Kadre Gray Named CEBL Canadian Player of the Year

The Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Wednesday that BlackJacks Guard Kadre Gray captured the 2023 CEBL Canadian Player of the Year honours. He was also named on the CEBL All-Canadian team alongside BlackJacks Forward Jackson Rowe, and All CEBL Second team alongside BlackJacks Forward Deng Adel.

A former U SPORTS Most Valuable Player and Canadian national team guard, Kadre Gray averaged 16.3 points in 17 games played with the Ottawa BlackJacks this season. He led the CEBL in average assists per game (6.3), finished second in total assists (tie-101), fifth in three-point percentage (43.0%) and seventh in average minutes per game (32.7). The Toronto, Ontario native led the Ottawa BlackJacks to the second-best record in the league (tie) at 12-8. He hit the Target Score game-winning shot in seven of Ottawa’s 12 wins on the season, finishing in second place for the Clutch Player of the Year award.

BlackJacks Forward Jackson Rowe averaged 15.3 points and 6.6 rebounds in 18 games played with the BlackJacks in 2023, earning a spot on the CEBL All-Canadian team. He finished third on the team in points per game and second in field goal percentage (50.9), three points made (33) and average rebounds. He was named Player of the Game twice, including on July 9 against Vancouver, recording a season-high 26 points, and shooting a perfect four-for-four from the three-point line.

Ottawa’s international player, Deng Adel, who was named to the All CEBL Second Team, led the team with 17.2 points per game and was named the Player of the Game on five occasions this season. He ranked third on the team after Zena Edosomwan and Rowe in rebounds per game (5.8) and second after Gray in assists per game (4.2). He recorded a season-high 28 points, shooting nine-for-18 from the field, to go along with seven rebounds during the BlackJacks season finale on July 27 against Vancouver.

The 2023 CEBL Awards took place at Sky Hangar in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia on Wednesday evening and was the first official event of Championship Weekend 2023, which is being held in Vancouver between August 9-13. Award nominees, winners and All-CEBL First, Second, and All-Canadian Teams are determined by votes cast by the league’s head coaches, general managers, assistant coaches, select league broadcasters, and internal media personnel. Team representatives are prohibited from voting for a player or head coach from their own team. The full list of winners is available here.

Ottawa BlackJacks 2024 season seat memberships are available here. Fans who secure their seats for the upcoming year before August 18, 2023, can save 30% off single game prices and gain access to other exclusive benefits reserved for BlackJacks Season Seat Members. To learn more, visit theblackjacks.ca.