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Another weekend means another road trip to Alberta to evaluate the amazing talent that is being produced out west. This time I had the chance to catch up with many familiar faces in the Calgary basketball community and watch the Genesis Classic. With 300 teams competing, this tournament was huge. I focused on the loaded High School boys platinum division which featured 10 teams. The division was all loaded and some very good basketball was on display. These are the 10 players that caught my eye. Magnus Carlos Position: PG Height: 6'3 School: Vincent Massey (Winnipeg, MB) Club: Ignite (Winnipeg, MB) Class: 2026 This Grade 11 point guard showed an elite all-around game while competing against some amazing guards (profiles below) and leading his team to the tournament championship. Magnus had full control of the team at all times and consistently made the right play especially when facing full court pressure. He is an active defender, and showed the ability to knock down his shot whenever the opportunity arose. Nash Semeniuk Position: PG Height: 6'1 School: Kelowna Secondary Club: Goodwin Hoops Class: 2024 - University of Alberta commit There is a reason Coach Craddock has him signed at the U of A, he is smooth and makes his team go. He is a creative guard that was able to get to the rim with ease. Nash made his teammates better with every decision he makes and I can not wait to watch him for the next 5 years in CanWest play. Cason Scott Position: F Height: 6'7 School: Westsyde Secondary (Kamloops, BC) Club: Northern Bounce Class: 2025 Watching Cason, it is easy to see why NCAA D1 and USport coaches are already making him offers. The 6'7 forward uses his great athleticism and feel for the game to challenge every shot that comes his way. His offense is smooth and he can finish both in the paint and from the 3 point line. Marodama Benjamin Position: F Height 6'7 School: Edge Prep Club: Genesis Class: 2025 Marodama stands out the second you walk into the gym, he has fluid movement that just makes the game look so easy. He takes the ball effortlessly to the rim off the bounce and finishes with authority, add this to a good looking shooting stroke and he proves to be a tough player to defend. As i watched him throughout tournament, his rebounding really stood out as he attacked the ball and expected to get every missed shot. Birk Placsko Position: F Height: 6'5 School: Foothills Composite (Okotoks, AB) Club: FYB (Okotoks, AB) Class: 2026 Birk battled all weekend against some great competition and held his own. He was able to make an impression with his energy and ability to get out on the break quickly. The pick and roll game is where he truly excelled, his knack for setting good hard screens and efficient footwork on the roll gave him plenty of easy looks. Julius Holmes Position: G Height: 5'11 School: Lillian Osbourne (Edmonton, AB) Club: Good Hoops Class: 2027 Julius was everywhere on the court all weekend. The high motor guard plays with a reckless abandon that is a delight to watch. He pushes the pace on the break, finds ways to finish at the rim through all sorts of contact, and isn't afraid to mix it up in the paint on defense. This grade 10 is someone we will have to keep an eye on because there is no doubt he will continue to refine his skills and make an impact. Muhammad Omar Position: G/F Height: 6'5 School: WCPA Club: Good Hoops Class: 2025 This is second weekend I have gotten to see Muhammad and he played big for his Good Hoops team in Calgary. With some of his teammates travelling to EYCL games, I saw Muhammad really show the ability to step up and score the ball. He is an explosive finisher and threw down some big dunks but it was his physicality that really stood out to me. He anticipates well on defense and makes the game very tough on his opponents. Karan Singh Position: G Height: 6'1 School: O'Leary (Edmonton, AB) Club: NexGen (Edmonton, AB) Class: 2025 Karan had a great weekend leading a very good NexGen team. His ability to shoot the ball as well as set his teammates up showed why he should be not still be unsigned. If you aren't familiar with Karan's game be sure to look for Harrison Paulichuk's article here on the Maple Minute published this week. Reed Jakubiszyn Position: G Height: 6' School: Strathmore (Strathmore, AB) Club: PEAK (Airdrie, AB) Class: 2024 Reed is an unsigned gem that just graduated high school. He has good size for a guard, shot the ball well and was able to finish inside in a variety of ways. He would be a good late signing depth guard for a CCAA program still looking. Dillyn Morin Position: G Height: 6'1 School: Walter Murray (Saskatoon, SK) Club: Rise Above (Regina, SK) Class: 2024 University of Saskatchewan commit I have saved Dillyn for last this review as I have been watching him play for almost 3 years now. Dillyn is the ultimate competitor and only has one gear - full intensity. His step back 3's and lightning quick drives make him an offensive juggernaut. No matter what team he is on, he finds a way to blend in and make an impact. The U of S have a good one here and I am excited to watch him play for another 5 years.

It’s hard to say if I’ve ever been inside a building with more energy than the one on Friday night in Winnipeg. Tied at 106, Jackson Rowe of the Scarborough Shooting Stars has a chnace with two free throws to win the game, as the Target Score was 107. With the noise of the crowd, whether that was boos, boom sticks, or just plain yelling, somehow Rowe missed both free throws and the game stayed tied. A rebound from Teddy Allen saw him push the ball in transition, draw two defenders in the paint and hit Alex Campbell in the corner for a three, which of course he drained. That three put Campbell over 1000 points for his CEBL career and made him the first Canadian to eclipse thag mark. It was an incredible moment that was the perfect cap for a home opener that was a little up and down for the Winnipeg fans. Both teams led by 10 or more at multiple points in the game and neither really took control. Both CEBL stars and newcomers had their moments in this one and it was most definitely a show. Here are the three keys from this game! Out Of This World Allen Look, I normally don't have singular players as a key to a game, but after two outstanding performances, Teddy Allen deserves it. In both Wednesday's and Friday's game, Allen was unbelievable in just doing whatever he wishes. This season in particular it isn't just his scoring he is showcasing, he's doubling down on the rebounding as well as playmaking. His defence is still a little shaky at times, but he's jumping into passing lanes even better through two games. The Sea Bears would not have been in that game in Saskatchewan or come back at home without his efforts. While Allen can't do it all by himself, he may have done enough for the rest of the guys around him to start getting up to speed. Inconsistent Defence One of the aspects of Winnipeg's game they are still working on is their defence. While it wasn't as bad as it was in Saskatchewan, they still need to figure out what they want to do in the pick and roll. Kadre Gray was banged up and came off the bench in this one for Scarborough, but still had any options he wanted when he had the ball in his hands. You could extend this to Shamar Givance or any of the other players who took a ball screen. Three point defence at times was also a little shaky, leaving a couple guys wide open. Lob in transition defence that was leaky as well and you have some of the problems that plagued Winnipeg in this game. Of course they win the game and tightened up on that end of the floor, which ended up being a reason they got back into it. Still a work in progress, but at least there were flashes in the home opener, which was much different than the season opener. 0-15??? This isn't going to happen often with a professional team (unless your the Houston Rockets of the late 2010's) where you miss your first 15 THREES of the game. It took until two and a half minutes left before the half for Teddy Allen to put the Sea Bears on the board in that category. Even with Scarborough hitting many of their threes in the first half, the game was tied at 48 going into the break. Winnipeg bounced back and hit 50% of their threes in the second half, which ended up helping them stay with the Shooting Stars. I don't expect another 0-15 game at any point in this season with how good their shooters are, but it really dried up their offence for a while when they didn't hit. Good to see that they bounced back in the second half, but a game like that can't happen again. On another day, they would have gotten buried. With those keys out of the way, let's move onto the individual player performances! Teddy Allen Averaging 40.5, 10.0, 5.0 with 1.5 steals through two games is unreal. The MVP gonna MVP. That's really all there is to say. Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson Overall this was a better game for Ogungbemi-Jackson than his CEBL debut. While the first have was beginning to look eerily similar to his first, he went on his own little seven point run and with that he seemed to find his footing. He looked much more calm, poised and found his rhythm in the second half. He really looked like the player we had hoped he'd be in this one. Darius Days This one is a little harder to formulate a full opinion on. This was another game in which I thought Days looked good at times, but also made some interesting decisions that led to not so great plays. A double double was solid and he finished well inside once more. Defending was still a question mark and his shot selection was still a little puzzling. At times it also felt like he disappeared from the game. Took him until the second half to also hit a three, which was his only one of the night. The Sea Bears need him to hit at least two a night to really be effective. Days still has tons of time to get things going and I'm sure he will. Byron Mullens Mullens seemed to be a step behind in this one. It was a tough matchup to begin with for him, having to guard the extra mobile athlete Hason Ward. He struggled in pick and roll defence, and just could not be a net even by hitting his three point attempts. He got a couple post looks early on in the third quarter, which I thought he did decently well with. I think the struggle for coach Mike Taylor is, he wants to establish Mullens down low early, it just hasn't happened yet. Hoping that gets going because I think it would add another layer of offence Winnipeg can go to when they're jumper is cold. He did have two big blocks, but that was the most of his impact. Alex Campbell The man who almost fouled out. You can blame JOJ for that one. Both of them got their foul counts mixed up, but it got sorted out by the referees. While it wasn't the best night for Campbell overall, he did hit two important threes and obviously one of them was the game winner. Hoping the end of the game is a springboard for him because his defence wasn't always there. Great moment and congratulations on 1000 career CEBL points. Simon Hildebrandt Another solid game for Hildebrandt. Had a very nice and one early on in his stint on the floor, hit a three (would have had two if he didn't step out of bounds) and made some really nice plays on defence. I will admit that he gets moved around sometimes down low, but he is so good at drawing charges whether with a players back to the basket, or driving at him. Hildebrandt has looked so solid for Winnipeg off the bench in these first two games, which should give coach Taylor even more confidence to play him a ton of minutes. Mason Bourcier I asked coach Taylor after the game what he thought of Bourcier's performance and he was super pleased with his play and hoped that would continue. I will second that motion as I thought he had a great game. He was aggressive driving to the hoop, making a couple of tough finishes, he hit a three and played great defence. He got a lot of minutes down the stretch of the game in place of Campbell, and I do hope that happens from time to time. It really felt like he and Hildebrandt at times turned the game around with their play and that's what you hope you can get from a good bench. Chad Posthumus Once again Posthumus did not play very much in this one, but his fresher legs made a couple of plays, cleaning up a few rebounds and even had a post score. His energy and hard work is nice to have as a change of pace off the bench. Hard to play him over Hildebrandt though when the young Bison offers more. Shane Osayande Not a great game from Osayande, even though he grabbed three offensive boards. Coach Taylor just didn't get what he hoped from him on the night, but it was good that Hildebrandt made up for it. I would assume that it'll be tough for him not to follow this up with a better game, especially with his play style. Overall the first half of the game was as close to a nightmare as it could have been, safe for it being a tie game at the break. The second half for Winnipeg was much much better and showcased what they were really about. Hopefully this is the game that gets them going, as we see looking at the standings, the West is really strong. Their short turn around becomes a week long break for the Sea Bears, as they aren't in action until Saturday June 1st at home against the Ottawa Blackjacks.

