The CEBL announced the results of the 2022 U Sports Draft on Tuesday. With 3 new franchises joining the league this year, the draft order was determined by the official launch dates of the three expansion teams, followed by the reverse order of the 2021 standings.
In total, each team made two selections as 20 of the top university level players in the country were distributed across the CEBL to play alongside NBA, and National Team level players from across the globe.
Scarborough got things started by selecting 3rd year forward David Muenkat out of St. FX. The 6’7” wing averaged 13.8pts and 9.6 rebounds per game with the X-Men in 2021-22.
Some teams elected to go with homegrown talent, both Alain Louis and Cole Long hail from Montreal and St. Johns respectively, while others went with familiar faces to fill out their roster. The Niagara River Lions went with the latter selecting U Sports Player of the Year Lloyd Pandi out of Carleton, who spent the 2021 season with the club as well.
The 2022 season officially tips off on May 25th and will feature the 4th year league’s most expansive schedule to date. With franchises now ranging from coast to coast, the CEBL can now boast that it’s a true National league in Canada.
In a statement posted to the league website, commissioner Mike Morreale remarked “This Draft Class is exceptional. U SPORTS programs continue to develop some of our country’s best players, and we can’t wait for these rising stars to play alongside top professional talent from around the world. We hope that opportunities like this continue to help forge future pro basketball stars who can represent Canada domestically and on the world stage.”
Chief Sport Officer at U Sports, Lisette Johnson-Stapley added “U SPORTS is extremely proud of all players selected in this year’s CEBL U SPORTS Draft. These student-athletes have battled through adversity with the uncertainty of the pandemic and their tremendous tenacity both on and off the court is certainly commendable. The CEBL has provided these individuals with a unique opportunity to pursue their professional careers while playing in their home country and is vital to the growth of basketball in Canada. We look forward to watching the draft class thrive across the country this summer.”
A full recap of the 2022 CEBL U Sport draft can be found below:
| Rd. | # | Team | First Name | Last Name | Pos. | Height |
| 1 | 1 | Scarborough | David | Muenkat | F | 6-7 |
| 1 | 2 | Montreal | Alain | Louis | G | 6-1 |
| 1 | 3 | Newfoundland | Cole | Long | F | 6-7 |
| 1 | 4 | Saskatchewan | Anthony | Tsegakele | G | 6-6 |
| 1 | 5 | Ottawa | Nervens | Demosthene | G | 6-1 |
| 1 | 6 | Guelph | Elijah | Miller | G | 6-0 |
| 1 | 7 | Fraser Valley | Thomas | Kennedy | F | 6-9 |
| 1 | 8 | Hamilton | Keevan | Veinot | G | 6-4 |
| 1 | 9 | Niagara | Lloyd | Pandi | G | 6-4 |
| 1 | 10 | Edmonton | Patrick | Vandervelden | F | 6-9 |
| 2 | 11 | Edmonton | Somto | Dimanochie | F | 6-8 |
| 2 | 12 | Niagara | Isaiah | Bujdoso | G | 6-9 |
| 2 | 13 | Hamilton | Michael | Okafor | G | 6-9 |
| 2 | 14 | Fraser Valley | Sukhman | Sandhu | F | 6-10 |
| 2 | 15 | Guelph | Ibrahima | Doumbouya | F | 6-6 |
| 2 | 16 | Ottawa | Guillaume | Pepin | F | 6-6 |
| 2 | 17 | Saskatchewan | Ben | Hillis | G | 6-3 |
| 2 | 18 | Newfoundland | Mason | Bourcier | G | 6-4 |
| 2 | 19 | Montreal | Marc-André | Fortin | C | 6-8 |
| 2 | 20 | Scarborough | Aaron | Rhooms | F | 6-6 |
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner