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 Friday that one of the province’s largest General Motors dealerships, Preston Chevrolet, has renewed its dedication to supporting Canadian professional basketball by extending its community and marketing partnership with the Bandits for the 2024 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. Vancouver Bandits and Preston Chevrolet have been partners since the Vancouver Bandits made their debut at the Langley Events Centre in 2022. The focus of Preston Chevrolet’s partnership with BC’s professional basketball team is to contribute to the game day experience at the home venue, the Langley Events Centre (LEC), while supporting their additional community outreach programs. This support includes initiatives such as; the Community Champion program, Vancouver Bandits’ school visits, and community event attendance throughout the province powered by the Vancouver Bandits’ Community Cruiser proudly supplied by Preston Chevrolet. Since 2022, Preston Chevrolet has supported the Community Champion program where community teams from across the region have experienced Vancouver Bandits basketball in the Preston Players’ Lounge at Langley Events Centre. The community Champion program allowed hundreds of at-risk youths to get the opportunity to attend Vancouver Bandits games; an opportunity that many would not receive otherwise. With the support of Preston Chevrolet, from November 2023 to February 2024; the Vancouver Bandits head coach & general manager Kyle Julius visited 81 middle school and high schools across the province. The purpose of these visits was to support middle school and high school basketball programs with complimentary coaching and player development. “Our community partnership with the Bandits has been outstanding from the start. Both our organizations believe in the value and accessibility of sports, particularly team sports for youth and families in our communities” said Peter Heppner of Preston Chevrolet. Preston Chevrolet has been a family-owned and operated business in Langley since 1965. Purchased from the Preston family in 2006 Peter and son (Leigh Heppner) continue the long-standing commitment to supporting the communities they serve. “The moment we committed to Langley Events Centre in 2022 we were made aware of Peter Heppner and Preston Chevrolet’s commitment to giving back to the community. It was more than just marketing for Peter and Preston Chevrolet, it was about finding ways for Vancouver Bandits basketball to execute programming that provided youth in our community with accessible opportunities. Peter Heppner, Leigh Heppner, and the entire team at Preston Chevrolet have embraced Vancouver Bandits basketball with open arms, enabling us to strengthen our community and bring us together through basketball. We are excited to continue our partnership for a third consecutive season.” Bandits team president Dylan Kular said. 
The Vancouver Bandits announced Thursday that the club has signed 6-foot-9 forward and former Santa Clara University Bronco Josip Vrankic for its upcoming Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season at Langley Events Centre (LEC). A native of Toronto, Ont., Josip is currently playing for Gipuzkoa in the LEB Oro, the second highest division of professional basketball in Spain, which as a nation boasts the second best national team FIBA ranking in the world behind the United States. The 2023-24 campaign in progress is Vrankic’s second professional season after playing five decorated seasons of NCAA Division I basketball at Santa Clara between 2017-22, the alma mater of Victoria, B.C. product and NBA Hall of Famer Steve Nash. Vrankic will report to Vancouver upon the conclusion of his current season in Spain. "I am excited to join the Bandits family and to be part of a group that is focused on winning and growing together. I have heard great things about the fanbase in Vancouver and I am looking forward to a special season," Vrankic said. Vancouver’s highly anticipated home opener is on Thursday, May 23 at 7 p.m. PT against the Montréal Alliance. Single game tickets for the home opener and all regular season games are on sale now at this link . Vrankic is enjoying another solid season early in his professional career; posting averages of 22.4 minutes, 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game on 34.4 per cent shooting from three-point range over the course of 32 games played with Gipuzkoa. Last year he made his pro debut with Chieti, where he placed first on the club in rebounds (8.0) and second in points per game (14.9) in 17 games played before signing with Ravenna to finish the 2022-23 season. Prior to turning pro, Vrankic appeared in 137 games for the Broncos, starting 131 – a program record. His 1,817 career points