PG - 6’1 - Archbishop O’Leary/NexGen Basketball - C/O 2025 The final buzzer rings through a small school gym in Red Deer signalling the end of a heated fifth-place Provincials match. With this buzzer came the end of the regular school season for two teams who both fell short of their Provincial title aspirations. Archbishop O’Leary from Edmonton came out on top in this match, winning by two points in a game that went to the buzzer. This may not have been the finish that everyone had hoped for, but this was far from an unsuccessful season for their program. One of the most exciting things on display for this O’Leary team was the all-star calibre play that came from their senior, star point guard, Karan Singh. Karan averaged 23/4/4 with 3.8 steals per game this season, earned a tournament MVP award at the Sir Winston Churchill Tournament, and was named to the Edmonton Stingers All-Star Showcase roster. After his star-studded regular season with the Spartans, Karan has taken his talents to the NexGen basketball club out of Edmonton to round out his high school career. Karan is the type of player that any coach would love to have on their roster. He is an athletic, 6’1, point guard who loves to push the tempo and can run an offence with ease. This young man has a confident composure with the ball in his hands that was forged through a history of playing at an elite level. He grew up playing basketball and has experienced the highest levels of ball including a year abroad playing in the States (Which is a whole different type of game). Back in the summer of 2023, he was recruited to play prep down in Florida. This short, yet impactful season visibly moulded his game through his tough defence and hustle on the court. Nothing is handed to players at the prep level and everything a player wanted, including play time, had to be earned. Playing in a hard-nosed system like he did down south helped shape the type of hard worker that Karan is today. Playing ball is the first thing that Karan does when he wakes up in the morning and the last thing that he does before bed. Karan is a student of the game who lives and breathes basketball. He models his game and floor general presence off NBA players such as Kyrie Irving and Devin Booker. Two players who are next to none at shot creation and reading defences. This offensive IQ allows him to play his game and thrive as a three-level scoring threat, spreading defences thin. His mid-range pull-up is his self-proclaimed strongest shot and is a rare find in a game that seems to have often neglected the importance of a mid-range game over a three-point shot. Don’t sleep on his perimeter shooting though, as I have seen him hit shots far beyond the high school three-point line when needed. The shooting along with an impressive show of athleticism for his size allows him to comfortably run a fast-paced offence and finish in acrobatic ways that are needed for a smaller guard. As much as he has already shown on the court, he is still always working to improve. He works out three times a day most days, twice on the court and once in the weight room utilising every minute of the day that he can to work on his game. Anyone who knew Karan in earlier years or has watched his progress knows how far he has come even in a short period. His high school coach explained to me that the largest growth in his game came while he was away in the States playing prep and was not on the offensive end. At the start of his high school career, he was the one that teams would seek out on the defensive end for a favourable matchup and this was one of the weakest parts of his game. In the final year, the one that mattered most, Karan became a guy that the coach would look at to get stops on even the strongest offensive perimeter threats. He has a strong eye for steals and reads the play in a way that allows him to take advantage of weaker offensive players and strip the ball. Working on an offensive game for most players is easy, especially when you are already naturally skilled at it. It takes dedication and grit to be able to improve drastically and work on something that you are not good at, and for Karan, this was his defence. His coach could not stress enough how large of a jump this was and how much of an impact it made on their season. Basketball is Karan’s biggest hobby and main passion. The love for the game stems back to his childhood, where his father first introduced him to the game of basketball. His dad was always his number one fan growing up and is one of the biggest reasons that he played. The love for the game that was shared between the two of them has never been more important since the tragic passing of his father during his grade 10 season. This devastating loss forced Karan to take time for himself and his family back home in India. Throughout this period, Karan unfortunately missed a good portion of his school year and basketball season. Missing a whole semester during a largely developmental year has forced Karan to work overtime just to keep up with other kids in his class. This effort level and life experience have only made him stronger and set him apart from others as he developed an even stronger work ethic on, and off the court. Skill level aside, Karan has a why; he plays for his dad. Josh McJannet, his high school coach, has never had a kid go through as much as Karan has and is so proud of how far he's come since. This is a player who carries a sense of maturity that is rare for kids his age and makes an immensely positive impact while he is on the court. After chatting with both Karan and his coach individually, I was able to piece together a portrait of a stand-up guy and a phenomenal athlete that deserves to find a program that can support him on and off the court. “Basketball aside, he's a kid that truly deserves to be in a great situation. I love him like a son. I hope he finds somewhere that contributes to his life success and basketball success alike” (Coach McJannet). This athlete is one of the premier point guards in the province and he will be the hardest-working athlete on any team that he signs with. Growth is not a question with Karan, and he will never stop looking to improve himself. He has had interest from a few programs already but is still unsigned for his post-graduate career. Please feel free to reach out to me directly at hpaulichuk@gmail.com if you are interested in Karan joining your program and I would be more than happy to discuss and pass along information and game tape!

The 2024 season got underway for the Winnipeg Sea Bears in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on Wednesday night with quite the hitch. A very slow start saw Winnipeg down early, and got themselves into a hole they never really dug out of. Despite the heroic efforts of Teddy Allen, who once again showed why he was MVP a year ago, the Sea Bears sputtered on both ends of the floor. Never being able to string stops and scores together, only ever doing one or the other. While it was a frustrating first game, there were still some positives to take from it. With that being said, let’s go over the three keys from this game, then we will dive into individual player performances! Leaky Defence Coach Mike Taylor’s emphasized in the offseason that he wanted his team to be better defensively, and he tried to bring in the players accordingly. Well, in the first half of this game, that certainly did not look like the case. The Sea Bears were once again getting beat in transition, the pick and pop game, and even shooting the three ball. They looked sluggish, a little slow on rotations, and it just seemed like communication was lacking at times. While that last part should come with time, it was really rough to watch. The most important thing I want to point out is this: last summer when coach Taylor was signed by Winnipeg that his pick and roll/pop defence might be an issue. It was at times in 2023, but not very prevalent. In the game against Saskatchewan, I’m sure if the Rattlers had wanted to, they could have kept running pick and pop while getting any looks they wanted off of it. Too many open threes for the roll man, and if the guard didn’t give it up, he had time and space to do what he wanted. But that’s what comes with not switching on screens and rather hedging hard, trying to get back and give time for the defensive guard to get around the screen. With a lot of the teams in the CEBL having shooting bigs, it could really hurt Winnipeg this summer. We will see if coach Taylor makes some adjustments. Shot Selection This was also a topic of 2023, with select players last year not taking the best shots on many possessions. That felt like the case Wednesday night as well, with some of the new acquisitions not always making the right play and forcing up shots when they didn’t need to. It made it hard for the offence to get into a flow and allow everyone else on the floor to get going. We all know that Teddy Allen is going to get his shots up, but when he puts up 40 points, you can live with a couple duds. As for others, you need to make sure that your shots count when you put them up. With a team as high of IQ, I expect more from them this year. Hopefully they can correct it on Friday at home. Target Time A Success? I don’t want to make all three of these keys to be negative, so let’s talk about one of the positives. Besides Allen going nuclear and almost single handedly winning the game for the Sea Bears, I thought Target Time was managed decently well by the newcomers. For the most part they didn’t panic, they made smart decisions and ultimately it helped them get back into the game. When the clock turned off, I think it was their best stretch of the game. Just unfortunate that they were already too far behind to make a full comeback. Solid foundation to build on, with the chance they can use that as a spring board. With my three keys out of the way, let’s hop into the individual player performances on the night. Teddy Allen Welcome back MVP. 40 point double double for Allen in a game he dominated from start to finish. While he did have six turnovers, they were mainly on players where he was trying to create. With him being the only creator of offence on Wednesday, I can live with that. Good to see he’s picking up right where he left off in 2023. Also the first time he’s put up 40+ in a loss. Darius Days Let’s talk about one of the newcomers here. Days had an up and down performance in his Sea Bears debut. He finished well in the paint, a couple of them through contact, but launched a couple of threes which put him at 2-8 on the night from behind the arc. His shot selection at times was a little iffy and it seemed to frustrate Allen a little bit. If he can reign in the shots a little and get a couple more stops, I think he’ll be just fine. Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson Not the prettiest of debuts for Jackson with the eyes, but the box score tells a little bit of a different story. 12 points and seven assists is a solid outing for the point guard. He seemed quite shaken to begin the game, but ultimately grew into it as it went on. Thought Target Time was the best chunk of time on the night for him. 4-11 isn’t pretty, but a lot of that was early on in the game. He’s a true professional and should bounce back from this. Would be great to see him have a night on home floor for the first time. Byron Mullens Bit of mixed feelings for Mullens debut. He didn’t get the touches I thought he would, and didn’t really make the most of the ones he did get. He did hit a three, which is a very welcoming sign. The best bright spot for his game on the night was his defence in the paint. He was a little shaky on the perimeter, but Mullens’ rim protection was really good. Four blocks and two of them saved big buckets. I do hope that coach Taylor can find a way to incorporate him into the offence more. I really liked when he had the chance to showcase his passing ability, an underrated part of his game. Alex Campbell It was a rough debut for Campbell, who is still six points away from hitting 1000 in his CEBL career. A couple early fouls really took him out of the game and made it harder for him to play defence. He still gets some stops later on, got a couple rebounds and assists, but never really looked comfortable. Hopefully he can bounce back on Friday night and shut down the guards for Scarborough. Simon Hildebrandt While it wasn’t the perfect return for Hildebrandt, I thought that he had a good game. He looked even more like he belonged and impacted the game in a positive way. His one three on the night was an important one that helped Winnipeg get back on track and force a timeout out of the Rattlers. Thought besides Chad Posthumus that he had the most impact off the bench. Mason Bourcier Safe from the fourth quarter and Target Time, I felt like Bourcier didn’t have too much of an impact on the game. I’m hoping he gets some more usage because I thought he fit in quite well with the rest of the team and really helped change the pace for the better. Hopefully Bourcier gets more touches and little bit more run than Wednesday. Shane Osayande While he didn’t have a huge impact on the game, I though Osayande had a good game. He was even keel, played good defence and didn’t make mistakes. Liked how he was used sparingly to leverage his play. Chad Posthumus Posthumus played the least amount of time out of all the bench players for the Sea Bears and I think he had the most impact. He drew the defence into the paint, played with energy, rebounded and even scored on his first touch. Hoping he gets a little more time on Friday because I think he’ll make an impact again. Daren Watts The final player to talk about got the chance to make him professional debut. Watts was surprisingly one of the first players off the bench for coach Taylor after having a good camp for Winnipeg. While his performance was a little disappointing, this was still valuable experience for him. He looked a little out of his element and got beat multiple times for easy buckets on defence. He may get another chance on Friday with Tyler Sagl still injured and David Muenkat still in Germany. I do hope if he gets another opportunity that he seizes it. A disappointing opener is followed by a quick turn around as Friday night is the Sea Bears first home game of the summer. They’re going to need to quickly forget about Wednesday’s loss and be ready for a battle with the reigning champions, the Scarborough Shooting Stars. Tip-off is set for 7:30 and is available on TSN, TSN+ and CEBL+. If you have a ticket for this sellout game, enjoy! Should be a good one.

