NIAGARA RIVER LIONS ANNOUNCE 2025 TRAINING CAMP ROSTER
St. Catharines, ON – The Niagara River Lions announced today the 16 players that will report for 2025 training camp ahead of the upcoming Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. Training camp will take place from May 8 to 12 at Ridley College and the Walker Sports and Abilities Centre at Canada Games Park, culminating in a pre-season scrimmage against the Brampton Honey Badgers on May 13. Head Coach and General Manager Victor Raso will then finalize the roster ahead of the River Lions season opener at home on May 16 against the Calgary Surge.
“The most important part of training camp is establishing our base for the season and instilling our core values. It is crucially important that we communicate what we define as winning qualities and fundamentals, and ensure we are focused on improving in those areas daily” said Head Coach and General Manager Victor Raso. “This group is a combination of veterans, new faces, and young professionals that we are very excited to start working with!”
Key players from the 2024 championship team are back, including captain and Brand & Community Ambassador, Kimbal Mackenzie, leading rebounder Elijah Lufile (7.2 rebounds per game), and AJ Davis, who is returning after missing most of last season due to injury. Joining the team upon completion of their respective FIBA seasons are Jahvon Blair (Poitiers Basket 86, France), Omari Moore (Darüşşafaka Lassa, Turkey), and Nathan Cayo (Manchester Giants, England).
Former River Lion, Guillaume Boucard who played with the team from 2018-2022 returns after suiting up for the Montreal Alliance during the 2024 CEBL Campaign. Fan favourite Eddie Ekiyor is also back in action after recovering from an injury over the past year.
New additions to the squad include Americans Ron Curry, Leon Ayers, Keyshawn Bryant, and Josh Morgan. The team also welcomes CEBL standout Ahmed Hill, who made league history in 2023 by becoming the first player to surpass 1,000 regular-season points.
The 2025 Draft Picks, Gatluak James (St. Francis Xavier University) and Charles Robert (Bishops University), will be joined by other current and former U SPORTS talent including Michael Okeke (Brock University), Nathan Charles (Brock University), Xavier Ochu (University of Windsor), and Connor Vreeken (Carleton University).
Rounding out the training camp roster is CEBL veteran Jabs Newby, bringing experience from his time with the Vancouver Bandits and Brampton Honey Badgers.
River Lions players will be fueled by local restaurant partners during training camp including FUUL Eats, Joe Fetas, Oddbar, and Heat is On.
With a strong core of returning players, the infusion of international and
NCAA-caliber talent, and emerging
U SPORTS
athletes, the River Lions are poised to defend their 2024 CEBL title. The 2025 season tips off at home on May 16 against the Calgary Surge at the Meridian Centre. Tickets for the 2025 season are available now at www.riverlions.ca/tickets.
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Media Contact:
Mya Hastings
Social Media & Marketing Coordinator
mhastings@riverlions.ca
| Name | Position | Height | Home Town | Current/Most Recent Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jahvon Blair* | Guard | 6'4 | Brampton, ON | Poitiers Basket 86 (France) |
| Nathan Cayo* | Forward | 6'7 | Montreal, QC | Manchester Giants, (England) |
| AJ Davis | Forward | 6'9 | Buford, GA | Leuven Bears (Belgium) |
| Eddie Ekiyor | Forward | 6'9 | Ottawa, ON | Sporting CP (Portugal) |
| Elijah Lufile | Forward | 6'7 | Milton, ON | Balikesir Buyuksehir Belediysepor (Turkey) |
| Kimbal Mackenzie | Guard | 6'1 | Oakville, ON | Niagara River Lions (CEBL) |
| Omari Moore* | Forward | 6'6 | Pasadena, CA | Darüşşafaka Lassa (Turkey) |
| Ron Curry | Guard | 6'4 | Pennsauken, New Jersey | Sporting CP (Portugal) |
| Ahmed Hill | Guard | 6'5 | Augusta, GA | Peristeri BC, (Greece) |
| Guillaume Boucard | Forward | 6'6 | Montreal, QC | CEP Lorient (France) |
| Charles Robert | Forward | 6'8 | Vaudreuil-Dorion, QC | Bishops University (U-Sports) |
| Gatluak James | Forward/Guard | 6'6 | Windosr, ON | St. Francis Xavier University (U-Sports) |
| Connor Vreeken | Guard | 6’5 | Kingston, ON | Achilleas K. (Cyprus) |
| Josh Morgan | Guard | 6’3 | Brampton, ON | StoneHill College (NCAA) |
| Jabs Newby | Point Guard | 6’2 | Toronto, ON | Brampton Honey Badgers (CEBL) |
| Keyshawn Bryant | Forward | 6’6 | Winter Haven, FL | South Florida University (NCAA) |
| Leon Ayers | Guard | 6’5 | Troy, MI | Bowling Green State (NCAA) |
| Michael Okeke | Wing | 6’4 | Pointe-Claire, QC | Brock University (U-Sports) |
| Nathan Charles | Forward | 6’5 | Mississauga, ON | Brock University (U-Sports) |
| Xavier Ochu | Guard | 6’1 | Milton, ON | Windsor University (U-Sports) |
| * Players will report to the team following the conclusion of their current FIBA season |