Coach Kannemeyer’s 3 Keys vs. EDM - July 27
By: Cassidy Kannemeyer • July 27, 2021
Here are Coach Kannemeyer's 3 Keys to the Game:
The Closer?
After nine games the Fraser Valley Bandits have been able to win more than they have lost thanks to balanced scoring throughout the roster. Seven Bandits average double figures in scoring, with Alex Campbell leading the way at 15.8 points per game. In Bandits' losses, minus the game versus the Hamilton Honey Badgers, the team looked lost in the closing minutes of both the second and fourth quarters. Exhibit A was on Sunday afternoon. Kenny Manigault led the comeback to the four minute Elam ending mark versus the Edmonton Stingers, but as the game tightened the Bandits took turns trying to hit shots instead of trying to focus on the hot hand of Manigault.
This team may not be built like that but I do believe that this group could have multiple closers. Campbell, Manigault and Shaquille Keith are all capable of generating offensive pressure against any opponent. Campbell can run high pick and rolls with the big man Brandon Gilbeck. Keith is the team's best one-on-one iso wing, but in the closing minutes the team could be better served to post him up around the elbow areas. Lastly, Manigault may have the team's highest scoring upside, but still has to figure out what areas he needs the ball in.
On Sunday he was able to glide to the basket around several defenders in semi-transition and one-on-one attacks. Whatever the case, the Bandits will have to focus their offensive attack in the second and fourth quarters and play through one of their offensive stars if they hope to beat the Stingers on Tuesday night.
A Dose of Discipline
Throughout the game Sunday, it appeared that many of the Bandits got rattled playing against the league's best team, the Edmonton Stingers. I was at the game Sunday and couldn’t really tell if the Stingers were initiating the beef that got under the team's skin.
Clearly something was bothering both Brandon Gilbeck and Shaquille Keith. He also seemed to be visually upset when his teammates missed him on lob passes around the hoop. The key here for any player at this level is that you have to continue to play hard through the adversity and not let your body language affect the rest of the team.
Shaquille Keith absolutely played to this narrative as he also fouled the game winning three-point shooter on a play where his frustration had clearly boiled over to the point where he lost control of his close-out fundamentals in a critical situation.
These moments did not cause the team to lose directly, but they were definite factors in the loss on Sunday, and an alarming sign if the team is to make a return trip to the CEBL finals.
Clean the Glass!
The Bandits haven’t been dominated on the glass this season by anybody in the CEBL. One of the team's greatest skills early in the year after a perfect 4-0 start was that everybody was cleaning up loose balls and defensive rebounds. In the last two losses, where the margin of error to win was so close, the Bandits struggled to come up with defensive rebounds and loose balls after excellent defensive sequences. As mentioned earlier, like the team's offensive struggles in critical situations in the second and fourth quarters, the team is also struggling to finish off defensive possessions in those moments as well.
Sometimes this is just bad luck, the basketball gods creating a bounce that goes the other team's way is hardly controllable. However, hustle and hard work create luck and sometimes just being better at blocking out offensive rebounders who are crashing to create tip-outs is a recipe for success. To get a win Tuesday night, the Bandits will have to out work the Stingers in the dirty areas, limiting them to one shot and creating more easy buckets in offensive transition.
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Physio District is proud to partner with the Vancouver Bandits as the organization’s Official Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Provider. Led by Director of Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Vic Sanghera and Physiotherapist Neil Nijjar, the partnership will support the Bandits with comprehensive injury management, rehabilitation, performance optimization, recovery, and return-to-play services throughout the CEBL season. With extensive experience working in high-performance sport, amateur and professional athletics, and international competition environments, Physio District brings an integrated approach focused on athlete availability, performance support, and evidence-informed care through manual therapy, movement analysis, and corrective exercise principles. In collaboration with the Bandits performance staff, the partnership will also incorporate advanced athlete monitoring and performance technologies through Hawkins Dynamics systems, including force plate testing and TruStrength performance assessment tools, to support rehabilitation progression, performance profiling, and return-to-play decision-making. Physio District is committed to helping athletes perform at their highest level while supporting long-term health, recovery, and durability throughout the demands of a professional basketball season. Physio District is excited to support the Vancouver Bandits organization and contribute to a high-performance environment both on and off the court.