Edmonton, Alberta - All basketball seasons have their ups and downs, but the title of city champions is reserved for only the greatest teams at the end of each season. The stage was set for a thrilling championship match between an underdog success story of Ross Sheppard school and an undefeated first place team in Saint Francis Xavier (ST FX). It was anyone's best guess as to how this game was going to play out and, on a cold, snowy Saturday evening, hundreds of local basketball fans, students, and families showed up at the home of the Edmonton Stingers (Flair Airlines Hangar) to find out. Both teams had earned themselves a berth at provincials through simply winning their semi-finals playoff game and making the city finals; that didn't take away from any anticipation going into this game. City champion was still a huge honour and, in a year where Edmonton had three 4a provincially ranked teams this game was important for both programs. Each team had something to prove going into this game and wanted to walk away with some new hardware for their trophy cases. The ST FX Rams came into this championship game feeling good about themselves. They had just completed an undefeated regular season in league play with an average margin of victory of 29 ppg and came out on top of both their first two playoff matches wielding a comfortable 15.5-point playoff victory margin. They have one of the most balanced teams in the city and according to their head coach, Brad Farish, they have the best defence in the province. Led by their four veteran anchors they have prided themselves on being a very disciplined and hard-working squad that doesn't stop pushing the tempo until the final buzzer has sounded. This final was no joke for their team as the past two seasons had ended in unfortunate heartbreak that they wanted to finally overcome. Last season they lost their first-round matchup by just two points and the season prior, that they had a chance to seal a finals berth with a couple of missed late-game free throws, leaving them on the wrong side of a miraculous half-court buzzer beater for the win. This is a team that wanted to prove that they had put in enough work over the past two seasons to finally earn the title of city champions. The Ross Sheppard Thunderbirds on the other side, are a historically strong basketball school with a solid coaching staff that always seems to get the job done when it matters. This group had a solid showing over the regular season finishing third in league play and competing in several high-level tournaments. Archbishop O'Leary seemed to be the clear favourite to win the semi final matchup against Ross Sheppard, being the fifth ranked team provincially after previously being first seed earlier in the year. I can't speculate too much about what transpired during that game as I was not personally there. What I do know though, is that the game was a hard-fought contest between both squads and ended up in a layup at the buzzer from Kai Dunkley, Ross Shep's starting point guard and one of the best senior guards in Edmonton. The one thing that this Thunderbirds squad brought with them into the finals was grit and hustle. They may not have been the higher seed in their match or one of the best teams in the province, but they were a team that would keep fighting the whole game and was capable of beating even the strongest team, given the chance. You have to outwork Ross Shep if you want to truly beat them. Hustle and heart were never too much to ask for from a veteran ST FX team, and in a packed arena with their lossless regular season record on the line, they came out swinging. FX caught fire early on both ends. As a team that spreads out the offensive load among their team and prides itself on their defence, they brought exactly what anyone would expect. Scoring was coming from everyone and not a single offensive player stood out as the go-to weapon in the first half. This earned them a commanding first-half lead. The offence wasn't even the best part of the Ram's game as their stifling defence held Ross Sheppard to under ten points in the first quarter, providing them an 18-point lead going into the break. They had strong defenders at every position on the floor but were led by their floor general in Kalan Smith, a senior guard who, according to FX's head coach, is "one of the best defenders in all of Alberta". Kalan leads by example and helps run the floor on both ends with confidence and leadership that never faltered all game. With a defensive system that had every player smothering opponents and limiting shots in the paint, FX left Ross Shep “looking lost” offensively and left to the locker rooms feeling pretty good about how they had come out in such a big game. Throughout the season FX played phenomenal team basketball and this first half put this on display. No single player was the offensive weapon, and everyone appeared to be gelling and working together flawlessly. The coaching staff are huge fans of FIBA basketball and their coaching style reflected that. The overabundance of teamwork and hustle on both ends of the floor was exemplified throughout the season for ST FX and was especially apparent in this first half of play. A huge credit goes to the coaching staff for doing a great job at instilling these values and creating a culture of hard work that paid off over the past three years. The depth of this team was also proven as they were missing one of their best regular season players during a large portion of the finals due to foul trouble; and were able to adjust their game plan effortlessly to continue their domination of the first half. The player in foul trouble in the first half was Aleks Popovic. This grade 11 starting center for the Rams was a key piece to this team's success all season and had shown significant improvement over the season. When I watched him at the start of the season, I had several questions and concerns over his play style and IQ. Seeing him in the finals, Popovic seemed to have pulled a 180 from that first game. His shot selection was phenomenal, he was using his size to his advantage, and he was out-rebounding everyone on the floor with ease. According to Coach Brad, he wasn't even playing his best brand of basketball in the finals, due mostly to foul trouble. In the two playoff games before this, he scored over 25 points and averaged 17 rebounds per game, using his size and length to alter several opponents' shots in the process. When asked about Aleks, Coach Brad had the following to say, "[Aleks] dominated this league as a grade 11 in my opinion and he did it without even fully believing in himself. I think the more he believes in himself the more you're gonna see the real potential of what Aleks has". Going into Provincials, Popovic is going to be one to watch, especially going into next season. This is just one of FX's players who should be a household name for post-secondary scouts as long as he keeps developing as I think he will. After going into the half with such a commanding lead it would have been easy for the Rams to go into the second half overconfident, allowing the Thunderbirds to catch them off guard. Instead, and to Ross Sheppard's dismay, ST FX came out even harder than they did in the first half. The Rams started the third quarter pressing the guards, forcing several turnovers, pushing the tempo in transition, running the fast break, and getting easy points every chance they could. This may have been one of the most impressive parts of the game for me. For anyone who followed this team over the season, this should be no surprise. This is exactly what the team was trained for and how they try to play every game. Every one of the seniors has bought into a hustle culture and a defence-first mindset from day one, which has been a major contributing factor to their deep playoff run and undefeated regular season. Not too long after this second-half push from the Rams, Ross Shep decided to finally come alive and push back. They started hitting their stride and went on a run of over ten unanswered points and it seemed they had finally adjusted to the Stingers home court and found their range from deep. The three-point shot is a vital part of the Thunderbirds game and when their shots start to drop it’s hard to slow them down. Kai Dunkley put the exclamation point on this run by hitting a contested three far beyond the high school three-point line and making it look effortless. The Thunderbirds seemed like they finally had it, and it appeared the tides were starting to shift in their favour. As Coach Brad preached though, the Rams never looked nervous and just kept pushing and looking for ways to end this run. Someone had to rise to the occasion and stop the bleeding for ST FX and in one of the biggest games of his high school career to date, rookie, and starter, Nathan Yamba-Yamba came alive. He made back-to-back three-pointers and used his length to block a drive to the hoop in the process to slow this Thunderbirds run to a halt. This type of commanding play is something you would expect to come out of a vet in a high-stakes game such as this, rather than a rookie. Yamba-Yamba being the spark plug in this scenario was extremely impressive to me, which speaks volumes for the potential and confidence that this kid has. Yamba-Yamba is a 6 '6'’ wing with guard-like handles and a motor that doesn't stop. He hustles for every board and loose ball and can shoot the lights out from deep. “In that [championship] game, he showed up…it’s a big game that would make the most normal kids nervous…I’m not saying that it’s a surprise. He was [just] Nathan” (Coach Brad). This type of high-level competition and experience that the team will get heading into the provincial weekend will be a huge learning experience and should have Nathan looking like a stand-out next season, more than he already is. Basketball is a game of runs. In this championship game, FX was able to capitalize on all of theirs and finish the game strong. Taking their last third quarter right to the final buzzer and earning their first division one city championship since the 2016/17 season. A fitting end to a dominant regular season and, after the previous season's heartbreak, this was a well-deserved victory. The team celebrated in the moment, but everyone knew that the job wasn't finished. The end goal for this team was still winning a provincial title, and after a strong showing in this league final, the Rams had to be feeling confident moving forward. The first seed provincially in the final rankings are the Raymond Comets. Earlier in the season the Rams played the Comets and though they lost in a close game, Coach Brad was still feeling confident against their competition. "Raymond played hard and won. We were up for most of the game, and we lost in the fourth. They had a home-crowd advantage. It was a very competitive and favourable environment for Raymond, so I like our chances". When asked what was going to make them stand out from the pack in provincials, Coach Brad couldn’t stress enough about the importance of his group's defensive prowess. This group has one of the best defences in the province and is going to lean into this going into provincial championship weekend. The other part of this team that the coach stressed multiple times during my interview with him was how deep this team's offensive arsenal is. They do not have a single star player that they rely on each game and save the day when they are in need. They have an entire team of polished and skilled players that each individually has a chance to go off in any given game. The coach described this as a blessing and a curse as it is every coach's dream to have such a deep roster, but it hurts the individual player's chances of getting recognized by scouts due to the unselfish nature of their game. This style of play was not going to change heading into the provincial championship weekend though. "At this point, we have had success. We won our city, we did well in the playoffs, and we have gotten into a good position with these teams. Now, it's just continuing to improve and commit". They have an identity as a defensive team and are going to lean into this and capitalize on that going into next weekend. This championship was well-deserved for the Rams, and I look forward to watching them in Red Deer over provincials’ weekend. I want to send a huge thanks out to Coach Brad for sitting down with me for an interview this week and look forward to covering the ST FX team more going forward! If anyone reading this would like me to cover their team or would like to have a conversation with me, please feel free to email me at hpaulichuk@gmail.com. Thank you to everyone who took the time to read this, and I hope you enjoyed it!

We are just one day away from the 2024 CEBL season getting underway! Having gone through each of the ten teams rosters over that same time period, it is time that I do my complete overview for the entire league for the season! This article will cover what I think will be the major storylines of the summer and where I think the final standings will sit at. Before we get going, a final congratulations to the Scarborough Shooting Stars for being the current reigning champions. Let's see if you can be the second franchise to ever repeat. Without further adieu, let's get into the things to watch for 2024! Upgraded Talent Across The Board One note I wanted to make is that not only do the top teams in this league have immensely good rosters, the league seems to have upgraded as a whole. We have entered a new era here in the CEBL, just six years in. This league is starting to attract many of the top talents across the world and especially in it's own country. While there are tiers of teams, the gap between them does not seem very vast because the level of player has been improved as a whole. We saw a high level of basketball in year five, and that level of play is only going to be better this summer. The CEBL as a league should be proud of their achievement and excited for what it will do for their exposure. The Title Fight Is A Quartet After having sung the league's praises for their overall increased talent level on this summers rosters, let's dig into who are the real contenders in 2024. Out of the CEBL's ten teams, there are four of them that has the potential to hoist the title at Championship Weekend in Montreal. The Niagara River Lions, the Scarborough Shooting Stars, the Winnipeg Sea Bears, and the Edmonton Stingers. Those four to me have the best built rosters, with the best makeup of Canadians and imports. The reigning champs have added two of the best players from the Ottawa Blackjacks in Kadre Gray and Jackson Rowe, while bringing back Cat Barber and Kyree Walker. The River Lions add Nathan Cayo from the Montreal Alliance, while bringing back essentially the same squad from 2023. The Sea Bears return the reigning MVP Teddy Allen, while adding a lot more talent around him, which should allow for his load to be a little less than 2023. The Stingers brought back a mix of returnees, while also elevating the talent around Brody Clarke and Nick Hornsby. These four teams will be battling it out for CEBL supremacy in 2024 and challenging each other for top spot in their conferences. West Coast Sleeper One of the more anticipated teams last year has become one of the underrated squads this summer. The Vancouver Bandits struggled to get going in 2023 after lofty expectations. While having a better roster this year, many people are skeptical to have high expectations, based on last season. Bringing back Nick Ward, one of the best big men in the league is a plus. You also return the best player in U Sports Diego Maffia, who showed really well in his limited opportunities last summer. One of their biggest acquisitions was signing Kobe McEwen away from the Brampton Honey Badgers. New imports Zach Copeland and Taze Moore should be other contributors in the back court. All in all, expect this Bandits side t surprise some people and be higher in the standings, if they can put it all together. Predicted Standings It wouldn't be a CEBL overview article without some predictions for the upcoming year! I will preface that these are before the season has started and we have not seen any of the teams play one another. I will also note that each team will have a record beside their name and that is just a placeholder to give a sense of where I think they will finish. Without further adieu, here are my predictions for the 2024 CEBL season! Eastern Conference Scarborough Shooting Stars (14-6) Niagara River Lions (14-6) Ottawa Blackjacks (11-9) Brampton Honey Badgers (9-11) Montreal Alliance (7-13) Western Conference Winnipeg Sea Bears (13-7) Edmonton Stingers (13-7) Vancouver Bandits (10-10) Calgary Surge (8-12) Saskatchewan Rattlers (6-14) Championship Weekend Final Four Host: Montreal Alliance Eastern Conference Representative: Scarborough Shooting Stars First Western Conference Representative: Winnipeg Sea Bears Second Western Conference Representative: Vancouver Bandits 2024 CEBL Champion: Scarborough Shooting Stars I predict that we will have our second ever repeat champion in the Shooting Stars! With that out of the way, enjoy the summer everyone, it's going to be a good one!

Welcome back to part eight of my ten part series previewing every single team for the 2024 CEBL season. This is a daily series where I will choose to preview one of the 10 teams in the league, which will lead up to my complete overview and predictions piece! These articles will go over who is on each of the rosters, followed by some main headlines to lookout for, and ending off with a little sneak peak at my prediction for that teams finish. In the eighth edition of this series, we will be taking a look at probably the weakest team in the CEBL, the Saskatchewan Rattlers. While a couple of their acquisitions were head turning, the rest of their roster is quite underwhelming compared to the rest of the league. But they may still surprise some people, just like they did late last year. Legend -Sorted by “Guards” and “Forwards” -Canadians will be identified by “(C)” -American imports will be identified by “(A)” -If applicable, International imports will be identified by “(I)” -U Sports draftees will be identified by “(U)” -If applicable, Development players will be identified by “(D)” Guards Cody John (C) Emmanuel Bandoumel (C) Elijah Harkless (A) Jalen Harris (C) Alexander Dewar (U) Isaac Simon (U) Forwards Anthony Tsegakele (C) Maurice Calloo (C) Adong Makuoi (C) Bryson Williams(A) Somto Dimanochie (I) Julian Roche (C) Grant Basile (A) Fareed Shittu (C) Struggle Bus It seems to have been a struggle the last couple season for the Rattlers on the team building front. New head coach Larry Abney has down his best to try and bring in a couple players from his Ontario Clippers squad, but I’m not sure it’s going to be enough. Saskatchewan was in a similar situation last summer after bringing in Justin Wright-Foreman because they had struggled out the gate. While having brought in Jalen Harris from Scarborough to begin this season, the roster power may still just not be enough to compete in a tough and competitive Western Conference. Player To Watch: Jalen Harris Harris is one of the best players in the CEBL and he finds himself in a situation that another former NBA draft pick was in 2023. JWF and Harris have both been put in a situation to try and succeed with a less than optimal roster around them, and try to get their club to the playoffs. Unlike JWF though, Harris will have a full season to do so, instead of joining mid-season. Harris is an athletic guard that can score the ball at a high rate from all three levels, rebound well for his size and defend good enough. He might be the lone bright spot for the Rattlers this summer, but it will be fun to see him go to work. Basement Dwelling It’s so hard to tell this early in the summer, but this might be the weakest roster in the entire league. It’s going to be tough for the Rattlers to make any noise in such a competitive conference and with the jump in talent across the CEBL. Saskatchewan will most definitely be fighting for that final playoff spot for most of the season, while trying to get out of last place. While I don’t think they’re going to get rolled every single night, that record after 20 games might not be pretty.

