Defensive Intensity Takes Centre Stage as Fraser Valley, Hamilton Battle on National Television
August 1, 2020
Midway through the round robin portion of the CEBL Summer Series the consensus surprise team has been the Fraser Valley Bandits. Surprise to most, but not to Bandits head coach Kyle Julius nor anyone wearing their orange and blue uniform. Julius emphasized chemistry when building a roster of players familiar with his system, most who have played for him previously during their career. Tenacious, tough, fighters who want to fight are labels often ascribed to a Julius-coached team, and this year’s Bandits exemplify that. Only a hard-luck roll off the rim late in Thursday’s 78-76 loss to Ottawa has kept Fraser Valley from a perfect 3-0 record. The Bandits present a balanced offensive attack with five players averaging in double digit scoring. They hold a 25.7 to 16.3 advantage over their opponents in points off turnovers, and a 28.7 to 20.0 edge in fastbreak points—evidence that pressure and scoring in transition are the staples of this team.
When Julius talks about his team being overlooked because it lacks big name national team players or the NBA tag, he’s alluding to today’s opponent, the Hamilton Honey Badgers. The Honey Badgers, who lost National team and NBA G League performers Aaron Best, MiKyle McIntosh, and Justin Jackson the week before training camp for different reasons, must re-tool yet again as the spiritual leader of the team and its most productive player in the CEBL Summer Series, Duane Notice, tore his left Achilles at the end of Wednesday’s loss to Edmonton and underwent surgery yesterday. Notice had been named Hamilton’s Player of the Game in the victory over Guelph and his 23 points against the Stingers drew the same honours.
Much like their opponent today, the Honey Badgers are ignited by ball pressure and winning the transition battles. Hamilton’s struggle to make shots—the team is shooting only .415 from the floor and averaging 88.0 points a game—is overcome by holding opponents to a .409 accuracy mark and 85.3 points per outing. Hamilton is scoring an average of 20.3 points off of 20.3 opponents’ turnovers a game.
Today’s game is being televised nationally by CBC, and internationally on cbcsports.ca and on Twitch.tv (CEBLeague). It’s also available on the CBC Gem app.
Players to Watch
Fraser Valley’s Cameron Forte, a 6-foot-7 forward out of Portland State, has jumped to the top of the CEBL Summer Series MVP race as his scoring average of 24.3 points is nearly seven points higher than the second-best scorer in the league. Forte accounts for 26 percent of his team’s points and 20 percent of their rebounds. Doing most of his damage in the paint, Forte is also grabbing 8.7 rebounds per game. He burned Edmonton for 28 points in the Bandits opening game and tied the CEBL record with six steals against Saskatchewan on Tuesday.
Replacing Notice at guard on the Hamilton roster is third year pro Caleb Agada, who had signed with the team this spring before heading over to play in Israel. He returned to Canada in July after averaging 15.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.5 steals and 29.2 minutes in eight games with Hapoel Beer Sheva (Israel-Winner League). The Burlington native played two games with the Honey Badgers in 2019, recording 19 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists in 28 minutes in his debut appearance against Niagara. He left Hamilton to train with the Nigerian National team before signing with Melilla in Spain’s LEB-Gold league where he averaged 14.7 points in 23 games.
Brianté Weber led Hamilton in scoring in the team’s first two games and along with Alex Johnson will have to shoulder more of the team’s quarterbacking duties in the absence of Notice. Like Notice, Weber is a lockdown defender and gives the team a 94-foot effort on defense and offense.
Forte will have to contend with the Hamilton duo of Owen Klassen and Derek Cooke, Jr. in the battle of the big men. Klassen opened the Summer Series with a 15-point 10-rebound effort against Niagara and followed that up with 16 points and six rebounds versus Guelph. Foul trouble limited him to three points and five rebounds against Edmonton. Cooke Jr. made his tournament debut against the Stingers with two points and a rebound in six minutes.
The Bandits roll a four-man backcourt of Marek Klassen, Jahenns Manigat, Malcolm Duvivier, and Junior Cadougan—all scoring threats and strong defensively. Cadougan was drafted by Hamilton in 2019 but missed the season because of injury, and Duvivier was signed to a free agent contract immediately following the draft but was never added to the club’s Active roster.
Schmidt Back for 2021
Hamilton announced Friday that it has extended the contract of head coach Ryan Schmidt through the 2021 season. As assistant coach who has led player development with the Toronto Raptors NBA G League affiliate Raptors 905 the past three years, Schmidt picked up the first win of his professional head coaching career Monday against Guelph. Schmidt has been responsible for advance game scouting and planning with Raptors 905, and throughout his time with that team he has been accountable for offense, defense, and special teams that has included practice, game planning, and strategic execution. The Oregon native has also worked with players in the Canadian National Senior and Junior National teams since 2017.
