FRASER VALLEY BANDITS ANNOUNCE ASSISTANT COACHES FOR 2021 CEBL SEASON
Bandits Staff • May 28, 2021
ABBOTSFORD, B.C., May 28, 2021 – The Fraser Valley Bandits announced that Tanner Massey, Tony Scott and K.J. Smith will serve as the club’s assistant coaches for the upcoming Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season.
The collection of Massey, Scott and Smith will join interim head coach David Singleton, who recently won coach of the year after leading Bima Perkasa to the playoffs in the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL). Massey and Smith will serve as assistant coaches, while Scott will play a key role as a senior advisor to Singleton and general manager Kyle Julius. The three supporting coaches draw upon several decades of combined experience in the NBA G League, Japanese B.League, the Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB), as well as British Columbia and Manitoba’s high school and provincial ranks.
“I am extremely proud of our coaching staff. We have a very unique blend of young and hungry coaches who really care about player development and building winning habits. Tanner and K.J. are special. They've been coaching all over the world and winning in some really tough environments. I can't wait for them to get on the floor with coach Dave and all of our players,” Julius said.
“Coach Scott is a very important piece to our puzzle. He has the experience, basketball IQ and temperament to balance our young coaching staff and connect with our players in ways a young staff can't. All great coaching staffs have senior advisors like coach Scott to help pump the brakes and hit the gas when needed.”
A native of Conway, S.C. and a graduate of Coastal Carolina University, Massey has developed his craft in the NBA G League. Since 2014, Massey has served as an assistant coach with the Erie BayHawks, Capital City Go-Go, Northern Arizona Suns and Orlando Magic (NBA Summer League). In addition to the G League, Massey has honed his skills at the international and collegiate levels, spending time as an assistant coach with the Hiroshima Dragonflies in the B.League in 2017, as an assistant coach at Union College in 2013-14 and as a video coordinator for the University of South Carolina’s men’s basketball team in 2011-12.
“I'm thrilled to join the Fraser Valley staff for an exciting opportunity to continue building the Bandits culture. I'm grateful for the chance to join a collection of likeminded coaches who are committed to the growth of each player and to building a connection with the Fraser Valley community,” Massey said.
Further adding to Singleton and Julius’ staff is Smith, who was an advance scout with the Bandits during the 2020 season and specialized in preparing and coordinating video reports on opposing teams and players. Smith will work alongside Massey as an assistant coach and brings a coaching pedigree from the Brazilian NBB, a top South American league known for its physicality and high level of domestic talent. Smith has been an assistant coach with Basquete Unifacisa since January 2019. Smith and the club graduated to the NBB after winning a 2nd division (Liga Ouro) championship.
“I’m incredibly excited to run it back with the great people involved with the Fraser Valley Bandits organization. I’m looking forward to bringing my international experience and to do our best to build on last year’s season. Our amazing fans can expect a brand of basketball that is unselfish and resilient,” Smith said.
A key influencer in British Columbia’s basketball community, particularly in the Tri-Cities region where he serves as a coach with TC North Basketball Academy, Scott brings nearly 40 years of coaching experience to the Bandits. Scott has impacted the growth of the game in both Manitoba and B.C. thanks to previous stints as a coach for both province’s respective provincial teams, in addition to leading as a former coach at the University of Manitoba and Douglas College. Scott’s decorated coaching resume is supplemented by his U SPORTS playing career, which saw him suit up for the men’s basketball programs at Lakehead University and the University of Winnipeg. Scott won BC School Sports coach of the year in 2014 as head coach of Gleneagle Secondary’s senior boys team.
“I’m looking forward to the challenges that this season has to offer us, as we continue to build upon the strong performances of last year’s Bandits,” Scott said.
The Bandits open the 2021 season on the road at Edmonton on Thursday, June 24. The Bandits welcome Saskatchewan for Fraser Valley’s home opener on Saturday, June 26. All regular season games will be live streamed on the free CBC Gem streaming service, cbcsports.ca, the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices and on a new OTT streaming platform that the CEBL will unveil this spring.
A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 80 percent of its 2020 rosters being Canadians. Players come from the NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian national team program, and top NCAA and U SPORTS programs. More information about the Bandits is available at thebandits.ca.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Andrew Savory, Director of Operations, (604) 217-6213, asavory@thebandits.ca
About the Fraser Valley Bandits:
The Fraser Valley Bandits are British Columbia’s professional basketball team. As the westernmost club in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the club is proud to call Abbotsford Centre home. The Bandits offer a riveting entertainment experience that combines a fast-paced game day atmosphere with a presentation of some of Canada’s top professional athletes within a world-class venue. PerfectLens, a Vancouver-based contact lens supplier, is the official presenting partner of the Bandits’ 2021 season. Head to thebandits.ca for more information.
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