Welcome back to part ten of my ten part series previewing every single team for the 2024 CEBL season. This is a daily series where I will choose to preview one of the 10 teams in the league, which will lead up to my complete overview and predictions piece! These articles will go over who is on each of the rosters, followed by some main headlines to lookout for, and ending off with a little sneak peak at my prediction for that teams finish. In the tenth and final edition of this series for the summer, we will be taking a look at one of the most interesting teams in the league, the Calgary Surge. With last years run to the final getting stopped just short of glory, the Surge are looking to bounce back and make another run in 2024. A mix of old and new should allow them to be competitive, but I’m not sure it’s enough to put them into proper contention. Legend -Sorted by “Guards” and “Forwards” -Canadians will be identified by “(C)” -American imports will be identified by “(A)” -If applicable, International imports will be identified by “(I)” -U Sports draftees will be identified by “(U)” -If applicable, Development players will be identified by “(D)” Guards Sean Miller-Moore (C) Stefan Smith (C) Malcolm Duvivier (C) Corey Davis Jr. (A) Mathieu Kamba (C) Dondre Reddick (U) Mike Demagus (U) Noah Wharton (U) Forwards Gabe Osabuohien (C) Emmanuel Ansah (C) Justin Lewis (A) Justin Jackson (C) Billy Preston Jr. (A) Matt Grace (C) So Close, Yet So Far The Surge were one of the best teams in 2023 and fell short to a hot Shooting Stars team in the final of Championship Weekend. They return one of the best guards in the league, Miller-Moore and his running mate Smith. The rest of their roster is similar to last in that they have many players that are flexible in where they can slot in, giving them lots of lineup options. I am very interested to see if they have enough talent to stack up to the top dogs in the West. Player To Watch: Rugzy Miller-Moore Rugzy is becoming a CEBL regular, as he will return to the Surge organization for the third straight season. He’s a tall, athletic guard that does the majority of his damage inside the arc. Great finisher at the rim and beautiful mid-range jumper. Still trying to improve on that three point jump shot. Miller-Moore is a good defender too and reads passes really well to jump them for steals. Last years team had a little bit more talent than this one, be on the lookout for him to try and do a little more every single night to get his team a win. Outside Looking In While I do think this Surge roster is good, I’m not sure if it has enough juice to compete with the top four “true contenders” of the league. Both the Surge and the Bandits feel like they’re in that same tier, just on the outside looking in on those big four. I will say there is definitely a possibility that they go on a major run this summer and be top dogs once again in 2024.

We have reached the March 2nd "Protected List" deadline and now all players are free to speak to whichever club they wish! Here are all the signings that have happened so far in CEBL Free Agency 2024. Note: This article will be updated until May 21st, at which the season has begun. Vancouver Bandits Here are the Vancouver Bandits' signings in CEBL Free Agency. Nick Ward Ward is one of the best pure big men in the CEBL. He has plenty of post moves and is an above average rim protector. He is mobile enough for his size and rebounds well. A smart re-signing for a Bandits squad that is trying to get back on track after a not so successful 2023, where they only made the Championship Weekend because they were hosting. Kobe McEwen A signing that came out of left field from the Bandits. McEwen was not on the Brampton Honey Badgers "Protected List" (no one was to be fair) and Vancouver scooped up one of the best scorers in the CEBL. A former 6th Man of The Year winner, McEwen is a fantastic bucket getter and isn't too shabby as a secondary guard playmaking. A great signing for the Bandits. Duane Notice One of the better bench pieces in the league, Notice has re-signed with the Bandits for the 2024 summer. One of the better defenders in the CEBL, Notice also brings three point prowess to the table. If Notice is to start, he and McEwen could provide to be one of the better complimentary backcourts in 2024, with their differing but working styles. A fantastic start to Free Agency for Vancouver. James Karnik Not a re-signing per say for the Bandits, but a player who is familiar to the Vancouver organization. Karnik was last in the CEBL in 2022, where he enjoyed a successful summer with the Bandits. Karnik is a complete scorer, who can post up and get buckets or hit catch and shoot shots from the outside. He also has the ability to put the ball on the deck and get to the hoop that way. He is an average rebounder, and an ok rim protector. If Vancouver are able to bring back Giorgi Bezhanishvili, I really like how the front court big man rotation looks. They could end up having the scariest rotation in the league if that happens. Kur Jongkuch This is more of a depth signing for Vancouver, but one that was earned by the player. Jongkuch is a high energy forward that does the dirty work, while also rebounding and blocking shots. Not much of an offensive threat, but a good defender to add to your roster and run off the bench. His 10 game stint in the back half of the year earned him the opportunity to come back for a curtain call with the team. While he is 24, I don't expect him to have too big of a role with the Bandits, but I could be very wrong. Zach Copeland The Bandits have definitely reloaded for the 2024 CEBL season. While already having a good taller scoring guard in McEwan, they have added another one in Zach Copeland. This dude is a bucket. Some of the things he's doing in Germany's top division is highlight reel stuff. He is a great three level scorer, while he doesn't get to the rim often, he is slithery if he does attack the hoop. He'll hit from mid-range if he needs to stop and pop. Where Copeland does most of his damage is from behind the arc. He is currently averaging 8.72 attempts per game in league play. It's even more impressive that he's only started 11 of the 27 games he's made appearances in so far. Those three point attempts aren't only just catch and shoot jumpers. Most of them are actually either off balance dribble pulls (you could even say essentially three point fadeaway's) or his favourite way to create space, step backs. He is a really good ball handler which helps him create space, but he also has a lightning quick release. Copeland has shown some upside as a passer, in the pick and roll especially, but his main mission is to score the ball. He and McEwen are going to make a scary duo whenever they'll be on the court together. Diego Maffia I was curious to see how the Bandits were going to get Maffia on their roster. Instead of through the draft, they get him as a standard roster player. But not a typical roster spot, he is technically signed to a development contract. This means that Maffia could still go back to the University of Victoria for 2024-2025. Maffia is a great player that got the chance to play with Vancouver last season and really played well when he got the opportunity. He’s a out of this world shooter with super deep range. He can stop and pop from the mid-range is need be and can finish at the rim a decent bit. He is a fantastic passer and a threat for point-assist double doubles. With how the back court is looking for the Bandits, I’m curious to see where Maffia fits, but coach and General Manager Kyle Julius has said Maffia has a roster spot already secured. That should mean he will get some playing time. Great acquisition from Vancouver. Taze Moore We have another athletic G/F joining the ranks of the CEBL in 2024. Moore is a highlight reel waiting to happen, with jump out of the gym leaping ability. He will put you on a poster if he has the chance. He is also a pretty good finisher at the rim, which at least allows him to be a little more dynamic in the half-court. Moore is for sure a non-shooter, and should not be worried about behind the arc. That speed does help him on defence to stay in front of defenders and jump passing lanes. Moore is Vancouver's third and final American slot, and an interesting usage of it. He did get in a couple NBA games this year with Portland, so that is something. Glen Yang The first Winnipeg Sea Bear to not return this off-season. Yang had a tough 2023 CEBL season, never really getting going. He seems to have bounced back this year in Taiwan. When Yang is at his best, he’s a solid distributor, can shoot the ball well, get to the hoop a little bit and run your offence. Last summer, he struggled to get there on a consistent basis, and either disappeared or very much had a hard to look at stat line. He was the starting guard for the Sea Bears in 2023, and if he is in a reduced roll, that may benefit the Bandits much more. Josip Vrankic I really like this pickup for a Bandits squad that could use another versatile forward. Vrankic can either play the three or the four, scoring inside or out and providing a little bit of defence. He's shown his quality overseas in Italy and Spain, so I have a feeling he could be the starter net to Ward, which would be a great contrast. Winnipeg Sea Bears Here are the Winnipeg Sea Bears' signings in CEBL Free Agency. Teddy Allen The first overall re-signing of the 2024 season had to be the 2023 CEBL MVP Allen. Not much more to say other than he may in fact be the best player in the league. He will be the on court leader for the Sea Bears and most likely lead them in many statistical categories. Chad Posthumus I just mentioned that Allen may be the on court leader for the Sea Bears, Posthumus is the off court leader. His experience and the intangibles he brings is why Posthumus is back. We saw him begin the year as a starter, then his minutes tapered off towards the end of the season. I expect to see those minutes at the end of the season be the same here in 2024, being a solid energy player off the bench. Alex Campbell There had been rumblings of a move from Alex Campbell to the Winnipeg Sea Bears for much of the off season. Credit to Joey Slattery who had the inside scoop first. Campbell is a fantastic signing for the Sea Bears and should slot perfectly into the starting lineup. He is one of the best defenders in the CEBL, while also being a great scorer with three point shooting. Those were two things Winnipeg lacked last season, being a bottom tier defensive group and not having enough shooting around Teddy Allen. When looking at the stats from 2023, it may have been a down year for Campbell statistically, you can bet with a better team (and the reigning MVP) around him, he will bounce back. A perfect signing for Winnipeg, who is trying to continue their upwards trajectory after a successful first season. Mason Bourcier Other than bringing Teddy Allen back, this may be my favourite signing of the window so far. A great way to describe Bourcier is a crafty player. He's a fantastic passer with great vision, getting creative with passes and fakes. He is a good ball handler, where he gets creative there as well with different combos to break down defenders. His finishing could be described as crafty, twisting his body at the rim for better angles. Next to his passing, Bourcier's best asset is his outside shooting. His ability to stretch the floor will be key for the Sea Bears, either starting or coming off the bench. A young, fun player for Head Coach Mike Taylor to work with and I can see having a breakout summer. David Muenkat Man oh man are the Winnipeg Sea Bears building towards something here in Free Agency. There most recent signing is wing David Muenkat. A high flyer, Muenkat is a highlight reel and can put anyone on a poster at any time. While he is a dunk machine, he is also a really good finisher around the rim with power and some finesse. He has also showed upside with his shooting ability, especially in catch and shoot scenarios. Not only a scorer, Muenkat is a great rebounder and I can see coach Mike Taylor running him at the four to play some fast small ball at times. He's played well so far in Germany's top league and is taking another leap in his development. In a bench role with the champion Scarborough Shooting Stars, he really stepped up later in the season including playoffs and seems to be riding that momentum into the winter months. I do expect him to play a pivotal role, whether that be starting or off the bench I am not sure. The Sea Bears are getting scary good, and not just top heavy with last seasons MVP. Coach Taylor seems to be building off of last seasons weaknesses (mainly bench production) and making sure that won't happen again in 2024. Shane Osayande I had heard this signing was coming for a little while, but wanted to wait for confirmation until I made it official on here. Osayande is already the fifth Canadian signed for the 2024 season and is a returnee from the inaugural squad last summer. He came after the summer had begun, coming over from Qatar. While he isn't a flashy player, Osayande was a pretty important piece to the Sea Bears squad. His main calling card is being a menace on the defensive end swatting shots and collecting rebounds. He can finish inside at a decent rate and even showed his range at times. He is athletic which helps him be good when he needs to switch onto a guard and is a lob threat on the other end of the floor. Coach Taylor brought back one of the better bench options, and it continues to be a great Free Agency window for Winnipeg. Taylor wanted to make sure that the Canadians on the roster we're taken care of (and good contributors) and he is doing just that. Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson What an unbelievable guard room that Winnipeg has built. This should answer any of the questions that people had whether or not the Sea Bears could matchup in the back court against any other team. Ogungbemi-Jackson is a fabulous addition to this team and should elevate the level of play for the ball club. What he brings to the table is elite level scoring, mainly with a pinpoint jumper. He is so shifty and can shake defenders and rise up so quickly to get that shot off. He isn't adverse to getting to the rim either and can finish with either hand. His quickness helps him out on the defensive end, jumping passing lanes and getting his hands in on ball handlers. Ogungbemi-Jackson has showed to be a solid distributor at times as well if that is more so needed. The only question I may have is about his size, being shorter than six feet. But having played in many different top five leagues around the world, I am sure that he will adjust just fine to a league that prefers taller guards. For the remainder of the window, the Sea Bears should solely be focused on bringing in forwards and continuing to elevate this roster to championship status. Darius Days This roster is really coming together for Winnipeg. They add a former G-League Second teamer, and very good pro in Days. Not only will he be a very important piece to this Sea Bears roster, but he will most likely be their secondary scorer. Days loves to shoot it from deep (while being slightly streaky over the course of his career), and can get really hot from beyond the arc. Also doesn't mind finishing inside and can do so in traffic. He's a double double machine and gobbles up rebounds. He is a versatile 6'7" forward that can play the wing or small ball four. Days has the athleticism along with the size to matchup throughout a lineup. Along with Teddy Allen, he is the second American import on the roster, and should solidify their primary scoring. My only worry for Days is he likes to get them up from deep, even if they're not falling. Hopefully he won't shoot the Sea Bears out of too many games. Otherwise, this is a fantastic signing that fills another important slot on the Winnipeg roster. Saskatchewan Rattlers Here are the Saskatchewan Rattlers' signings in CEBL Free Agency. Anthony Tsegakele A former CEBL U-Sports Draft Pick of many seasons, Tsegakele is a great defender who showed great upside and strides offensively last season at the pro level. He was coming off his best collegiate year and continued that momentum into the summer. That momentum has only kept going, with Tsegakele playing in the first division in France. I love his game and can't wait to see how he has progressed after a year overseas. Maurice Calloo The second signing gets over the line for the Rattlers bringing in Surge bench option Calloo. I am very intrigued by this move from Saskatchewan, and surprised they pried away an important piece on the 2023 Surge roster. I assume this is because Calgary was so deep last season, Calloo did not get as big of an opportunity to showcase his skills and wanted out. More of a wing than a forward, he brings quite an offensive skillset to the Rattlers. He has a beautiful shooting stroke, being able to hit from all over the floor. As well he can put the ball on the ground and get to the rim. Not a fantastic defender or rebounder but the offensive firepower is what is the key here. It seems to be that on the better teams he's on, he is a more than solid bench option (looking at the Surge last season and even going back to 2022 with the Oregon State Beavers). Depending on who the other signings are, I can see Calloo potentially being a starter, but also a really really good bench player. His shooting ability is exactly the direction the Rattlers want to go in with their roster, while his size makes him an even more tempting option. His best performances have seen him as a starter or heavy load bench option, which I hope is the direction Saskatchewan will go with. Adong Makuoi A second resigning for the Rattlers sees another young player come back for 2024. Makuoi is similar to other forwards, in that he is a physical big that hustles and plays hard. He isn't going to wow you with anything, but is a good defender and mobile rim protector. He played in all 20 games last summer with the Rattlers and even started in 12 of those games. I would assume he has the same role as last year, but he is having a good season in Cypress. Cody John This is an interesting pickup for the Rattlers. Cody John is a different style of player than Saskatchewan normally likes to acquire. John is a defensive, slashing guard that has a more rugged playstyle. While he is better getting downhill, John has shown improvement shooting the three ball, more so this season. He's a great defender, normally getting other teams toughest matchups. An interesting addition to this Rattlers team, that normally is all about the three ball and not so much the physical style of John. I do wonder after having success with the Honey Badgers, how this fit works out. Emmanuel Bandoumel This was a player I wasn’t too familiar with, but after doing the research, this is a perfect signing for the Rattlers. Bandoumel is a great fit for the system that Saskatchewan wants to run. He’s a good scorer, doing a good chunk of his damage from deep. He has above average athleticism, which allows him to run the floor. Also an underrated defender as well, which fits a couple of the other players signed this off-season. Those are all attributes of that style of play the Rattlers want to play. Smart acquisition. Elijah Harkless New Rattlers head coach Larry Abney has brought in a familiar face across the border with him. Harkless was with Abney, playing for the Ontario Clippers of the G-League and showing solid contributions. He is a good shooter that can get it done off the catch or dribble. Has some sneaky athleticism and has shown the ability to pick pockets at every level he’s been at. Harkless has also shown the ability to be a high level playmaker. The first American on this Saskatchewan roster is a really good one and I have a feeling that he will be the main guy for them at least to begin the 2024 season. Bryson Williams I think if there was an opportunity to bring in the entire Ontario Clippers team from this past season, coach Abney would do it. He's brought in another to fill up that second American roster spot. Williams isn't much of a shooter and does much of his damage inside the arc. He does shoot a pretty good percentage otherwise as well. He is also a very versatile defender that can guard 3-5 or if needed more. He is a fantastic rebounder and a good rim protector. While I can see him having a big impact this summer, I have a feeling he might be a little underwhelming because of his style of play. Somto Dimanochie This signing really feels based on young potential. Dimanochie had been a two time draft pick of the Stingers the last two seasons. He dealt with injuries last year and never really got going. He’s a rim protecting big man that can rebound and score a little inside. Potential double-double monster. Hasn’t gotten a ton of run at the professional level, so we will see if he gets any this summer and what he does with it. Julian Roche Roche returns for his second season in Saskatchewan. Another solid interior big man that’s a good scorer inside on great percentages, decent rebounder and an alright rim protector. Another depth piece here for the Rattlers, we’ll see how much run Roche gets again this summer. Jalen Harris One of the best players in the CEBL has a new home in the prairies. Harris makes the move over from the Shooting Stars to the Rattlers. He is a tall, athletic guard that can create for himself and others on offence, be a good enough defender while rebounding well for his size. Not a potent shooter, but solid enough to not give him the Ben Simmons treatment. He will be Saskatchewans best player in 2024 and we will see if he can carry his team to the playoffs like Justin Wright-Foreman attempted to. Grant Basile While this Rattlers roster is quite underwhelming, I think Basile will be a player that has a ton of success in the league. Essentially a do it all forward that can score at all three levels well, rebound a good bit, be a decent defender and even handle the ball if need be. Has similar skill sets to Jackson Rowe and Brody Clarke, (maybe even better) which makes me believe he’ll really succeed in this league. Just not sure how the other talent around him will be. Ottawa Blackjacks Here are the Ottawa Blackjacks' signings in CEBL Free Agency. James Jean-Marie Another solid defending bench player re-signing that has scoring upside. The French Canadian is having a solid year in Hungary and should provide solid depth to the Blackjacks this summer. J.D. Muila Muila is a name I wasn't too familiar with and had to do some research on. Muila is a inside bruiser who scores in the post with a multitude of moves and is a good rebounder in the paint. He is a non-shooter who also struggles at the foul line. While he is playing well in Norway, the CEBL would be a step up competition significantly. We will see if this good first year pro will translate this summer. Javon Masters The leader in all-time U Sports scoring has returned the play basketball in his home country. Masters' has found ways to get buckets in Romania and this season specifically, the second division of France. He is a shifty guard that likes to get to the rim and is crafty in his finishes. He's a threat from beyond the arc and can get it done off the bounce. He won't wow you in really any other category, but he won't need to. If the Blackjacks are to bring back Kadre Grey, they will have a primary scorer to go along side him and give Grey more room to work with. Very good signing for Ottawa. Peter Jok The fourth signing has come across the table for the Ottawa Blackjacks. I had to do a bit of research on Jok, but after a couple clips it was clear: this guy can shoot the ball. Currently playing in the NBA G-League, Jok is a long wing that can hit catch and shoot shots, or take it off the bounce. He is a shooting threat in many different leagues he's played in. Jok will use his length to help him rebound and defend, which sees him record more stats than you'd think for his playstyle. I am very intrigued to see what his role is with the Blackjacks and as well, what slot he takes in terms of roster construction. He is originally from South Sudan, but has spent a good amount of time in the U.S. If he doesn't count as an American import player, that opens up different moves for Ottawa's roster construction. Keevan Veinot Another player I wasn’t too familiar with, but really intrigued to see this summer. Veinot really feels like that do it all guard you can comfortably put on your roster. He can score it a bit, at the rim or shooting it. He has great IQ and is a decent passer. Also can rebound the ball well for his position. My assumption is that Veinot is more of a bench option for the Blackjacks, but definitely could start if need be. Ibrahim Watson With the Blackjacks having signed Peter Jok, it's hard to say if this is their first or second American signing. Either way, Ibi Watson is a great pick up for Ottawa. Having had some experience in the G-League, Watson is tearing it up in Sweden this year. He can shoot the ball at a high clip from three, and hit shots off the dribble from beyond the arc and in the mid-range. He will score at the rim if given to him, but mainly a jump shooter. Watson will grab a couple boards being a taller guard. I'm not sure if he will be the Blackjacks main scoring option, but he certainly be apart of their offence. Brandon Sampson A return for a former CEBL star. Sampson was first in the league back in 2022 with the now defunct Newfoundland Growlers. He showed incredible scoring touch all over the floor and really showed his skill being a primary scorer. An alright defender, he mainly hangs his hat on his ability to get steals. All in all, either this is the Blackjacks second or third American signing, depending on whether or not Jok is considered American or an import. Either way it’s a great addition to a team that needed a primary offensive player. A trio of Sampson, Watson and Masters should do the trick. Joel Brown In a string of first year pros being signed recently, Brown is the first of two the Blackjacks recently made. Brown, a recent graduate of Iona, is a do a little bit of everythibg guard that doesn’t have one major strength. He is solid at getting to the rim, will hit open shots for the most part, will rebound and playmake a little bit. Very solid defender and really good at reading passes and picking pockets. Overall not a real major needle moving move, but a solid contributor behind the scoring guards Ottawa has. Kevin Otoo In that same vein as Brown, Otoo is coming off his final year of collegiate play and looking to make a move onto the professional scene. In that similar mold to Brown as well, he attacks the rim, isn’t the best three point shooter, rebounds well for a guard and is a solid defender that gets steals. Both he and Brown have contrary styles to what the other Blackjack guards offer. Should give a good change of pace on the floor when either of them check in. Yasiin Joseph Joseph is one of the many last minute signings the Blackjacks have made over the last week and a bit. Another Canadian guard to add to a crowded room that Ottawa alresdy has. Solid player that can shoot the ball a little bit, score inside a little and be a playmaker. Has the ability to rack up steals on offence. JaKeenan Gant Another American joins the Blackjacks ranks. Gant is a solid forward that should add to a underwhelming room that is definitely behind many of the other teams in the league. He can do a little bit of everything from the wing, score at a solid rate, shoots the ball decently, can rebound a little bit and plays solid defence. Good two-way addition for Ottawa. Jermel Kennedy Super experienced Canadian wing that’s been around the league for awhile. Not much of an offensive guy, but can shoot the ball a little. His longer arms make him a solid defender and giving him the ability to alter shots and poke balls loose from ball handlers. Decent rebounder too. This could be Kennedy’s final ride and should contribute solid minutes to the Blackjacks bench. Tyrrel Tate Tate returns for his third season with the Blackjacks, and fifth overall in the CEBL. The veteran American forward is a good shooter that is an ok rebounder and defender. Other than a shooting role player, not much else here. Alright returnee. Abu Kigab Kigab, familiar with the CEBL and the Blackjacks is back for a second consecutive season. The tall young guard had a breakout year in Europe, showing good scoring ability at the rim, a work in progress jumper and good athleticism. He’s also showed great upside as a defender and being able to disrupt ball handlers. Along with Tate, two players that know the Ottawa system and are solid role players. Lloyd Pandi Big fan of Pandi and what he brings to a team. He had a decorated career at the U Sports level, and so far it’s carrying him far in Europe. He’s a fantastic defender that is always guarding teams best players. Those stops will also show up on the box score in the form of steals. Pandi is also a solid finisher on offence, and rebounds really well for his size. He is still working on his jump shot being more consistent at the pro level, but at only 24, he has tons of time to improve. Really love this add by Ottawa. Alonzo Walker The final player of the recent signing barrage by the Blackjacks is Walker. He rounds out their potential forward core for 2024. He’s a slashing wing that