VANCOUVER – For the third time in as many years, the UBC Thunderbirds have had players selected in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) U SPORTS Draft. Earlier today the Vancouver Bandits chose fourth-year forward/team captain
Brian Wallack (Surrey, B.C.) with the 15th selection in the second round, while graduating forward
Sukhman Sandhu was picked seventh overall in the first round by the Ottawa BlackJacks. This marks the second consecutive year that Sandhu has been chosen in the CEBL draft, following a 14th overall selection last spring by the Vancouver Bandits.
"I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Vancouver Bandits this summer," said Wallack. "It has been a dream of mine since the CEBL started to be a member of the team. I would like to thank Bandits management for this opportunity as well as my family, friends and coaches that have helped me get to this position. This includes coach
Kevin Hanson and the UBC Thunderbirds basketball program which has helped me elevate all aspects of my game over the past few seasons. I am very fortunate to be surrounded by great people."
Coming off his fourth season with the blue and gold, the 6-foot-7" forward who is currently working towards completing his masters of kinesiology is coming off his best statistical season to date in Canada West and U SPORTS competition. He set new career highs in almost every single category including: Points-per-game (15.8), rebounds-per-game (7.7) and minutes played (27.7 per game). Offensively he averaged a full 10.1 points-per-game more than the previous year and surpassed 20-or-more points in eight games, and added five double-doubles. Wallack scored a career-high 31 points (13-of-15 from the field) in a 92-79 win over Brandon University on January 7
th, ahead of some of his most all around efforts coming in the post-season as he notched 24 and 25 points respectively in a pair of back-to-back playoff wins against Mount Royal (February 17, 2022) and Alberta (February 18, 2022). He's eligible to return to the 'Birds next season.
"We're thrilled that Brian has earned the opportunity to be drafted by the Vancouver Bandits," added UBC head coach
Kevin Hanson. "This is a result of Brian's remarkable work ethic both on and off the court that has seen him evolve into such an effective all-around player who had a breakout season for us as a team leader. He's a tough competitor that set the tone for us on many nights and he's a first-class individual that will only continue to build his talent in a professional basketball environment with the Bandits."
Throughout his four-season tenure at UBC, Wallack has appeared in 99 games and has started in 52 of them. He's a career .546 field goal shooter and has pulled 452 rebounds. During the 2019-20 season, Wallack started in each of the final 10 games for UBC, helping them secure a 2020 Canada West crown and a bronze medal at the 2020 National Championships in Ottawa, ON.
Wallack becomes the third UBC Thunderbird to be selected by the Bandits in the CEBL U SPORTS Draft. He joins graduating forward
Sukhman Sandhu (2022 - Round 2, Pick 14) and alumnus guard
Grant Audu (2021 – Round 3, Pick 20).
The Vancouver Bandits are scheduled to tip-off the 2023 CEBL campaign on Saturday, May 27
th when they visit the Winnipeg Sea Bears at Canada Life Centre. They're first home game is set for Saturday, June 3
rd against the Calgary Surge with a 7:00 p.m. start at the Langley Events Centre.
Sandhu, a six-foot-10 centre from Surrey, British Columbia will head east after a productive Canada West career that saw him average 9.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 19.1 minutes in 97 games split between the UBC Thunderbirds (47) and the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) Cascades (50). This will serve as Sandhu's second taste with the CEBL as he was chosen by the Vancouver Bandits with the fourth pick in the second round of the CEBL U SPORTS Draft last season and played three games with the team.
This past Winter, Sandhu served as a key veteran piece to the T-Birds puzzle as he averaged 11.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 22.7 minutes in 31 games. He recorded four double-doubles and posted a season-best 26 points, shooting six-for-eight from behind the arc on February 4 against his former U SPORTS team in the UFV Cascades. The sharpshooter also hit a season-high six three pointers during a November 16 rivalry clash with Trinity Western.
"With our first round pick we opted to add some size and shooting to our front court with
Sukhman Sandhu out of the University of British Columbia," commented Jevohn Shepherd, General Manager and Vice-President of Basketball Operations, Ottawa BlackJacks Basketball Club. "Sukhman has the tools and skill set to impact the game and we're excited to be apart of his growth."
In 2021-22, after playing his previous three years at the University of the Fraser Valley, Sandhu set career highs across the board with the Thunderbirds; including points per game (16.4), rebounds per game (6.8), as well as field goal percentage (.554) and three-point field goal percentage (.551). On November 12, Sandhu scored a career-high 30 points in a 99-65 victory against UBC Okanagan.
"We're very pleased that Sukhman has been selected in the CEBL draft for a second straight year," continued UBC coach
Kevin Hanson. "The Ottawa BlackJacks know they've chosen an outstanding and versatile player who is a rare find being a big man that not only has the impressive outside shooting ability but also an inside presence to be effective in multiple ways. Sukman has been a key part of our program success over the last few years as a contributor and a leader and I expect him to grow his game even further while helping the BlackJacks this season."
The BlackJacks open the 2023 season on home court on Wednesday May, 24 at the Arena at TD Place with a 7:30 p.m. ET tip off.
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 71 percent of its 2022 rosters being Canadian.
