FRASER VALLEY BANDITS ANNOUNCE 2020 TRAINING CAMP ROSTER
Fraser Valley Bandits • May 13, 2020
Bandits Head Coach and General Manager Kyle Julius’ roster features a talented mix of youth, veteran leadership and experience bred from some of the world’s top professional leagues and international competitions.
ABBOTSFORD, B.C., May 13, 2020 –
The Fraser Valley Bandits unveiled Wednesday the club’s Training Camp Roster for its 2020 season in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL).
Bandits fans have lots to look forward to this season as Bandits Head Coach and General Manager Kyle Julius has signed 10 new players as part of the team’s Training Camp Roster. The collection of talent features eight Canadians, two Americans and a Canadian U SPORTS Development Athlete.
“As a coaching staff we are pleased with the construction of our roster. This group of players embodies our values of Grit and Grind and has the ability to play with pace and tempo. We are excited to compete with this group and fight for competitive greatness,” Julius said.
American newcomers are John Fields and Cameron Forte. A 6-foot-9 forward from Fayetteville, N.C., Fields has the ability and size to play both the power forward and centre positions and started 18 of 34 games for the Tennessee Volunteers in 2010-11 before turning pro. Fields played for União Desportiva (U.D.) Oliveirense in Portugal’s Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol (LPB) this past season where he finished the 2019-20 campaign second in team scoring with 16.3 points per game, second in field goal shooting at 60.6 per cent and first in rebounds with 10.1 per game. Fields’ rebounding and points per game averages placed him second and 15th in league rankings, respectively.
Forte is a 6-foot-7 forward from Tempe, Ariz., and is a bruising force that uses his physicality and will to dominate around the rim. Forte began the 2019-20 season with the London Lightning where in four games he averaged 29 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists on 67.5 per cent shooting from the field. After his stop with the Lighting, Forte joined Club Atlético Goes, a professional team in the Liga Uruguaya de Basketball, where he averaged 24.2 points, eight rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game on 61.1 per cent shooting from the field.
Hometown product Marek Klassen returns to the Bandits keep after a stellar 2019 campaign in the CEBL that saw the Abbotsford native and Yale Secondary alumnus average a CEBL-leading 7.2 assists per game in 2019. He set the league record for assists in a game when he recorded 15 assists against the Hamilton Honey Badgers in a 100-82 victory on July 6, 2019. For his accomplishments, Klassen was named a CEBL Second Team All-Star. Klassen played for BC Kyiv Basket in the Ukrainian Basketball SuperLeague during the 2019-20 season where he posted an impressive line of 12.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and six assists per game on 48.9 and 50.9 per cent shooting from field goal and three-point range.
Julius has recruited an impressive guard corps, with decorated players such as Junior Cadougan, Malcolm Duvivier, Joey Haywood, Kyle Johnson, Jahenns Manigat and Jabs Newby all set to compete at the point and shooting guard positions.
A graduate of Marquette University, Cadougan has been a frequent member of Team Canada’s Senior Men’s National Team. He represented Canada at the 2015 Pan American Games and the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup. Cadougan previously played for Julius when the two won a championship together with the London Lightning in 2016-17. A fellow integral member of that Lightning championship team was Johnson. A member of Great Britain’s national team, Johnson joins the Bandits the summer and is entering his 10th season of professional basketball. Johnson is coming off a strong season in Iceland where he averaged 13.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game for Stjarnan.
Another player who has played for Julius before is Newby. Newby played for Julius in 2014-15 as a member of the Mississauga Power (now the Raptors 905 of the NBA G League). Newby suited up for UDEA Baloncesto in Spain in 2019-20 and averaged 6.2 points, 2.4 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game over 25 games.
Bringing additional leadership and a well-documented shot making ability to the Bandits is Manigat. An alumnus of Creighton University, Manigat recently played for DEAC Kosárlabda during the 2019-20 season where he averaged 11.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game. The 2019-20 campaign was Manigat’s second year with the club and he started 15 of 21 games for DEAC. During his tenure at Creighton, Manigat averaged 6.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists on 43.6 and 40.6 per cent shooting from field goal and three-point range. Manigat currently ranks sixth in school history with 206 three-pointers made and served as a three-year captain of the Bluejays.
