LANGLEY, B.C., April 19, 2023 – The Vancouver Bandits announced Wednesday that the club has drafted two local university standouts,
Diego Maffia from the University of Victoria and Brian Wallack from the University of British Columbia (UBC), at the fifth annual Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) U SPORTS Draft.
An alumnus of Victoria's Oak Bay Secondary, Maffia recently completed his third year of U SPORTS hoops and was selected by the Bandits sixth overall in the first round. Wallack starred at Semiahmoo Secondary before embarking upon his post-secondary career with the UBC Thunderbirds, where he has played for four seasons prior to being selected 15th overall in the second round of this year's draft.
"We are really excited about working with Diego. He is an outstanding young Canadian player with an extremely bright future. He has an elite knack for scoring and making big plays. We are looking forward to working with him and helping him grow as a player," Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius said.
"We love the way Brian plays. He is tough and he plays with big time energy. We are excited about helping Brian improve and having his passion and effort enhance our culture."
A 6-foot-1 guard, Maffia's ascent up the CEBL U SPORTS Draft boards coincides with the Vikes' recent postseason success, earning back-to-back trips to the U SPORTS Final 8 in 2022 and 2023. Maffia led the nation in scoring during the 2022-23 season with 24.9 points per game while also averaging 4.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game on 47.3 and 37.3 per cent shooting from field goal and three-point range, respectively.
Maffia's 10.6 attempts from three-point range were tops in the country, as were his four conversions per game from long range. The marksman was named Canada West Player of the Year and a U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian. Maffia's reputation as a talented shooter dates back to his high school days when he scored what is believed to be the record for points in a game with 96 on Feb. 9, 2019 at the 46th annual Western Canada tournament in Kelowna.
"The opportunity to be drafted into the CEBL is a special privilege and I am grateful to be selected by my home province's professional team in the Vancouver Bandits. I have followed the club since its inception and I have watched the CEBL grow year after year. I am keen to learn from the veteran pros on the roster and through the tutelage of the Bandits' coaching staff," Maffia said.
Two of Maffia's most impressive performances came when the Vikes needed it most. He dropped 42 points in the Vikes' season finale victory versus UBC and followed it up a month later with a 40-point Final 8 quarterfinal performance against UPEI that included the game winning basket to seal the game and a semifinal berth for Victoria.
Individuals interested in learning more about tickets for the Vancouver Bandits' 2023 season are kindly asked to call (604) 455-8881 or email tickets@thebandits.ca. A complete regular season schedule can be found by clicking here. More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok, as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter.
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For Vancouver Bandits media inquiries, please contact:
Andrew Savory, Vice President, Brand & Communications, (604) 217-6213, asavory@thebandits.ca
About the Vancouver Bandits:
The Vancouver Bandits are British Columbia's professional basketball team. As the westernmost club in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the Bandits offer an entertainment experience that combines a fast-paced game day atmosphere with a presentation of some of Canada's top professional athletes within a world-class venue at Langley Events Centre (LEC).
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. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.
