Abbotsford’s Patrick Vandervelden has been drafted by the Edmonton Stingers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League.
The Yale Secondary School grad was chosen in the first round, 10th overall in the 2022 CEBL U Sports draft, which posted its results on April 19.
The 6-9 forward spent the 2021-22 season, his final year of college eligibility, with the Calgary-based Mount Royal University Cougars men’s basketball team and averaged 8.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. He shot .516 from the field for the season and started every game for the Cougars. He scored a season high 15 points against the MacEwan Griffins on Feb. 18.
DRAFTED 🐝 🏀
— Edmonton Stingers (@ED_Stingers) April 19, 2022
With the 10th pick the Stingers have selected 6’9” forward Patrick Vandervelden out of Mount Royal University.
Vandervelden spent three seasons with the Trinity Western University Spartans and two with the Cougars.
Welcome Patrick 🔥#FeelTheBuzz #OurGame pic.twitter.com/x3gJWEM2im
Vandervelden previously suited up for the Trinity Western University Spartans for several years before making the move to MRU.
The Cougars finished the 2021-22 season with a record of 7-9 and defeated the Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack 80-75 on March 3 in the opening round of the Canada West playoffs before losing 77-72 to UBC on March 4.
He joins a Stingers team that finished in first place in the regular season with a record of 13-1 in 2021. Edmonton went on to win the club’s second straight CEBL title later that year.
“Patrick’s length and rim protection impressed me” stated Stingers head coach and general manager Jermaine Small to the team’s website. “It was something I saw firsthand this year.”
Small coached the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns this Canada West season, facing off against Vandervelden and MRU four times in the regular season.
If Vandervelden makes the Stingers there is the possibility he could play professionally in front of friends and family this summer. Edmonton visits the Langley-based Fraser Valley Bandits on July 30.
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