Skip to content

River Lions announce draft selections (3 photos)

All three are from Brock University

NEWS RELEASE
NIAGARA RIVER LIONS
*************************
The Niagara River Lions of the Canadian Elite Basketball League announced today their three selections in the 2020 U SPORTS Draft, including Emmanuel Owootoah, Daniel Cayer and Kascius Small-Martin, all from Brock University. The partnership between U SPORTS and the CEBL allows student-athletes the unique opportunity to get their first taste of professional basketball by sharpening their game both on and off the court during the summer months before returning back to their university programs. 

With the fifth pick in the first round, the River Lions selected Emmanuel Owootoah, a 5’11 guard from Toronto, Ontario. Owotooah began his collegiate basketball career at NCAA Division 1 School, Fresno State, later transferring to Carleton University where he won a national championship in 2017. This past season Owotooah made the move to Brock and unfortunately suffered an injury early in the season that did not allow him to play. In his final year at Carleton, he averaged 7.8 points per game, 1.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.

“Eman is about as experienced a U SPORTS player as we have in Canada. He has played Division 1 basketball and he’s been a key member of a National Championship team at Carleton,” said River Lions Head Coach and General Manager, Victor Raso. “Now, he is about to embark on his senior season at Brock University as a leader of his team and one of the better point guards in the country. I’m excited for him to have this opportunity with us this summer, and I am expecting him to come in and prove that he can play valuable minutes at a high level.”

The third pick in the second round was Brock veteran, Daniel Cayer, a 6’6 forward from Pierrefonds, Quebec who has played four seasons with the Badgers and will return for his fifth in September. This year he averaged 12.9 points per game and an impressive 10.1 rebounds per game, ranking fourth in Ontario.

The River Lions final U SPORTS draft pick was Kascius Small-Martin, a 6’2 guard from Markham, Ontario who just completed his junior year with the Badgers, averaging 15.7 points and 2.7 assists per game.

In 2019, the River Lions drafted Brock’s Tyler Brown and Fil Vujadinovic of Ryerson University, who was statistically one of the top three CEBL U SPORTS players.

The Niagara River Lions are scheduled to tip-off the season at home on May 7 versus the expansion franchise, the Ottawa Blackjacks. Season tickets, voucher packs, “marquee matchup” packs, group and single game tickets are on sale now.

*************************