Four CEBL teams will compete for the coveted CEBL Championship Trophy at the Langley Events Centre, the River Lions’ Conference Final taking place on August 11.
Mackenzie and Lall showed out in the River Lions’ final game of the regular season.
Lall had an impactful outing with a game-high 18 points to go along with six rebounds, four assists and a block. Mackenzie scored 17 points and dished seven assists to direct the Niagara offence as the starting point guard.
TJ Lall was a very important piece of the puzzle tonight 🧩
“I feel like we’re all together all the time,” Lall said after the game. “Our defence picked up throughout the season, and we’re gaining trust with each other.”
Canadian/British forward TJ Lall has become the sixth member of our 2022/23 roster.
To help you get to know more, here are some things you may not know about our new man:
He ended a 30-year championship drought
In his final college season, Lall led Brock University to their first OUA title since 1992.
In front of a sold-out crowd, Lall put up a game-high 27 points, eight rebounds and five assists on the Badgers’ way to a 95-75 blowout against Queens University.
He dominated, going 11-16 from the field 4-7 from three, getting it done in all aspects of the game to bring long-awaited silverware back to his university.
He was named MVP in college
Lall dominated the OUA in his final college year. His 22 points and 7.9 rebounds per game earned him the honours of First Team All-Canadian, OUA West MVP and OUA West First Team All-Star.
Not only did he lead the Badgers to their first title in three decades, Brock University also made an appearance at the U SPORTS Final 8 Tournament.
They posted a regular-season record of 14-1 in the OUA West and won three straight playoff games to make their first appearance at the national championships since 2017-18.
He was the number one pick in the 2020 CEBL Draft
As a 23-year-old, following his college career at Carleton University, Lall was selected number one overall by the newly established Ottawa BlackJacks in the 2020 CEBL draft.
TJ Lall, a six-foot-six forward from Cambridge, Ontario, was the first pick in the 2020 @CEBLeague x @USPORTSca draft by @ott_blackjacks GM Dave Smart.
Lall averaged 7.0 points & 3.4 rebounds in 92 games with the @CURavensBBall. 🏀
The three-round draft saw 21 players selected from 10 universities across Canada, and Lall was deemed the best prospect of all for a bran new franchise.
Ottawa Head Coach Taffe Charles told the Waterloo Region Record described him as “athletic”, “a really good two-way player” and ,” a very good rebounder” after their selection.
He was a national champion boxer
Sport runs in the Lall family, as TJ’s dad was a kickboxer.
Lall took up the sport competitively until the age of 15, even winning a national championship!
Lall ultimately settled on hoops over the ring, but remains a huge boxing fan.
His favourite player was Allen Iverson
During the early 2000s, Allen Iverson made waves across the basketball landscape.
His flashy handles and elite scoring captured the imagination of Lall, who greatly admired “AI”.
The Answer, Allen Iverson, was at the NBA Store in London to share his knowledge with some @JrNBA future stars 🤩🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/jRFTTUWzKG
Along with Tracey MacGrady and Kevin Garnett, he was one of the first to get him into the sport, kickstarting what would become his professional career.
Want to see Lall in action? Buy tickets to the Riders’ preseasonhome opener against USA Select!
Blake Bowman: "I want to be a part of something great”
The Leicester Riders are excited to sign 6’7” forward TJ Lall to their 2023/24 roster.
The Canadian, who holds a British passport, has played four seasons in the Canadian CEBL, most recently alongside Riders’ guard Kimbal Mackenzie for the Niagara River Lions.
Lall played last season in the Japanese first division for Kyoto Hannaryz, putting up 6.8 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.
He was selected by the Ottawa BlackJacks as the first overall pick during the 2020 CEBL Draft, where he had his first taste of professional basketball.
In college, the Ontario native won four national titles with the Carleton Ravens before transferring to Brock University for his fifth college season.
He averaged 22 points and 7.9 rebounds per game and was named First Team All-Canadian, OUA West First Team All-Star and Brock Men’s Basketball Team MVP.
“I’m very excited and grateful for the opportunity to play for the Riders,” said Lall.
“I can’t wait to experience basketball in the UK and get on court to battle with the team!”
2022 Nighthawks Team Award Winner🏆
The Canadian Player of the Year is given to the best performing 🇨🇦 player of the 2022 CEBL Regular Season.
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