Matthew Winick
It doesn’t take a long look through the CEBL’s leaderboards to know who the league’s best player has been almost two weeks into the season. Xavier Moon, two-time league MVP and star for the Edmonton Stingers (2-0) has already made his case to win it a third time in a row.
Moon leads the CEBL in points per game and assists per game, while being tied for first in 3-point percentage and fourth in field goal percentage. With his combination of volume and efficiency, Moon’s game is clicking on all cylinders right now.
With all this being said, the sample size is small. The Stingers have only played two games so far this season, and although Moon’s numbers have been historic, the verdict is still out on whether he can put up this production over the course of a whole season. His next test comes Monday night at 9:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. local time against the Ottawa BlackJacks (1-3).
Man in the Middle
After impressing in the BlackJacks’ short training camp, import big man Nick Ward was slated to play a major role for his team this season. Four games in, he has done just that.
The former Michigan State Spartan is currently averaging a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds per game on an efficient 54.5% field goal percentage. Ward excels at using his frame near the basket, maneuvering his way around the rim to finish through defenders. He also uses his physicality to draw contact, finding himself at the free throw line frequently.
It is that segment of his game that could help Ward make an even larger impact on his team. Ward is shooting only 56.5% from the free-throw line on 46 attempts. Considering he shot over 60% in each of his three seasons at Michigan State, a bump in percentage is certainly within reach.
Supporting Casts
Lost in the heroics of Moon’s CEBL-record 38-point performance against the Niagara River Lions last week is the fact that the rest of the Stingers only scored 44 points combined on 32% shooting.
By the same token, Ward and Canadian of the Year frontrunner Kadre Gray combined for 38 points in the BlackJacks’ loss to the Fraser Valley Bandits on Saturday, while the rest of the squad only mustered 39 total.
It’s safe to say that for either team to pull away from the other in Monday’s contest, their supporting cast will have to step up. For Edmonton, who typically plays a shorter rotation, it will be depending on players like Jordan Baker and Marlon Johnson, two starters who played a major role in their season-opening win but took a backseat to Moon in game two.
For Ottawa, a new-look team with many changing pieces, the answer may not be quite as obvious. Head coach Charles Dubé-Brais has been tinkering with both the starting lineup and the rotation looking to find the right combination. Finding the right group on Monday could go a long way to taking down the defending champion Stingers and the league’s hottest player in Moon.
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.