A trio of University of the Fraser Valley men's basketball players have been selected in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) draft by the Fraser Valley Bandits.

The Bandits, who practice at the UFV Athletic Centre and play their games at Abbotsford Centre next door to UFV campus, focused on selecting locals in the CEBL's second annual draft of U SPORTS players.

Parm Bains was the Bandits' first-round selection. The 5'10" point guard out of Tamanawis Secondary in Surrey, B.C. is coming off a banner campaign as a fifth-year senior, finishing fourth in the Canada West conference scoring race (19.4 points per game) and sixth in assists (4.5), earning CW first team all-star honours. He led the nation in three-pointers with 79, setting a conference record for triples in a 20-game season in the process. Bains is also the CW career record-holder for three-pointers per game (3.24).

In the second round, the Bandits picked Daniel Adediran, a high-flying 6'5" forward out of Surrey's Pacific Christian who recently completed his fourth season of eligibility with the Cascades. Adediran was a fixture in the Cascades' starting lineup this past season, averaging 7.3 points and 6.0 rebounds in 18.6 minutes per game. He scored a season-high 21 points in a win at Thompson Rivers on Feb. 1, and racked up a double-double (18 points, 13 boards) in a victory over UBC on Jan. 4.

Kenan Hadzovic, a graduate of Abbotsford's W.J. Mouat Secondary, was the Bandits' third-round selection. The 6'2" combo guard is known for his strong two-way play, and posted career-highs for minutes (21.1), points (6.1) and rebounds (2.5) per game in 2019-20 as a third-year player. A B.C. 4A second team all-star at Mouat in 2017, Hadzovic showcased his offensive upside with a season-high 18 points vs. the Winnipeg Wesmen on Nov. 1.

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Thrilled to announce that three @ufvmbb players have been selected in the @cebleague @usportsca draft by our hometown team, the @fvbandits.cebl! Parm Bains was picked in the first round (2nd overall! ??), Daniel Adediran in the second round, and Kenan Hadzovic in the third! Excited to see how these three grow their skills in a pro basketball environment! #WeClimbWeConquer

A post shared by UFV Cascades Athletics (@ufvcascades) on Mar 26, 2020 at 4:05pm PDT

"It is important that we are committed to drafting and developing local talent," Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius said. "We are fortunate to have the opportunity to work with U SPORTS and UFV toward building a lineage for post-secondary and professional players. Surrey and Abbotsford are well-known hotbeds for skilled and gritty players, as Parm, Daniel and Kenan each bring a toughness of character that fits the mold of the Bandits. 

"All three players possess qualities we value. All of our players from our imports to our Canadians to our U SPORTS athletes must come to work every day and earn their opportunities. I'm looking forward to working with the U SPORTS players and helping them become better players and laying the foundation for becoming a pro."

The CEBL, a seven-team professional basketball circuit, 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. Thus, Adediran and Hadzovic will be eligible to return to the Cascades once the Bandits' season ends.

The Bandits are scheduled to tip off the 2020 season on May 8 at home vs. the Saskatchewan Rattlers.