Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson signs with Winnipeg Seabears for 2024 CEBL season

The Winnipeg Seabears of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced on Monday the signing of Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson, a Winnipegger who has won major awards overseas. The skilled guard recently averaged 18.9 points per game for Tsmoki-Minsk, which ranked third in the VTB United League, often considered one of the top five international leagues.

Last winter, he became the seventh player in the history of VTB United to score 600 points in one season.

Ogungbemi-Jackson's roots stretch back to Winnipeg, where she led her Garden City Collegiate Gophers to provincial titles. Humble and hard-working, the guard set the standard for work ethic as he bussed himself to school before the morning bell to fire hundreds of shots each day. Jarred started playing basketball in the Winnipeg Junior Basketball Association.

“I am excited to join the Winnipeg Sea Bears this season! Playing professionally in my hometown is a dream come true and something I never knew was possible. I can't wait to play in front of my friends and family and this amazing fanbase. I plan to use my leadership, talent and competitiveness to help me compete at the highest level every night,” said Ogungbemi-Jackson.

Ogungbemi-Jackson played his post-secondary ball with the Calgary Dinos, where his coach described his impact as “ridiculous.” The team's first baseman still holds the record for steals in program history with 197 points and is third in scoring (1,799). From there, the 5-foot-10 guard used his dedication, work ethic and high IQ to launch him into a successful professional career through several high-level European leagues.

In just his second season, Ogungbemi-Jackson was named Guard of the Year at LPB Portugal in his first pro league. He averaged 17.8 points per game in the 2019-2021 seasons, first with Korisliiga in the Finnish league and then in the Holland Basketball League in the Netherlands. In his final year, he was named the league's Import Player of the Year. The following season, he won the FIBA ​​Europe Cup All-Star while playing for the Bakken Bears before helping his team win the Danish Basketball League Championship.

“When we talk about Winnipeg basketball and the city's best players, one name always comes up: Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson. After playing all over the world, we are excited to have Jarred join our Sea Bears organization and have the opportunity to play in front of his family and friends in his hometown of Winnipeg,” said Mike Taylor, Winnipeg Sea Bears Head Coach and General Manager. Bears.

“Jared brings to our team a great player game, excellent three-point shooting and great experience. More importantly, Jarred is a homegrown talent who will inspire the next generation of Winnipeg players to pursue their basketball dreams. Jarred is a big part of building the Sea Bears Winnipeg team.”

Ogungbemi-Jackson is now the seventh professional player and sixth Canadian signed by the Sea Bears this offseason, following Chad Posthumus, Alex Campbell, Mason Bourcier and Shane Osayaande. The team signed the 2023 CEBL MVP, imported Teddy Allen on February 7 and drafted development players Simon Hildebrandt, Tyler Sagle and Sean Maranan on April 11.

The Sea Bears open the 2024 campaign on May 22 on the road in Saskatoon, SK. They will return to Winnipeg on May 24 for a home game against the defending CEBL champions, the Scarborough Shooting Stars. Flex packages and season tickets are now available. For more information on single game tickets, visit seabears.ca/2024-game-tickets

The Winnipeg Sea Bears joined the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) as an expansion franchise in 2023. The city's only professional basketball team plays a 20-game regular season schedule from May to August at the Canada Life Center. Winnipeg businessman and lawyer David Asper is the owner and chairman of the organization.

More information about the Sea Bears can be found at seabears.ca and @wpgseabears on Instagram, X, TikTok, LinkedIn and Facebook.

About CEBL

A league created by Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives and referees for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country, with 73% of its 2023 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, Canada's National Team program and top NCAA programs, as well as U SPORTS. Fourteen players signed NBA contracts following the CEBL season, and many CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps each year. The CEBL season runs from May to August. More information about CEBL can be found at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.

Source: https://www.seabears.ca/sea-bears-sign-top-three-scorer-in-elite-overseas-league-winnipegger-ogungbemi-jackson