River Lions bringing ‘mane’ men back for a second season
Johnson is looking forward to helping Niagara net CEBL title
Few name tags will be needed when the Niagara River Lions open training camp in preparation for their second season in the Canadian Elite Basketball League.
Guard Alex Johnson re-signed with the St. Catharines-based spring-summer league team Tuesday after spending the fall-winter season playing pro basketball in Chile.
The 32-year-old Toronto native, the seventh player to re-sign with the River Lions, is looking forward to helping the team complete some unfinished business in his second season in Niagara.
“I feel like last year we did everything right as a team and organization except win a championship, so I’m coming back to get that item checked off our list,” he said.
“I’m excited to get back with the organization.”
No. 1 seed Niagara was upset 104103 by the fourth-seeded Hamilton Honey Badgers in the semifinals after compiling a league-leading 15-5 record during the CEBL’s inaugural season.
Hamilton went on to drop a 94-83 decision to the host Saskatchewan Rattlers in the final on Championship Weekend in Saskatoon.
River Lions general manager and head coach Victor Raso is glad to welcome Johnson back. He described the five-foot-10, 169-pound guard as a “key part in building our culture of development in our inaugural season.”
“Alex was a big contributor to our success, and his game took off as the season progressed — a trend which carried into his recent season in Chile,” Raso said.
Johnson averaged 18.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game with Puerto Montt of the Liga Nacional in Chile.
With the River Lions, he averaged 9.1 points and 3.4 assists. Johnson saw action in all of the team’s 21 games, starting one and averaging 20 minutes of playing time.
He played three seasons at California State University at Bakersfield before then transferring to North Carolina State for his senior year.
Johnson has spent much of his career in North America, mostly in Canada, after playing professionally in Romania in 2012-13.
He played with the Mississauga Power, Saint John Mill Rats, Halifax
Hurricanes, Windsor Express and St. John’s Edge in the National Basketball League of Canada, earning the distinction as the first Canadian taken first overall in the draft.
Four years ago, Johnson played 10 games with the Grand Rapids, Mich., Drive, the Detroit Pistons’ NBA G League affiliate.
Also coming back for a second year with the River Lions, when basketball returns, are three CEBL all-stars. Guillaume Boucard, who was selected as the Canadian player of the year, and Sam Muldrow, the top defensive player, made the first all-star team, while Trae BellHaynes was named to the second team.
The start of the CEBL’s regular season has been delayed until at least June due to COVID-19. Niagara had been scheduled to tip off league play Thursday, May 7, at Meridian Centre versus the expansion Ottawa BlackJacks.