River Lions reveal roster
Guillaume Payen-Boucard is expected to he a key player for the Niagara River Lions in the inaugural season of the Canadian Elite Basketball League.
The Niagara River Lions unveiled their roster Saturday night in Hamilton for the inaugural season of the Canadian Elite Basketball League.
The draft was held March 17, but the league decided to announce the rosters at a draft reveal party Saturday in Hamilton.
Niagara’s roster features a local flavour in former River Lion Guillaume Payen-Boucard and current Brock University point guard Tyler Brown. Payen-Boucard was taken in the first four rounds of Saturday’s draft in the Canadian Regional Rounds. Teams could only select players from their respective territories, meaning Guelph, Hamilton, and Niagara had to choose athletes with specific ties to Ontario, Quebec, Prince Edward Island. Brown was taken in the second round of the U Sports draft as part of the league’s plan to have one developmental player as part of each team’s 10 man roster.
Niagara selected Ryerson’s Fil Vujadinovic with the first overall pick of the U Sports draft and he will be fighting it out to make the team.
Also selected by Niagara in the first four rounds were Kaza Kajami-Keane, Kassius Robertson and Tyrone Watson.
Rounds 5 through 11 were General Draft Rounds where teams could pick players from any region of the world. Niagara chose Julian Boyd, Nem Mitrovic, Ryan Wright, Alex Johnson, Joel Kindred, Rayvon Higdon and Jaylon Tate.
Head coach/GM Victor Raso can now start to get ready for the start of training camp on April 25.
“It’s being ready for change because things are going to happen, especially between now and the beginning of the season,” he said. “This is who I drafted and this is who I plan on having be there, but do I expect it to be just like this a month and a half from now? No.
“Americans become available so readily and there’s such a lack of spots, you are going to get pretty good guys who want a spot and they will play for cheaper.”
The salary cap for the league is $7,000 per game which translates into $140,000 for the 20-game regular season.
If teams go under the $7,000 per game and save some money, they can use that money to offer players bonuses during the season or at the end of the season.
None of the contracts are guaranteed.
Because the CEBL is a FIBA-sanctioned league, hoopsters can’t leave and join a team in another country unless they receive a release from their CEBL team.
But there still exists the possibility of players leaving at inopportune times.
“The concern at the end of the year is with the higher-paying European teams,” Raso said. “If someone goes after Kaza or Kassius and offers them a $100,000 American deal with a team in Germany, France or wherever it may be and they want them to shut it down, that’s reality. That may come into play.”
That possible scenario is why Raso would love to be able to save some salary during the season.
“If a team says to Kassius or Kaza we want you to leave on Aug. 15, I can say to them that I have $10,000 and I will give it to you if you stay one more week.
“That’s kind of my plan; if I can save a little money and keep it later on.”
Raso expects a number of teams in the league will be dealing with that same situation.
He will build his team around Payen-Boucard, Kajami-Keane, Robertson, Watson, Boyd, Mitrovic and Wright.
“Those seven guys are the guys who I am fully committed to for the summer,” Raso said. “They know that and the next group of guys know that they are coming to training camp and they are competing for spots. They will be on the team at the beginning of the season.”
A few of the top seven players will be joining the team late once their seasons are over in Europe and Watson is recovering from knee surgery and won’t be available until July.
Raso wants to start the season strong even without his complete roster.
“I don’t want to be in the situation where we are waiting for these guys to get back before we get good,” he said. “I want to built a team at the beginning of the year that is competitive and good.”
His coaching staff will be made up of: Jeff Joseph, a lead assistant coach at McMaster for 15 years and a travel coach with Blessed Sacrament; Mick Bett, a St. Catharines resident who coached two teams to championships in the English top division; and, Doyle Anthony, former college All-Canadian, who coached at Redeemer this past year.
Below is a look at the players Niagara drafted. The Secure Seven are the players guaranteed spots and the Fight it Out Four will be battling for roster spots. Brown is guaranteed a spot on the roster but there’s no guarantee of playing time.
SECURE SEVEN
KAZA KAJAMI-KEANE
Age: 25.
Position and size: 6-foot-2, 205-pound point guard.
Hometown: Ajax.
Collegiate background: Illinois State, Cleveland State and Carleton where he was MVP of the 2017 U SPORTS final 8 Tournament and the university’s male athlete of the year.
Pro background: Spent 2017-18 season with Raptors 905, where he started seven of 43 games and averaged 19.8 minutes of playing time, 6.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.5 rebounds per game. In 2019, playing for Zwolle in Holland and averaging 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.1 rebounds per game.
Oh Canada: Was backup point guard for Team Canada last summer.
Coach’s comments: “He’s like a bulldog scorer who can distribute really well. He’s a high-level point guard.”
KASSIUS ROBERTSON
Age: 24.