place him third in school history while his 801 rebounds place him eighth. Vrankic punctuated his illustrious Division I career by earning four consecutive West Coast Conference (WCC) selections; including back-to-back first team recognition in 2021 and 2022. “Josip is a very high IQ basketball player with great versatility. He can really shoot and play inside. We think he is a great fit for our group and we really look forward to him becoming part of our family,” said Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius. Vancouver will play a total of 10 regular season home games in 2024 between Thursday, May 23 and Thursday, July 18. The Bandits wrap up regular season action on the road against Montréal on Sunday, July 28 at 1 p.m. PT. All CEBL regular season games including playoffs will be live-streamed on TSN+, as well as the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+ , and on CEBL Mobile, the official app of the CEBL (available on Android and iOS devices). Individuals interested in ticket flexibility or purchasing a bundle of tickets are invited to consider a flex pack or season tickets . More information can be found at thebandits.ca/tickets or by speaking with a Bandits representative by calling (604) 455-8881 or emailing tickets@thebandits.ca . A complete regular season schedule can be found by clicking here . 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 Tuesday that the province’s largest energy provider, FortisBC Energy Inc. (FortisBC) , has renewed its dedication to supporting Canadian professional basketball by extending its community and marketing partnership with the Bandits for the 2024 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. The focus of FortisBC’s partnership with British Columbia’s professional basketball team is to contribute to the game day experience at Vancouver’s home venue of the Langley Events Centre (LEC) and to support basketball communities throughout British Columbia through the Indigenous Basketball Collective program’s youth clinics, officiating clinics and coaching clinics. Through Indigenous Basketball Collective, FortisBC and Vancouver Bandits previously built outdoor basketball courts that now serve as new recreational hubs for local youth in four Indigenous communities across the province and have hosted youth basketball clinics for Indigenous youth. “Our support for the Vancouver Bandits is an example of FortisBC’s commitment to the communities where we live and work,” said Doug Slater, vice-president of Indigenous relations and regulatory affairs at FortisBC. “We have made great strides with the Bandits in building safe basketball facilities for Indigenous youth across the province and look forward to our continued work together.” FortisBC believes strongly in being an active partner with communities and supports many community-based initiatives and organizations throughout British Columbia each year. Since 2022, the goal of the Indigenous Basketball Collective has been to create increased opportunities for Indigenous players, coaches and others involved in basketball to participate in training camps, competitions, workshops and more. “According to I∙SPARC, basketball is the most popular sport amongst Indigenous youth in this province and through the Indigenous Basketball Collective we can support the basketball ecosystem in British Columbia. FortisBC has been a pillar partner for the Collective since 2022 and their support of the Collective has seen hundreds of youth attend camps and dozens of new coaches and officials added into the basketball ecosystem. Their support of basketball goes beyond supporting the professional basketball club in this province and we are grateful for their support.” Bandits team president Dylan Kular said. 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 Tuesday that internationally celebrated vocalist and actor Sharry Mann will perform at Langley Events Centre (LEC) on Saturday, June 1 when the Bandits host the visiting Calgary Surge for the club’s first-ever South Asian Heritage Game. Exclusive to ticketholders for the Bandits’ game day, Mann will delight Bandits fans in attendance with two performances on June 1st; including a pre-game concert in the arena bowl and a half-time show during the intermission between the second and third quarters of gameplay. Fans in attendance are kindly encouraged to arrive prior to 7 p.m. PT to ensure that they have time to find parking (free on-site at LEC) and locate their seats before Mann’s performance, which will be shortly after the top of the hour before the Bandits and Surge tip-off at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for Mann’s highly anticipated concert; which is included in the cost of a Bandits game ticket, are on sale now at this link . Admission to the concert and game