Honey Badgers Add CEBL Experienced Guards Okafor, Mitrou-Long
The Brampton Honey Badgers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Thursday that they have signed guards Michael Okafor and Elijah Mitrou-Long ahead of an important stretch of the schedule this weekend with a pair of Eastern Conference matchups.
Okafor and Mitrou-Long will make their return to the CEBL following successful seasons overseas on Friday night as the Honey Badgers travel to Montreal for their third and final matchup this summer.
“We are excited to welcome both Michael (Okafor) and Elijah (Mitrou-Long) to our organization,” said Jermaine Anderson, general manager and vice president of basketball operations.
“Our team is confident that both players will be able to make an impact right away for us as we enter a key portion of the schedule.”
A 6-foot-5 guard from Toronto, Okafor appeared in 18 games with the Winnipeg Sea Bears last summer in their inaugural season. He most recently played in Kazakhstan with Barsy Atyrau, averaging 14.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 20.1 minutes in 16 games.
Okafor is in the midst of his third professional season following a five-year collegiate career at Harcum Community College, Manhattan College, and Lakehead University. He was selected by the Honey Badgers 13th overall in the 2022 U SPORTS Draft (now CEBL Draft), averaging 5.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 16.8 minutes in 16 appearances with the eventual CEBL champions.
Mitrou-Long returns to the CEBL for the first time since playing in 12 games with the Niagara River Lions during the 2022 campaign. The Mississauga, ON native is averaging 9.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.1 steals, and 22.1 minutes in 120 games playing professionally in Greece, Bulgaria, and in the CEBL.
A product of The John Carroll School in Maryland, Mitrou-Long averaged 12.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 31.5 minutes in his senior season at the University of Nevada Las Vegas to cap off a 121-game collegiate career. He made stops at Mount St. Mary’s University and the University of Texas in his five-year collegiate journey.
In corresponding moves, guard Javonte Cooke and forward Lucas Siewert were released from the club earlier in the week.
The Honey Badgers continue efforts to turn around the season as they visit the Montreal Alliance at the Verdun Auditorium on Friday Night. They return to the CAA Centre on Sunday for the Salute To Service Game presented by Kotak Personal Injury Law. Group tickets, ultimate voucher packages, and single-game tickets are available now to witness the best of Canadian professional basketball this summer. For more information contact a Honey Badgers representative at [email protected] or visit www.honeybadgers.ca/tickets.
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About the CEBL
A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 75% of its rosters being Canadian and a record 10 players with NBA experience in 2024. Players also bring experience from the NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, NCAA programs, as well as U SPORTS and CCAA. Fourteen players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year. The CEBL season runs from May through August with games broadcast live on CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, TSN, TSN+, RDS, Game+, Next Level Sports & Entertainment and Courtside1891. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.
