Abbotsford – The Fraser Valley Bandits announced Wednesday that the club has signed Brandon Gilbeck for the upcoming Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season.
A seven-foot centre from Spring Green, Wis., Gilbeck recently played for Latina Basket during the 2020-21 campaign in Italy’s Serie A2. Gilbeck played 16 games and averaged 8.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game on 58.1 per cent shooting from field goal range. Gilbeck emerged as a force to be reckoned with this past season, ranking first on Latina in field goal percentage, second in total rebounds, and second in the Italian Serie A2 in blocks and blocks per game.
Among his many standout performances from his recent season in Italy, perhaps Gilbeck’s most notable was a triple-double that saw the talented big man record 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks against Rieti on Dec. 27, 2020.
“I’m thrilled to join the Fraser Valley Bandits this summer. The coaching staff and front office have been welcoming and I’m excited to get after it on the court and to show our fans what our team culture is all about,” Gilbeck said.
Gilbeck is no stranger to being proficient around the rim on the offensive end and thwarting opponents on the defensive side of the basketball. Gilbeck played four years at Western Illinois between 2015-2019 and graduated as the school’s all-time leader in blocks (285), offensive (231), defensive (506) and total rebounds (737). For his efforts, Gilbeck became the third player in Summit League history to be named defensive player of the year in consecutive seasons (2017-18 and 2018-19).
Gilbeck capped off an impressive four-year tenure with the Leathernecks by recording the most blocks per game in all of NCAA Division 1 after averaging 3.42 blocks per game during the 2018-19 season. His stellar final season paved the way for Gilbeck to be named to the Denver Nuggets’ 2019 NBA Summer League roster.