Position and size: 6-foot-3, 180-pound shooting guard.
Hometown: Toronto.
Collegiate background: Canisius and then Missouri for final season. Led Missouri in scoring with 16.6 points per game while shooting 43 per cent from behind the arc. He was named to the First Team All-SEC (Southeastern Conference).
Pro background: Playing in top division in Germany with Medi Bayreuth of the Basketball Bundesliga league. He is averaging 12.2 points and 2.1 rebounds per game.
Coach’s comments: “He’s young, he’s really good and he’s a guy that I think will be on our national team and have a legitimate shot to play in the NBA.”
GUILLAUME PAYEN-BOUCARD
Age: 29.
Position and size: 6-foot-6 197-pound small and power forward
Hometown: Montreal.
Collegiate background: Carleton.
Pro background: Spent 2016-17 in France with Get Vosges, averaging 9.8 points and 5.5 rebounds. With Niagara River Lions in 2017-18, averaged 14.2 points and 7.7 rebounds. Playing in National Basketball League of Canada in 2018-19, averaging 6.3 points and 4.8 rebounds in 15 games with the St. John’s Edge and 18.8 points and 8.6 rebounds in 20 games with the Island Storm.
Coach’s comments: “I loved Guillaume last year. He was awesome and he’s an elite competitor. He will be here right from the beginning of the year and he will probably be our team captain.”
TYRONE WATSON
Age: 28.
Position and size: 6-foot-4 power forward/post.
Hometown: Hamilton.
Collegiate background: New Mexico State where he went to three March Madness tournaments. In 120 career games, averaged 6.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.
Pro background: Al-Muharraq of the Bahraini Premier League and with Halifax Rainmen, Orangeville A’s and Halifax Hurricanes of the NBL of Canada. In 2015, was NBL Canada Canadian Player of the Year after averaging 13.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. This season, he averaged 9.8 points and 3.9 rebounds in 16 games with Halifax.
Coach’s comments: “He is a typical do-it-all, kind of like Guillaume but thicker. He can defend all five positions, is a great leader and he rebounds like crazy.”
JULIAN BOYD
Age: 29.
Position and size: 6-foot-8, 240-pound forward.
Hometown: San Antonio, Tex.
Collegiate background: Played at Long Island University where he was Northeast Conference rookie of the year, NEC player of the year in 2012, two-time First Team All-NEC and an AP All-American honourable mention in 2012. Tore his ACL three times in college.
Pro background: Played from 2016 to 2018 with the London Lighting of the NBL of Canada. Signed with Icelandic champions KR of the Úrvalsdeild karla and averaged 22.5 points and 9.9 rebounds in 22 games.
Coach’s comments: “He is incredibly talented. He’s a big guy who can shoot the three and if they switch a smaller guy on to him, he will destroy you. He is a massive matchup problem.”
NEM MITROVIC
Age: 28.
Position and size: 6-foot-6, 200-pound small forward.
Hometown: Toronto.
Collegiate background: Portland State. Played 101 games and is fourth in career three-point field goals made (159) and six in career three-point percentage (39 per cent).
Pro background: Played 2012-13 with Kavala BC of Greek A1 league and averaged 10.6 points and 2.8 rebounds. In 2013-14, competed for Sutor Montegranaro in Italy’s Serie A league and had averages of 6.8 points and 2.4 rebounds. Back in Greece’s A1 league in 2015 and playing with Panelefsiniakos, he averaged 8.5 points and 2.0 rebounds. Joined Berck Basket in France in January 2016 and he averaged 11.3 points and 2.5 rebounds. In 2016-17, playing with Ourense Provincia Termal of the Liga Española de Baloncesto in the Spanish Leb Oro League, he averaged 11.8 points and 3.0 rebounds. In 2017, he signed with with Araberri of the Spanish LEB Oro.
Coach’s comments: “He’s a very good shooter and a very good offensive player. He’s very smart and very European.”
RYAN WRIGHT
Age: 32.
Position and size: 6-foot-9 240-pound forward.
Hometown: Mississauga.
Collegiate background: two seasons at UCLA and two seasons at Oklahoma.
Pro background: Wright’s resume includes many International stops including with the: SK Cherkasy Monkeys in the UK Super League (9.6 points, 5.7 rebounds) and Soles de Mexicali in Mexico (13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds) in 2011-12; Busan KT Sonicboom in Korean Basketball League (4.0 points, 3.0 rebounds) and BC Anwil in Poland (6.6 points, 2.9 rebounds) in 2012-13; Gelisim Koleji in Turkey (12.8 points, 7.4 rebounds) in 2013-14; Namika Lahti in Finland (12.8 points, 7.4 rebounds) in 2014-15; Falco-Vulcano Energia KC Szombathely in Hungary (13.0 points, 8.0 rebounds) in 2015-16; Szolnoki Olaj in Greece (5.6 points, 4.0 rebounds) and Vasas Akademia Budapest in Hungary (12.5 points, 6.9 rebounds) in 2016-17; Karesi Spor in Turkey (12.4 points, 6.1 rebounds) in 2017-18; and, Joensuun Kataja in Finland (10.0 points, 3.7 rebounds) and Pecsi VSK-Veolia in Hungary (6.0 points, 3.3 rebounds) in 2019.
