The Niagara River Lions have signed 2022 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) Defensive Player of the Year, EJ Onu.
The 6’11 American forward from Richmond Heights, Ohio will re-join the River Lions after recently completing a second season in the NBA G League, playing 11 games for the Memphis Hustle and finishing the 2022-23 season suiting up in 13 games for the Santa Cruz Warriors.
“I'm very excited to continue to work with EJ and have him back in our organization this summer,” said Head Coach and General Manager, Victor Raso. “He is an incredibly talented basketball player with a very unique skill set, as well as an eagerness to improve. EJ will play a massive role in our championship hunt in 2023 and I can’t wait to have him back in Niagara.”
In 16 games with the River Lions, Onu set a CEBL record, leading the team and league in a historic high of 3.2 blocks per game, while also averaging 9.5 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.
Onu played 5 games with the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2022 NBA Summer League averaging 2 points, 2 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game before returning to Niagara and earning the Defensive Player of the Year award at Championship Weekend in Ottawa.
“I’m very excited to be returning to the River Lions,” said Onu. “The Niagara community, the fans, and the entire organization are top notch, and I look forward to building on the success of last season to work towards our ultimate goal of a championship.”
Onu becomes the third returning player signed ahead of the 2023 season which will tip-off for the team on May 26th when they visit the Montreal Alliance.
Playing out of Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines.
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