Atlantic University Sport athletes sign with Canadian Elite Basketball League

Learn about a program that helps AUS athletes gain professional experience while supporting their academic goals.

DJ Jackson of St. Francis Xavier University is one of five Atlantic University Sport (AUS) athletes chosen for a pro-basketball opportunity in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL).

“I think it just helps a lot with development,” Jackson told CTV News.

“Playing against the pro guys, playing in the G League and overseas. It just makes me think confidence is a big thing. And just to come back and just be with us, get team chemistry going,” he added.

Jackson, his St. FX teammate Phoenyx Wise (Scarborough, Ont.), Cape Breton Universities Stefan Anisko (Edmonton, Alta.) and Tayshaun Thomas (Montreal, Que.) and Memorial Universities Joshua Francis (Calgary, Alta.) are the five players that signed to teams this year from AUS.

Instead of doing a draft, since the teams can only sign U Sport athletes to one-year developmental contracts, they changed it to a signing day this year.

“The shift to ‘Signing Day’ better reflects what this moment represents in the CBL,” President and CEO of the CEBL, Tyler Mazereeuw, said in a statement to CTV.

“In many ways, the process itself has not changed, but the new name better captures the significance of the moment and the roles it plays within our ecosystem. It remains a key pillar of our development model and an important pathway for Canadian players to grow within the game.”

Jackson is playing in his second year of the developmental program with the league, which gives U Sport players an opportunity to gain pro experience while contributing to their education, so they go back to their programs the following year.

“For the student athletes, it’s really exciting,” said John Keefe, interim President and CEO of AUS. “It’s an opportunity for them to extend their seasons and get to play at a professional level. Hopefully put some money away or have some of their expenses at university offset by whatever contract situations they sign.”

It does great things for East Coast post-secondary institutions too.

“For the members it’s a point of pride. It shows that our coaching is strong out east. And it’s a bit of a recruiting tool,” added Keefe.

“You can come out here and get a world class education, play sport at a high level. And the road doesn’t end with university sport.”

It elevates the level of basketball and recruitment to one of the top-tier regions in the country.

“It’s fantastic to see it trickle down to all the members because there’s high quality basketball in all of our schools, regardless of where they are,” said Keefe.

“We’ve got a few coaches in the league, Coach Skinn at CBU and Coach Vernon at St. FX, and they spend their summers either as assistant coaches or head coaches of the CEBL teams. And then they get to be mentors and leaders in that league and then bring those coaching skills back to the AUS league as well.”

Nova Scotia isn’t lacking any professional basketball talent, which is evident to Augy Jones.

“We’ve always, as Nova Scotians, had fantastic basketball players,” Jones said.

“But one of the things is like the world ends after Montreal, and so you really didn’t get exposure. And the chances that we did was in the Canada games or Nationals. But at the pro level, we’ve had players that have been able to have the skills, but they had to leave for the opportunities.”

Jones favours the experience a program like this can provide.

“Being able to go to the CEBL for the summer and the financial part is great, but to be able to come back and still play U-sport, you saw it work for DJ like he just got better,” Jones added.

“You know it worked for Kevin Reno. He got better. So, I love that for the league. I think it’s a great opportunity for exposure as well. If you are going to go and try to reach Shea Gilgeous-Alexander level, you need the exposure and we’ve got the skill, but this is a great chance for exposure.”

“And I was thinking, U Sport really in the past, you had football players that made it to the CFL, but no real other sport made it to the pros. So, this is a real step forward for the basketball community and for U Sport to link with CEBL to make this happen,” Jones said.

Having professional ties to basketball in the Maritimes also helps, with NBA and Team Canada’s Dillon Brooks going on social media, talking about how he grew up playing basketball out east because his mother was from New Brunswick and his father was from North Preston, N.S.

“I really respect Dillon Brooks for making that connection. We know he’s from here, but he told the whole world he’s from here,” said Jones.

“And so that makes a kid from East Preston or a kid from Halifax or North Preston look and go, ‘wow, you know, we could do that.’”

To stay in Canada, get an education, and still play basketball at a high level is also the dream for Jackson, who spent some time playing the U.S. as well.

“It leads me to be confident, and grateful that I get to play summer basketball, go back for a great fun season,” said Jackson.

“So, I just hope that the future’s bright and coming back to Canada, I didn’t know how it was going to be, but it is honestly a great experience for me and just other opportunities given me.”

Jackson will be playing with the Brampton Badgers this summer, after joining the Calgary Surge last year. This will be a homecoming for the Ontario native.

“I haven’t been home in a summer for five years, so it’s going to be great being with my mom, dad, and sister being close to home, having them come to the games is going to be really fun,” he said.

“Being close to my brothers and of course the GTA it’s a big environment. A lot of pressure. So, it’s really fun.”

“There’s an opportunity to go professional and, further your sporting career and also come back and, keep playing basketball in university,” said Keefe.

Which is exactly what Jackson hopes to do as he enters his senior year at St. FX.

“I have the talent to just help out the teams, be whatever the team needs me to be,” he added.

“Be a sponge again. And just, have confidence to play my game. I think it’s a great experience being in that environment, just to go into my senior year, just continue to be confident because obviously the goal is to get a white hat Championship, which I need.”

And he has one thing on his mind as he enters the CEBL this year.

“I just do whatever it takes to make sure I’m locked in for the year.”