Friday May 27 provides an opportunity for two undefeated teams in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) – the Hamilton Honey Badgers and Fraser Valley Bandits – to continue their undefeated season.
The Bandits travel to Hamilton to take on the Honey Badgers at 7 pm ET. Both teams won their first games of the season on May 25. Hamilton led the newcomers Montréal Alliance for most of the game before pulling away for the 80-72 win in the Elam Ending. Fraser Valley mounted a comeback on the road against the Ottawa BlackJacks after trailing for most of the game. They pulled out a tight 90-87 win.
Two players to watch out for also happened to score the winning baskets on Wednesday. Burlington native Caleb Agada scored a game-high 17 points in a variety of ways – inside, from deep, attacking the paint and getting to the foul line. He finished off the win over the Alliance with a free throw.
After the game, Hamilton head coach Ryan Schmidt also lauded his leadership, which will be something to watch for against Fraser Valley. The former University of Ottawa guard carries with him previous CEBL experience as well as experience with Melbourne United in Australia and Olympic experience with the Nigerian national team.
The Bandits were led by a former U SPORTS guard as well in former Windsor Lancer Alex Campbell. Like Agada, Campbell led the way for his team offensively with a team-high 23 points and nine rebounds in addition to two steals and one block. Campbell was accurate from beyond the arc, shooting four for seven. His last three turned out to be the game-winner.
Heading into Friday’s game, look for Agada and Campbell to continue to be the focal points for their teams’ attack.
Another thing both teams have in common is strong three-point shooting in their first game. Hamilton shot 11 for 26 (42.3 per cent) while Fraser Valley shot 11 for 27 (40.7 per cent). Both sides have numerous players who can light it up from deep – aside from Agada and Campbell.
Former Honey Badger Murphy Burnatowski shot five for eight from deep against Ottawa in addition to being a presence in the paint as well on both ends of the floor. He played with current Fraser Valley teammates Campbell and Malcolm Duvivier (who didn’t play in the season opener) on the Edmonton Stingers in the Basketball Champions League Americas (BCLA) tournament this past season.
First-year Honey Badger guard Christian Vital showed his prowess from three as well, hitting five of nine three-pointers attempted. Several of those came late in the game as well, proving crucial to helping his team secure the victory. The guard brings G League experience with him, having played for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in 2021-22.
While Campbell and Agada are the leading scorers so far, their supporting cast will also play a key role in deciding the outcome. The Bandits had former U SPORTS Player of the Year Kadre Gray (17 points) and Burnatowski (17 also scoring in double figures. Meanwhile, the Honey Badgers also showed off their balanced attack with Vital (15 points) and Jeremiah Tilmon Jr. (15) and Koby McEwen (12).
What’s notable is that many of the newcomers to the club and have made an immediate impact. Friday night also presents a chance for one newcomer, former Honey Badger forward Thomas Kennedy, to return to Hamilton. The Windsor Lancer forward averaged 5.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in 14 games with the Honey Badgers in 2021 and had four points and five rebounds in his Fraser Valley debut.
Regardless of the result, one team will leave the game on Friday with their undefeated streak still intact while the other team will have their first defeat of the season.
All games will be streamed live internationally on the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+ . and on the CEBL Mobile app for iOS and Android devices. Games will also be available to stream live in Canada via cbcsports.ca , the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices, and the free CBC Gem streaming service.
A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 71 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 runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow us (@cebleague) on Instagram , Twitter , TikTok , LinkedIn , Facebook & YouTube .