does well in the pain on offence and defence. Speaking of defence he’s an alright defender too. Still working on his jumper, as he hits them at an alright clip, just doesn’t take them too often. Another role player added to the Ottawa roster. Edmonton Stingers Here are the Edmonton Stingers' signings in CEBL Free Agency. Brody Clarke Arguably the best player on last season's Stingers roster is back. Clarke is a modern big man who is mobile, can play either the four or the five while scoring inside and out. He is also an above average rebounder and rim protector. Clarke is a key piece to a Stingers team looking to build off of what was a better second half of the season and playoff success. Elijah Miller Another smart "Protected List" re-signing for the Stingers. Miller was a bench option for much of the year, up until Adika Peter-McNeilly got hurt halfway through the summer. The Miller was thrust into a starting role and thrived until he himself got injured. More of a scoring guard, Miller can get it done inside or outside the arc. He has also showed upside in creating for his teammates and is a average defender. A young piece that Head Coach and General Manager Jordan Baker wanted to bring back, and someone who he believes will take another jump with his club this summer. Adika Peter-McNeilly So far the Stingers have only brought back players on their "Protected List" but they are good, smart signings. APM, a former 6th Man of The Year winner, is a great bench guard who scored, rebounds and playmakes a bit. He is also a decent defender to go along with what he brings on the other side of the court. APM only appeared in 10 games last summer, where his season ended by injury. We will see how he bounces back in a familiar environment, where he has been in the league every single season of its existence and even with the same franchise. Nick Hornsby The fourth signing for the Stingers is another familiar face from last years 2023 roster. Hornsby is a jack of all trades, master of none forward. He scores decently well at all three levels, can be a point forward and is a good rebounder. He is a solid player to bring back and it really feels like coach Jordan Baker is just trying to run the 2023 team once over with a restart. They started out slow but found their stride late on and even won the playoff play-in game. Edmonton would contend almost immediately with their exact same roster. Kameron Chatman While the Stingers have brought back mainly 2023 contributors, they did dip into the market for one of the better returning scorers available. Chatman has proved to be a bucket getter at every single level he has played at. The smooth shooting southpaw is a danger from all three levels, but relies mostly on his jump shot to get the majority of his points. He is a major catch and shoot threat and does a lot off the bounce, but mostly in the mid range. He can finish at the rim well enough, but won't catch him in the paint too too often. He will post up some and do some damage from there as well. That's mostly to do with his height mismatch he will have on most defenders. Chatman only played the first six games last summer, before being sidelined by a hand injury. That hasn't seemed to affect him so far in Czechia. I am curious to see how Chatman works in the coach Baker "by committee" system. Either way, this could make Edmonton really scary if they are able to make it work. Mike Nuga Oh boy, are the Edmonton Stingers ever loading up for the 2024 season. This signing is even more backcourt insurance for the Stingers, who had some injuries to deal with last summer. Nuga was previously with the Saskatchewan Rattlers and was a very solid starter for them. He has shown to be more of an outside the arc guard, hitting threes at a decent clip on high volumes. He is a better than you'd think finisher for his size and can run an offence at a good pace. He defends alright, but has quick hands and feet to get steals and jump into passing lanes. His spacing along with decent playmaking skills should allow Nuga to play a good chunk of minutes for Edmonton. Looking at this lineup currently, it should be one that competes at the top of the Western Conference. If they can find another solid wing contributor, this squad is going to be really scary. Jermaine Haley This was a guy I was super excited to see last season with the Stingers, but unfortunately got injured before he could make his CEBL debut. Haley is back for 2024, ready to make his long awaited debut in Edmonton. The former West Virginia Mountaineer is a really good two way player that can score inside with contact, hit the outside shot a decent bit and is a pretty decent defender. He's good for a good chunk of steals too, getting into passing lanes and bothering ball handlers. As a wing he will contribute to rebounding as well a decent bit. All in all, Haley is the perfect player for Baker's system. Ben Krikke After a successful graduating season with the University of Iowa, Krikke signs his first professional deal with his hometown club. He’s a really good scorer in the paint, playing mainly with his back to the basket. He is an alright rebounder, but isn’t going to be spectacular. Also has some a little upside to shoot it from deep, but really isn’t his game. I really like this addition to the Stingers, as this is essentially another Clarke on the roster, but with less shooting and a little less playmaking ability. Great bench option for coach Baker. Davion Warren Second American slot used by the Stingers here on Warren. He's a great finisher at the rim, along with having good athleticism. Historically hasn't been very good behind the arc as a shooter, but does shoot free throws well. He isn't much of a rebounder and doesn't do too much as a distributor, but is a little underrated there. Warren's playstyle is very much different that the other guards on this roster, which should allow coach Baker to scheme a little differently with him on the floor. His shooting ability might be the only thing that holds him back in the CEBL. Ryan Richmond While reading Richmond's resume, I was very impressed by what he did in NCAA DII, and even in the second division in Germany. It is yet to be determined if he'll get it done in the CEBL, but he certainly has the possibility to. He is a great scorer, doing most of his damage with his jumper, either from the midrange (where he is really good) or behind the arc. Can also get his shot off, off of the dribble as well. Richmond is a decent finisher at the rim too, while being a distributor going downhill. He is an alright defender too. This team that Edmonton is building has so many options and might be the deepest team in the league. Jacob Evans III This might be one of the better ways to round out a roster. A former NBA draft pick, Evans is the perfect player for the Stingers. He is a great defender, having the ability to switch onto multiple positions, can get to the rim decently well, and is an alright three point shooter. As well, he has the ability to be a playmaker for others. Also a very solid rebounder. Just a perfect all-around skillset that fits exactly the kind of mold of player coach Baker loves to have on his roster. Bringing in Evans might be the cherry on top of Edmonton's best chances of getting to the top of the Western Conference. Montréal Alliance Here are the Montréal Alliance's signings in CEBL Free Agency. Alain Louis One of my favourite younger players in the CEBL, Louis took a great leap forward in 2023. He became the main guard for the Alliance and took that a step further throughout the season, becoming one of their key cogs later into the season. I would assume even if the Alliance bring back star two guard Ahmed Hill, Louis will get plenty of touches. His speed, playmaking and scoring ability at the rim is so much fun to watch. He also showed upside shooting from beyond the arc, which could add a great extra wrinkle to his game. Elijah Ifejeh Not a flashy signing by any means here from the Alliance, but one of depth and familiarity. Ifejeh was one of only two players to play all 20 games last season and played about the same number of minutes as games played last season. He is a, do a little bit of everything forward that scores some and rebounds well. My assumption is he keeps his bench role and continues to improve, as he was even the Alliance's most improved player. Maxime Boursiquot As we get later into this Free Agency period, the more we see player movement throughout the league. Boursiquot having previously been on Ottawa's protected list, it seems he wanted a change of scenery this summer. He is a do-it-all forward that is more so defensive oriented. He can finish at the rim, shoot the three ball a little bit and rebound at a decent rate. He'll be a good bench piece for a rebuilding Alliance squad. Ahmed Hill One of the CEBL’s all-time leading scorers has returned for another year, and staying in Montreal. Hill is a three level scorer that does most of his damage from the three point line. Is athletic enough to overcome his not as good defending to make some splash plays. He and Louis started to build a monster duo, and I am super excited to see them continue that in 2024. Jahenns Manigat This is an underrated add by the Alliance, bringing in a veteran like Manigat. This will be his third go-around in the CEBL, this time with his hometown club. He has a great three point jumper, while being a plus defender. Very solid two-way player for Montréal. Chris Smith Really good athlete joining the Alliance ranks. Smith, a former UCLA Bruin, is a decent finisher to go along with that good athleticism. He isn't the best shooter, nor great free throw shooter. What he does bring is very good defence with the ability to switch onto different positions. Decently solid player that could come off the bench for Montreal. Jaden Edwards Another American import slot used here for a player that was here in the CEBL last season. Edwards has been tearing it up in Denmark doing a little bit of everything on the offensive end. He's also been a surprisingly good rebounder for his size, while being an average defender. He didn't have a big role the last time he was here, but with Montreal, there will definitely be an opportunity for him to show off his skills. Jordan Bowden A backcourt of Louis, Hill and Bowden should put the Alliance within touching distance of other clubs in the Eastern Conference. Bowden is a decent scorer at the rim, somewhat of an alright jump shooter, albeit inconsistent, an ok rebounder and not much of a playmaker. He is a pretty decent defender, so his upside is a very solid three and D player in the CEBL. Has good size and is a good athlete. Really like this pickup as it helps out Montreal's guard room. Niagara River Lions Here are the Niagara River Lions' signings in CEBL Free Agency. Khalil Ahmad The reigning Defensive Player and Clutch Player of the Year is back with the River Lions. While Ahmad was a later addition to the Niagara roster, it did not take him long to get settled back into a familiar league. His stats speak for themselves. A prolific scorer inside and out, while also being a menace on defence. Did I mention that he was also a MVP runner-up last season and won the award in 2022? Ahmad is the key to this River Lions squad and they'll be happy to have him back. Jahvon Henry-Blair Blair will once again be Ahmad's running mate in the back court for 2024. He is a responsible guard that doesn't give up the ball too much, playmakes in small bunches but is another scoring threat for the River Lions when on the floor. Blair does most of his damage from beyond the arc, where he was among the best in the CEBL at 44%. He and Ahmad will be hugely important for Niagara's push towards another top spot in the Eastern Conference and in the league overall. Eddie Ekiyor Returning for his second year with the River Lions, Ekiyor is enjoying an explosive second pro year with Sporting CP in Portugal and is hoping for it to carry over into the summer. The 6'9" forward was also good with Niagara in 2023, where he split time between starting and coming off the bench and bringing big contributions on minimal shot attempts. He is an above average rebounder and can protect the rim decently well. Another important piece to the River Lions success is accounted for and should keep their ceiling high for this summer. Antonio Davis Jr. The fourth signing in a single day for the River Lions, but this one no less important than the three previous. Davis is returning for his third straight summer to Niagara and brings valuable play to a talented squad. A do it all Swiss Army knife forward, he is versatile in where he can slot into a lineup and the multitude of stats that will be filled on a score sheet. Scoring more so inside, Davis also has enough range in his game to make you pay from deep. Another good rebounder from the wing spot and a solid defender. After announcing the four different player signings this afternoon, the River Lions look poised for another push a top of the CEBL. With Ahmad and Davis, they also still have another U.S. import slot available to them. T.J. Lall The River Lions are truly attempting to run it back with the EXACT same roster as 2023 in bringing Lall back. He was a versatile bench option that can do a bit of everything for Niagara. The 6'6" forward can shoot, rebound, defend and even handle the ball if need be. He is truly a Swiss Army knife on a team that has many of them. If the River Lions continue to bring back the exact same squad, they will most likely be contenders once again. Kimbal Mackenzie The returnees keep stacking up for Niagara bringing back their backup point guard Mackenzie. While he was a later addition last season, he is a CEBL veteran that brings a lot to the table. He is very careful with the basketball and crafty with it as well. Mainly a table setting guard but will score if needed. He can hit the three, but wasn't so successful last summer. His bread and butter is getting to the rim, creating in the mid range and working in transition. Not to mention he is a solid defender to pair with Ahmad when they play together. Six members of the 2023 team down, only a couple left to go at this point. I do truly wonder if they bring back that entire squad for a full 20 games if they become the team to beat in 2024. Nathan Cayo The River Lions make their first non-resigning a good one and get even deeper by bringing in Cayo. He was one of the main focal points in the Alliance's offence last season and showed that he can shoulder a heavier workload. Another one of those guys that has shown he can get it done all over the floor. He gets to the rim, hits catch and shoot jumpers and finds ways to score. He also is a good defender and decent rebounder. Cayo