LANGLEY, BC - The Vancouver Bandits of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Wednesday that the club has signed University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) Cascades forward Dario Lopez for the 2026 season as part of CEBL Signing Day.

"It's a great jump start for his pro career," said Cascades head coach Joe Enevoldson on Lopez signing with the bandits. "He helped take our program to the next level. He's our third leading scorer and second leading rebounder in program history. He's left his mark as a true legacy guy in our program."

"I think the sky is the limit for him and I am looking forward to watching him progress throughout the course of his career. The Bandits have really stepped up. They have G League guys, they have brought NBA guys, and for our guys to be included in that mix really shows where we are going as a program as well."

In addition to Lopez, the Bandits also signed Queen's University forward Ashton Bain on CEBL Signing Day. 
 
"We are proud to announce these two local student-athlete signings, as building BC talent is a core mandate for our team," said Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius. "While these are key pieces, we are far from done. We will continue to actively scout collegiate athletes to further strengthen our roster this summer."
 
Lopez, a 6-foot-7 forward originally from Madrid, Spain, recently completed his fifth and final season with the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) Cascades where he earned Canada West First Team All-Star honours. In 2025-26, he played and started in 15 games while posting averages of 27.1 minutes, 15.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Before competing for UFV, Lopez was a member of Movistar Estudiantes U18 in Spain.
 
Replacing the CEBL Draft, Signing Day marks the next evolution of the CEBL's partnership with U SPORTS, established in 2019, and more recently the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). The new approach creates a more direct and flexible pathway for Canadian student-athletes to transition from campus to the professional stage.
 
"As Canada's professional basketball league, our focus is on elevating the game and the athletes who power it," said CEBL President and CEO Ty Mazereeuw. "Signing Day gives student-athletes a direct path to the pro level, where they can test themselves against elite competition and contribute to an exciting, fast-paced product. With expanded visibility across CEBL+, YouTube, and CBC platforms, along with strong fan support in every market, it's an opportunity to grow their careers within a league built from the community up."
 
"U SPORTS is proud of its partnership with the CEBL that allows our student-athletes to sign with clubs to continue meaningful development during the U SPORTS off-season," said Matthew Davies, U SPORTS Chief Sport Officer. "The CEBL teams' commitment to carry developmental players is a valuable opportunity for our student-athletes to fuel their growth as players and as people."
 
The Bandits open the 2026 CEBL season on Thursday, May 14 on the road in Saskatoon before coming home for its Home Opener against the Edmonton Stingers on Friday, May 22 at 7:00 p.m. PT at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre.

- With files from Vancouver Bandits / thebandits.ca