LJ THORPE

POSITION: Guard 

HEIGHT: 6-5 (195.6 cm) 

WEIGHT: 220 lbs (99.8 kg)

BIRTHDATE: May 13, 1999 (West Palm Beach, FL)

HIGH SCHOOL: Royal Palm Beach Community High School (West Palm Beach, FL)

UNIVERSITY / COLLEGE: University of North Carolina Asheville (2022)

HOW ACQUIRED: Signed May 8, 2024

YEARS PRO: 2


BIO

PROFESSIONAL CAREER 


Entered season averaging 13.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 27.3 minutes in 75 games playing professionally in Finland and Lithuania.


2024 CEBL Season (As of July 30): Averaging 12.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 29.4 minutes in 18 games with the Brampton Honey Badgers … Achieved 20+ in scoring in four contests … Recorded 16 assists, tying the CEBL record for assists in a single game, becoming third in franchise history with 100 assists in a single season, and giving him his 500th professional-career assist vs. Ottawa on July 29 … Had 22 points for the second straight game along with seven assists vs. Vancouver on July 25 … Scored 22 points vs. Scarborough on July 20 … Registered his first double-double of the season grabbing a career-high 12 rebounds with 12 points vs. Ottawa on July 10 … Recorded 13 points, five rebounds, and nine assists in a win against Calgary on July 3 … Dropped 18 points including eight free throws to go along with eight assists and two steals vs. Saskatchewan on June 12 … Had 22 points while adding six rebounds and four assists vs. Scarborough on June 9 … Returned from a two-game absence June 5 vs. Winnipeg, recording six points, seven assists, and three steals … Scored nine points along with five assists and three rebounds in a win over Ottawa on May 26 … Recorded 24 points on 10-for-12 shooting including the target score winner in a home opener victory over Niagara on May 24.


2023-24: Averaged 13.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 27.3 minutes in 41 games with BC Siauliai in Lithuania … Team leader in scoring, achieving double-figures in a team-best 20 contests … Drained a career-best five triples en route to a 15-point performance against Bristol in the European North Basketball League Quarter Finals on March 7 … Went 7-for-8 from the free throw line contributing to 26 total points against Lietkabelis on February 11 … Scored 19 points to go along with six assists and one steal in the season opener September 17 against Wolves.


2022-23: Averaged 12.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 27.4 minutes in 34 games with Pyrinto Tampere in Finland … Led the team in assists … Grabbed a season-best four steals on three separate occasions (December 13 vs. Seagulls, January 6 vs. Korihait, and April 8 vs. Kauhajoki) … Scored a career-high 26 points with four rebounds and two steals vs. Kouvot on January 3 … Recording a double-double in a win over Honka on March 22, dishing out a season-best 12 assists to go with 14 points.



UNIVERSITY / COLLEGE CAREER 


Averaged 12.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 25.2 minutes in 102 games in a five-year collegiate career at the University of North Carolina Asheville.


2021-22: Averaged 13.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 23.4 minutes as a senior with the University of North Carolina Asheville … Received All-Big South Honorable Mention and All-Big South Preseason First Team honors … Went 14-for-35 (.400) shooting from distance on the campaign … Scored 20+ points in six contests, including a pair of 28-point performances February 26 and January 29 vs. Presbyterian … Had 14 points and nine assists against Charleston Southern on February 16.


2020-21: Averaged 11.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 25.1 minutes in 20 games with the Bulldogs … - Named All-Big South Honorable Mention … Ranked third on the team in scoring, with double-figures in 13 games … Second on the Bulldogs in rebounding, assists, and field goals made (81) … Secured 14 steals on the season … Scored a team-high 21 points to go with four rebounds and two assists in a win against Gardner-Webb on January 19.


