University of the Fraser Valley men's basketball standout
Sukhjot Bains will get a taste of
the professional game this summer, after signing with the Fraser Valley Bandits of the Canadian Elite Basketball League.
Bains, a rising fifth-year guard, is poised to make his debut with the Abbotsford-based franchise on Thursday, when the team faces the Saskatchewan Rattlers in Saskatoon (6 p.m. PT,
CEBL.tv).
The CEBL, a six-team circuit in the midst of its inaugural season, has a partnership in place with U SPORTS, the national governing body for university sport in Canada, which allows current U SPORTS athletes to sign developmental contracts and suit up for CEBL teams without compromising their eligibility. Bains is the first Cascades student-athlete to sign a CEBL deal, and his Bandits stint figures to be beneficial as he prepares for his senior season at UFV.
"It's a great opportunity for Sukhjot to play against some high-level competition this summer, testing himself against professional-level talent," Cascades head coach
Adam Friesen said. "I think he can earn opportunities on the team based on the fact that he's a very good defender, he's going to rebound at a high level, and he'll show his ability on the offensive end."
Bains, a 6'6" guard out of Tamanawis Secondary in Surrey, B.C.,
joined the Cascades in 2018-19 after spending his first three seasons of university eligibility south of the border, most recently at NCAA Div. I Wisconsin-Green Bay. He had an instant impact at UFV, starting 19 conference games and finishing second in team scoring (12.8 points per game). He also ranked second in rebounding (6.9) and third in assists (2.3), while establishing himself as one of the most versatile and effective defenders in Canada West. Bains helped the Cascades to a 13-7 regular-season record and a
first-round playoff win over the UNBC Timberwolves, before
falling 2-1 to the UBC Thunderbirds in the best-of-three Canada West quarter-finals.
"I am extremely happy to have this opportunity," Bains said. "The Fraser Valley raised me, and the opportunity to show kids from Surrey and throughout the region that their dreams are possible is an absolute honour. From Tamanawis, to prep school in the States, to Wisconsin-Green Bay, to UFV, and now the Bandits – it has been a whirlwind journey.
"I am hoping to be a role model for youth of all ages and backgrounds by showing that if they work hard enough in the classroom and on the court, they can achieve these types of opportunities."
The next home game for Bains and the Bandits (0-9) is Thursday, July 4, when they host the Guelph Nighthawks at Abbotsford Centre (7 p.m.).
Bains and the Cascades men's basketball team begin
the 2019-20 Canada West campaign Nov. 1-2 at the Winnipeg Wesmen, and home-opening weekend is Nov. 15-16 vs. the UBC Okanagan Heat.
- with files from Andrew Savory, Fraser Valley Bandits
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