Saskatoon, Sask. - The Saskatchewan Rattlers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Friday that they have signed 2022 Rattlers Canadian Player of the Year in anticipation to their playoff push. The Baylor-alum won 2020 Big 12 Sixth Man of the year, since his NCAA exit, he has played NBA G League, Canada Basketball, and two seasons with the Saskatchewan Rattlers. Devontè Bandoo will replace Jalen Warren in the Canadian roster spot. Bandoo is coming off an injury, he will make his debut sometime during the last five games of the Rattlers season.
“We welcome Devontè’s return to our roster.” said Rattler General Manager Barry Rawlyk “His experience and ability to shoot the ball will be valuable assets for us.”
During the 2022 season, Bandoo played 21 games averaging 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 34.9 minutes. He led the league during the regular season in total three-pointers made (64) while shooting 43% from behind the arc. After the 2022 season with the Rattlers, Bandoo played during the FIBA Ameri Cup with Canada Basketball. He signed a contract with Leicester Riders in the BBL for the 2022-23 season, finishing the season early with a leg injury.
Bandoo started his professional career in 2021 with the Saskatchewan Rattlers. He played 14 games averaging 33.0 minutes per game. He led the offence with a team-high 17.4 points per game. In three other categories, he ranked second on the team with 2.9 assists per game, 5.6 rebounds per game, and 1.3 steals per game. He made 43 three-pointers and shot 42.4% from three-point range, which was third in all of the CEBL. During the CEBL offseason, Bandoo entered the NBA G League playing with the Lakeland Magic and Grand Rapids Gold for the rest of the 2021-22 season.
Prior to his professional career, Bandoo had a stellar collegiate career that culminated with him playing his final two years of eligibility at Baylor University. In his senior year with the Bears, Bandoo was named the Big 12 Conference Sixth Man of the Year averaging 7.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 25.8 minutes in 30 games coming off the bench. During the 2019-20 season, Bandoo helped the Bears achieve a school-record 23-game winning streak which earned Baylor a No. 1 ranking for five-straight weeks. In his final year with the Bears, Bandoo shot a team-leading 38.5 percent from 3-point range and averaged 7.6 points and 3.6 rebounds during a shortened season. Over the course of his two years with Baylor University, the Mississauga, ON-native averaged 8.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists. Prior to transferring to Baylor, Bandoo played two years for Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. The 6-foot-3 guard helped Hutchinson Community College claim the 2017 NJCAA Division 1 national championship where he scored a season-high and team-leading 22 points in the championship game against Eastern Florida State College.
“It’s great to have Devontè back in Saskatoon for a third season.” said Vice President Brad Kraft “He has a great offensive presence and will help us bring an additional option to our perimeter shooters.”
The Rattlers will play their next game on Saturday July 15th 2023 against the Edmonton Stingers at SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, SK.
The Saskatchewan Rattlers individual game tickets range from $20 in the Rattlers Fan Zone section to $90 for seating in the courtside row 2 (All courtside row 1 offers are sold out), three-games bundles start at $28/seat per game in the bronze section, and half season five-packs start at $35/seat per game in the silver section. All ticket can also be purchased through the
Rattlers Front Office (306) 244-2181,
Saskatchewan Rattlers website, or via
Ticketmaster. For more seating options, luxury suites, and group rates; fans can contact an
account executive
All games including playoffs will be live streamed on CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+ Powered by BetVictor, and on CEBL Mobile, the official app of the CEBL (available on Android and iOS devices). TSN will showcase live coverage of select CEBL games on TSN and
TSN+.
About the Saskatchewan Rattlers
The Saskatchewan Rattlers are Saskatchewan’s professional basketball team, one of the six original team’s in the CEBL – the Rattlers won the 2019 inaugural season championship. Playing out of SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – the Rattlers offer an entertainment-focused environment surrounded by some of the world’s top professional athletes. The Rattlers are a community-first organization and take pride in their ability to bring communities together while making sport more accessible to the province.
About the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL)
A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 71 percent of its 2022 roster being Canadian Players bringing experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. Nine players have moved from the CEBL into the NBA following a CEBL season, and 28 CEBL players have attended NBA G League training camps during October. The CEBL runs from May through August. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, & YouTube.