2019-20: Averaged 13.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 28.5 minutes in 31 games with the University of North Carolina Asheville … Named a Big South Honorable Mention selection … Finished second on the team and 11th in the Big South in scoring … Had at least five rebounds in all but two league games, leading the team in rebounding on 20 occasions … Ranked eighth in the Big South in steals with 1.4 per game … Became the second player in program history (Kenny George) with a triple-double, with 17 points, a career-high 13 rebounds and a career-high 10 assists at Hampton on February 10, also becoming the first Bulldog with double-digit assists in a game since 2010 …Second on the team with 26 double-digit scoring efforts, including 17 games in a row from January 11 through March 3 … Had four 20-point outings, including 22 points against Tennessee on November 5, earning Big South Player of the Week recognition.


2018-19: Averaged 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 23.9 minutes in 16 games as a redshirt freshman with the University of North Carolina Asheville …  Had six double-digit scoring performances including a season-best 24 points vs. Charleston Southern on February 9 … Corralled seven rebounds at Charleston Southern on February 27 and at Winthrop on January 21.


2017-18: Appeared in one game with the University of North Carolina Asheville before an injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season.



PERSONAL


L.J. is nickname for "Leonard Junior” … Majored in Health and Wellness at the University of North Carolina Asheville.

HONEY BADGERS GIVE BACK THIS HOLIDAY SEASON IN COLLABORATION WITH REGENERATION OUTREACH COMMUNITY

By Kyle Warrener • December 17, 2024
The holiday season is about spending time and celebrating with friends and loved ones while also supporting important causes and initiatives in the community. The Honey Badgers front office staff visited the Regeneration Marketplace and the Regeneration Marketplace on Tuesday afternoon to sort food donations, portion meals, stock shelves and assist guests with food selection. “As leaders in our Brampton community, it is extremely important for us to collaborate with local organizations that continue to make a positive impact in the lives of others on a daily basis,” said Josie Pingitore, vice president of the Brampton Honey Badgers. “Our organization is committed to continue to make strides in our community growth, not only during the holiday season but throughout the calendar year.” Regeneration Marketplace is a local food bank in the heart of downtown Brampton, operating to provide quality, helpful food and household items for those in need in the community. Open 365 days a year, they proudly serve 39,000+ meals annually with more than 1,100 households receiving the necessary food and goods on a weekly basis. “Right now we are just inundated with donations, and the work the Honey Badgers did to help us sort saved us so much time,” said Katie Cleland, director of development at Regeneration Outreach Community. “This will help us get the food on the shelves much quicker so that we can serve more people this week.” The Honey Badgers staff were also joined by Amisha Moorjani, owner of The Food Quotient, and Rod Power, City of Brampton Councillor of Wards 7 and 8. This is one of many initiatives that the Honey Badgers and Councillor Power have collaborated on this holiday season, including turkey drives and Christmas dinners for underprivileged youth. To learn more about how you can contribute to the Regeneration Office & Meal Program or Regeneration Marketplace, please contact info@regendbrampton.com or visit www.regenbrampton.com . ### 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 visi t 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 . Media Contact: Kyle Warrener - Manager, Communications and Service Brampton Honey Badgers kwarrener@honeybadgers.ca

