Ottawa BlackJacks Sign Canadian Six-Year Pro Joel Friesen
The Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Friday the signing of six-year pro and first ever CEBL draft pick, Joel Friesen.
A six-foot-five guard from Abbotsford, BC, Friesen has played 216 games as a pro in Canada and Ukraine. The University of Alberta and University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) alumni has been competing in the CEBL since it launched in 2019, averaging 7.7 points and 18.7 minutes in 27 games. After being drafted first overall by his hometown team, the Fraser Valley Bandits, he spent the 2020 CEBL Summer Series with the Guelph Nighthawks. Friesen netted a season-high 14 points, including four triples on August 3 versus the champion-Edmonton Stingers.
Prior to joining the Nighthawks, Friesen spent the 2019-20 season with the BC Odessa of the first-tier professional basketball league in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Superleague, where he averaged 8.4 points, 2,9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 23.7 minutes in 17 games. After four years playing professionally in Canada with the KW Titans, London and Halifax, Friesen was selected first overall by the Fraser Valley Bandits, where he averaged 8.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 22.2 minutes in 20 games. He also proudly represented Canada at the 2018-19 World Cup Qualifiers in Chile.
A graduate of Yale Secondary School in Abbotsford, Friesen lead the UFV Cascades to a CIS Final Four in 2011-12 and hit one of the biggest shots in UFV basketball history on February 25 with a buzzer-beating three-pointer to lift the Cascades to a 69-68 win over the Lethbridge Pronghorns and into the Canada West Final Four. He then spent his remaining two years of eligibility with the University of Alberta Golden Bears. As a senior, he averaged 17.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 28.6 minutes in 22 games. He was named a Canada West First Team All-Star and scored 20 or more points eight times. The prior year, he helped lead his team to the 2013-14 Canada West title and a third-place finish at the CIS (now U SPORTS) Final 8.
The Abbotsford native became the 10th player to sign with the Ottawa BlackJacks for the 2021 season. Earlier this week, the team announced their three picks in the 2021 U SPORTS Draft, including Ali Sow of the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (fourth overall), Guillaume Pépin of the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees (11th overall) and Graddy Kanku of the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks (18th overall).
In February, the Ottawa BlackJacks, in collaboration with the CEBL, announced its 2021 regular season 14-game schedule, opening up with a game on the road versus Hamilton on Saturday June 5 at 7pm. After starting the campaign on a three-game road trip, Ottawa will play its first home game in franchise history on Thursday, June 24 at 7 p.m. versus the Niagara River Lions.
CBC is the premier media partner of the CEBL and will broadcast nationally televised games on seven consecutive Saturdays beginning June 5. The BlackJacks will appear three times on national television and all regular season games will also be live streamed on the free CBC Gem streaming service, cbcsports.ca, the CBC Sports app and on a new OTT streaming platform the CEBL will unveil this spring.
The CEBL is preparing for its third season in 2021 following the success of this past year's CEBL Summer Series in St. Catharines, Ontario, which saw millions of viewers across Canada and around the world tune in to watch 26 games played over 15 days in a single-site league competition. The CEBL became the first professional sports league in Canada to return to play after the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus in mid-March shut down sports across the country.
Quotes:
“Joel will be one of the players with the most CEBL experience on our team. In addition to being a threat from beyond the arc, he will be a great leader for our younger guys.”
- Jevohn Shepherd, General Manager, Ottawa BlackJacks Basketball Club
"I am grateful to be a part of this Blackjack organization and look forward to working with everybody associated with it. I cannot wait get on the court and do everything I can to help this team be successful."
- Joel Friesen, Guard, Ottawa BlackJacks Basketball Club
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About the Ottawa BlackJacks
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. In its inaugural campaign, the BlackJacks earned a semifinal appearance at the 2020 CEBL Summer Series. The Ottawa front office brings NBA, NBA G League, NCAA and major international pro league experience to the franchise. Led by general manager Jevohn Shepherd, assistant general manager Andy Rautins and head coach Charles Dubé-Brais, Ottawa will play its home games out of the world-class Arena at TD Place in Lansdowne Park. For more information visit www.theblackjacks.ca.
About Canadian Elite Basketball League
A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 80 percent of its current rosters being Canadians. Players come from the NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. The only First Division Professional League Partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL season typically runs from May through August. Head to more information on CEBL.ca or follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Linkedin, Facebook & YouTube. (@cebleague)
Social Media
Facebook: /OttawaBlackJacks
Twitter: @Ott_Blackjacks
Instagram: ottawablackjacks
Contact:
Marika Guérin
Manager, Communications and Community
Ottawa BlackJacks Professional Basketball Club