The Montréal Alliance is pleased to announce the selection of Ismaël Diouf of Laval University as the first overall pick in the 2024 CEBL draft. Montréal natives Bahaïde Haïdara (UQAM) and Renoldo Robinson (University of Victoria) were also selected by the Alliance 20^th and 21^st overall.  

A native of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Diouf was recently named the Final 8 Tournament MVP after leading the Rouge et Or to a national championship victory, averaging 14.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and 33.8 minutes per game. The six-foot-nine power forward averaged 10.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 23.5 minutes per game in 13 regular season games in 2023-24. Having now completed his second year of university, the newest member of the Alliance was named to the RSEQ Rookie All-Star Team in 2022-23.

“Ismaël always had the potential and the work ethic to match,” said Nathan Grant, head coach of the Rouge et Or. “He was simply missing confidence. Time, experience, and his teammates helped him gain that confidence. We are now seeing the combination of all those things coming together. This CEBL experience is the next step in helping him become the ultimate version of himself.”

Drafted 20^th overall, Bahaïde Haïdara will be playing in his second season with the Alliance as the CEBL allows teams to draft non-graduating U Sports players who must return to their university after the season (U Sports Developmental Players).

This season, in 16 regular season games, Haïdara averaged 12.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game in addition to being named to the RSEQ First All-Star Team for a second consecutive season. Having also played in the Final 8 Tournament with the Citadins, Haïdara averaged 13.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 33.7 minutes played in three games.

With the Alliance during the 2023 CEBL season, Haïdara played in five games and started one, averaging 3.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 13.4 minutes of play.

A six-foot-three guard from Montréal, Robinson was selected in the third round and 21^st overall. Robinson averaged 14.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 21.9 minutes per game with the University of Victoria Vikes last season, and 10.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 25.0 minutes per game at the Final 8 Tournament.

In his first collegiate season after graduating from Dawson College, Robinson was named to the Canada West and Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) All-Rookie Teams.

The three players will participate in the team’s training camp and join Maxime Boursiquot, Alain Louis and Elijah Ifejeh in preparation for the 2024 season. The Montréal Alliance is gearing up to host the highly anticipated CEBL Championship Weekend from August 9 to 11 at the Verdun Auditorium. Fans can purchase their Tournament Packs and access all three games of the Championship Weekend now by visiting www.cebl.ca/cw24

About the Montréal Alliance

The Montréal Alliance, a professional basketball team in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), is gearing up for its third season in May 2024. Under the historic leadership of Annie Larouche, the first woman to hold such a position in Montréal’s professional sports, and with the guidance of General Manager Joel Anthony, a two-time NBA champion, the Alliance distinguishes itself through community involvement, a commitment to sporting excellence, and the development of local talent. Over its initial two seasons, the Alliance boasted the highest percentage of Québécois players among Montréal’s professional sports teams. The team plays all its home games at the historic Verdun Auditorium and will host the CEBL Championship Weekend from August 9 to 11, 2024. For more information about the team, visit www.alliancemontreal.ca.

Follow Us

Instagram - @alliancemontreal

Facebook – Montréal Alliance

X – mtl_alliance

TikTok – mtl_alliance

YouTube – Alliance de Montréal

Join the Conversation

Use hashtags #RepMTL, #CEBLDraft and #YULBall to join the conversation and share your support for the Montréal Alliance!