is more of a plus offensive player, but playing for the River Lions should mean he is more focused on that end of the floor anyway with all the defensive talent and system Niagara has. The River Lions look very very deep by adding Cayo, after bringing back almost every single important piece from 2023's roster. Being their seventh signing, there isn't many more moves to be made, but I am sure Niagara will find more pieces to add to this already great puzzle. Elijah Lufile The Niagara River Lions continue to add to their already impressive roster. While Lufile is not the most flashy signing, he will still add to the good depth to this deep team. What Lufile brings to the table is good inside play. He's a decent finisher inside, a really good rebounder and an ok defender. He isn't a home run pickup, but Lufile is a good player to have on your team to do the dirty work. He ended up playing for both teams that reached the 2023 CEBL championship and had small rolls with both. He is effective in those shorter spurts and I would very much assume he will have that same roll with the River Lions. Aaryn Rai Oh boy do the Niagara River Lions have a team. Aaryn Rai is the ninth and most recent signing to this already loaded 2024 roster. Rai brings size being a taller guard/forward that is very versatile in where you can play him, which fits perfectly with the River Lions style of play. He is great at getting to the rim and finishing through contact, or using a euro step to beat defenders. He'll mainly use that euro to beat defenders in transition, where he is very effective pushing the break. He also shoots the three ball at a decent clip, but doesn't take too many a game. Because of his size, Rai is a beast on the boards and is quick enough to also jump into passing lanes. Not only is he good with the ball in his hands on the break, he can also use his dribble to create for himself. He is such a versatile player and brings a lot to the table. With nine players on this roster, this will essentially be a good core of Niagara's team this summer. With these pieces alone, it should vault them into contention for the Eastern Conference title. Omari Moore Another player joining the River Lions that has the exact playstyle they look for. Moore has the ability to take over on offence, mainly at the rim, as his jumper is quite inconsistent. He's an underrated playmaker and rebounds well enough for his size. He also has two-way versatility being a longer guard, able to defend multiple positions. Super solid signing by Niagara. Loudon Love The current final spot on the Niagara roster is filled by Love. He is an old school big man that does all of his work inside the paint, scoring around the rim, rebounding at a good rate, and an alright rim protector. He's also mobile, which allows him to defend out on the perimeter and run some offence outside the arc. I do wonder what his role really is with a River Lions roster that has a lot more versatility. E.J. Onu had a similar skillset and was one of the best defenders in the league, so we will see if Love can produce similarly. Brampton Honey Badgers Here are the Brampton Honey Badgers' signings in CEBL Free Agency. Prince Oduro The first signing for the Honey Badgers is finally over the line and it is not a small one in any form. Oduro was one of the first players off the bench last season and played well in that role. He is a mobile big man that scores well inside and protects the paint well. He had a top five field goal percentage in 2023 which is a nice plus. He and Jeremiah Tilmon were so good for that inside attack. I mentioned he protects the paint well and by that I mean Oduro is a great rebounder as well as rim protector. I am not sure if the 25 year old starts this summer, but is great insurance if Tilmon doesn't come back or even if he does, it's great bench depth. Zane Waterman One of my favourite players in the CEBL. Waterman is a modern four man who can shoot it from deep, put the ball on the floor a little and get to the rack. He rebounds well for his style of play and is an alright defender. He's also a little mobile, so he does have the ability to switch onto smaller defenders. Smart for Brampton to bring him back as he's familiar with the club and has showed well in the CEBL. It should be interesting to see how the Honey Badgers rebuild their roster this season. First American import slog used on Waterman. Shamiel Stevenson This will be the third summer Stevenson has returned home to play in the CEBL and second straight with the Honey Badgers. While not a super flashy player, he brings a solid level of play to any team he is on. Great athleticism along with good finishing sees Stevenson be good on both ends at the rim. He doesn't mind putting the ball on the floor and can get to the hoop that way or get up and go in transition. He has touch in the mid-range and will shoot the three from time to time, but it really isn't his game. He has a good frame which allows him to be in and around the hoop for some boards. Stevenson is a solid player that has a little more upside than your typical "do it all" player in the CEBL. I would assume he has a hybrid starting/bench roll once more in 2024. Yaw Obeng-Mensah While this isn’t a groundbreaking move from the Honey Badgers, this just feels right. Like many of the other rosters that Brampton has had, here is another forward that loves to play inside, be a bruiser on the boards and finishes with power at the rim. He is super high energy and is a versatile defender. Not sure if he will get too much run, but more of a good first professional experience for development. If Obeng-Mensah does get an opportunity, his play style will slot right in. Ayub Nurhussien A somewhat interesting acquisition here by Brampton. While this will be Nurhussien’s first professional experience, he will be on a Developmental contract, so that he has the opportunity to return to Ontario Tech in the fall. He does a little bit of everything on the floor, as a taller forward. Nurhussien has the ability to shoot the ball somewhat, finish at the rim as well. An underrated rebounder too. Not sure how much he gets a chance to play, but with the Honey Badgers younger roster make-up, it might be better than I think. Petros Melissaratos One of the very few International import slots used by teams, and one of those players goes here to Brampton. Melissaratos is a Greek professional veteran that’s showed really great ability to score inside on high percentages. He’s shown the willingness to shoot from the outside on good splits as well, but on limited attempts. He’s an alright rebounder for the forward spot, but makes up for it by being a good defender and blocking shots. I would make the assumption that he will come off the bench for this Honey Badgers squad, but with his experience I could see him starting to begin the year. LJ Thorpe Here is the second American import slot used by the Honey Badgers. Thorpe, having recently played in Lithuania this season, scores the ball well at the rim, is an inconsistent shooter and great distributor. He is an alright defender that’ll grab a steal here and there. Thorpe definitely fits that younger demographic team Brampton is going for, and should show well here in Canada. Lincoln Rosebush Similarly to Obeng-Mensah, Rosebush is the type of big man that Brampton likes to have at their five spot. Solid finisher inside with good splits, as well as a good rebounder. He even showed upside as a passer. Defended well by showing the ability to get blocks and the occasional steal. While having just finished his final year at the U Sports level, you might not think he would be able to contribute at the pro level, but you might be surprised. Definitely fits that younger core that Brampton is looking to run with this summer. Javonte Cooke Third and final American import slot is used on Cooke. He's coming off a very solid year in the G-League where he was very productive shooting inside and respectable behind the arc. He rebounded well for a guard at around five a game, but wasn't too much of a playmaker. Cooke was a decent enough defender as well, snagging some steals. Currently looking at this Honey Badgers roster, Cooke will for sure be their best offensive player, unless another acquisition is made. He may have to carry the majority of the load for this squad. Scarborough Shooting Stars Here are the Scarborough Shooting Stars' signings in CEBL Free Agency. Cat Barber It is almost the end of April, and the Shooting Stars have just signed their first player for the 2024 summer. Of course it is their star guard Barber coming back for another year. He is the CEBL's all-time leading scorer, which is a tell in what he does best in its self. A great re-signing for Scarborough, and a good step forward for this upcoming season. Kalif Young Another familiar face of the Shootings Stars championship team in 2023 has returned. While Young isn’t the most flashy player, he gets a lot of the dirty work done. He does all of his damage on the inside, rebounding the ball really well and finishing tough through contact. Good work from Scarborough to bring him back. Danilo Djuricic So far the reigning champs have only brought back players who were on their roster in 2023. While he isn't the biggest name on the market, Djuricic is a very solid bench option for the Shooting Stars. He brings a little bit of everything in his skillset. Being able to knock shots down from deep, get to the rim and finish, and rebounding well for a wing that mainly plays on the outside. Also has been known to put one down on a putback. Just like Young, this is a very solid re-signing from Scarborough. Another player that is familiar with their organization and will bring renewed chemistry to their lineup. Kyree Walker I love the Scarborough Shooting Stars bringing back Walker to the team. Having helped them win the CEBL championship last season, he will be a key part of them doing so once more in 2024. He has great athleticism, loves getting to the rim, is a little inconsistent with his jumper but can get flaming hot if a couple go down. Really good at picking pockets and jumping passing lanes, which makes up for his not so great defence. An underrated rebounder as well for his size. Don't expect him to be much of a playmaker, but you bring in Walker to fill the bucket. He was a great replacement for Jalen Harris after he left for a Summer League opportunity. So glad to see him back to elevate his stock once more. Hason Ward This is a little big of a head scratching move from the Shooting Stars. While the advantage of signing Ward is that he fills the International import slot for them, but I am not sure if he will bring a ton of value to the squad. Having just finished up his collegiate career with the Iowa State Cyclones, Ward is a high percentage inside threat that is a good defender and rim protector. While not having many other standout traits, this may be more about development than instant impact. Jackson Rowe This is a big pickup for the Shooting Stars. Rowe has a similar skill set to Edmonton Stingers player Brody Clarke. While not as good off the dribble, Rowe can shoot it reallt well, finish inside, and be a offensive driver at the top of the key. He’s athletic enough to guard multiple positions and is a good defender. He will elevate this roster tenfold with the impact he will have on games. Great addition. Jaden Campbell Campbell will be a first time pro this summer after spending his senior season with the Sanford Bulldogs. Having been mainly a scorer, Campbell has great athleticism and ability to finish at the rim. Showed off a very much improved jumper, while his other percentages have been respectable. That athleticism has helped him be a disruptive defender as well. Pretty decent get here, but still has to prove he can do it at the pro level. Will very much keep an eye on him this summer. Kadre Gray One of the last major question marks has been answered. I had been waiting to see where Gray would sign and he has decided to join the reigning champs. Gray is a do it all guard that is a three level scoring threat, can run an offence and be a fantastic distributor. Pretty decent defender too. Reigning Canadian Player of The Year. This acquisition puts the Shooting Stars into contention for the title this summer. What a talented guard room they’ve built. Nick Lewis Lewis returns to play for his hometown team after a couple years over in the BBL. Not the most efficient scorer, but has shown flashes of being a primary option. Alright rebounder and decent distributor, while being a pretty decent defender. With the current guard room, not sure how much run he gets, but Lewis is solid depth. Devoe Joseph This is an underrated pickup by the Shooting Stars. Joseph has tons of professional experience, is a good shooter, and overall has been a good scorer at the pro level. Also has rebounded at a decent rate, and showed flashes of being a good distributor. Alright defender too. Good depth added by Scarborough. Shamar Givance Givance has previously been signed by a CEBL team, but not given any opportunities. This will be his first, after finishing up his first professional season in Slovakia. He scored the ball at an exceptional rate inside the arc, and showed some potential from three, at a decent percentage. He rebounded well for his size and was a major distributor. Also played pretty decent defence. Like Lewis, with the guard talent that Scarborough has, there may be little minutes for him. Also good depth on the roster. Tevian Jones Jones will use up one of the American import slots on this roster, and should do so with a decent scoring touch. Played in the G-League this past year, he’s a taller guard/forward that can do a little bit of everyone on offence and be an ok defender. Isn’t much of a rebounder not going to fill the box score with many other stats. Very curious to see what his role is on this team, and what else he brings to the floor. Donovan Williams Williams is the final piece added to this Shooting Stars roster. Coming off a stellar season in the G-League, he showed a really good scoring touch, getting to the rim more so than from deep. While he has shown promise as a consistent shooter, that still needs to come along. Good athlete that uses that burst to get to the cup and be a difference maker on defence. What a back court that Scarborough has put together, and it might have them with the best roster in the entire league. Calgary Surge Here are the Calgary Surge's signings in CEBL Free Agency. Sean Miller-Moore I have to say, there is no other player that deserved to be signed back first for the Surge other than Miller-Moore. "Rugzy" is a tall guard scorer who does most of his damage at the rim and from mid range. You