River Lions add American guard
The Niagara River Lions continue to build their roster for the 2023 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) campaign with the addition of point guard Vinnie Shahid.
The 24 year-old Minnesota native will join the team after completing his season with Thor Thorlakshofn of the Iceland Subway League. Shahid is having a career best season, leading both the team and league in points per game (26.3) and assists per game (8.7).
“Vinnie is an exciting addition to this year’s roster,” River Lions head coach and general manager Victor Raso said. “Vinnie is an unheralded offensive point guard who can really, really shoot and pass the basketball. He is tough, he is a winner, and he’s going to be a great point guard for this team.”
Shahid began his collegiate career at Western Nebraska Community College where he played two seasons for the Cougars, averaging 16.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, and being named NJCAA Region IX Player of the Year during his sophomore season. In 2018, Shahid transferred to North Dakota State University (NDSU) where he was named the Summit League Newcomer of the Year and Summit League Tournament MVP after leading the team in scoring (13.1 points per game) and assists (2.6 per game). Shahid led NDSU versus the No. 1 ranked Duke in the NCAA Tournament, scoring 20 points.
During his senior season, Shahid earned many accolades including being named First Team All-Summit League and First Team All-District Team while earning Tournament MVP for the second straight season. Shahid became the sixth Bison to top 600 points in a season with 608, and only the second player in school history to reach 1,000 career points in only two seasons as a Bison. Shahid finished third in the league in scoring and fifth in assists, while leading the team in scoring, assists, steals, three pointers and total minutes.
Shahid signed his first professional contract for the 2020-2021 season with AB Contern in Luxembourg where he was the league’s fourth best scorer with 22.6 points per game while averaging 4.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists. Shahid went on to sign with Cergy-Pontoise of the France NM1 League where his high scoring continued with 21 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.
“I’m excited to be part of the River Lions family,” Shahid said. “I can’t wait to get to Niagara and get to work as we compete for the 2023 CEBL championship.”
Shahid becomes the third American signed and ninth player added to the River Lions roster ahead of the 2023 season set tip-off for the team on May 26 when they visit the Montreal Alliance.
Season tickets, voucher packs, group tickets and single game tickets are on sale now. Visit https://www.riverlions.ca/singlegameticketsonsale.
Dear reader. If you liked this story or one of the 5,000 other stories found on our website, please consider hitting the Support Us button on the right-hand side of our home page and making a PayPal contribution to our website. Your support would be much appreciated. If you are a business owner, please consider advertising on our site. Our rates are reasonable and we provide plenty of exposure for your business. Contact bpotrecz@outlook.com for more information.