Next Up
Both teams get right back at it in a doubleheader tomorrow. Hamilton meets the expansion Ottawa BlackJacks for the first time in the opener at 1:30 p.m. ET. With both clubs heading into the weekend carrying a 1-2 record, it could be a must-win game for one or both teams. Fraser Valley meets Niagara (1-3) in the second game of the twin-bill at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT).
LATEST NEWS
The Vancouver Bandits announced Thursday that the club has signed Trinity Western University (TWU) product Jack Vandenberg to its roster for the 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. A six-foot tall guard from Vancouver, Vandenberg earned an invitation to the inaugural Bandits University Combine. 40 local student-athletes competed against each other, developing their game against B.C.’s top young talent and with the help of Bandits coaching staff. The club hosted the combine to identify players who can make an impact in training camp and potentially sign to its roster for the upcoming 2026 season. “Jack Vandenberg is one of the premier shooters in Canada. He proved it again at our combine, where he stood out for his elite space and shot-making,” said head coach and general manager Kyle Julius. “Having coached him in the gym, I know he’s tough, a leader on his university team, and a player who is going to help push our culture forward.” Julius stressed the importance of Vandenberg’s ability to space the floor in training camp, which begins on Tuesday, May 5. “We are excited to add his toughness and sharpshooting as we gear up for camp,” he continued. In his junior year at TWU during the 2025-26 season, Vandenberg led his team with 15.8 points-per-game while also averaging 3.5 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 20 games with 19 starts. He led the Canada West conference in three-pointers made, finishing with 75 makes on 175 attempts. Vandenberg shot .429 per cent from beyond the arc, ranking 4th in the conference. Prior to his time with the Spartans, Vandenberg attended Montreal’s Concordia University in the 2022-23 season. An alumnus of St. George’s School in Vancouver, he earned Second Team All-Star honours at the 2022 BC 4A Boys Basketball Provincial Championship where he helped lead his school to a top 10 finish in his senior year. Fans will get their first chance to watch the Bandits’ new-look roster in a charitable preseason game on Saturday, May 9 at 5:00 p.m. at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre when the club faces the Sikh Warriors from ESPN’s The Basketball Tournament. Preseason tickets are on sale at this link , with proceeds benefitting the Bandits Community Foundation. The Bandits open the 2026 CEBL season on Thursday, May 14 on the road in Saskatoon before coming home for its Home Opener against the Edmonton Stingers on Friday, May 22 at 7:00 p.m. PT at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre. A full game schedule can be viewed here . Bandits Single Game Tickets and additional 2026 ticket options can be purchased here . All CEBL regular season games including playoffs will be live-streamed on the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+, the CEBL Mobile app, the CBC Gem app and the CBC Sports YouTube channel. Marquee games will air nationally on CBC TV. More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok, as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter.
The Vancouver Bandits announced Wednesday that the club has signed the University of British Columbia Okanagan’s (UBCO) all-time leading scorer and assist leader Jalen Shirley to its roster for the 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. A six-foot guard from Brampton, Ont., Shirley was invited to participate in the inaugural Bandits University Combine, hosted by the club to identify players to invite to training camp and add to its roster for the upcoming 2026 season. Shirley was one of 40 student-athletes from local universities, earning a spot on the Bandits 2026 training camp roster, beginning on May 5. “At our combine, Jalen stood out for not getting sped up and playing with control,” said head coach and general manager Kyle Julius. “We are thrilled to bring him in and give him the platform to develop into a top-tier professional as he transitions from university to the next level.” He averaged 20.8 points per game in his final season (2025-26), which ranked second in the Canada West conference, as well as 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 34.4 minutes played per game across 23 games and starts. His play earned him Canada West Third Team All-Star honours. Shirley finished his six-year university career as the UBCO Heat’s all-time leader in points and assists, while ranking second all-time in steals, and received the school’s men’s Graduating Athlete of the Year award. “Jalen is an elite U SPORTS point guard who plays the game with solid poise and pace. In pick-and-roll situations, he plays with flow and gets to his spots,” added Julius. Fans will get their first chance to watch the Bandits’ new-look roster in a charitable preseason game on Saturday, May 9 at 5:00 p.m. at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre when the club faces the Sikh Warriors from ESPN’s The Basketball Tournament. Preseason tickets are on sale at this link , with proceeds benefitting the Bandits Community Foundation. The Bandits open the 2026 CEBL season on Thursday, May 14 on the road in Saskatoon before coming home for its Home Opener against the Edmonton Stingers on Friday, May 22 at 7:00 p.m. PT at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre. A full game schedule can be viewed here . Bandits Single Game Tickets and additional 2026 ticket options can be purchased here . All CEBL regular season games including playoffs will be live-streamed on the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+, the CEBL Mobile app, the CBC Gem app and the CBC Sports YouTube channel. Marquee games will air nationally on CBC TV.
