Matthew Winick

Fans should get used to hearing that the Fraser Valley Bandits (5-3) and Edmonton Stingers (8-1) are set to face off. That’s because Sunday afternoon’s ga me at 4:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. local time in Abbotsford, BC will be the first of four matchups in quick succession for these two squads.

The four games will take place within the next 12 days, with the first two coming at the Abbotsford Centre and the next two being played at the Expo Centre in Edmonton. While the Stingers will have one game in-between against Saskatchewan, the Bandits will only play the Stingers over that stretch.

This means is both upper-tier CEBL teams will be getting to know each other extremely well over the next week or so. With Sunday being the first matchup featuring these two squads this season, look for whichever group strikes first to carry the momentum over for the rest of the series.

Back in Action

While Friday’s loss to the Hamilton Honey Badgers was a bummer for Fraser Valley, it did bring a local legend back into the fold. 37-year-old Vancouver native Levon Kendall made his season debut, marking his first professional basketball action since playing with the Bandits in 2019.

The former Team Canada stalwart played just over five minutes in his return and while he only had one point and two rebounds, he provided Fraser Valley with experience and spot minutes in the big man rotation.

With the Stingers’ jumbo frontline due up, Kendall’s size and rebounding could serve useful for an otherwise shorter roster outside of 7-footer Brandon Gilbeck.

Offensive Fireworks

Thanks to an aggressive play style and high-level scorers, Edmonton and Fraser Valley rank first and second respectively in points at over 90 per game and are both significantly ahead of Hamilton in third place. 

Add in the fact that they also rank first and second in field goal percentage, and you’ve got two high-octane and efficient offenses doing battle on Sunday afternoon.       

A key matchup to watch on the offensive end will be Edmonton’s three-headed monster in the frontcourt with Jordan Baker, Marlon Johnson and Brady Skeens squaring off against Gilbeck, the CEBL’s leading shot blocker. All of Baker, Johnson, and Skeens look to score in the paint, but Gilbeck can provide significant resistance with his rim protection, potentially leading to lower point totals.

Moon vs. Everybody

Another fascinating battle to keep an eye on will be Player of the Year candidate Xavier Moon against the plethora of high-level defenders Fraser Valley can throw at him. 

The Bandits will likely begin with import guard Kenny Manigault, the league’s runner-up in steals per game, but can also switch it up with athletic guards such as Jamal Reynolds, Alex Campbell and Malcolm Duvivier taking turns trying to stop Moon. Considering the Bandits love to pressure ball-handlers the entire length of the court, each trip up the floor will be a challenge for him.

On top of that, Gilbeck’s presence at the rim will cause an additional obstacle. Moon’s quickness allows him to blow by defenders with ease and finish near the rim, but having the league’s best shot blocker standing right near the basketball awaiting Moon’s arrival may prevent Edmonton’s star from being efficient at the basket.

All told, the only MVP the CEBL has ever known is no stranger to extra attention being paid to him on the court by the opposition. Still, if there is anybody built to slow down Xavier Moon, it might be head coach David Singleton and the Fraser Valley Bandits.

All CEBL games will be available for live streaming on the CEBL’s new OTT streaming service  CEBL+,   cbcsports.ca , the free  CBC Gem  streaming service, the CBC Sports App for iOS and android devices, and on Twitch.

A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has t he highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 75 percent of its current rosters being Canadians. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. The only First Division Professional League Partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL season typically runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube