Bandits sign former Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year, CEBL sharpshooter Bandoo
Published
LANGLEY, BC, June 20, 2024 – The Vancouver Bandits announced Thursday that the club has signed proven Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) sharpshooter Devonte Bandoo for the remainder of the 2024 season.
A former guard with the Baylor University Bears (2018-20), Devontee was named the Big 12 Conference’s sixth man of the year in 2020.
Following his NCAA Division I tenure, he suited up for the Grand Rapids Gold and Lakeland Magic (now known as Osceola Magic), NBA G League affiliates of the Denver Nuggets and Orlando Magic, respectively, in the NBA G League.
Bandoo also represented Canada’s senior men’s national team, donning the red and white at the 2022 FIBA AmeriCup.
“I am happy to join the Bandits Basketball family and to play in front of a great fanbase. I am excited to be part of an organization that wants to win,” Bandoo said.
Bandoo is no stranger to CEBL fans. He played with the Saskatchewan Rattlers during the 2021 and 2022 seasons and was named the club’s Canadian player of the year in 2022 after averaging 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 34.9 minutes per game.
He led the CEBL during the regular season in total three-pointers made (64) while shooting 43 per cent from behind the arc.
Bandoo signed a contract following the 2022 CEBL season with the Leicester Riders in the British Basketball League (BBL) for the 2022-23 campaign, but his time overseas was cut short after sustaining a leg injury. He has since been recovering from the injury and is preparing for a return to play this summer.
A native of Mississauga, Ont., Bandoo made his professional debut with the Rattlers in 2021. He played 14 games and averaged 33 minutes per contest. He led the offence with a team-high 17.4 points per game. He made 43 three-pointers and shot 42.4% from three-point range, which was third in all of the CEBL.
Prior to his professional career, Bandoo enjoyed a stellar collegiate career that culminated with him playing his final two years of eligibility at Baylor University in Texas.
During the 2019-20 collegiate season, Bandoo helped the Bears achieve a school-record 23-game winning streak, which earned Baylor a No. 1 ranking for five-straight weeks. In his final year with the Bears, Bandoo shot a team-leading 38.5 per cent from three-point range and averaged 7.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game during a shortened season.
Prior to transferring to Baylor, Bandoo played two years for Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. The 6-foot-3 guard helped Hutchinson Community College claim the 2017 NJCAA Division I national championship where he scored a season-high and team-leading 22 points in the championship game against Eastern Florida State College.
Vancouver is back at home on Saturday, June 22 to defend home court against the Ottawa BlackJacks at Langley Events Centre (LEC) as part of the club’s Indigenous Celebration Game.