HONEY BADGERS HOME OPENER SET FOR MAY 25 AS 2025 CEBL SCHEDULE REVEALED

By Kyle Warrener • December 4, 2024
The Brampton Honey Badgers and the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) released the 2025 schedule Wednesday, marking the league’s seventh and largest season yet featuring 120 total regular season games next summer. Brampton’s campaign opens with two road games May 18 against the Montreal Alliance at 4 p.m. ET followed by a quick stop in the nation’s capital May 21 versus the Ottawa BlackJacks at 7:30 p.m. ET. The black and gold will then welcome the Scarborough Shooting Stars to town on May 25 at 2 p.m. ET for a special home opener in their first of three head-to-head matchups on the schedule, officially tipping off the club’s third season calling the CAA Centre home. “This is a day that our organization had circled on the calendar for months,” said Josie Pingitore, vice president of the Brampton Honey Badgers. “We are that much closer to welcoming the greatest fans in the league back to CAA Centre for another exciting summer of world-class basketball. The expanded schedule also gives our fans an opportunity to see every team in the league play right here in Brampton in 2025.” With the expanded schedule, CEBL action returns May 11 for a western showdown between the Calgary Surge and Edmonton Stingers, with a CEBL Champion being crowned at CW25 in late August hosted at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg. Included in the Honey Badgers’ slate of games at the CAA Centre is a pair of School Day Games, with a pre-season contest against the Niagara River Lions on May 13 at 11 a.m. ET and a June 4 matchup versus the Montreal Alliance at 11 a.m. ET. This will be the third and fourth time in the team’s young history in Brampton that the organization has welcomed staff and students across the Peel Region for these annual events, setting a franchise attendance record with 4,068 in attendance last June against the Winnipeg Sea Bears. The 2nd Annual Honey Badgers Camp Day Game presented by the City of Brampton is set for July 9 at 12:30 p.m. ET against the Ottawa BlackJacks for a second consecutive year. The Honey Badgers will host the River Lions on July 27 on Fan Appreciation Night, before hitting the road for a trio of games against Montreal, Winnipeg, and Saskatchewan to close the books on the regular season. In addition to some marquee games and matchups on the expanded schedule, the Honey Badgers will also be hosting special theme games including Filipino Night, Punjabi Night, Salute To Service Game presented by Kotak Law, and more! Further information will be available in the coming months as the Honey Badgers prepare to welcome back fans to the arena. On August 10 with all 10 teams in action, the Honey Badgers and Saskatchewan Rattlers will close out the 2025 CEBL regular season calendar with a Sunday night matchup at the SaskTel Centre. To view the entire Honey Badgers schedule, click here . Notable highlights of Brampton’s expanded 24-game regular season schedule include: Brampton takes on Niagara in the franchise’s first preseason game and first of two School Day Games on May 13 Every CEBL team visits the CAA Centre this summer as part of a home-and-home schedule layout Honey Badgers visit the Montreal Alliance in their regular season opener 19-day homestand from June 14 to July 3 featuring five games - three of five games against Western Conference opponents Brampton’s regular season home schedule includes one Thursday, four Fridays, one Saturday, four Sundays, and two day games The CEBL’s broadcast schedule will be announced at a later date, but all games including playoffs will be livestreamed and archived on the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+, and on CEBL Mobile, the official app of the CEBL (available on Android and iOS devices). Contact the Honey Badgers team directly by visiting honeybadgers.ca/contact-us or by telephone at (905) 522-BALL to inquire about ticket packages including season tickets, half season packs, voucher packages, group tickets, and more. Individual game tickets are expected to go on sale in the spring. More information about the Brampton Honey Badgers can be found at honeybadgers.ca and @HoneyBadgersCan on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook. ### 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 visi t 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 . Media Contact: Kyle Warrener - Manager, Communications and Service Brampton Honey Badgers kwarrener@honeybadgers.ca

HONEY BADGERS COACHING STAFF WELL REPRESENTED AT THE COLLEGIATE AND UNIVERSITY LEVEL

By Kyle Warrener • November 18, 2024
With the offseason providing new opportunities for Brampton Honey Badgers’ players to continue their craft around the world, the same can be said for members of the coaching staff. While some pursue opportunities in the NBA, NBA G League, and internationally, this past summer’s staff are making an impact at the collegiate and university levels. Honey Badgers head coach Sheldon Cassimy, now a lead assistant coach with McMaster University, returns to the university ranks for his fourth season with the Marauders men’s basketball program. On Friday night, Cassimy’s Marauders team hosted the Nipissing Lakers resulting in an 83-76 victory in favour of the home side. The Lakers are coached by a familiar face in Honey Badgers assistant coach Thomas Cory. “It’s always extra fun to compete against a friend,” said Cory ahead of the Friday night matchup. “We’re both very competitive and want it to be a good game.” Unfortunately for Cory’s squad, Cassimy and the Marauders came out on top in their only matchup this season thanks in large part to a 21-point performance courtesy of Cashius McNeilly. The Lakers were led by Alvin Incyogere, who contributed 24 points and 13 rebounds in a losing effort. This campaign marks Cory’s 12th consecutive season as a head coach at the U SPORTS level. Now in his sixth season as head coach of the Lakers, Cory previously held the reins of the Algoma University men's basketball program from 2013 until 2019. “I learned so much from my experience in Brampton learning from Sheldon and working with our amazing group of players and staff,” Cory continued reflecting on this past summer. “I developed as a coach and have brought back a lot of ideas here to Nipissing.” The Honey Badgers are also well-represented on the women’s side of collegiate basketball this season. Assistant coach Ceejay Nofuente now leads the Humber College program, with the Hawks campaign off to an impressive 5-1 start. Ajay Shama, also an assistant coach with the Honey Badgers, continues in that role this season with York University’s women's basketball program. Elsewhere, Ankit Wadera joined the Lake Superior State University men’s basketball staff as an assistant coach, while Mike Fraser continues his work with the Crestwood Prep basketball program in Toronto. 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 . Media Contact: Kyle Warrener - Manager, Communications and Service Brampton Honey Badgers kwarrener@honeybadgers.ca



