Ottawa BlackJacks Sign Tutu and Joseph

Tutu, a six-foot point guard, averaged 7.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 19.8 minutes in 129 games split between Carleton University and Loyola Marymount University (LMU). Tutu captured two U SPORTS National Championships and three OUA titles with the Ravens. In 2019-20, he was named OUA Third Team All-Star and scored a career-best 23 points twice. In 2015-16 at LMU, Tutu set the school record with a 2.69 assist-to-turnover ratio.

A native of Cairo, Egypt, Tutu moved to Canada at nine-months old. He attended J.L. Forster High School in Windsor, Ontario where he averaged 24.0 points and 7.0 assists as a sophomore and helped lead the team to a 20-1 record. He transferred to La Lumiere School in Laporte, Indiana, and helped them compete for national titles while earning top-10 rankings nationally. In 2018, Tutu played in the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia where he averaged 10.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.0 steals for Canada, and was named a First Team All Star.

Joseph, a six-foot-one guard from Ottawa, won four U SPORTS National Championships and three OUA titles during his five years with the Carleton Ravens. He averaged 11.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 20.1 minutes in 77 games. This past season, Joseph was named an OUA Second Team All Star and recorded a career-best 34 points January 25 versus Ryerson, hitting nine-for-14 from behind the arc. In 2017-18, he was designated an OUA First Team All-Star and recorded his first double-double with 26 points and 10 assists February 24 versus Laurentian.

Tutu and Joseph are the third and fourth free agent signings announced by the Ottawa BlackJacks for the 2020 season. Following the acquisition of forward Eric Kibi and Jean Emmanuel Pierre-Charles, the team drafted a trio of Carleton Ravens at the U SPORTS draft, including the first overall pick, TJ Lall, Lloyd Pandi (14th overall) and Alain Louis (15th overall). All three BlackJacks draft picks are designated U SPORTS developmental players, which allows them to return to the Ravens lineup next season.

All regular season BlackJacks games will be streamed live on CBC Gem and the Island Sports Network. 

Quotes:

“Yasiin and Munis come from a winning culture. They understand what it takes to win basketball games. Their strengths complement each other perfectly. They both have great skill sets, but what sets them apart is their unique abilities. Yasiin is an elite scorer while Munis is an elite defender. They know each other very well and it adds to the chemistry we are trying to build. I’m looking forward to helping them grow and prepare for the next chapter of their careers.”

- Osvaldo Jeanty, Head Coach

Ottawa BlackJacks Professional Basketball Club

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For more information contact:

Marika Guérin

Manager, Communications and Events

Ottawa BlackJacks Professional Basketball Club

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. 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 www.theBlackJacks.ca.

About Canadian Elite Basketball League 

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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