Jackson, James and Thomas drafted into CEBL

A trio of X-Men Basketball players were selected Thursday night in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) draft. DJ Jackson was drafted sixth overall by the Calgary Surge, Gatluak James was picked ninth overall by the Niagara River Lions and Koat Thomas was selected 14^th overall by the Scarborough Shooting Stars.

DJ Jackson is a 6'4", 190-pound guard from Mississauga, Ont. who recently wrapped up his first season with the X-Men and third season of U SPORTS eligibility. The AUS most valuable player for 2024-25, D.J. lead the country in scoring, averaging 24.4 PPG, while adding 7.4 RPG in 18 games played. He was an AUS first team all-star, AUS tournament all-star and garnered recognition as a U SPORTS first team all-Canadian and the STFX 2025 male student-athlete of the year.

Gatluak James is a 6'5", 200-pound guard from Windsor, Ont. who is completing his fifth year in the BA Human Kinetics program, having played for four complete seasons. A 2024-25 AUS second team all-star, James averaged 12.6 PPG and 7.7 RPG (seventh in the conference), starting in all 20 games this season for the X-Men. James was on the practice roster for the Calgary Surge last summer but will be heading to Niagara for the 2025 season.  

Koat Thomas is a 6'6", 180-pound guard from Waterloo, Ont. who wrapped up his second season with the X-Men, playing in 17 games. The 2024 AUS rookie of the year and U SPORTS all-rookie, Thomas averaged 10.1 PPG and 7.2 RPG this season for the White and Blue. He was also drafted in the 2024 CEBL draft, 15^th overall by Scarborough, and will be heading back to the same Scarborough squad this summer.

The complete release from the CEBL follows.

2025 CEBL DRAFT CLASS ANNOUNCED

Twenty-seven U SPORTS, three CCAA student-athletes selected in three rounds

The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Thursday the results of the 2025 CEBL Draft that saw 30 Canadian student-athletes selected over three rounds from 25 Canadian post-secondary institutions.

For the first time, the selections were unveiled live on CEBL+ (plus.cebl.ca) via the '2025 CEBL Draft Reveal Show' that began at 7 p.m. ET. The full replay of the show can be watched on CEBL+ Video-on-Demand as of April 12.

Each CEBL club made three selections total (one in each round) of either returning or graduating Canadian post-secondary players. The priority of selection in round one was the reverse order of how each team finished the 2024 regular season, and the following rounds reverted to a 'snake format' in reverse order of the previous round.

By the Numbers:

• 30 student-athletes selected from 25 different academic institutions
• 27 U SPORTS players / 3 CCAA players
• 21 first-time CEBL players / 9 returning CEBL players
• 21 different hometown cities represented from 7 different provinces
• 3 student-athletes selected from both Toronto Metropolitan University and St. Francis Xavier University (most from any school)

Results (By Round):

For more information on each player selected in the 2025 CEBL Draft, please visit cebl.ca/cebl-draft-2025-results.

The seventh season of the CEBL tips off May 11 when the Calgary Surge travel to Edmonton to take on the Stingers in the Battle of Alberta. A total of 120 regular season games fill the 2025 campaign, leading to playoffs that begin August 14. Championship Weekend, which features the league's top four teams during the regular season vying for the league title, will be held at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, August 22-24.

Season tickets and flex packs are now available league wide with priority seating access and preferred pricing. Ticket information for all CEBL games, including single-game tickets, can be found by visiting cebl.ca/tickets and cebl.ca/cw25/tickets.

- CEBL -

About the CEBL

A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 75% of its rosters being Canadian and a record 12 players with NBA experience in 2024. Players also bring experience from the NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, NCAA programs, as well as U SPORTS and CCAA. More than 20 players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year. The CEBL season runs from May through August with games broadcast live on CEBL+, TSN, TSN+, RDS, Game+ and Next Level Sports & Entertainment. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.

About U SPORTS

U SPORTS is the national brand for university sports in Canada. Every year, over 15,500 student-athletes and 700 coaches vie for 23 national championships in 13 different sports. U SPORTS also provides high performance international opportunities at FISU Winter and Summer World University Games, World University Championships, University World Cups and various educational initiatives.

U SPORTS works in collaboration with 58 members and four conferences as well as the Canadian sport system and Corporate Canada on the growth and delivery of university sport to student-athletes across the country.