Saltfleet alum went on to captain Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The Hamilton Honey Badgers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced the signing of Hamilton native Nikola Djogo on Thursday. Djogo led Saltfleet High School to an AAA OFSAA Championship in his sophomore year, averaging 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. He transferred to Athlete Institute prior to his senior year and helped them to the inaugural OSBA Championship in 2016 before committing to the University of Notre Dame.

“Nikola has great size and can play multiple positions on the floor. He can make reads in pick  and roll situations and is a proven three-point shooter at the collegiate level,” said Honey Badgers general manager Jermaine Anderson. “Even though Nikola is young, he is a student of the game. We're confident that he will have a positive impact on our team from day one."

The 6-foot-8 Djogo redshirted his 2016-17 season at Notre Dame. As a freshman, he became the first Canadian-born player to start a men’s basketball game for the Irish when he saw 34 minutes of action against Virginia Tech on January 27, 2018. A torn labrum in his right shoulder limited his sophomore and junior seasons. Djogo won the 2020 Notre Dame Team Irish Award, and was named team captain for the 2020-21 season. He earned Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Honor Roll status in 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2021, graduating with a business degree in management consulting. He finished his playing career at Notre Dame having totaled 276 points, 213 rebounds and 1375 minutes in 102 contests.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Djogo was granted an additional year of eligibility. He finished his collegiate career during the 2021-22 season at Northeastern University, starting in 27 of 28 games for the Huskies. Djogo averaged 11.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 31.4 minutes per game.

The Honey Badgers are coming off a 9-5 record, placing third in the 2021 CEBL season standings. They tip off the fourth Canadian Elite Basketball League season Wednesday, May 25 when the expansion Montreal Alliance visit FirstOntario Centre. It will be the first of 100 regular season CEBL games played in 69 days for Canada’s official national professional basketball league. Tickets are on sale now at ticketmaster.ca or 905-522-BALL.

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Media Contact:

Maria Suriani

Director, Operations and Community Engagement

msuriani@honeybadgers.ca