Rattlers draft 3 players with Saskatchewan roots
The Saskatchewan Rattlers have reloaded their Canadian U Sports talent, welcoming back three players after the 2024 Canadian Elite Basketball League Draft on Thursday.
All three U Sports players have ties to Saskatchewan and previous experience with the CEBL squad.
With the third pick overall on Thursday, the Rattlers selected guard Elias Ralph from the University of Victoria Vikes. Ralph, a Canada West second-team allstar and three-time Canada West champion, attended the Rattlers' training camp in 2023.
In the second round, the Rattlers chose graduating fifth-year University of Saskatchewan Huskies senior guard Alexander Dewar.
In the third round, the Rattlers added Regina product Isaac Simon from the University of Alberta Golden Bears as a developmental player.
“We are very proud that we were able to draft three players with Saskatchewan roots,” Rattlers general manager and vice-president of basketball operations Barry Rawlyk said in a team release. “They all have great family connections in this province.”
Ralph was born in Saskatoon but grew up in Okotoks, Alberta. He has averaged 13.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 76 games over three seasons with the Vikes.
Ralph was named to the U Sports all-rookie team (2021-22), was the University of Victoria rookie of the year (2021-22), Canada West rookie of the year (2021-22), and Canada West second-team all-star member (2023-24).
“His athleticism and tremendous versatility as a perimeter has us expecting that he will play a major role in our lineup this year,” said Rawlyk.
Dewar returns for a second season with the Rattlers. He averaged 15.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 27.5 minutes in 110 games with the Huskies over five seasons. During his collegiate career, Dewar was named to the Canada West all-rookie team (2018-19) and Canada West third team (2023-24). He was awarded U Sports Finals player of the game (2021-22), the Canada West men's basketball community service award (2023-24), U Sports men's basketball service award (2023-24) and was a five-time U Sports academic all-canadian.
“He is a fundamentally sound, high-iq, high-character individual and will be a great asset for the Rattlers this season,” said Rawlyk.
Simon returns to the Rattlers after his CEBL debut season in 2023. Over two seasons with the University of Alberta Golden Bears, he averaged 12.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 25.1 minutes in 49 games. Simon is a former University of Alberta male rookie of the year and Canada West all-rookie team member.
“According to U of A head coach Barnaby Craddock, he took a great leap forward in his development after spending last summer with us,” said Rawlyk.
“I expect his development to continue on that trajectory and for him to play an even larger role with the Rattlers this season.”