BlackJacks basketball tipoff postponed

The start of the Canadian Elite Basketball League season was put on hold Wednesday by commissioner Mike Morreale.

The Ottawa BlackJacks, an expansion franchise in the seven-team league, were supposed to open their season May 7 against the Niagara River Lions. The league also has teams in Fraser Valley, Edmonton, Saskatchewan, Hamilton and Guelph.

In a statement, Morreale said: “While basketball and all sports rightfully take a back seat to the realities of daily life, the Canadian Elite Basketball League has been preparing for a delay to the start of the 2020 season into June. With restrictions in place limiting the size of public gatherings and the closure of some team practice and game venues into June, opening the season as scheduled in May is not feasible.

“With the health and safety of our fans, players and staff being our highest priority, we will continue to plan contingencies for a new start date and creative formats that will enable us to play as many games as possible this summer. Our business model and staffs are created to be innovative and adaptable, which is especially important in today’s fluid environment. While no one can be certain of what the coming weeks will bring, our teams will continue to sign players and prepare to showcase many of Canada’s best professional players again this summer.”

The BlackJacks — with coach Osvaldo Jeanty and GM Dave Smart — have announced the signings of Eric Kibi, Jean Emmanuel PierreCharles, Yasiin Joseph and Munis Tutu. They also recently drafted Lloyd Pandi, TJ Lall and Alain Louis.