, including Iona College and the University of California, Berkeley. After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, with an undergraduate degree in Business Administration in May 2023, he transferred to Iona as a graduate player following the conclusion of the 2022-23 season. With Iona, he scored a season-high 21 points on March 3 against Marist. He made three three-pointers in that game and recorded four rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Brown finished his career with the California Golden Bears in durable fashion, playing in 122 of a possible 125 games. As a fourth-year player with the team, Brown anchored California’s backcourt by logging a team-leading 32.6 minutes in all 32 games played. He tallied a season-high 6.9 points, 3.2 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game and dished out five or more assists in eight games, maintaining a 1.5 assist-to-turnover ratio on the season. Prior to university, Brown attended Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, winning a national championship with his Brewster Prep squad in March 2018. He also played on the Canadian U18 national team at the 2018 FIBA Americas Championship and averaged 7.0 points, 4.0 assists, and 3.8 rebounds to help Canada reach the gold-medal game against the United States. A six-foot guard from Toronto, Ontario, Kevin Otoo split his collegiate career between the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees (2022-24) and the Humber College Hawks (2018-22). As a member of the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees under BlackJacks and Gee-Gees Head Coach James Derouin this past season, Otoo averaged 13.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.4 steals, and 31.5 minutes in 22 regular-season games. He recorded a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds on February 16 against Queen’s and scored a season-high of 29 points, shooting .706 (12-17) from the field and .556 (5-9) from behind the arc on January 19 against Algoma. The previous year, he led the Gee-Gees with 15 blocks in the regular season and was named the 2023 OUA Championship MVP, scoring 17 points with three steals in the Wilson Cup championship on March 4 against Carleton. He started in all three OUA playoff and U SPORTS national championship games. He was named the Nike Top Performer for Ottawa in the U SPORTS bronze medal win over Victoria, scoring a game-high 20 points and contributing three steals and three rebounds in the 78-58 win. Otoo enjoyed a lucrative collegiate basketball career at Humber College in Toronto, posting regular-season career averages of 12.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game with the Hawks, while shooting .458 from the field. In 2021-22, he was a central figure in Humber’s run to winning the 2022 National Championship, including earning MVP honors in the conference championship as well as championship All-Star appearances both for the conference and national tournaments. He tallied 25 points, seven rebounds, and six assists on March 27 against St. Clair to win the national title. 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 really excited to start my professional career with the BlackJacks family. I am looking forward to this new opportunity! I can’t wait to get started with my teammates and the coaching staff.” - Joel Brown, Guard, Ottawa BlackJacks "I’m excited to be a part of the Ottawa BlackJacks. Having played in Ottawa for the past two years at the University of Ottawa, the opportunity to tip off my professional basketball journey in the same city is surreal for me. I am looking forward to meeting and being around the other pros, the wonderful coaching staff, and, lastly, playing in this amazing city." - Kevin Otoo, Guard, Ottawa BlackJacks “Joel and Kevin are two young players with a lot of will, fierce competitiveness, and a bright future ahead. It’ll be their first pro experience, and it'll be great for them to work with and learn from seasoned professionals with years of experience playing in some of the best leagues around the world. We’re looking forward to getting to work at training camp.” - James Derouin, General Manager and Head Coach, Ottawa BlackJacks Basketball Club