BANDITS OPEN TRAINING CAMP, PREPARE FOR '22 SEASON
In Ty Rowell’s final high school basketball game, the graduating senior helped the Walnut Grove Gators capture the BC 4A Boys Basketball Tournament.
That game was played at Langley Events Centre five years ago and Rowell is back and ready to hit that same LEC court, this time as a professional as he debuts for the Fraser Valley Bandits in the 2022 Canadian Elite Basketball League season.
“There is obviously pressure, but it’s fun. I love playing basketball and it’s my hometown … there is nothing better than that,” Rowell said on Friday, during the Bandits’ media day ahead of their CEBL season opener on May 25 in Ottawa against the BlackJacks.
It is part of a three-game easter road trip for Fraser Valley before they make their Langley Events Centre home debut on June 4 (2:00pm) against the Saskatchewan Rattlers.
Rowell – who went south after high school and starred at California Baptist University, earning Western Athletic Conference (WAC) all-star honours – is one of four local players on the Bandits roster, alongside Delta’s Sukhjot Bains and Adam Paige and Sukhman Sandhu, who are both out of Surrey.
Providing a place to play for local talent is one of the fundamental goals of the CEBL.
“I think it is extremely important; that is one of the reasons why I came back to help out because basketball has done so much for me, and this community has done so much for me to get to the level I have gotten to,” said Rob Sacre, who serves as a senior advisor to Bandits president Dylan Kular.
Sacre starred for North Vancouver’s Handsworth Royals before playing collegiately at Gonzaga and was then drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers, playing four seasons with the NBA team.
“It is important for our young guys to see they are role models on the court. That is the most important thing. I remember growing up watching the Grizzlies and that motivate me. If we can establish that here in the Lower Mainland and they can local talent, they can feel that energy,” he said.
While three of the four Lower Mainland players are new to the league (Paige was re-signed as a U Sports Development athlete) the Bandits roster does feature a handful of players with CEBL experience under their belts in Murphy Burnatowski, Alex Campbell, Malcolm Duvivier, Kadre Gray and Chris McLaughlin.
Campbell and Duvivier were part of the Bandits last season while McLaughlin played for the club in 2019. Burnatowski also has CEBL experience, playing for Hamilton in 2019.
Campbell was Fraser Valley’s MVP in 2021 as the guard averaged 14.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 45.9 and 41.9 per cent from field goal and three-point range, respectively, while Duvivier averaged 10.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.2. assists.
They will be joined in the backcourt by two-time former U Sports MVP Kadre Gray. Gray played last season for Ottawa and had 14 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the BlackJacks in his first professional season. Gray has also been a member of the Canadian national team for the past five years and following his 2021 CEBL rookie season, he played with Coruna in Spain’s LEB Oro.
The rest of the roster features Edmonton’s Geoffrey James, Australia’s Kyle Adnam and Americans Maxie Esho, Shane Gibson and Usama Zaid, with all five being newcomers to the CEBL.
“Let’s give (General Manager) Kyle Julius a lot of credit – he has done a great job of building a core based on team and toughness. We have tried to establish that as valuable for us as well,” said head coach Mike Taylor. “(And) we have pieces that complement each other well.”
While Taylor is a rookie coach in the CEBL with the Bandits, he brings a wealth of experience, having been a head coach of Poland’s men’s national team and in the G League. He was with the Polish national team from 2014 to 2021, helping the country rise from 42nd in the world to 13th.
“I think when you watch some of the teams I have coached … you see a real team-oriented system, you see hopefully great ball movement, great pace, a commitment to defend. I hope when people come (our) way, they say those guys are fun to watch,” he said.
The Bandits assembled for their first day on May 16 and have hit the ground running with two-a-day practices.
“We have worked really hard, we have made a lot of progress, but there is still a lot of work to do,” Taylor said. “I really love the attitude, the effort, the work ethic and I hope we can create a good foundation for the CEBL season up ahead.”
“They look like they want to be here and that is the key, you don’t want guys moping or being disappointed that they have to go practice; this is why we are here, we want to be here. I am super excited to see the energy that comes into the gym. I think it is going to be a positive season,” added Sacre.
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