Homegrown talent
Get to know your Canadians in the CEBL Final Four
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They are among the brightest homegrown stars in the Canadian Elite Basketball League today, vying to lead their team to glory when the CEBL’s Championship Weekend touches down in Winnipeg this weekend.
Get to know Simi Shittu (Winnipeg Sea Bears), Sean “Rugzy” Miller-Moore (Calgary Surge), Kimbal Mackenzie (Niagara River Lions) and Jaden Campbell (Scarborough Shooting Stars).
SIMI SHITTU, Winnipeg Sea Bears
Hometown: Brampton, Ont.
Age: 25
Position: Centre
Height: 6-10
College: Vanderbilt
Statistics (avg.): 15 games, 19.9 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.3 blocks
2023 CEBL rebounding champion, All-Canadian Team and All-CEBL First Team
BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS Winnipeg Sea Bears’ Simi Shittu
Favourite pre-game food?
“Pasta and chicken.”
Favourite athlete?
“Either LeBron (James) or Muhammad Ali.”
Game-winning shot or game-winning block?
“Shot. The game-winning shot is the stuff that you practice when you were a kid in the park. Getting a block feels good, but I feel like the game-winner feels even better.”
Cats or dogs?
“Dogs. I don’t like cats really, they’re lazy.”
Favourite moment of your career?
“I have moments. I don’t think I’ve had that one big moment in my career yet.”
One thing you can’t go on a road trip without?
“My phone.”
What age did you start playing basketball?
“Seven years old. But I played soccer and stuff like that, so I really took it seriously when I was 11.”
Most famous person in your contacts?
“Probably Darius Garland (point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers).”
What is your vertical?
“Thirty-five, 37 inches.”
What age could you first dunk?
“I was 12. Grade 7 (Shittu was 6-4).”
Who is the greatest basketball player of all time?
“Personally, LeBron (James). But (Michael) Jordan is the all-time GOAT.”
KIMBAL MACKENZIE, Niagara River Lions
Hometown: Oakville, Ont.
Age: 28
Position: Guard
Height: 6-1
College: Bucknell University
Statistics (avg.): 22 games, 11.2 points, four assists, three rebounds
Captain of the Niagara River Lions
SUPPLIED Niagara River Lions’ Kimbal Mackenzie
Favourite pre-game food?
“Beef and rice. I’m a simple guy. Also, over the years, I’ve gotten less and less superstitious. Whatever is in the fridge — it might be a sandwich, it might be chicken and rice, it might be pasta — I don’t really care. As long as it’s something a couple of hours before, I’m good.”
Favourite athlete?
“Scottie Scheffler. Best golfer in the world. I’m a big LeBron (James) guy, as well, but I can’t get enough of Scottie.”
Game-winning shot or game-winning block?
“Game-winning shot. I’ve blocked so few shots in my career, it’s not very realistic.”
Cats or dogs?
“Dogs all day. I’ve got a little Yorkie, seven-pounder, that’s my girl. Her name is Nala, so shout out all the dogs.”
Favourite moment of your career?
“I don’t have one, but I would say all the championships. Couple in college, couple as a pro, the most recent one, obviously, being last year (with the River Lions). When you look back at a specific moment, I think those take the cake.”
One thing you can’t go on a road trip without?
“We play a lot of Super Smash Bros, so I would say Nintendo Switch. I don’t own it, but that’s important on the road. I participate.”
What age did you start playing basketball?
“I must have been seven years old. I have two older brothers, so my brothers played, and I kind of did whatever they did.”
Most famous person in your contacts?
“Khalil Ahmad (three-time CEBL First Team, 2024 CEBL Finals MVP, 2022 CEBL Player of the Year).”
What age could you first dunk?
“Grade 10, in high school (when he was 5-10). I still actually had my school uniform on, and for some reason, that day, I just had the juice — palmed it and dunked it. And then from then on, I could dunk pretty consistently.”
Who is the greatest basketball player of all time?
“LeBron James is, for me. Probably a little biased, because I grew up watching him so much.”
SEAN “RUGZY” MILLER-MOORE, Calgary Surge
Hometown: Brampton, Ont.
Age: 26
Position: Guard
Height: 6-5
College: Grand Canyon
Statistics (avg.): 22 games, 11.2 points, four assists, three rebounds
Nominated for 2025 Canadian Player of the Year
BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS Calgary Surge’s Sean “Rugzy” Miller-Moore
Favourite pre-game food?
“Chicken and pasta. Any type of pasta, though. Nothing specific, I don’t have a ritual. I don’t really eat, it depends on the time of the game.”
Favourite athlete?
“LeBron James.”
Game-winning shot or game-winning block?
“Probably game-winning shot. I guess I prefer the offensive side of that, but game winning block is cool too.”
Cats or dogs?
“Dogs.”
Favourite moment of your career?
“Winning a championship wherever I won. I won when I was in junior college, that was a favourite moment. I won when I was at Grand Canyon University, and that was a good moment. Every time I win a championship it’s a good moment.”
One thing you can’t go on a road trip without?
“Does your phone count? I’ll say my phone so I can FaceTime family.”
What age did you start playing basketball?
“I was about in the seventh grade, actually started getting into it. But I started taking it seriously when I was in ninth or 10th grade. I was pretty late. I was always playing every other sport, but I wasn’t a basketball player, I was just an athlete. I did track, I did volleyball — I was very good at volleyball — I played soccer, as well.”
Most famous person in your contacts?
“Probably Nickeil Alexander-Walker (shooting guard for the Atlanta Hawks). He’s my best friend.”
What is your vertical?
“Every time I get this question, people always think I’m fake, but the last time I measured it, when I was at (Grand Canyon University), it was 51.5 (inches) off of one leg (with a running start). I promise you, I have video proof and everything. I touched 12.9 feet. It was high.”
What age could you first dunk?
“Ninth grade.”
Who is the greatest basketball player of all time?
“LeBron (James). Easily.”
JADEN CAMPBELL, Scarborough Shooting Stars
Hometown: Brampton, Ont.
Age: 25
Position: Guard
Height: 6-5
College: Samford
Statistics (avg.): 20 games, 6.3 points, 40 per cent field goal shooting
BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS Scarborough Shooting Stars’ Jaden Campbell
Favourite pre-game food?
“Probably pasta. Like chicken with alfredo.”
Favourite athlete?
“Kevin Durant.”
Game-winning shot or game-winning block?
“Game-winning shot. I’m a shooter, so I want to shoot.”
Cats or dogs?
“Dogs.”
Favourite moment of your career?
“Right now is making March Madness (in 2024).”
One thing you can’t go on a road trip without?
“My headphones, AirPods. For sure, can’t go without music.”
What age did you start playing basketball?
“Around six or seven. That’s when I first got into my first organized basketball. I tried to play every sport, but it was basketball from the beginning.”
Most famous person in your contacts?
“OVO Nico (Joirdon Nicholas, forward on the Scarborough Shooting Stars).”
What is your vertical?
“I don’t even know, to be honest. It’s definitely regressed from college. Mid-30s, somewhere around there.”
What age could you first dunk?
“My first dunk was at 15.”
Who is the greatest basketball player of all time?
“(Michael) Jordan.”
Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh.
Every piece of reporting Josh produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh.
Every piece of reporting Josh produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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