The Hamilton Honey Badgers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Thursday the signing of 2019 draft picks Tramar Sutherland and Joe Rocca.

Sutherland, a six-foot-three guard/forward from Toronto, is averaging 10.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 28.9 minutes this season for the KW Titans of the NBL Canada. He recorded a playoff double-double with 23 points and a game-high 12 rebounds in the series-deciding Game Five versus London on April 14. Sutherland netted a career-high 32 points, shooting 12-for-16 from the field March 12 at St. John’s. The 30-year-old alumni of Arkansas at Little Rock has played 206 games throughout his professional career.

Rocca, a six-foot-four guard from Sarnia, Ontario played four collegiate seasons with the McMaster Marauders before finishing his education in Ottawa and winning a national championship with Carleton. He is averaging 10.2 points and 3.2 rebounds, while shooting .556 from the field in 62 games as a pro. This season, he averaged 13.8 points and 3.9 rebounds in 35 games for Spisska Nova Ves in the top tier of the Slovak Basketball League. Rocca scored a career-high 37 points, including eight triples November 28 versus Handlova. He played 27 games over his first two professional seasons with the Niagara River Lions of NBL Canada.

Hamilton’s historic first game is scheduled for Sunday, May 12 when Edmonton visits the Honey Badgers at FirstOntario Centre. To learn more about Hamilton’s new professional sports franchise, visit www.honeybadgers.ca.

The CEBL, the official professional league partner of Canada Basketball, opens its inaugural season May 9 with franchises in Fraser Valley (Abbotsford), Edmonton, Guelph, Hamilton, Saskatchewan (Saskatoon), and Niagara (St. Catharines). CEBL teams will play a 20-game regular season from May 9 to August 15, culminating with a league championship playoff at a site to be announced.

Honey Badgers season tickets are available by contacting tickets@honeybadgers.ca while individual tickets can also be purchased through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.ca.

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