5 Key Re-Signings from the 2023 Season
In 2023, the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) arguably had its most impressive season both on and off the court. With the league’s sixth season and 2024 Free Agency around the corner, here’s a look back at five players who had big impacts on their teams by re-signing during the historic
Year 5.
Khalil Ahmad (Guard, Niagara River Lions)
The 2022 CEBL Player of the Year and Clutch Player of Year did not disappoint in 2023, showing us that his MVP campaign the year prior was no fluke. In 2023 the guard took complete control of the River Lions offense once again, leading the team in points (18.9) and assists (6.0), while shooting 48.4% from the field and 36.7% from three. Ahmad also showed his ability to be an elite clutch-time performer and on-ball defender as he recorded league highs with eight total game winners and averaged 2.41 steals per game to earn his second CEBL Clutch Player of the Year Award alongside Defensive Player of the Year honours and a nod to his second All-CEBL First Team.
Kadre Gray (Guard, Ottawa BlackJacks)
Gray’s name appearing on this list should be no surprise to CEBL fans, especially following his iconic
game-winning logo three to kickoff the season in the 2023 opener. But that highlight reel shot isn’t the only reason for his consideration. Heading into his third season with the BlackJacks, Gray’s comfortability with the team showed to be a positive as he posted career highs in almost every offensive category. At the end of the season, he led all passers in average assists with 6.2 to complement his 16.2 points per game on 48.4% shooting from the field and 42.0% from three. As a result, Gray was named the 2023 Canadian of the Year and was named to both the All-CEBL Second Team and All-Canadian Team.
Christian Vital (Guard, Brampton Honey Badgers)
After winning the Finals MVP award in 2022, eyes around the league were fixed on the Brampton guard heading into 2023. Waiting to see how he would respond to his new leadership role with the Honey Badgers following the departure of their captain and 2022 Canadian Player of the Year, Caleb Agada, and 2022 Coach of the Year, Ryan Schimmdit, Vital responded by leading the Honey Badgers to a 2023 playoff berth while ranking among the league leaders with 19.7 points (4th), 2.40 steals (2nd) and 56 total three-pointers made (4th). He was also named to the All-CEBL Second Team in the process.
Isiaha Mike (Forward, Scarborough Shooting Stars)
One of Scarborough's very own, Mike was a late addition to the Shooting Stars in the 2023 season, re-signing in mid-July and playing in less than half of the team’s regular season games. He made an immediate impact averaging 16.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.9 steals. In the postseason Mike’s play got better as the moment grew averaging 18.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals. This also included a
Finals MVP performance that saw Mike record 22 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and five steals on 50.0% shooting from the field and 33.3% from three, helping his team secure its first championship in franchise history.
Sean Miller-Moore (Forward, Calgary Surge)
The Calgary Surge moved from Guelph to Calgary in the 2022 offseason, bringing some familiar faces with them. One of them being forward Sean ‘Rugzy’ Miller-Moore. Like his play, Rugzy exploded onto the scene with the Surge on the way to a breakout year. He started in all 23 games, leading Calgary with 16.2 points while also averaging 4.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.0 block per game. Miller-Moore was a main pillar in the Surge’s 2023 run to the championship finals. Rugzy capped the season being named to the 2023 All-Canadian team and leaving us with some of the most
exciting dunks in recent CEBL memory.
2024 CEBL Free Agency officially opened on February 1. Follow all the league action at
CEBL.ca and @cebleague on
Instagram,
Twitter,
TikTok,
LinkedIn,
Facebook &
YouTube.
