Matthew Winick
Before any other CEBL team started preparing for their 2021 season, the Fraser Valley Bandits made a group chat.
The members discussed where they were at the time, what basketball they had played recently, and the things each one of them were doing to prepare for the new season. They would even exchange videos of guys individually running hills back and forth to each other.
“We just wanted to figure out a way to bring these guys closer,” said Band its’ head coach David Singleton, “It kind of even puts pressure on guys to say, ‘Hey man, I’ve got to do my part, I’ve got to step up to the table and shows these guys what I’m about.”
Group chat aside, Fraser Valley is unlike any other team in the CEBL. The squad from Abbotsford, British Columbia doesn’t have a big-name star, uses a tight rotation, and plays more aggressively on both ends of the floor than their opposition. The strong sense of community in Abbotsford drives the Bandits, and their loyal fans are fully behind them.
The Bandits came into last season with low expectations but shocked the CEBL with a run all the way to the league’s title game. However, Fraser Valley was unable to bring back head coach Kyle Julius, the heart and soul of the playoff run behind his intensity and tough-minded mentality. Between that and an almost entirely new roster, experts were once again doubting the Bandits.
They were wrong again. Led by Singleton, an assistant on Julius’ coaching staff the year prior, Fraser Valley jumped out to a 4-0 start to the 2021 season.
Perhaps in part due to the group chat getting the team acclimated, teamwork and chemistry were apparent for the Bandits from the jump. Fraser Valley had at least four different players score in double figures in each of its first four games, led by Canadian guard Alex Campbell dropping 18 points a night despite coming off the bench.
“There was an energy and excitement that we all had” said Campbell, “A lot of guys had been off (basketball) for a year, so there was an eagerness and a hungriness to get back out there and play.”
“We were flowing. We were defending the way we envisioned, being able to switch and guard multiple positions,” said Singleton, “At the same time we were able to get out and run and I feel like that was something we were able to lay our hat on.”
The early four-game stretch were all games played at home, and even though fans were not yet allowed in the Abbotsford Centre, the buzz was palpable from the Fraser Valley faithful. All was well until the Bandits headed on the road.
Fraser Valley went 0-2 on its first road trip of the season, and still hasn’t regained its form. After losing six of its last seven to bring the Bandits to 5-6, the undefeated start to the year is a distant memory.
Inconsistency has been the name of the game for Fraser Valley during its losing streak. The Bandits have moments where they look like the team that started the season on fire, and other ones where they look like an entirely different group. Perhaps no game sums this up better than a 41-point loss to the Edmonton Stingers on August 4 th , where Fraser Valley took a 28-14 lead after the first quarter, only to immediately allow a 25-0 run to completely swing the game.
Ask any Bandit player, and they’ll tell you the inconsistent effort isn’t here to stay.
Veteran leader Kenny Manigault was brought onto the team this season in large part due to his defensive aggression and hustle, something he’s showcased with his new club. Despite his team’s recent struggles, he still believes the rest of roster looks to play the same way.
“Our brand of basketball is playing with grit, starting everything off on the defensive end and letting our offense flow from our defense,” said Manigault, “We all play with a chip on our shoulders.”
One can’t talk about defense without bringing up 7-footer Brandon Gilbeck. The import big man has been a revelation for Fraser Valley this season, leading the CEBL in blocked shots by a wide margin, averaging 3.2 per game. Despite being the most feared defender in the league, Gilbeck views his role on the team in a different light.
“I do the little things, hustling for the ball, getting my teammates open, trying to set good screens, and rebounding,” said Gilbeck, “And of course playing defense, part of our success was our defensive presence.”
Gilbeck’s comments aren’t surprising. You won’t hear much boasting from any of the Bandits, in large part due to how the roster was constructed.
Fraser Valley didn’t make any splashy free agent signings this year. There was no big-name American on-ball guard like Hamilton’s Trevon Duval or Guelph’s Cat Barber. They didn’t pick up some of Canada’s most well-known hoopers like Niagara’s Phil and Tommy Scrubb or Guelph’s Justin Jackson. Instead, the Bandits went with a core group of guys that shared the same values on the court and would play together as a group.
A quick look at Fraser Valley’s season statistics would confirm this. Campbell leads the team in scoring, but only averages 15.6 points per game, less than any other CEBL team’s leading scorer. The Bandits also have seven players averaging over eight points per game, the most of any team in the league (minimum of six games played).
“That’s kind of been our approach from the jump. We knew that we could get scoring from anywhere,” said Singleton, “All of these guys have the ability to lead us in scoring.”
“I think it’s going to pay dividends in the end. Right now, teams don’t have one specific guy to scout for,” said Campbell, “When we’re playing well on defense, it leads to offense, which leads to everyone sharing the wealth. That’s our identity.”
So, how could a team with tremendous preparation, a strong defensive identity and a balanced scoring attack that started the season so well lose six of seven games? A large part has been Fraser Valley’s grueling schedule.
Of the Bandits’ six losses, five of them have come to the only three teams ahead of them in the league standings. They hung tight in a heartbreaking defeat to the Hamilton Honey Badgers and kept within striking distance of the defending champion Stingers until their most recent blowout loss.
Still, the Fraser Valley players and coaching staff won’t use the schedule as an excuse. They know they can and will be better moving forward.
“A loss is a loss; we hold ourselves to that standard. In each one of those games, we shot ourselves in the foot and gave the game away,” said Campbell, “I think the losses are on us, and I’m not the only one who would say that on this roster.”
Regardless, Fraser Valley is looking to put its recent tough stretch in the rear-view mirror, with important playoff seeding up for grabs.
Currently sitting fourth in the league standings, the Bandits are looking to hold on to that spot. With one more win or an Ottawa BlackJacks loss, the team will secure fourth place, which means more than meets the eye. That’s because the three and four seeds in the final standings host quarterfinal games, while the five and six seeds must go on the road.
It's no secret that Fraser Valley is a better home team, their 5-2 home record versus 0-4 on the road speaks for itself. Being able to host a large crowd at the Abbotsford Centre one last time is the team’s main motivation as the regular season comes to a close.
“It would be incredible. And I think it’s been a major discussion around the team, how important these next few games really are,” said Gilbeck, “Yes, we’re in the playoffs but it’s so important to get that home game.”
With the unwavering support of fans rocking Abbotsford Centre in a quarterfinal matchup, and a newly focused, battle-tested and hungry group of players on the court, Fraser Valley’s mid-season struggles could turn into old news with another deep playoff run.
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