Matthew Winick

The Fraser Valley Bandits (4-2) were fortunate to start their 2021 CEBL season with a four-game homestand. With most of the roster turned over from last year’s championship run, and coach Kyle Julius watching from Taiwan, expectations were tempered for the squad. However, a 4-0 start to the season propped the Bandits right back up to the top.

Then, the team headed out on the road for the first time. A blowout loss at the hands of the Niaga r a River Lions  a nd a tight defeat to the Ottawa BlackJacks have seen Fraser Valley fall to third in the league standings. A loss on Wednesday night at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. local time against the Guelph Nighthawks would give the team its first three-game losing streak since 2019.

The Nighthawks (1-4) are seemingly on a different trajectory. Guelph picked up its first win of the season last time out against Ottawa, after knocking on the door with three consecutive close losses to the Hamilton Honey Badgers. The Nighthawks are certainly not devoid of talent and will pose a major threat to Fraser Valley’s undefeated home start.

Consistent Cat

While Guelph’s record isn’t quite where head coach Charles Kissi would like it to be, there’s no telling what it would’ve been without the steady presence of Cat Barber. The Nighthawks have lacked roster continuity to start the year, with 13 players suiting up in multiple contests this season already. Barber is only one of four who have played in all five games.

Sure, the 24.6 points per game – second in the CEBL, jumps off the page, but it doesn’t tell the whole story of Barber’s value. He’s who the team entrusts with the ball in his hands late in games, blowing by the opposition and getting to the rim at ease, while also being able to draw in defenders and kick out to open shooters on the wing. 

With Ahmed Hill filling in the complimentary scorer role and newcomer Chad Brown becoming a double-double machine, the Nighthawks have the requisite talent around Barber to keep themselves competitive in any game. They know what they’ll be getting from Barber, and so long as the rest of the squad is able to support their speedy floor general, Guelph’s early-season struggles will look like a thing of the past.

A True Homecourt

As a team that thrives on energy and continuity, it’s no major surprise that Fraser Valley began to tail off from its hot start once the squad hit the road. The changes were most obvious on the offensive side of the ball, where the Bandits dropped from 93.5 points per game during their four-game winning streak, down to 83 points per game during their current two-game slide. 

Luckily for the Bandits, they’ll be getting a major boost on Wednesday against the Nighthawks, although it won’t be in the form of a new player. As part of British Columbia’s re-opening plan, fans will be allowed in the stands of the Abbotsford Centre for the first time this season. 

The fast-paced, aggressive style that Fraser Valley plays is nothing like what fans observed back when arenas were last filled in 2019. More importantly, the up-and-down style of play only intensifies with a crowd cheering the players on. If the Bandits’ players needed even more energy than what head coach David Singleton and the rest of the staff gives, the Fraser Valley faithful are sure to provide it.

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

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