Around the World: David Singleton and K.J. Smith bring international touch to Bandits coaching staff
By Contributing Bandits Writer: Grant Vassos • August 5, 2020
David Singleton never imagined it would happen this way. He was working as the assistant boys varsity basketball coach at his high school alma mater, Salesian College Preparatory, in Richmond, Calif., after helping his team to the 2014 CIF Northern California Division IV finals. That's when he received a phone call from Tim Fanning, the newest head coach of the Nelson Giants, a men’s professional basketball team in New Zealand's National Basketball League (NBL).
Fanning, a family friend and mentor to Singleton, asked the Oakland, Calif., native if he wanted to join him as an assistant coach for the upcoming 2015-16 season. He gladly accepted the offer. At 26-years-old, it became Singleton's first real breakthrough in a coaching journey that has since taken him internationally, and most recently, to the Fraser Valley Bandits of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL).
"Basketball wasn't truly on my radar," said Singleton, who played NCAA Division II football at Tiffin University in Ohio. “It wasn't that I ever gave it up. I always missed the game, and I always thought maybe what could have been if I kept playing and things of that nature. But I always had a calling towards it."
Following a one-year stint with the Giants, Singleton went on to coach professionally in Vietnam for four seasons in the Vietnam Basketball League (VBL) and the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) before coaching in Indonesia. Along with learning under former British national men's basketball head coach Tony Garbaletto, Singleton's time overseas as the lead assistant to then Saigon Heat head coach, and now Bandits bench boss, Kyle Julius was enlightening for the young coach.
Singleton says today's game is moving towards a more European, high scoring style. Out is the old-school era of mid-range jumpers, getting into the post, and relying on point guards to run plays through.
Now, the focus has turned to pace and space, spreading out the floor to create mismatches, fast transitions, high shooting efficiency, and strong defense – which Singleton prides himself on having.
"The last two years I was in Vietnam, we were number one in defense in the league. And so that's another part of it. If you're able to get up and down and shoot the ball and play fast, it's a great thing. But at the same time, you also got to defend, and you got to defend to win." Singleton said.
K.J. Smith, an advanced scout for the Bandits, grew up in a basketball-minded family with close generational ties like Singleton. As the eighth coach of a family lineage extending from the high school level to the WNBA, the San Ramon, Calif., native grew up listening to strategies and philosophies of his older family members.
It was about the individual player: a pattern of figuring out their tendencies on the court, which direction they prefer to go in specific situations, and even their particular go-to move.
"There's certain things that all teams have consistent within their philosophy, it's kind of like a fingerprint, and certain aspects of that fingerprint can't change no matter how much you try to coach it away," Smith said.
Always the observer, Smith continues to learn from watching his younger brother and cousins, three of which currently play Division I basketball. It was his grandfather, however, who helped shape Smith's perspective when he was in high school. The former Milwaukee Buck taught Smith the value of the mindset and character needed to drive the talent on his team.
"He was always a big proponent of if you have this really, really fast, high-speed car and it's not the right engine or not the right fuel; it doesn't really matter how good the car is," Smith said.
The 2018-19 season was Smith's first year as an assistant coach for Brazilian basketball club Basquete Unifacisa of Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB), helping the team win its first Liga Ouro (second division) championship. He learned how to be open-minded to every possibility and how to communicate with players when he had no prior knowledge of speaking Portuguese. Singleton faced similar barriers coaching in Asia where he had to be aware of how people operated in a different culture, and which players could handle more criticism from coaches.
For the last three months, Smith has been in Brazil communicating with Singleton and the Bandits in preparation for the CEBL Summer Series and has continued to scout and analyze opposing teams throughout the Summer Series. Although there's no substitute for being in the gym where he can feel his players' presence and body language, according to Smith, his advantage comes from being able to watch games more closely from the outside.
Prior to the start of the CEBL Summer Series, Singleton and Smith spent the past month watching how teams in The Basketball Tournament (TBT) adjusted to the new Elam Ending rule. And have had "at least five to six different calls about it" with the rest of the Bandits coaching staff about strategy and recreating game situations in practice.
The rule is a new addition to the CEBL, where the winning team adds nine points to their score during the first stoppage of play in the final four minutes of the game. To emerge victorious, it is a battle of whichever team reaches the target score.
In 2018, Smith posted an article via Medium outlining the importance of practicing daily late-game scenarios – such as being down six points with one timeout and three minutes remaining – and conditioning players to execute clutch basketball while under pressure.
"You're entering a situation where it's almost a new game after that four-minute mark," Smith said. "So really being able to prepare and learn from the mistakes of others and their situations is invaluable."
In a shortened season where every game ends on a shot, scouting and coaching are vital. The pay-off from Smith and Singleton's expertise, and how it applies to coach Julius' system in a Canadian basketball environment may significantly determine who walks away with the Championship come Aug. 9.
