The St. John’s Edge have added a fourth player to their roster for the 2018-19 National Basketball League of Canada season, but in this case, it’s a newcomer.
Gatineau, Que., native Kevin Zabo has signed a one-year contract with the Edge. A point guard, the 6-2, 180-pound Zabo spent the last two years with NCAA Division 1 Kent State University. Last season, in 34 games with the Golden Flashes, Zabo averaged 13 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists while playing nearly 29 minutes per game.
In 2016-17, his first at Kent State, Zabo was part of a team that captured the Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) championship, earning a berth in the NCAA tournament, where the Flashes lost to Lonzo Ball and the UCLA Bruins in the first round.
Zabo had 12 points off the bench in that game. After playing at the American prep schools, the 22-year-old Zabo began his collegiate career at San Diego State University, but transferred to an Iowa community college after one year before joining Kent State. St. John’s has already re-signed guards Desmond Lee and Jarryn Skeete, while Edge star and NBL Canada MVP Carl English recently announced he’ll play another season. Skeete, English and now Zabo all are Canadians, which helps St. John’s with regards to meeting the NBL Canada requirement that teams have a minimum five domestic players on their 12-man active rosters.
Both English, who is the Edge’s interim general manager, and new head coach Doug Plumb have said that developing Canadian depth on the team is one of their chief off-season goals.
Forward centre Grandy Glaze and guard Alex Johnson are other Canadians who were with St. John’s in its first season. Neither have resigned, but both are on the Edge’s off-season protected list. Zabo would also help address a hole created when point guard Coron Williams, an important player for the Edge over the last half of their inaugural campaign, signed with a team in Argentina.
