Written by Zach Dadson

Canadian interest in basketball is at an all-time high with fans across the country tuning in to cheer on their favourite Canadian basketball team - and we are not just talking about the Toronto Raptors. We are also talking about the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL).

The CEBL tipped off their inaugural season on May 9, 2019 and haven’t looked back. With fan bases in Niagara, Guelph, Hamilton, Fraser Valley, Edmonton and Saskatchewan, fans across Canada have had a lot of basketball to cheer about this spring.

The league’s six team, 20 game schedule is a race to a four-team championship weekend kicking off on August 22 in Saskatoon and as the season’s quarter-point arrives, it’s a good opportunity to take stock of the action we’ve seen to date from all teams.

The Niagara River Lions boast a 6-2 record that includes a five-game winning streak and the team finds itself atop the CEBL standings.

While the season is still in the early stages, it’s hard to ignore the talent that Montreal native Guillaume Boucard brings to the court. His team-leading 17.4 points, and 8.65 rebounds per game are professional career bests and he has a knack of slipping behind defenders and getting to the rim with ease.

The three-point shooting of Ryan Anderson (3.4 3PT per game) and Nemanja Mitrovic (3.12 3PT per game) have surely lit up the highlight reels of the league’s leading offense. More interestingly, it is the defence that is doing wonders for the team. Being anchored by the likes of Sam Muldrow (1.25 blocks per game), Guillaume Boucard and Yohanny Dalembert, the team has only allowed opponents to score 100+ points twice.

As the season develops, expect the River Lions to continue to use quickness to their advantage as point guards and Toronto natives Trae Bell-Haynes (13.5ppg) and Alex Johnson have consistently demonstrated that their first step is faster than that of their opponents. Amidst all
this, Dorian Tinson also registered his first-ever triple double (15 pts, 13 Rebs, 10 assists) against the Saskatchewan Rattlers.

Niagara’s first loss of the season came in game two, the second night of a back to back against the Edmonton Stingers (who they later defeated 108-66). Their second loss came on the back half of a home and home split against the Hamilton Honey Badgers on June 12.

After starting the season 1-2 with two losses to the Saskatchewan Rattlers, the Honey Badgers had rattled off three straight wins of their own before splitting a home and away series with the Niagara River Lions in June.

Hamilton’s offence has been predominantly led by Demetrius Denzel-Dyson (averages 20 points per game), Ricky Tarrant (19 points per game) and Whitby, ON native Justin Edwards (17ppg).

Ryan Ejim from Brampton, ON is anchoring the Honey Badgers presence inside the paint scoring 14.5ppg while collecting 9.6 rebounds and 1.14 blocks per game.

The Honey Badgers embark on a four-game road trip beginning June 14 that will set the stage for the remainder of their season. If they can keep themselves above 0.500 this will be a team to watch down the stretch.

The Rattlers started their season 3-2 with their losses coming to the Niagara River Lions. They have added two more wins since then and one loss against the Edmonton Stingers. While it’s still early, Saskatchewan looks like a top contender to win the first CEBL championship in August 2019.

Tay Dawson and Bruce Massey are both averaging 20 points per game and lead the team in scoring but the real magic recipe for the Rattlers’ early success is that they have five players averaging more than 10 points per game.

Their well-balanced offence is also matched by a rock-solid defense. Tay Dawson also leads Saskatchewan in rebounding with 7 per game and is joined by Marlon Johnson (6 rpg), Bruce Massey (5.8 rpg) and Brampton, ON native Alex Campbell (5.6 rpg) who all average more than five rebounds per game.

Scarborough native and former member of the Raptors 905, Negus Webster-Chan has also been an important part of the Rattlers’ early success contributing 14ppg, including sinking 2.7 three-pointers per game.

Saskatchewan’s next stretch of games includes two games against the Fraser Valley Bandits who are still looking for their first regular season win and the league leading Niagara River Lions. If the Rattlers can take one against Niagara, they may be able to make a case for the title of best team in the first half.

The Edmonton Stingers opened their season with a 118-105 OT win against the Niagara River Lions before dropping their next two games. They have gone 3-1 since then and find themselves currently lingering in fourth place in the CEBL, 1.5 games behind the league leading Niagara River Lions.

Xavier Moon has averaged 26 points per game, a career best for the 24-year-old former Morehead State Eagle. Moon’s offensive output is joined by fellow Alabama native Travis Daniels who is averaging 17 ppg.

Early league MVP front runner and hometown hero Jordan Baker is filling the stat sheet for the Stingers, leading the team in rebounding at 9.4 per game while chipping in 17 points, 4 assists and 2 steals per game.

Edmonton’s next five games include two matchups with the Hamilton Honey Badgers, a home matchup against the Niagara River Lions and trips to Fraser Valley and Guelph. With both Niagara and Hamilton sitting above them in the standings, the remaining games in the first half of the season provide Edmonton a great chance to make up some ground.

The Guelph Nighthawks have brought an incredible amount of excitement to the Sleeman Centre in downtown Guelph but are still working to find their footing and currently find themselves in 5 th place in the Canadian Elite Basketball League.

Their offense is led by Pickering, ON native Jamal Reynolds (16.8ppg) and former Raptors 905 PG Myck Kabongo from Toronto, ON who is averaging 16 points and 6.8 assists per game.

After starting the season 2-1 with both their wins coming against the Fraser Valley Bandits, Guelph has gone on a four-game losing streak. Their next test comes against the league’s number one team, the Niagara River Lions before facing the Fraser Valley Bandits twice more in a two-week period.

Guelph only allows an average of 99 points per game scored against them but with the Nighthawks averaging just 92 points scored per game it will be important for Zeke Marshall (averaging 7.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game) and his teammates to lock things down on the defensive end in order to remain competitive throughout the rest of the season.

The Nighthawks have developed a reputation across the CEBL for their gritty work ethic and second half comebacks. If Guelph can play with a high level of coordinated intensity throughout the remainder of the season, expect them to compete for a spot at championship weekend.

Close, but not quite over the hump. The Fraser Valley Bandits have lost four of their six games to start the season by less than 10 points each. They are knocking on the door and will look to make noise as their schedule progresses. Keep an eye on them to move up the CEBL standings.

The Bandits have a well balanced attack offensively that sees five players average more than 10 points per game and is led by Tyrell Tate who is currently averaging 17 points per game. Tate is joined by Rodney Pryor (16ppg), Diego Kapelan (13ppg), Levon Kendall and Jaylen Bland both chipping in 10.5 ppg.

Clint Robinson, playing in just his second pro season has anchored the Bandits’ defense. He leads the team with 12 rebounds and one block per game with Calgary native Dallin Bachynski contributing 6 rebounds and nearly one block per game of his own.

Although winless, the Bandits are close. With a concerted effort down the stretch, there is no reason to think that they will find themselves on the outside looking in on championship weekend in August.

At a time when Canadians are glued to their television sets cheering on basketball more than ever, the CEBL is well positioned to capture the hearts of basketball fans across the country. An exciting summer basketball league will not only provide opportunities for players (league rules
mandate that seven players on each roster are Canadian), but for fans in markets across the country as well.

At this point the Niagara River Lions, Hamilton Honey Badgers and Saskatchewan Rattlers look like the teams to beat but it’s early days in the inaugural season with lots of basketball yet to be played. Nothing is over until it’s over.

You can catch all the action live on CEBL.tv as well as all CBC Sports online platforms and the CBC Gem streaming service.

For tickets, head to cebl.ca/tickets.

Written by Zach Dadson