are combined and start at $27.50 per ticket. All ticket prices are inclusive of taxes and fees. A world-renowned artist famous for his appearances and chart-topping hits in Punjabi music and film, Mann has amassed hundreds of millions of plays on YouTube and Spotify ; including tracks such as ‘3 Peg’ (800+ million plays on YouTube, 50+ million Spotify streams) and Hostel (250+ million plays on YouTube, 13+ million Spotify streams). Mann’s success has paved the way for the talented artist to be recognized globally. Recent recognition includes winning best music video at the Brit Asia TV Music Awards for ‘Yaar Chadeya’ in 2019, as well as having various tracks appear in the Top 40 of the Britain’s Official Charts . The June 1st Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) match-up between Vancouver and Calgary will be the first time that the Western Conference foes have met since Calgary inched past Vancouver in last year’s Western Conference Finals. Adding to the game’s excitement is the debut of the Bandits’ South Asian Heritage jersey, designed by Sandeep Johal to be worn by Vancouver at the game to honour and celebrate the culture and artistry of South Asia. “I am thrilled to welcome Sharry Mann and his management to Langley Events Centre for what will surely be one of the most exciting games of the 2024 CEBL season. Fans in attendance will be treated to two awesome musical performances courtesy of Sharry as well as a must-watch rematch against our rivals from Calgary,” said Bandits team president Dylan Kular. Vancouver will play a total of 10 regular season home games in 2024 between Thursday, May 23 and Thursday, July 18. The Bandits wrap up regular season action on the road against Montréal on Sunday, July 28 at 1 p.m. PT. All CEBL regular season games including playoffs will be live-streamed on TSN+, as well as the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+ , and on CEBL Mobile, the official app of the CEBL (available on Android and iOS devices). Individuals interested in ticket flexibility or purchasing a bundle of tickets are invited to consider a flex pack or season tickets . More information can be found at thebandits.ca/tickets or by speaking with a Bandits representative by calling (604) 455-8881 or emailing tickets@thebandits.ca . A complete regular season schedule can be found by clicking here . More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok , as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter .
LATEST VIDEO
A provincial coaches clinic co-hosted by the Vancouver Bandits and Basketball BC featuring Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius and Canada Basketball coaching alumni Allison and Mike McNeill. Please watch a full video recap of the event by clicking above or scroll to the desired chapter by hovering your cursor over the video timeline. A breakdown of chapters from the coaching clinic has been included below for reference. 0:00:00 - Allison McNeill and Mike McNeill Introductions 0:01:56 - Warmup 0:11:38 - Individual Shooting Drills 0:26:49 - Inside/Outside Drill 0:39:20 - Post Drill 0:42:42 - Perimeter Iso Drill 0:55:05 - Passing Drill 0:59:54 - 2x2x2 Drill 1:06:09 - 1-on-1 building up to 4-on-4 drills 1:18:57 - Spacing Drills 1:23:45 - Allison McNeill and Mike McNeill Closing Remarks 1:26:43 - Kyle Julius Introduction 1:43:31 - Power Spots/Spacing Drills 1:52:15 - Transition Drills 1:59:27 - Offence Drills 2:02:14 - Flair Slip Offence 2:11:25 - Motion Pin Offence 2:17:33 - Late Clock Offence 2:22:49 - Kyle Julius Closing Remarks
Inside the life of a CEBL U SPORTS Development Athlete and Canada West men's basketball star. Follow along as we join Diego Maffia for a "Day in the Life" of a U SPORTS athlete during a road game between the University of Victoria Vikes and the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades. Directed and edited by Simrit Saini.
A provincial education seminar co-hosted by Basketball BC and Vancouver Bandits professional basketball club. Vancouver Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius and Trinity Western Spartans women’s basketball head coach Cheryl Jean-Paul provide their insights on the question, “How does knowledge of who your officials will be affect your pregame planning?” Click here to watch question 2 .
A provincial education seminar co-hosted by Basketball BC and Vancouver Bandits professional basketball club. Vancouver Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius, Trinity Western Spartans women’s basketball head coach Cheryl Jean-Paul and U SPORTS/CEBL official Trevor West provide their insights on the question, “How does your familiarity with an official affect how you interact with officials during the game?” Click here to watch question 3 .
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