One member of the Bandits’ youth movement is Duvivier, who began his professional career after averaging 14.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game in his final collegiate season at the University of Akron in 2017-18. This past 2019-20 season, Duvivier played for the Sudbury Five where he continued to develop as a professional and recorded averages to 9.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
Rounding out the internal competition at the guard position is veteran Joey Haywood. Born and raised in Vancouver, Haywood solidified himself as one of the greatest players in St. Mary’s Huskies and Atlantic University Sport (AUS) history over the course of his three seasons (2008-2011) at St. Mary’s. He averaged 24.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game on 52.6 and 41 per cent shooting from field goal and three-point range. Haywood’s 28.8 points per game in his final season at St. Mary’s ranked him first in scoring across all of Canadian Interuniversity Sport. Haywood played for Bandits Head Coach and General Manager Kyle Julius as a member of the 3D Global Sports Canada team that won the 39th William Jones Cup Championship in 2017.
In addition to a deep group of guards, Julius has brought length and athleticism to his roster in the form of Mamadou Gueye and Daniel Adediran. A 6-foot-7 forward from Quebec City, Que., Gueye starred for the Alberta Golden Bears where he averaged 15 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 steals per game over the course of an illustrious university career. Gueye graduated from Alberta as the school’s third all-time leading scorer. His list of achievements includes Canada West Rookie of the Year (2014), three-time Canada West second-team all-star (2015, 2016, 2018) and he ranks third in school history with 657 rebounds. Gueye played for the Halifax Hurricanes during the 2019-20 season and averaged 11.2 points, 5.6 rebounds on 54.3 and 43.5 per cent from field goal and three-point range. Gueye played in the CEBL last year and was a key part of the Edmonton Stingers.
Adediran was selected by the Bandits in the second round of the 2020 CEBL-U SPORTS Draft. Adediran is entering his fifth year with the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades. He started 17 of the 18 games he played in 2019-20. He averaged 7.3 points and six rebounds in 18.6 minutes per game. Adediran’s best game of the season was on Jan. 4 when he scored 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field and also grabbed five offensive rebounds (13 total) against the University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderbirds.
“The Bandits front office is excited to welcome some of Canada’s finest men’s professional basketball players to a region that is hungry for basketball and has a history of developing high-level players of its own. Coach Julius and his staff have assembled a collection of high-character individuals who lead by example on and off the court,” Bandits Vice President Dylan Kular said.
For more information on the Bandits, follow the team’s journey on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
| Name | Height | Position | Hometown | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Adediran | 6’5” | Guard/Forward | Surrey, BC | Canadian |
| Junior Cadougan | 6’1” | Guard | Toronto, Ont. | Canadian |
| Malcolm Duvivier | 6’2” | Guard | Toronto, Ont. | Canadian |
| John Fields | 6’9” | Forward/Centre | Fayetteville, NC | American |
| Cameron Forte | 6’7” | Forward | Tempe, AZ | American |
| Mamadou Gueye | 6’7” | Forward | Quebec City, Que. | Canadian |
| Joey Haywood | 6’1” | Guard | Vancouver, BC | Canadian |
| Kyle Johnson | 6’5” | Guard | Scarborough, Ont. | Canadian |
| Marek Klassen | 6'1" | Guard | Abbotsford, BC | Canadian |
| Jahenns Manigat | 6'1" | Guard | Ottawa, Ont. | Canadian |
| Jabs Newby | 6'2" | Guard | Brampton, Ont. | Canadian |
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. Head to thebandits.ca for more information.
About the Canadian Elite Basketball League
The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) is a new basketball experience that features world-class professional basketball in a fan-friendly entertainment environment across seven cities in Canada. The 2019 inaugural season saw more than 100 Canadian and international players take to the court, culminating with the Saskatchewan Rattlers earning the first CEBL championship trophy. CEBL players come from NBA G League clubs, top NCAA programs, the Canadian national program, U SPORTS and other Division 1 FIBA leagues. As the First Division Professional League partner of Canada Basketball, all games are live streamed on the CBC Gem app, CEBL.TV and the Island Sports Network. Head to cebl.ca or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to learn more.
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.”
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