COLE SYLLAS

POSITION: Guard

HEIGHT: 6-5 (196 cm)

WEIGHT: 210 lbs (92.3 kg)

BIRTHDATE: August 1, 2000 (Kingston, ON)

HIGH SCHOOL: La Salle Secondary School (Kingston, ON)

UNIVERSITY / COLLEGE: Queen's University (2024)

HOW ACQUIRED: Selected in the 2nd round (19th overall) of the 2024 CEBL Draft.

YEARS PRO: 1

BIO

PROFESSIONAL CAREER 


Entered season averaging 2.1 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 8.4 minutes in 10 games playing professionally in the CEBL.


2024 CEBL Season (As of July 30):  Averaging 4.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 16.4 minutes in eight games with the Brampton Honey Badgers … Returned to the Honey Badgers lineup vs. Niagara on July 17 following a nine-game absence, scoring six points … Had seven points and three rebounds vs. Winnipeg on June 5 … Set career highs with 13 points and three three-pointers made in a win over Ottawa on May 26 … Had two points in 14 minutes of action in Honey Badgers debut May 24 vs. Niagara.


2023 CEBL Season: Averaged 2.1 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 8.4 minutes in 10 games with the Ottawa BlackJacks … Collected five rebounds in a win against Scarborough on May 30 … Scored 10 points in professional debut May 28 vs. Brampton. 



UNIVERSITY / COLLEGE CAREER 


Averaged 16.0 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 29.9 minutes in 88 games over a five-year collegiate career at Queen’s University. 

2023-24 (As of April 11): Averaged 15.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 31.0 minutes in 22 games with Queen’s University … Named to All-OUA Second Team and U SPORTS All-Tournament Team after winning an OUA championship with the Gaels … Reached double figures in scoring in all but four contests, including seven double-double performances …. Recorded season-highs in rebounds (18) and assists (18) in an U SPORTS Elite-8 matchup against Winnipeg on March 8 … Registered a season-high 29 points in the OUA Finals against Brock on March 2 … Snatched three steals to go along with 16 points in a win February 2 against Wilfred Laurier.


2022-23: Averaged 17.4 points, 9.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 29.9 minutes in 27 games with Queen’s University … Became first player in Gaels program history to be named to U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian … Named an OUA First Team All-Star, helping the team to their second consecutive U SPORTS Final-8 Championship appearance … Grabbed a season-high 21 rebounds November 26 vs. Waterloo … Dished out a season-best 12 assists November 18 vs. Carleton.


2021-22: Averaged 18.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 32.5 minutes in 17 games with Queen’s University as a junior … Named an OUA East First Team All-Star… Reached double figures in scoring in all but four contests … Scored a career-high 39 points March 23 against Carleton … Grabbed a season-best 15 boards to go along with 21 points February 25 vs. Nipissing … Opened the season with 29 points and 12 rebounds in a victory over Ryerson on November 5.


2020-21: Did not play due to COVID-19 pandemic.


2019-20: Averaged 12.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 26.7 minutes in 22 games with Queen’s University … Named to the OUA All-Rookie Team … Finished rookie season with 21 points in 25 minutes of action against Lakehead on February 15 … Registered first collegiate double-double in the second game of the season against Laurentian with 31 points and 15 rebounds … Make collegiate debut on October 25 against Nipissing, recording six points and four rebounds.


PERSONAL


Pronounced “cill-IS” … Majored in Mechanical Engineering at Queen’s University … Has a passion for reading … Luke Syllas, twin brother of Cole, also played at Queen’s University during the same five-year period … Won KASSAA championship in back-to-back years at La Salle Secondary School in Kingston, ON.