The Vancouver Bandits announced Tuesday that the club has signed University of Victoria Vikes standout and former U SPORTS national champion Shadynn Smid for the 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. A 6-foot-7 forward from Duncan, B.C., Smid has spent the last four years playing post-secondary basketball with the University of Victoria. He helped lead the Vikes to a U SPORTS Final 8 appearance in each of his four years with the program, a run that included three Canada West conference championships and a U SPORTS national championship in 2024-25. Smid was one of 40 men’s basketball student-athletes invited to the Bandits University Combine , hosted by the club to identify players to invite to training camp and add to its roster for the upcoming 2026 season. The signing marks Smid’s first-ever professional contract and he will join the club for 2026 Training Camp, commencing on Tuesday, May 5. “Shadynn is a rare combination of elite athleticism and growing skill. He was one of the best players in Canada and we think he can impact winning for us right away,” said head coach and general manager, Kyle Julius. “Shadynn is an explosive athlete who brings a relentless motor every time he steps on the floor. He embodies our team’s culture and we are excited to get to work with him.” He started 25 of 26 games in the 2025-26 season, averaging 13.4 points and pulling down a team-high 5.6 rebounds per game en route to earning Canada West Second Team All-Star honours. Prior to his post-secondary career, Smid attended Cowichan (now Quw’utsun) Secondary. Internationally, Smid represented Canada at the 2025 Junior Pan American Games where he competed in 3x3 basketball. As part of the CEBL’s long-standing partnership with U SPORTS, Canadian men’s basketball student-athletes can be signed to CEBL Developmental Player Contracts therefore retaining a student-athlete’s post-secondary eligibility.
The Vancouver Bandits announced Thursday that Vancouver-based contact lens supplier, PerfectLens , has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Canadian professional basketball by extending its season presenting partnership of the Bandits for the 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. PerfectLens has partnered with Bandits Basketball since 2020 when its inaugural year of partnership was announced prior to the CEBL Summer Series. The focus of PerfectLens’ partnership with British Columbia’s professional basketball team is to contribute to the game day experience at Vancouver’s home venue of Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre (LEC) and to support basketball communities throughout the Lower Mainland. PerfectLens supported Bandits Community Foundation’s School Tour, a free program for high schools where Vancouver Bandits head coach Kyle Julius visited over 160 teams in three years. The upcoming CEBL seasons represent the seventh year of partnership between the Bandits and PerfectLens. “Since day one, our partnership with the Vancouver Bandits has been about more than visibility, it’s been about impact. Over the past six years, we’ve had the opportunity to support basketball at every level, from the energy inside Langley Events Centre on game day to meaningful community initiatives like the Bandits School Tour. We’re proud to continue building alongside an organization that shares our values of accessibility, community and growing the game across British Columbia,” said PerfectLens President Mitsuhiro Shigeno. As the club’s Official Contact Lens Supplier since 2020, PerfectLens will be promoted on Bandits game days at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre with a co-branded logo lock at centre court and on the team’s shorts for both home and away games against CEBL competition in each of the league’s nine other markets in Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Brampton, Niagara (St. Catharines), Scarborough (Toronto), Ottawa and Montréal. Bandits fans also receive an exclusive 20% discount on their first order through PerfectLens now through the end of the 2026 season on August 31st, 2026. PerfectLens has built a vast customer base across Canada since its inception in 2014. Through prioritizing customer service, its offering of brand name contact lenses at affordable prices, PerfectLens has earned a strong reputation from its loyal clients. “PerfectLens has been an integral part of the Bandits story since 2020, and their continued commitment speaks to the strength of this partnership. They understand that what we are building goes beyond basketball, it is about creating unforgettable game day experiences and making a lasting impact in communities across the province,” said Vancouver Bandits team president Dylan Kular. “We are proud to have PerfectLens back as our Season Presenting Partner and look forward to continuing to grow together in 2026 and beyond.”
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.