A 6 ft. 2 in. point guard, who grew up in 91原创 and was once a high scorer with the Walnut Grove Gators, will be back home playing pro ball this summer.

Ty Rowell, a Walnut Grove basketball prodigy, has just been signed to the Fraser Valley Bandits, meaning he鈥檒l be playing with the 91原创-based team when they begin their season late next month.

鈥淚t is a special feeling to be able to return to the Township of 91原创 and the Walnut Grove community to begin my professional career,鈥� Rowell said.

鈥淧laying as a member of the Gators allowed me to build many special relationships that have lasted throughout my time at CBU,鈥� he added.

鈥淎fter four seasons with the Lancers, I am grateful for the experiences that I have had as a Division I student athlete and I am looking forward to building on that at the next level with the Bandits.鈥�

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Rowell is a former Western Athletic Conference (WAC) all-star and California Baptist University (CBU) starting point guard, who recently completed a five-year run with the Lancers that saw him average 11 points, 2.8 assists, 2.2 rebounds, and 30.4 minutes per game on 41.7 and 40.5 per cent from field goal and three-point range, respectively, over the course of four seasons of NCAA Division I basketball after being promoted from DII following the 2017-18 season.

During his four-year career at CBU, Rowell earned a reputation as a gritty guard thanks to his ability to lead his team鈥檚 offence and his prowess on the defensive end.

His perseverance was put on full display on Nov. 25, 2020, when in his first game in more than 350 days 鈥� following an ACL injury suffered the season prior 鈥� Rowell poured in 32 points and nine three-pointers in a non-conference overtime loss against the University of Southern California Trojans and future 2021 NBA third overall draft pick Evan Mobley.

After being limited to just eight games in 2019-20, Rowell bounced back in 2020-21 and finished top five in several of the WAC鈥檚 leaderboards; including minutes played (first), assists per game (first), three-point field goal attempts (first), three-point field goals made (second) and total points (third).

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Rowell鈥檚 all-around play led to the talented guard being named All-WAC First Team for 2020-21.

In his senior season, Rowell continued to write his name in the CBU record books. He led the WAC in minutes played and three-pointers made for a second consecutive season and broke the Lancers鈥� program record for most three-pointers in a career with 251.

鈥淲e are really excited about adding Ty to the mix. He is a hard-nosed shooter that fits well with our group and culture. He will have a great opportunity here to grow and develop as a first-year pro and we believe he can help bolster our roster,鈥� said Bandits general manager Kyle Julius.

A highly recruited prospect from 91原创, Rowell starred at Walnut Grove Secondary and won a B.C. High School 4A Boys Basketball Championship as a member of George Bergen鈥檚 2016-17 Gators, who boasted a 40-1 record on their way to a provincial title.

The 2022 CEBL season will serve as his professional debut after a five-year college career that saw the sharpshooter start 57 of the 96 games that he played for the Lancers.

opens its fourth (CEBL) season on the road on Wednesday, May 25 against the Ottawa BlackJacks. Following a three-game road swing to start the year, the Bandits will make their debut on their new home court at against the Saskatchewan Rattlers on Saturday, June 4.

READ MORE: Fraser Valley Bandits announce schedule

Full and partial season packages are available for purchase at . Fans are kindly asked to call 604-866-0529 or email tickets@thebandits.ca for any questions or ticket related inquiries.

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