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Rainmen Select 2011 NBL Canada Draft Picks

August 21, 2011 - National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada)
Halifax Rainmen News Release


On Sunday night, executives of the Halifax Rainmen basketball club attended the inaugural National Basketball League of Canada draft at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario.

"We are extremely excited about our draft picks," said Halifax Rainmen President & CEO, Andre Levingston. "Coach Claros and I are looking very forward to beginning to work with these kids and develop them into fantastic players."

With their 6th, 13th and 20nd draft picks, the Rainmen selected 6'7" Danny L. Friend from Limestone College, 6'4" Papa Oppong from Eastern Kentucky University and 5'10" Jerrell Thompson from Sacred Heart University.

Once the draft was completed, it was found that Thompson is not in fact Canadian, as his registration form had indicated. While Thompson's official draft selection will be void, he will still be invited to training camp.

"The overwhelming response from American players filled the available registration spots so quickly, that we later found out they were registering as Canadians to ensure they had a slot reserved at the combine," said Levingston. "The NBL Canada is already working on tightening this process to ensure it does not happen in the future."

Each of the team's three picks will report to Rainmen training camp in October. Levingston says there are additional Canadian players who will be invited to camp.

The Rainmen will begin their 2011-12 season on Saturday November 5, 2011 at the Halifax Metro Centre when they face off against Coach Michael Ray Richardson and his London Lightning.

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