Coach’s comments: “He’s a massive body, smart, he knows how to play the game, he catches everything at the rim and dunks on people.”
FIGHT IT OUT FOUR
ALEX JOHNSON
Age: 31.
Position and size: 5-foot-10, 175-pound point guard.
Hometown: Toronto .
Collegiate background: Cal State Bakersfield (averaged 7.8 points and 2.1 rebounds in three seasons) and North Carolina State.
Pro background: Timba Timişoara in Romania in 2012-13; with the Mississauga Power, Hamilton Huskies, Saint John Mill Rats, Halifax Hurricanes and Windsor Express of the NBL of Canada from 2014-16; the Grand Rapids Drive of the NBA G League in 2016-17; the St. John’s Edge of the NBL of Canada (10 points and 3.4 rebounds) and Leones de Riobamba of Ecuador in 2017-18; and with London Lightning of the NBL of Canada (8.9 points and 3.1 rebounds) in 2018-19. He is a two-time member of the NBL Canada All-Canada Team.
Coach’s comments: “He will provide a lot of leadership and we will rely on him at the beginning of the year, especially until Kaza comes back and then he’s going to be in a dogfight for those last spots.”
JOEL KINDRED
Age: ?
Position and size: 6-foot-4 guard.
Hometown: Raleigh, N.C.
Collegiate background: St. Augustine’s College where he averaged 12.2 points and 5.4 rebounds in his four-year career.
Pro background: Suited up for Cantaires Tortosa in Spain during the 2017-18 season and averaged 19 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Played in 2018-19 with the Halifax Hurricanes of the NBL Canada and averaged 14.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
Coach’s comments: “He’s super athletic and a very good shooter and he has a great energy and a great attitude about him. He reached out and really wanted to be a part of things this summer. He loves basketball and I want guys who love basketball.”
RAYVON HIGDON
Age: 28.
Position and size: 6-foot-2 guard.
Hometown: Rochester N.Y.
Collegiate background: Nazareth College and Redeemer University College, where he was a three-time Canadian college All-Canadian and a two-time Ontario Colleges Athletic Association Player of the Year.
Pro background: Signed with Saint John Riptide in October 2018, but didn’t play.
Coach’s comments: “He’s a little older but he almost averaged a triple-double in college. Because he had no clout, no one really gave him a shot, but I think he’s really good. I think when he gets here, I won’t be able to cut him. It his first real shot at the pros and he should have got others in the past, but he went to Redeemer.”
JAYLON TATE
Age: 24.
Position and size: 6-foot-3 180-pound point guard
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois.
Collegiate background: University of Illinois
Pro background: Played the 2017-18 season with the Niagara River Lions and was named the NBL Canada rookie of the year and a third team all-star after leading the league with 7.53 assists per game and averaging 13.1 points per game. In 2018-19, played with Pyrintö of the Finnish Korisliiga league where he averaged 15.2 points, 4.9 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game.
Coach’s comments: “At the beginning of the year, his agents have NBA workouts set up for him, he’s going back to Chicago and he’s trying to get into NBA summer leagues. We got his rights, he’s going that route and if that route doesn’t work out, then we will bring him in later in the summer.”
FIL VUJADINOVIC
Age: ?
Position and size: 6-foot-7 forward.
Hometown: Burlington.
Collegiate background: Played five years with the Ryerson Rams, averaging 11.3 points and 6.2 rebounds during the 2018-19 season.
Pro background: None.
Coach’s comments: “He is the winningest player to ever play at Ryerson and has won five U Sports medals. He’s a super tough kid who can shoot the three and he’s going to be in the group of four or five guys competing at the beginning of the year for a spot later on.”
DEVELOPMENTAL PLAYER
TYLER BROWN
Age: ?
Position: 6-foot-1 point guard.
Hometown: Hamilton.
Collegiate background: Has played four seasons with the Brock Badgers, averaging 11.3 points and 3.5 points in the 2018-19 season.
Pro background: None.
Coach’s comments: “He’s the best player returning to Brock and he’s probably the best player locally. When I called Tyler, I thought he was going to cry. He was so excited. There’s a chance he gets in, but Tyler knows he’s taking a big jump from U Sports guys to really good professionals. He’s athletic enough and quick enough to play for short periods of time.”
