Preview: Sea Bears at Rattlers
On the Prairies, the 2024 CEBL season is set to start with a bang.
The Saskatchewan Rattlers host the Winnipeg Sea Bears in a basketball Banjo Bowl on Wednesday as both teams eye improvement on their 2023 campaigns. The game begins at 8:30 p.m. ET at Saskatoon’s SaskTel Centre, with live coverage available on CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, TSN+ and on the CEBL mobile app available for iOS and Android devices. It will also be televised nationally on Game+ and available on NLSE in the United States.
During their inaugural season, the Sea Bears took two of three games against their midwestern rivals en route to a 12-8 record and second place in the Western Conference. But Winnipeg’s success out of the gates was halted in the playoffs during a nail-biting loss to the Edmonton Stingers.
Even still, the Sea Bears enjoyed a brighter season than the Rattlers, who limped to an 8-12 record and missed the playoffs entirely.
It all shakes out to what promises to be a fascinating battle between the reimagined Rattlers against the steady Sea Bears.
The 2023 season marked the fourth straight without a playoff win for Saskatchewan after the franchise hoisted the first-ever CEBL championship trophy in 2019.
In an effort to recapture that magic, the team recently brought back president Lee Genier, who served in the same role between 2018 and 2020. Genier promptly re-signed vice-president of basketball operations, Barry Rawlyk, who returns for his sixth season with the club.
Under Rawlyk’s continued guidance, the Rattlers made a notable coaching change, hiring Larry Abney from the G League’s Ontario Clippers. Abney, the New York native who enjoyed a 12-year pro career across the world, also previously served in a player development role with the Clippers.
Meanwhile, Rawlyk’s major on-court splash was his move to import former Toronto Raptors guard Jalen Harris. Harris, of Dallas, spent the past two seasons with the Scarborough Shooting Stars, averaging nearly 20 points per game across 22 appearances with the club.
The former NBA second-round draft pick should be feeling good heading into his debut season in Saskatchewan too after he exploded for 50 points in his 2024 G League finale with the Windy City Bulls.
(CEBL Communications)
This is the type of thing. If it were in Regina they’d have the Brandt Center packed to the rafters every game. There is a vibrant basketball community that goes about it’s business. The R.E.A.L District is a money drain that can’t attract events, concerts, or anything. Why does Regina not look at getting an expansion team? Saskatchewan Roughriders wet themselves at the idea of an NFL Pre-Season game being competition, and this CEBL would for sure have every young person flocking to it. Competion pushes organizations to be better and do better. Take a loot at our CFL team.… Read more »
Let’s go Sea Bears