HONEY BADGERS VISIT OVER 50 LOCAL BUSINESSES IN DOWNTOWN BRAMPTON TO CELEBRATE SMALL BUSINESS MONTH

By Kyle Warrener • 17 Oct, 2024
Honey Badgers front office staff were out and about in the streets of Brampton on Wednesday afternoon to celebrate Small Business Month in collaboration with the Downtown Brampton BIA. The team visited over 50 businesses with gifts of appreciation, ranging from local coffee shops to retail stores and restaurants. Thousands of locally owned small businesses call the city home, including over 300 within the downtown community. “Supporting local businesses is a huge priority for our organization,” said Josie Pingitore, vice president of the Brampton Honey Badgers. “Our organization is committed to continuing our efforts in the community as we look to make strides in utilizing the Honey Badgers as a vehicle for community growth.” The Honey Badgers first stop Wednesday morning was Trish Juice Brampton, a local go-to destination for a refreshing twist on wellness. In their eighth year of business in Brampton’s downtown core, they are most well-known for their vibrant array of fresh fruit and vegetable smoothies and juices. “This city is very close to our heart and we are so happy to be a small business in this amazing community,” said Tammy of Trish Juice Brampton. “The most rewarding part of what we do is seeing the smiles on our customer's faces and knowing that we are serving them healthy and nutritious goods every day.” The team visited Pizzanini for a quick lunch, a family-owned and operated restaurant across from Brampton City Hall that opened in the spring of 2019. Known for their passion, family values, and community involvement, Pizzanini quickly became one of the top-rated pizzerias in the area. “Building meaningful relationships with people from all walks of life across this city is the best part of being a small business,” said Mark Sich, owner of Pizzanini. “The community support we’ve received since the day we opened has been overwhelming. The downtown Brampton community is truly one big family, and it means a lot to us to be a part of it.” Additional businesses that were featured in this initiative include but are not limited to Downtown Brampton Wellness Centre, Indian Curry Express & Bar, Brampton Boxing, La Favorita, and Hopen Doors. Brampton Honey Badgers season tickets are now available in advance of the CEBL's seventh season which tips off in May 2025. Visit honeybadgers.ca/tickets or contact tickets@honeybadgers.com for more information. ### About the Brampton Honey Badgers One of the original franchises of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the 2022 CEBL Champion Brampton Honey Badgers proudly call the CAA Centre home. The Brampton front office and basketball operations department bring NBA, NBA G League, national team, NCAA and major international pro league experience to the franchise. With a vision of promoting Brampton grassroots basketball and local businesses through community and corporate engagement, the Honey Badgers will leverage the explosion of basketball as a vehicle for innovation and change. For more information visit www.honeybadgers.ca . About the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 75% of its rosters being Canadian and a record 12 players with NBA experience in 2024. Players also bring experience from the NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, NCAA programs, as well as U SPORTS and CCAA. Twenty one players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year. The CEBL season runs from May through August with games broadcast live on CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, TSN , TSN+ , RDS , Game+ , Next Level Sports & Entertainment and Courtside1891 . More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram , Twitter , TikTok , LinkedIn , Facebook & YouTube .

PAIR OF HONEY BADGERS TEAMMATES SQUARE OFF IN LITHUANIA

By Kyle Warrener • 08 Oct, 2024
Sunday afternoon marked the first of four meetings between former teammates Zane Waterman and LJ Thorpe, now opponents in Lithuania representing BC Neptunas Klaipeda and Utenos Juventus, respectively. Nuptunas remains undefeated in their Lietuvos Krepšinio Lyga campaign with a perfect 3-0 record behind Waterman’s 13-point performance, continuing a streak of three consecutive double-digit scoring efforts. Waterman recorded 15 points and six rebounds in his previous outing against Jovana on September 29, following up on a 17-point performance in the season opener September 21 versus Rytas. “It’s always fun to go up against familiar faces, especially teammates,” said Wateman. “LJ (Thorpe) is an amazing player and I’d much rather have him on my side.” Thorpe contributed 11 points and five assists in the losing effort for Juventus, falling to 1-2 on the Lietuvos Krepšinio Lyga season. Juventus opened the season splitting a pair of Basketball Champions League Qualifying games, defeating Spartak and losing to Sassari. Through five games with his new club, Thorpe is averaging 14.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists. This marks the second consecutive season where Waterman and Thorpe have gone head-to-head overseas. Prior to joining forces in Brampton, both players spent last season in Lithuania when Thorpe was a member of BC Siauliai and Waterman played for BC Nevezis-Optibet with Thorpe’s squad taking the season series 2-1. Thorpe and Wateman led the offensive attack for the Honey Badgers this summer averaging 12.1 and 15.9 points, respectively. The Brampton duo’s next matchup takes place November 30 when Juventus visits Neptunas. Brampton Honey Badgers season tickets are now available in advance of the CEBL's seventh season which tips off in May 2025. Visit honeybadgers.ca/tickets or contact tickets@honeybadgers.com for more information.  ### About the Brampton Honey Badgers One of the original franchises of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the 2022 CEBL Champion Brampton Honey Badgers proudly call the CAA Centre home. The Brampton front office and basketball operations department bring NBA, NBA G League, national team, NCAA and major international pro league experience to the franchise. With a vision of promoting Brampton grassroots basketball and local businesses through community and corporate engagement, the Honey Badgers will leverage the explosion of basketball as a vehicle for innovation and change. For more information visit www.honeybadgers.ca . About the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 75% of its rosters being Canadian and a record 12 players with NBA experience in 2024. Players also bring experience from the NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, NCAA programs, as well as U SPORTS and CCAA. Nineteen players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year. The CEBL season runs from May through August with games broadcast live on CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, TSN , TSN+ , RDS , Game+ , Next Level Sports & Entertainment and Courtside1891 . More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram , Twitter , TikTok , LinkedIn , Facebook & YouTube .

