Ottawa BlackJacks Draft Three Ravens in its First CEBL U SPORTS Draft

TJ (Tajinder) Lall, a six-foot-six forward from Cambridge, Ont., was the first pick in the 2020 CEBL U SPORTS Draft by BlackJacks General Manager Dave Smart. Lall captured four national championships and three OUA titles with the Ravens during his four collegiate seasons. He averaged 7.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 17.0 minutes in 92 games. During the 2018-19 campaign, his best statistical year, Lall averaged 11.4 points, 5.4 points, 1.3 rebounds and 23.6 minutes, while shooting .571 from the field in 27 games en route to the U SPORTS championships. 

Pandi, a six-foot-four guard from Ottawa, averaged 15.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 22.5 minutes in 22 games for the Ravens this season, capturing the national title at TD Place earlier this month. Pandi was named 2019-20 U SPORTS Rookie of the Year and was selected as a Second Team All-Canadian. Pandi attended Ashbury College and earned a national championship with Team Ontario. 

Louis, a six-foot-one guard averaged 7.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 13.5 minutes in 45 games throughout three seasons with the Ravens, where he was a part of two national and three provincial championship teams. He played his high school basketball at Thetford Academy in Quebec.  

All three BlackJacks draft picks are designated U SPORTS developmental players, which allows them to return to the Ravens lineup next season. As part of a special partnership between the CEBL and U SPORTS, each 10-man active CEBL roster must include either a U SPORTS development player (returning to school), or a recently graduated player (from the 2019-20 season). In order to maintain the amateur status of returning U SPORTS development players, payment will be provided in the form of an academic bursary to the player’s university.  

Fans can now purchase season tickets, Flex Packs and Group tickets at theBlackJacks.ca/tickets. Individual game tickets are set to go on sale March 31. For more information visit theBlackJacks.ca or call 613-690-0519. 

All 20 regular season BlackJacks games will be streamed live on CBC Gem and the Island Sports Network. Ottawa will also be part of a nationally televised broadcast as part of the CBC Game of the Week when the BlackJacks travel to Hamilton on May 30. 

The first expansion franchise of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the Ottawa BlackJacks will showcase the best of basketball and entertainment in the nation’s capital. Basketball Operations will be led by General Manager, Dave Smart, the most successful university coach in Canadian history with a total of 13 national titles at Carleton University. The BlackJacks will be a team deeply rooted in the Ottawa / Gatineau community. Head Coach Osvaldo Jeanty, a former student-athlete who captured five national championships as a player for Dave Smart, will bring together a group of professionals poised for success in its inaugural season. The BlackJacks will play its home games out of the world-class Arena at TD Place. The CEBL season begins May 7, with the BlackJacks hosting its inaugural home game on May 14 against the Hamilton Honey Badgers. For more information and for tickets, visit theBlackJacks.ca. 

The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) features world-class professional basketball in a fan-friendly entertainment environment across seven cities in Canada. The 2019 inaugural season saw more than 100 Canadian and international players take to the court, culminating with the Saskatchewan Rattlers earning the first CEBL championship trophy. CEBL players come from NBA G-League clubs, top NCAA programs, the Canadian national program, U SPORTS and other Division 1 FIBA leagues. As the First Division Professional League partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL and the expansion Ottawa BlackJacks are set to start its season in May 2020.  

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