The Montréal Alliance announced Tuesday that it has signed American point guard Derek Brown Jr. for the remainder of the 2023 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season following Xavier Pinson’s injury suffered against the Vancouver Bandits on July 16. Even though the trade deadline has passed, teams can still sign players who were released by other teams before the playoffs.

A six-foot point guard from Federal Way, Washington, Brown Jr. played in three games with the Vancouver Bandits this season, averaging 5.3 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 8.0 minutes per game. The American point guard score 14 points in 14 minutes in his first game with Vancouver on June 6 against the Winnipeg Sea Bears. Prior to joining Vancouver, Brown Jr. played the 2022-23 season in Denmark with BK Vejen 1981.

Before joining the Danish team, Brown Jr. played four collegiate seasons with the Everett Community College Trojans (2014-16) and the Portland State Vikings (2017-19). In two NCAA Division I seasons with Portland State, Brown Jr. averaged 6.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 15.2 minutes per game.  

Brown Jr. joins Kemy Ossé, Alain Louis, Elijah Ifejeh and Nathan Cayo, all four back with the Alliance for a second consecutive season; Canadians Mamadou Gueye, Quincy Louis-Jeune, Biniam Ghebrekidan, Christian Rohlehr and Negus Webster-Chan; U Sports draft pick Bahaïde Haïdara; 2022 CEBL Second Team All-Star Ahmed Hill; Americans Treveon Graham and Xavier Pinson, and international player Evans Ganapamo as the 15^th member of the team for the 2023 season.

The Alliance take on the Scarborough Shooting Stars for its eight home game of the season on Wednesday, July 19, starting at 7:30 p.m. For more information or to buy tickets, visit https://www.alliancemontreal.ca/billets.