LATEST NEWS
The Vancouver Bandits announced Wednesday that the club has partnered with the Vancouver Park Board, Bandits Community Foundation and Little Legends Foundation to support the refurbishment of an outdoor basketball court at Grays Park in South Vancouver. The refreshed court will be unveiled this fall as part of an official launch event in collaboration between the Vancouver Bandits, Vancouver Park Board, Bandits Community Foundation and Little Legends Foundation. The court refurbishment project is part of the Bandits Community Foundation’s Court Projects program that enhances outdoor basketball courts across British Columbia, including most recently a court refurbishment in partnership with City of Pitt Meadows in September of 2024. “Building a world class basketball court in this community has been a long time dream. Thanks to our partners at the Vancouver Bandits, Bandits Community Foundation and Vancouver Park Board for coming together to make this project happen - there are a number of incredible donors we are going to announce in the coming weeks,” said Little Legends Foundation founder Spensir Sangara. “Grays Park was the perfect place for Court Projects, the basketball culture here is strong and connected. The legacy goes beyond the refurbishment where, with Vancouver Bandits and Bandits Community Foundation, we are going to host free youth camps and The Legendary Tournament at Grays Park starting in 2026.” The partnership was sparked in 2023 when Sangara expressed interest in building a basketball court for the South Vancouver community. Around the same time, the Bandits Community Foundation had completed a similar project in Pitt Meadows with the City of Pitt Meadows, creating a natural alignment between the two organizations. “Basketball has the power to bring people together, and this project is about more than just a court - it is about creating a safe, vibrant space where young people and families can connect, play, and grow,” said Vancouver Bandits team president Dylan Kular. “We are proud to work through Court Projects with our partners in the Vancouver Park Board, Bandits Community Foundation, and Little Legends Foundation to invest in South Vancouver and to use sport as a tool for building resilience, unity, and positive change in the community.” The court refurbishment at Grays Park, located at 4850 St. Catherines Street in Vancouver, includes upgrades to the basketball hoops, playing area resurfacing and seating areas. Grays Park was identified as one of Vancouver’s most active outdoor basketball spaces, and community feedback strongly supported the refurbishment. "It has been amazing to see the local community come together with the Vancouver Bandits to upgrade this beloved neighbourhood court," says Vancouver Park Board Chair Laura Christensen. "Strategic partnerships like this allow us to deliver so much public benefit for our residents.
A message from Vancouver Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius on the 2025 season and thoughts on the CEBL Western Conference Semifinal.
The last of this year’s four CEBL conference finalists was locked in once the dust settled at the Langley Events Centre on Saturday. It was the Calgary Surge earning that slot after 105-103 win over the Vancouver Bandits in the West Semifinal. Import Jameer Nelson Jr.’s 14-of-23 showing from the field and Evan Gilyard II, who finished with 29 points on a CEBL playoff record eight made triples, powered the Surge to the win. On the other side, Zach Copeland led Vancouver’s effort as he put up 30 points on 7-of-14 shooting from three and three steals. Meanwhile, captain Mitch Creek and Montreal native Tyrese Samuel chipped in 25 and 22 points, respectively. “We hunted them down, got to a position to win the game,” Creek said after the loss. “We did our job … I’m beyond proud of this organization. It’s been an incredible season, we had so much fun. But it’s so heartbreaking.” Calgary’s backcourt was humming early. First, a Miller-Moore baseline drive and dish to Gilyard II above the break for a triple, followed by a Gilyard II drive and wrap-around pass to a cutting Nelson Jr. for two more and then a Gilyard II transition make from distance for good measure. But just as it seemed Calgary was well on its way to figuring out Vancouver’s defensive strategy as the Surge held an early lead, the tides quickly changed on one play. The Bandits ran a fastbreak midway through the opening frame that not only ended with Creek finding Samuel on a dump-off pass for an easy slam, but also saw Nelson Jr. tweak something in his lower body. The Defensive Player of the Year finalist hobbled to the Surge sideline and eventually the locker room. When the Defensive Player of the Year finalist did return to the floor, what was once an 18-18 ball game had turned into a 26-18 Bandits lead. Vancouver’s charge went down as a 13-0 run as it ultimately carved out a 27-23 advantage after the first, led by Samuel’s eight points. A short-lived lead, however, as Calgary flipped the script on what was once a nine-point first-half deficit into a 61-51 lead at the break. The Surge outscored the Bandits 35-22 in the second, including a 17-2 run powered primarily by none other than the dynamic duo of Nelson Jr. and Gilyard II, who scored seven and 12 points in the frame, respectively. Also underscoring Calgary’s halftime lead was an uncharacteristically sloppy showing from Vancouver. The Bandits entered the matchup averaging the third fewest turnovers per game (13.7), but gave the ball away 11 times in the first half. Mistakes the Surge happily capitalized on with a barrage of transition triples — on 11-of-20 (55 per cent) — for a 21-1 edge for points from turnovers. And although the Bandits' struggles handling the ball continued — 10 second-half turnovers — they were able to cool down the Surge coming out of the break. Vancouver outscored Calgary 23-17 in the third, cutting what was a deficit as large as 14 down to 78-74 headed into the fourth. “We were sluggish walking around in the first half, but we came in the huddle at halftime and says ‘we got this,’” Creek said of the Bandits' second-half effort. “We changed gears, we switched mentalities and (the Langley Events Centre) woke up because we woke up.” The Bandits' momentum only continued from there as they used an 8-2 run early in the fourth to propel them to a 96-95 lead at the start of Target Score Time. Lost in the one-point advantage was a choice from Vancouver not to foul when they led by four a few possessions earlier, a decision Gilyard II made sure to make the most of as he hit a triple before the clocks stopped. After three consecutive foul calls which sent Vancouver to the line, which were overturned by independent official review, a back-and-forth Target Score Time came down to one final play that put the ball in Gilyard II’s hands. The import was fouled by Kyle Mangas while attempting a triple, sending him to the line for the win. After an official review — all foul calls that result in potential game-winning free throws are automatically reviewed — the on-court decision was confirmed and Gilyard II nailed all his attempts at the charity stripe, booking the Surge’s spot in the Western Conference Final. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2700450
Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Calgary Surge on August 16th, 2025.
LATEST VIDEO
A message from Vancouver Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius on the 2025 season and thoughts on the CEBL Western Conference Semifinal.
Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Calgary Surge on August 16th, 2025.
Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Winnipeg Sea Bears on August 3rd, 2025.
Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Calgary Surge on July 25, 2025.