can also count him to grab some rebounds and run the offence at times collecting assists. Not a major cog in Calgary's league leading defence, but a pretty important part of it. He was an integral part of the Surge's 2023 trip to the CEBL Championship Game in Vancouver and will be once again. I am curious who they add around him as the rest of the roster fills out. Stefan Smith Miller-Moore's backcourt running mate is back for 2024. Smith was a key part of the Surge's run to the championship game last season. He can score from all three levels, distribute the ball to all of his teams weapons and plays really good defense. His quick hands cause many turnovers and Smith gets a good chunk of steals. Two returnees so far for the 2023 runners up and I think they'll have a good shot of pushing for a championship once more if they continue to bring back last seasons roster. Malcolm Duvivier The Surge are trying to load up their backcourt for this upcoming summer. Duvivier is a really good two-way scoring guard that is strong, is better getting to the rim but can also hit some shots from deep. He is a really good rebounder for his size and is a good defender. He's had a hybrid starting/bench roll over his previous four years with the Bandits. With Calgary already bringing back Smith and Miller-Moore, I would assume Duvivier will strictly come off the bench. Nonetheless, this is a great pickup for the Surge, only adding to their already good backcourt. Corey Davis Jr. The Calgary Surge just keep adding to their already impressive guard room. While Davis is a different mold of player to the other three already signed, he does bring something two of the others cannot. He is a great scorer, being able to get to the rim, pull up on a dime for mid-range jumpers and will hit at least a three or two on a night. Davis is shifty, which allows him to create a lot of space to get his jumper off. If he gets hot, watch out, he is a flamethrower. When he is on his game, he is a complete three level scorer and the outside jumpers will really fall. He has never really had to be too much of a playmaker, but does have upside in the pick and roll. He isn't a negative defender, but also isn't like a Stef Smith or Malcolm Duvivier. My assumption is that he's been brought in to be the secondary scorer next to Miller-Moore and just get buckets. I could also see Davis coming off the bench and being a Lou Williams (NBA style comparison) or a Jelani Watson-Gayle (CEBL comparison, not as good of a defender) just to give a couple of thoughts. These four guards should be a formidable group and the Surge should be proud to have one of the best guard groups again in 2024. Gabe Osabuohien I want to say that this is an interesting signing by the Surge, but the longer I think about it, the more I feel like this is a good get for them. Osabuohien is a longer strong wing that scores around the rim, and in the mid-range. More of a defender, he uses his long arms to disrupt shots and poke the ball loose from offensive players. His size and strength help him be able to guard multiple positions on the floor and is athletic enough to do so as well. He's shown some promise as a shooter, but does not take too many jumpers from the outside. Calgary loves to play smothering defence and they have enough scoring that they can go out to get a versatile defender like Osabuohien. Emmanuel Ansah This opportunity with the Surge will be Ansah's first professional experience and it is most certainly deserved. Having showed out for the University of Guelph this past year, he was able to showcase his many different skills. Ansah is a skilled shooter, and that is where I think that he will shine the most at the next level. He showed the ability to create space to get off his own shot at the U Sports level, and hit threes at a 40% clip. He used his size to bully past defenders and get to the rim, but that will have to come in time at the pro level. His size and athleticism should allow him to keep up with the jump in play. He also does rebound quite well for a wing. I'm assuming that his role will be quite minimal for a good portion of the season, but the Surge could have a gem on their hands if he can acclimate to the pro level. Mathieu Kamba Versatility seems to be the name of the game for Calgary, and it continues with Kamba. Another G/F that can do a bit of everything on the offensive side of the ball and be a solid defender on the other. I'm intrigued with how the Surge are building their roster so far, having only added guards and wings. But Kamba and others have the ability to play different places all over the floor and I would assume that is the hope with this roster. Justin Lewis For Calgary's second import slot, this one feels a little puzzling and feels more like a gamble than anything. Lewis has a successful sophomore season at Marquette two years ago and declared for the NBA Draft. He went undrafted and after two Summer League opportunities with the Bulls, found his way onto the Salt Lake G-League roster. An underwhelming year has seen him take this chance with the Surge to build up his stock. On paper, Lewis is a versatile forward that can guard 3-5 (just how Calgary likes it), and is a Swiss army knife on offence. If he can find a way to put it all together at the pro level, he could be a scary player. Think Brody Clarke with even higher upside. Justin Jackson Jackson returns to the Surge after a somewhat disappointing summer with them in 2023. While having had a bounce back year in the G-League, it shows promise that he could be an impact player in the CEBL. What Jackson brings to the table is solid stretch big shooting, while also being a decent rebounder and good enough defender. We will see if he has a better time with the Surge. Billy Preston Jr. I like this pickup for the Surge. Preston is a versatile forward that can play both spots, score a little inside and out while also rebounding at a high rate. Can also put the ball on the floor as well. Not the best defender, but has shown definite improvement there. Should be a pretty important piece for Calgary this summer.

Welcome back to part nine of my ten part series previewing every single team for the 2024 CEBL season. This is a daily series where I will choose to preview one of the 10 teams in the league, which will lead up to my complete overview and predictions piece! These articles will go over who is on each of the rosters, followed by some main headlines to lookout for, and ending off with a little sneak peak at my prediction for that teams finish. In the ninth edition of this series, we will be taking a look at the squad with probably the best odds in the CEBL to win the title, the Scarborough Shooting Stars. The reigning champs have reloaded and are trying to go back to back in 2024. They certainly have the roster to do so. Legend -Sorted by “Guards” and “Forwards” -Canadians will be identified by “(C)” -American imports will be identified by “(A)” -If applicable, International imports will be identified by “(I)” -U Sports draftees will be identified by “(U)” -If applicable, Development players will be identified by “(D)” Guards Cat Barber (A) Jaden Campbell (C) Kadre Gray (C) Nick Lewis (C) Devoe Joseph (C) Shamar Givance (C) Tevian Jones (A) Donovan Williams (A) Koat Thomas (U) Davante Hackett (U) Forwards Kalif Young (C) Danilo Djuricic (C) Hason Ward (C) Jackson Rowe (C) Kyree Walker (A) Reigning Champions Your 2023 winners are back, and better than ever for real. Bringing back the most key pieces from their title run (Barber, Young, and Walker) while also adding with Rowe and Gray should put them over the top. There is no doubt to me that this is the team to beat in 2024, and I’m not sure what will have the chance to stop them. Player To Watch: Kadre Gray There’s a couple players for this segment that I could cover, but I’ve gone with Gray because of the potential he has to completely elevate this roster to another level. Gray is a do it all guard that quite literally can score from all three levels, distribute the ball at a top rate and run offences supremely. He’s a good defender too, so don’t sleep on him on that side of the ball. 2023’s Canadian Player of The Year is ready to take over the league with a new squad and I think he’s going to do just that. Cream Of The Crop This is my best team in the entire CEBL of 2024. Their guard talent is second to none of all the other 9 teams, and they have just enough front court help to put them over the top. I will be curious how this team meshes right away with many of these players needing the ball in their hands to make plays and how they distribute minutes. But they should just be able to matchup with anyone, while also rolling out fresh goodtalent off the bench consistently. Their season begins on the road in Winnipeg, which will be an immediate test to see if they are the best.

With just 12 days to go until the 2024 CEBL season tips off with the “Battle of Alberta”, let’s go over each of the 10 teams rosters and what I think you should expect from each of them! I will also give a little sneak peek into where I may have them placed in my prediction for the summer. The first team I want to visit are the Niagara River Lions. In 2023, the River Lions lost in the Conference Finals to the eventual champions, the Scarborough Shooting Stars. While having had a loaded roster last summer, they have reloaded and added to their already strong contingent. Here is their roster make-up for 2024. Legend -Sorted by “Guards” and “Forwards” -Canadians will be identified by “(C)” -American imports will be identified by “(A)” -If applicable, International imports will be identified by “(I)” -U Sports draftees will be identified by “(U)” -If applicable, Development players will be identified by “(D)” Guards Khalil Ahmad (A) Jahvon Henry-Blair (C) Kimball Mackenzie (C) Omari Moore (A) Luka Syllas (U) Jerry Jr. Mercury (U) Forwards Eddie Ekiyor (C) Antonio Davis Jr. (A) T.J. Lall (C) Nathan Cayo (C) Elijah Lufile (C) Aaryn Rai (C) Jordan Tchuente (U) Loudon Love (A) Running It Back As mentioned above, the River Lions lost in a tight battle to the Shooting Stars in last summers Conference Finals at Championship Weekend. Niagara is determined to get back there, and challenge for a title once more. Not only have they brought back almost the exact same roster, they’ve improved on it with a couple key additions. Bringing in Nathan Cayo from Montréal and Aaryn Rai should be key contributors for this already stacked roster. Player To Watch: Khalil Ahmad It’s so hard to pick a different player to watch other than Ahmad. He’s filled his cupboards full of CEBL awards already, along with nominations for others. He is truly the key to this River Lions squad, and puts their ceiling where it is currently. He will lead this team in scoring and be their main defensive anchor at the same time. Special stuff. King Of The Hill This is one of the teams to beat in the Eastern Conference. This is a team that could push for 15-16 wins this season and roll into the playoffs. What makes them so dangerous is their main key to lockdown opponents, have versatile defenders and just be complete pests on that end of the floor. They’ll have many different scoring options, while also scoring most of their points behind the arc. Their entire lineup are two-way players, which is so rare and makes them so dangerous. Follow along as each day leading up to the May 21st opener, I will be releasing a team overview of all the squads in the CEBL for 2024!

Welcome back to part three of my ten part series previewing every single team for the 2024 CEBL season. This is a daily series where I will choose to preview one of the 10 teams in the league, which will lead up to my complete overview and predictions piece! These articles will go over who is on each of the rosters, followed by some main headlines to lookout for, and ending off with a little sneak peak at my prediction for that teams finish. In the third edition of this series, we are going to take a look at a team that I think has the most question marks going into this summer, the Brampton Honey Badgers. This is a team that is missing a good chunk of their roster from last season (many of their main contributors) and are looking for answers. This team's success may hinge on some mid-summer additions or some of their younger roster players to take a leap. Legend -Sorted by “Guards” and “Forwards” -Canadians will be identified by “(C)” -American imports will be identified by “(A)” -If applicable, International imports will be identified by “(I)” -U Sports draftees will be identified by “(U)” -If applicable, Development players will be identified by “(D)” Guards LJ Thorpe (A) Javonte Cooke (A) Kevin Kangu (C) Jevon Brown (C) Callum Baker (U) Cole Syllas (U) David Walker (U) Forwards Prince Oduro (C) Zane Waterman (A) Shamiel Stevenson (C) Yaw Obeng-Mensah (C) Ayub Nurhussien (D) Petros Melissaratos (I) Lincoln Rosebush (C) Akeem Clarke (C) Who Will Step Up? While the CEBL is known for it's roster turnover, for the most part many of the main stars return for teams year after year. For this Honey Badgers squad they are missing a couple of important players from their runs the last couple seasons: Christian Vital, Jeremiah Tilmon, Kobe McEwan, and Cody John. With only three returning players from last summer, new head coach Sheldon Cassimy will have his hands full with trying to work with a squad that is young, and less pro experience. Look to Cooke or Thorpe to take that burden for this squad. Player To Watch: U Sports Draft Picks For such a young roster, you wonder what hinges on Brampton's success in 2024. To me, it will be on each of the three picks from this years U Sports draft. All three of them have previous experience in the league and have even contributed significantly for those teams, specifically Walker last season with the Shooting Stars. Baker, Syllas, and Walker all may have important roles in the Honey Badgers rotation just based on where the roster makeup is at. All three are also coming off of fantastic season collegiately and will look to continue that momentum here. Brampton has the best draft class of any of the teams and we will see if they can produce. Not Enough Juice This Honey Badgers team has so many question marks, with not as many key returnees, their younger less experienced roster and another new coach. It's hard for me to see this team find a spot in the playoffs this summer with the level of talent this roster has. They might surprise me if someone other than Cooke or Thorpe breakout, or as I predict a lesser Eastern Conference spot could fall into their lap. While the conference is much lesser than previous years, it is still hard to advocate for this team to be higher up in the standings.