2021 CEBL SEASON TIPS OFF THURSDAY NIGHT!
By: Matthew Winnick, CEBL
For the first time in almost two years, professional basketball is back in cities across Canada. While last season’s CEBL Summer Series provided a much-needed crutch for fans, home arenas and a full regular season were sorely missed.
While the caliber of players inside last year’s bubble was top-notch, a full year of preparation from front offices has set a new bar for talent across the league. The result is a high-paced, skilled collection of basketball players on each roster. By the numbers, this year’s CEBL rosters include seven players with NBA experience, 17 with G-League experience and a handful of Canadians on various senior men’s national teams.
Due to this, each squad has a warranted case to expect big things this season, and parity is at an all-time high. We checked in with each team as they prepare rapidly for the 2021 season to tip-off on June 24th.
Keep the momentum
The Summer Series was nothing short of a monumental success for the Edmonton Stingers. A 5-1 round robin record followed by a two-game sweep in the playoffs netted the franchise its first championship trophy.
This year could be more of the same, as the Stingers bring back league MVP Xavier Moon, Canadian Player of the Year Jordan Baker and Coach of the Year Jermaine Small.
“For us, it’s not even starting again, it’s a continuation of what we’ve been building the last two years,” said Small, “We think it’s going to be a seamless transition.”
Having Baker, along with CEBL veteran Adika Peter-McNeilly will also serve as a major boost for Edmonton with such a short time to prepare for its title defense.
“Jordan and Adika are our leaders, and they make our jobs a lot easier because they set the standard,” said Small, “Those guys know exactly what it takes to win.”
New coach, same mentality
The Fraser Valley Bandits made a run to the championship game in 2020 despite being undermanned for most of the season. Although last year’s coach Kyle Julius opted to remain in Taiwan – where he coaches year-round – and assist the team from afar as the General Manager, last year’s assistant David Singleton is looking to pick up right where the Bandits left off.
“It’s the same style. Me and (Kyle) come from the same type of pedigree, so I’m just trying to keep the train rolling,” said Singleton, “I think it’s the same thing, gritty, in-your-face physical play.”
In addition to the coaching change, there’s a lot of roster turnover, as only Marek Klassen and Malcolm Duviver remain from last year. Still, the new additions to the roster bring the same hard-nosed physicality that Fraser Valley hung its hat on last season.
“Our staff looks for high pressure, high intensity players. So of course they’re going to attract the same type of guys as last year,” said Klassen, “As one of the returning guys, I’m excited to play a leadership role on this team.”
Bringing the energy
As one of the youngest squads heading into the season, the Hamilton Honey Badgers are to set to be an exciting team to watch this season. Led by the free agent signings of two explosive guards, Trevon Duval and Lindell Wigginton, the Honey Badgers are going to push the pace and get out in transition.
Early on, Hamilton’s leading scorer JV Mukama has only positive things to say from his two floor generals.
“I’ve definitely played with amazing guards before but these two (Duval and Wigginton) are some of the most explosive,” said Mukama, “I was more surprised with their willingness to bring everybody together. They didn’t come into camp with any level of arrogance, they’re just ready to play and learn.”
While being young can often result in a lack of experience come game-time, Mukama sees the current roster construction as an advantage.
“I think it’s to our benefit that we have a young team just because the biggest thing you want to have is energy, all these young guys bring the energy and it’s contagious,” he added.
Mentally and physically tough
On the other side of the spectrum, the Ottawa BlackJacks put a major emphasis on experience and veteran leadership when constructing this season’s roster. The BlackJacks sport eight players over the age of 30, and coach Charles Dubé-Brais explains it’s by design.
“I think with the international experience that we have, from the front office, coaching and our roster, we made the decision to go with a roster that may be a little older than most,” said Dubé-Brais, “We thought that experience was an important thing to have especially in a condensed season like this.”
One of those experienced players is former Fraser Valley guard Junior Cadougan. While he acknowledges the team’s experience and leadership, he adds another point of emphasis for the BlackJacks, physicality.
“Our physicality is a mentality. We’re so deep, there’s no reason to rest or take plays off,” said Cadougan, “We’ve got 2 to 3 guys at every position, so there’s no excuse not to work hard every possession.”
With a strong interior presence led by imports Nick Ward and Tahjai Teague, Ottawa’s physical attitude will show up both on and off the court.
Putting on a show
Loaded up with a brand-new group of imports and some exciting homegrown talent, the Guelph Nighthawks take place as a sort of wild card amongst CEBL teams.
One of those new faces is Toronto-native Justin Jackson, one of three NBA drafts picks suiting up in the CEBL this season. When analyzing the roster on his new team, a specific quality jumps off the page.
“Athleticism is going to be a main staple for us. We’re athletic, we’re long, we play defense, and we like to get the ball up the court,” said Jackson, “It’s going to be fun; it’s going to be a show.”
Charles Kissi – the man at the helm for the Nighthawks, likes to play a fast-paced style that blends well with the roster in place. His biggest point of emphasis isn’t how the team plays, it’s how well his group of players gel together.
“Chemistry will be big for us in such a short season,” said Kissi, “We’ve got to get together fast. So far it’s looked great.”
Three-headed monster
When the Niagara River Lions announced the signing of standout Canadian guard Phil Scrubb to pair with their elite duo of Kassisus Robertson and Trae Bell-Haynes, the squad immediately put together the strongest backcourt the CEBL has ever seen.
While Scrubb is making his way back from his season in France and Bell-Haynes is vying for a spot on Canada’s Olympic qualifying roster, coach Victor Raso knows that if he can get all three guys on the court, trouble is looming for opponents.
“When there is a full roster here, we have three of the top Canadian guards outside the NBA,” said Raso, “If we ever were able to get them on the court at the same time, that’s a heck of a backcourt.”
Veteran big man Olu Ashaolu knows that it will require more than just the backcourt tandem for his team to succeed. While he acknowledges their greatness, he preaches a well-rounded approach.
“You can’t live and die by the three, you can’t depend on just being a perimeter team,” said Ashaolu, “So our job is to have a healthy balance.”
Three-and-D
After a disappointing last-place finish at the Summer Series, the Saskatchewan Rattlers re-loaded with an entirely new group of imports and a modified play style.
The Rattlers were last in points per game in 2020, and coach Chad Jacobson and the front office made it a major priority to upgrade on the offensive end.
“We certainly have a lot of guys that can shoot the basketball. And it’s not just our guards, our forwards can shoot too,” said Jacobson, “That was something we struggled with last year in the bubble, because we played at a slower pace and struggled to score, so there was an emphasis this year for us playing with more tempo.”
Along with the newfound shooting prowess, the Rattlers also made some major upgrades defensively. Former Edmonton Stinger Travis Daniels and elite shot-blocker JaKeenan Gant will create a menacing frontcourt for Saskatchewan.
“We definitely have a lot of versatile, athletic players that can play and defend multiple positions,” said Jacobson, “It really helps with how we want to play defensively.”
All CEBL games will be available for live streaming on the CEBL’s new OTT streaming service CEBL+, cbcsports.ca, the free CBC Gem streaming service, the CBC Sports App for iOS and android devices, and on Twitch.
A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 75 percent of its current rosters being Canadians. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. The only First Division Professional League Partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL season typically runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.
