Vancouver Bandits announced Tuesday, Feb. 20, that the club has signed 2022 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) champion Koby McEwen for the club’s upcoming season of professional basketball at Langley Events Centre (LEC).
The 2024 campaign will be McEwen’s third year in the CEBL after spending his previous two seasons with the Brampton Honey Badgers.
McEwan, a 26-year-old native from Toronto, leaves Brampton as the franchise’s all-time leader in minutes played (1123) and assists (155).
To cap off a strong 2022 season, McEwen also took home CEBL Sixth Man of the Year honours.
“I am excited to be joining an organization with the potential to do so many great things in this league,” McEwan said.
“I’m all in!”
McEwen starred at Utah State University for two seasons before transferring to Marquette University.
He wrapped up five years of NCAA Division I basketball at Weber State in 2021-22 where he was named 2022 Big Sky Newcomer of the Year and earned first-team All-Big Sky honours after finishing fourth in the conference in scoring with 18.2 points per game.
After graduating from Weber State in 2022 and beginning his professional career in 2022-23, McEwen culminated a strong pro rookie season by playing for his hometown Raptors 905, the NBA G League affiliate of the Toronto Raptors.
He played in seven games and scored a season-high 13 points on 4-for-6 shooting on March 25, 2023, versus the Greensboro Swarm.
“Koby was one of the top Canadian free agents in our league. Koby embodies our culture and the way we want to play. He is a two-way threat and someone we have targeted the past three years. I can’t wait to have him join our family and enhance our culture,” said Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius.
Fans will get their first opportunity to watch the Bandits on Thursday, May 23 at 7 p.m. when Vancouver opens its season at home against the Montréal Alliance.
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