FORMER HONEY BADGERS GUARD INKS CONTRACT WITH OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

By Kyle Warreners • 25 Sep, 2024
Former Honey Badgers guard Javonte Cooke has reportedly signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder, becoming the fourth player in franchise history to sign with an NBA club after playing with the Honey Badgers. The Columbia, South Carolina native suited up in 10 games for the black and gold this season, averaging 14.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists, while reaching double-figures in scoring in all but one contest. Cooke tied Christian Vital’s single-game franchise record with six steals on May 26 against the Ottawa BlackJacks. Vital also earned an NBA contract after playing with the Honey Badgers, previously signing an Exhibit 10 deal with the Toronto Raptors in October 2022.. Cooke spent last season with the Iowa Wolves in the NBA G League, an affiliate of the Minnesota Timberwolves, averaging 16.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 48 games. The 25-year-old becomes the 19th player to sign an NBA contract following their time in the CEBL. Earlier this month, Vancouver’s Tazé Moore signed a two-way contract with the Portland Trail Blazers in addition to Scarborough’s Jackson Rowe and Saskatchewan’s Elijah Harkless who reportedly signed Exhibit 10 contracts with the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers. In addition to Cooke, Nino Johnson (Utah Jazz), Christian Vital (Toronto Raptors), and Lindell Wigginton (Milwaukee Bucks) round out the list of Honey Badgers players who have signed with NBA clubs. The Honey Badgers have also had six members of their coaching staff join NBA organizations, including Brittni Donaldson (Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks), 2022 CEBL Coach of the Year Ryan Schmidt (Atlanta Hawks), Antoine Broxsie (Cleveland Cavaliers), Josh Estes (Cleveland Cavaliers), Ashton Smith (Atlanta Hawks), and most recently, Stephane Ingo (Sacramento Kings). Ingo served as the Honey Badgers video coordinator this past season, before returning to the court with the Winnipeg Sea Bears and appearing in six games while averaging 5.8 points and 5.3 rebounds. It was announced last week that he would be joining the Kings organization as a video coordinator ahead of the upcoming NBA campaign. Brampton Honey Badgers season tickets are now available in advance of the CEBL's seventh season which tips off in May 2025. Visit honeybadgers.ca/tickets or contact tickets@honeybadgers.com for more information. ### About the Brampton Honey Badgers One of the original franchises of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the 2022 CEBL Champion Brampton Honey Badgers proudly call the CAA Centre home. The Brampton front office and basketball operations department bring NBA, NBA G League, national team, NCAA and major international pro league experience to the franchise. With a vision of promoting Brampton grassroots basketball and local businesses through community and corporate engagement, the Honey Badgers will leverage the explosion of basketball as a vehicle for innovation and change. For more information visit www.honeybadgers.ca . About the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 75% of its rosters being Canadian and a record 12 players with NBA experience in 2024. Players also bring experience from the NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, NCAA programs, as well as U SPORTS and CCAA. Nineteen players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year. The CEBL season runs from May through August with games broadcast live on CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, TSN , TSN+ , RDS , Game+ , Next Level Sports & Entertainment and Courtside1891 . More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram , Twitter , TikTok , LinkedIn , Facebook & YouTube .

PROFESSIONAL STATISTICS **BEFORE 2024 CEBL SEASON

Totals

Year Team G MIN PTS 2FGP 3FGP FT RO RD RT AS PF BS ST TO
2023 Ottawa BlackJacks 10 84 21 7-12 2-11 1-6 10 5 15 4 14 2 4 6
Totals 10 84 21 7-12 2-11 1-6 10 5 15 4 14 2 4 6

Averages

Year Team G MIN PTS 2FGP 3FGP FT RO RD RT AS PF BS ST TO
2023 Ottawa BlackJacks 10 8.4 1.0 0.583 0.182 0.167 1.0 0.5 1.5 0.4 1.4 0.2 0.4 0.6
Totals 10 8.4 1.0 0.583 0.182 0.167 1.0 0.5 1.5 0.4 1.4 0.2 0.4 0.6

COLLEGIATE STATISTICS

Totals

Year Team G MIN PTS 2FGP 3FGP FT RO RD RT AS PF BS ST TO
2023-24 Queen's University 22 683 332 92-182 33-94 41-56 30 152 182 162 38 16 34 58
2022-23 Queen's University 27 806 484 158-289 28-105 84-124 69 192 261 135 67 21 33 78
2021-22 Queen's University 17 553 319 107-203 22-97 39-55 32 114 146 45 39 18 28 52
2019-20 Queen's University 22 588 272 65-114 37-118 31-38 42 126 168 54 64 15 27 48
Totals 88 2630 1407 422-788 120-414 195-273 173 584 757 396 208 70 122 236

Averages

Year Team G MIN PTS 2FGP 3FGP FT RO RD RT AS PF BS ST TO
2023-24 Queen's University 22 31.0 15.1 0.505 0.351 0.732 1.4 6.9 8.3 7.4 1.7 0.7 1.5 2.6
2022-23 Queen's University 27 29.9 17.9 0.547 0.267 0.677 2.6 7.1 9.7 5.0 2.5 0.8 1.2 2.9
2021-22 Queen's University 17 32.5 18.8 0.527 0.227 0.709 1.9 6.7 8.6 2.6 2.3 1.1 1.6 3.1
2019-20 Queen's University 22 26.7 12.4 0.570 0.314 0.816 1.9 5.7 7.6 2.5 2.9 0.7 1.2 2.2
Totals 88 29.9 16.0 0.536 0.290 0.714 2.0 6.6 8.6 4.5 2.4 0.8 1.4 2.7
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