Winnipeg Sea Bears Announce Training Camp Roster
WINNIPEG - The Winnipeg Sea Bears of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced their 16-man training camp roster on Monday. The group brings a combined 33 years of professional experience in the CEBL, NBA G League and overseas professional leagues.
Winnipeg's inaugural training camp roster features six local products, four of whom claimed spots during the team's try outs. Winnipeg Wesmen Ryan Luke, Shawn Maranan and Donald Stewart earned their first professional training camp contracts. They're joined by professional veterans Narcisse Ambanza and Justus Alleyn to form a strong contingent of local collegiate players. Ambanza also played his college ball at the University of Winnipeg, while Alleyn is a Manitoba Bisons alum.
Headlining the local talent are Chad Posthumus and Simon Hildebrandt. Posthumus, a Morehead State graduate, put up six double-double performances with the Ottawa BlackJacks last season and was the first signing in Sea Bears franchise history. The Sea Bears selected Hildebrandt first overall out of the University of Manitoba in this year’s U SPORTS draft. The Mennonite Brethren Collegiate graduate was named U SPORTS Rookie of the Year in 2023.
Sea Bears head coach and general manager Mike Taylor has also made some notable American additions to his opening roster. Guard Teddy Allen will bring a raw scoring ability that propelled him to a Western Athletic Conference (WAC) scoring title in 2022, while New Jersey product E.J. Anosike will cap off his first professional campaign in Winnipeg after spending time in the Korean Basketball League (KBL) and NBA G League this season. The American group is rounded out by three-point sharpshooter A.J. Hess, who was among the CEBL’s best three-point shooters in the eight games he played with the Guelph Nighthawks last season.
Guards Glen Yang and Jelani Watson-Gayle are both playing in Canada for the first time after successful careers overseas. Yang, a 2019 Mount Royal University graduate, returns to Canada after a stand-out season with the Bay Area Dragons in Hong Kong, while the London product Watson-Gayle will make the trip across the pond as Winnipeg’s European import player.
Boasting the most professional experience is Mississauga, ON product Ryan Wright, who has played 13 seasons in 16 different countries. He rejoins teammate Chad Posthumus after playing two seasons together with the Ottawa Blackjacks.
Stephane Ingo, also hailing from Mississauga, will make his professional debut with the Sea Bears after a successful five-year NCAA career that saw him lead the University of Maine Black Bears in blocked shots for three straight seasons.
Rounding out the roster are Lakehead University teammates Michael Okafor and Tyler Sagl, who will make a short trip across the provincial border to Winnipeg. Okafor is coming off his senior season with the Thunderwolves and a CEBL championship with the Hamilton Honey Badgers last season, while Sagl will look to replicate his teammate’s early professional success after being selected in the second round of the 2023 U SPORT Draft.
The Sea Bears begin training camp Friday, May 19 at the Sport For Life Centre in downtown Winnipeg. The team's inaugural season tips off May 27 at Canada Life Centre in a matchup against the visiting Vancouver Bandits. For tickets, visit seabears.ca/tickets.
SEA BEARS TRAINING CAMP BY THE NUMBERS:
- 12 Canadians
- Three American imports
- One European import
- Six Winnipeggers
- 10 players with U SPORTS experience
- Eight players with NCAA Division I experience
- Seven returning professionals who averaged double-figuring scoring with their previous team
- Seven players with CEBL playing experience
- One Canadian professional veteran making his return to Canada
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 71 percent of its 2022 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. Nine players have moved from the CEBL into the NBA following a CEBL season, and 28 CEBL players attended NBA G League training camps during October. The CEBL season runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow @CEBLeague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.