PROFESSIONAL STATISTICS **BEFORE 2024 CEBL SEASON

Totals

Year Team G MIN PTS 2FGP 3FGP FT RO RD RT AS PF BS ST TO
2022-23 Pyrinto (Finland) 34 930 433 137-268 24-97 87-118 34 139 173 165 62 3 58 74
2023-24 BC Siauliai (Lithuania) 41 1120 551 169-306 37-112 102-139 17 122 139 237 86 4 43 109
Totals 75 2050 984 306-574 61-209 189-257 51 261 312 402 148 7 101 183

Averages

Year Team G MIN PTS 2FGP 3FGP FT RO RD RT AS PF BS ST TO
2022-23 Pyrinto (Finland) 34 27.4 12.7 0.511 0.247 0.737 1.0 4.1 5.1 4.9 1.8 0.1 1.7 2.2
2023-24 BC Siauliai (Lithuania) 41 27.3 13.4 0.552 0.330 0.734 0.4 3.0 3.4 5.8 2.1 0.1 1.0 2.7
Totals 75 27.3 13.1 0.533 0.292 0.735 0.7 3.5 4.2 5.4 2.0 0.1 1.3 2.4

COLLEGIATE STATISTICS

Totals

Year Team G MIN PTS 2FGP 3FGP FT RO RD RT AS PF BS ST TO
2021-22 University of North Carolina Asheville 34 795 473 164-317 14-35 103-140 30 97 127 125 85 5 31 104
2020-21 University of North Carolina Asheville 20 501 232 66-124 15-37 55-77 19 63 82 60 42 3 14 54
2019-20 University of North Carolina Asheville 31 885 430 133-266 19-48 107-156 52 147 199 71 91 5 43 77
2018-19 University of North Carolina Asheville 16 383 137 34-76 11-41 36-53 12 44 56 40 37 2 12 42
2017-18 University of North Carolina Asheville 1 6 5 1-1 0-1 3-4 0 1 1 2 0 0 4 2
Totals 102 2570 1277 398-784 59-162 304-430 113 352 465 298 255 15 104 279
Averages
Year Team G MIN PTS 2FGP 3FGP FT RO RD RT AS PF BS ST TO
2021-22 University of North Carolina Asheville 34 23.4 13.9 0.517 0.400 0.736 0.9 2.9 3.7 3.7 2.5 0.1 0.9 3.1
2020-21 University of North Carolina Asheville 20 25.1 11.6 0.532 0.405 0.714 1.0 3.2 4.1 3.0 2.1 0.2 0.7 2.7
2019-20 University of North Carolina Asheville 31 28.5 13.9 0.500 0.396 0.686 1.7 4.7 6.4 2.3 2.9 0.2 1.4 2.5
2018-19 University of North Carolina Asheville 16 23.9 8.6 0.447 0.268 0.679 0.8 2.8 3.5 2.5 2.3 0.1 0.8 2.6
2017-18 University of North Carolina Asheville 1 6.0 5.0 1.000 0.000 0.750 0.0 1.0 1.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 4.0 2.0
Totals 102 25.2 12.5 0.508 0.364 0.707 1.1 3.5 4.6 2.9 2.5 0.1 1.0 2.7
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