They say one of the hardest moves in basketball is just one seat over.
For Stingers head coach and general manager Jermaine Small, the promotion to top spot on June 19 signalled a turning point in his team’s season. Small replaced Edmonton’s original bench boss, Barnaby Craddock, after a 4-4 start. Small’s Stingers played the final dozen games owning a 10-2 record, which included a league-best nine-game winning streak. Edmonton finished just one game behind Niagara for first place in the CEBL standings.
It’s amazing to think that a team could win 14 contests in a 20-game season that included losses in which they scored 62, 66, and 73 points. After dropping their third game of the campaign by a CEBL- worst 42 points in a 108-62 loss to the River Lions on May 16, few people placed the Stingers into the postseason. Yet this team found ways to gain unprecedented momentum.
The nine-game winning streak, which started when Small took over, was arguably the top story of the first CEBL season. It was a magical run that saw Edmonton defeat Fraser Valley, Hamilton and Niagara twice, and the Guelph Nighthawks three times. The Stingers averaged a whopping 104.1 points during this time span, winning games by an average of nine points.
Even without CEBL Player of the Year nominee, Xavier Moon, Edmonton found ways to win. The team captured five of its seven games played without its star guard, who missed more than a month of competition. Moon finished the season averaging 19.9 points, second among all players.
Local talent made a huge difference for the Stingers, more so than any other team in the league.
Jordan Baker, the hometown forward averaged 13.9 points, a league-leading 9.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 16 games this season, including a team-high six double-doubles. He led a team that ranked best-in-class on the boards (45.9 rpg). Baker was also the steady anchor of an offense that improved by more than 13 points under new management. As a result of his efforts and results, Baker was nominated for Canadian of the Year.
University of Alberta alumni Mamadou Gueye was a key contributor to the Stingers offence, netting 20 or more points three times – all at Expo Centre in Edmonton, where he played his college ball.
While Moon and Baker received much of the headlines throughout the Stingers season, American forward Travis Daniels quietly assembled an amazing campaign. He finished second behind Moon in scoring, averaging 17.7 points, and second behind Baker with 7.8 rebounds per contest – ranking fourth in the league.
Half of Edmonton’s six losses this season came at the hands of the Saskatchewan Rattlers. It is the same opponent that ended the Stingers’ streak of consecutive victories at nine on August 8, and the same squad Edmonton will face in the CEBL Championship Weekend semifinal.
The Stingers made constant, strategic changes throughout their winning 2019 season. Some modifications were major, but the single most significant adjustment, may very well be Small.