Former Saskatchewan Roughriders’ receiver and long-time Riders’ executive Steve Mazurak has been named as a Senior Advisor for Business Development and Partnerships with the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s Western Operations.

Mazurak retired from the Green and White this spring after 13 years as a team executive and 26 years of involvement with the C-F-L. Following is the news release from the C-E-B-L…

Also, the process of stocking talent on the six teams of the fledgling Canadian Elite Basketball League may very well start Sunday in Toronto. About 40 of Canada’s top players will gather at Ryerson University for a “showcase”, designed to introduce the athletes to the C-E-B-L and its teams…including the Saskatchewan Rattlers who will play out of SasklTel Centre. The players will meet with officials from the league, which owns all six teams. Those league officials will assess the skills of the players in attendance through various drills and scrimmages. The C-E-B-L plans on beginning its first season next May. Measurements for vertical jump, sprint speed, agility, height and weight plus wingspan will all be recorded. Following is the news release from the Canadian Elite Basketball League…

August 2, 2018

CEBL SHOWCASE TO BRING TOP

CANADIAN BASKETBALL TALENT TO MATTAMY CENTRE

The new Canadian Elite Basketball League is convening many of Canada’s top professional

basketball players for the inaugural CEBL Showcase, scheduled for Sunday, August 26 at Ryerson’s

Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto.

The Showcase is designed to introduce players to the professional basketball league, and for

league officials to meet and assess the skills of approximately 40 of the country’s top players. Only

players invited by the CEBL will be in attendance.

“This will be an important opportunity for many of Canada’s top basketball players to spend a

day working with and getting to know many of the people behind the creation of Canada’s top

professional basketball league,” said Greg Francis, head of basketball for the CEBL. “We will have

some of Canada’s leading coaches on hand to conduct drills, assist with evaluation, and lead

scrimmages. It’s a rare opportunity to have so many of the country’s top basketball personnel in one

location.”

Assessments of players will include measuring vertical jump, sprint speed, agility, and height,

weight, and wingspan. Skill evaluation will be conducted through drill work and scrimmages. New

Era will provide all players with jerseys, shorts, t-shirts, caps, and drawstring bags.

The tentative schedule sees the Showcase begin at 10 a.m. and end at 5:30 p.m., with media

interviews available starting at 4:30 p.m.

“As a league created by Canadians for Canadians to further the development of Canadian

basketball talent, more than half of each of our teams’ rosters will be Canadian players,” said Mike

Morreale, chief executive officer of the CEBL. “Our league provides players who play internationally

during the traditional basketball season with the unique opportunity to return home to play

competitively during the summer months. This serves their professional development, and at the

same time enables fans across the country to see homegrown talent perform for the first time.”

The only FIBA-affiliated professional basketball league in the country, the inaugural season of

the CEBL tips off in May 2019 and runs through August with teams in Hamilton, Guelph, Edmonton,

Saskatchewan (Saskatoon), Niagara (St. Catharines), and Fraser Valley (Abbotsford). Teams will

play 20 regular season games, including 10 at home.

Season tickets will go on sale this fall, with an announcement planned shortly that will inform

fans on how to sign up for seats with a deposit prior to the public on-sale. Further information may

be obtained at www.cebl.ca.