Antigonish, NS – STFX X-Men third year forward David Muenkat was selected first overall in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) U SPORTS 2022 draft. The 6'7", 210 pound Arts student from Brampton, Ont. is the first ever X-Men to be drafted into the CEBL in what is the fourth year of the draft/league. He was chosen first overall in the opening round by the Scarborough Shooting Stars.
"I am excited for David and his family," comments X-Men head coach Tyrell Vernon. "He earned this opportunity and I know he will do an amazing job representing STFX University in the CEBL. This experience will only help him grow as a player and a young man. It is a pleasure to be a part of this journey with him."
The league announced the results of the 2022 CEBL U SPORTS Draft on Tuesday after the 10 CEBL franchises drafted 20 student-athletes from 19 Canadian universities over two rounds of selections. This is a coveted opportunity for top players in U SPORTS to get a chance to experience professional basketball by practicing and playing alongside veteran pro's from the NBA, NBA G League, Canadian National team, and top international leagues.
To be draft-eligible for 2022, U SPORTS players may have completed their university eligibility in 2020-21, or they may be returning to their university team in the fall and be classified within the CEBL's U SPORTS Developmental player program. They must qualify as Canadian, and they must have completed at least one full year of eligibility at their U SPORTS institution.
Each CEBL team had one pick in each of the two rounds. The order of selection was based on the order of the official launch dates of the three new expansion teams followed by the reverse order of finish in the 2021 regular season standings.
"This Draft Class is exceptional," notes Mike Morreale, Commissioner & CEO of the CEBL. "U SPORTS programs continue to develop some of our country's best players, and we can't wait for these rising stars to play alongside top professional talent from around the world. We hope that opportunities like this continue to help forge future pro basketball stars who can represent Canada domestically and on the world stage."
READ MORE on the CEBL draft
David Muenkat started in all 16 regular season games and two playoff games for the X-Men this past season. He averaged 13.8 PPG, was 48.9% in FG percentage, and finished third overall in AUS conference rebounding averaging 9.6 RPG with 154 total rebounds. Muenkat had five double-double games in pre-season exhibition play, another five in regular season action and one in the AUS semifinal playoff game.
He scored a game-high 32 points on March 12th in a 101-82 win over Acadia in the final regular season game, and pulled in a game-high 20 rebounds on Oct. 24th and scored 28 points as the X-Men defeated Dalhousie 82-71 to win their own pre-season STFX Coach K Invitational Tournament. David was honoured as the tournament MVP for the Coach K Invitational and he received the STFX X-Men Coach's Award for the 2021-22 season.
Having recently completed his third year of eligibility, prior to joining the X-Men program, he played for Saint Francis Brooklyn College in Brooklyn, New York for the 2020-21 season and was with Trinidad State Junior College in Trinidad, Colorado for two seasons prior.
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About the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL)
The CEBL, which tips off its fourth season May 25, is Canada's largest professional sports league with 10 teams located in six provinces from coast to coast. A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 75 percent of its current rosters being Canadians. Players and coaches bring experience from the NBA, 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 runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or head to (@cebleague) on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.