The Vancouver Bandits were unable to find consistent offense against the Edmonton Stingers, suffering a 91-78 defeat Saturday night at the Edmonton Expo Centre. The game started with both teams going blow for blow in scoring, until the Stingers began to pull away with three-pointers from Samage Teel and Michael Nuga. The Stingers applied overwhelming defensive pressure, slowing down the Bandits up-tempo offence. The Bandits got into a rhythm in the second quarter, chipping away at the deficit and out-pacing the Stingers defense. The Stingers went cold offensively as they approached half time, going a full three minutes without scoring. That dry spell for the Stingers took place during a 19-6 run for the Bandits in that quarter, as they defended aggressively and found more space on the attack. Jalen House shot 8 for 9 in the first half at the free throw line, while Tevian Jones used his explosive athleticism to score 16 points. The Bandits took the lead on free throws from reigning Canadian Player of the Year, Tyrese Samuel, who finished with a team-leading 13 rebounds. The second quarter ended with the Bandits on top, 42-38. The Stingers responded in the third quarter with gritty, physical defense, while using the full shot clock on offense. The Bandits couldn’t build momentum, allowing 33 points and surrendering the lead. The Bandits flirted with a comeback in the fourth, shrinking the Stingers’ lead to seven points, but were unable to capitalise. House led the game in scoring with 27 points, but he was disappointed with the defensive effort from the Bandits. “We were letting them get [points] too easily in the paint, easy threes.” Vancouver head coach Kyle Julius said “our defensive effort was poor everywhere,” calling tonight’s game “one of our worst performances in two to three years.” The success in the second quarter came from the Bandits “playing good defense, playing hard,” said House. “That’s obviously why we shot up and got that three point lead going into half time, but we got away from it.” The Stingers big man Dain Dainja put up 25 points and 14 rebounds in over 29 minutes, all of which led his team. Vancouver falls to 1-1, and goes down 0-1 in the home-and-home series. Vancouver will play Edmonton again on Friday, May 22 for their Home Opener at Envision Financial Court at the Langley Events Centre. Tickets are available for purchase at this link . Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2798728
Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Mamba on May 14, 2026.
The Vancouver Bandits opened the 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season on the road with a 124-95 victory over the re-branded Saskatoon Mamba at SaskTel Centre on Thursday. Guard Jaelen House, who was signed just two days prior to the season opener, ran the floor for the fast-paced Bandits offense posting a double-double with 33 points and 10 assists. His debut efforts earned him “Player of the Game” honours in his first CEBL games “Jaelen [House] just got in here 24 hours ago,” said Vancouver head coach Kyle Julius. “Figuring the guys out, figuring the system out, that’s big.” Vancouver wasted no time, jumping out to an early lead from House and Mychal Mulder. The team set a new franchise record, scoring 68 points in the first half. Local rookies Dominic Parolin and Shadynn Smid both debuted and got their first professional buckets. Parolin logged an efficient 11 points in over six minutes, while Smid played impressive defense. Saskatoon had difficulties slowing down Vancouver, especially struggling with the chemistry between House and Tyrese Samuel as they combined for 57 points. Their soft and porous defense provided plenty of time and space for Vancouver to feast, with six players scoring double digits. When asked about the balanced attack, Mulder credited their teamwork. ”Just continuing to play together. I think we did a good job of sharing the ball, did a good job of locking in on our defensive assignments,” he said. Saskatoon’s offense was stymied, with every player logging a negative plus/minus. Vancouver’s tight defense clogged passing lanes and strangled Saskatoon’s offense to the tune of 21 turnovers. Tevian Jones picked up four steals, leading the team. Mulder was proud of the effort, saying they defended “as a unit on that end of the floor. [We’re] continuing to grow as a unit and staying together.” Vancouver dominated in the paint, scoring 74 points under the hoop against Saskatoon’s underwhelming 42. House, Samuel, and Jones flashed their speed on the fast break, with the team scoring 21 points while flying downhill. Saskatoon head coach Isaiah Fox got a rude awakening in his first game with the team, saying “Obviously, that could’ve went better.” “Vancouver is a very physical team, and I don't think we quite matched their physicality,” he said. “There were some good moments but unfortunately they came already when we were down double-digit points.” The physicality was on display in the third quarter as Vancouver suffocated Saskatoon defensively, allowing just 17 points. Saskatoon went a whole 2:45 without scoring, while Vancouver increased their lead to 32 in that time. Their biggest lead of the game would be 36. However, Saskatoon made progress in the fourth quarter, out-scoring Vancouver 31 to 24. Trey Townsend came off the bench to lead Saskatoon, scoring 10 of his 15 points in the final frame. Dajuan Gordon chipped in 20 points for Saskatoon, knocking down 5-6 at the charity stripe. Julius was unhappy with the team letting off the gas late in the game. “I thought we really let up in the fourth quarter, but it's an entirely new group,” he said. “We only have two, three guys from last year's team, so overall it was a solid first game for sure.” “I think these first couple games are all about us getting used to the league. We have a lot of guys that have never played in this league,” Julius added. “so we're still kind of just getting used to everything.” Vancouver begins their season 1-0. Vancouver will travel to Edmonton to take on the Stingers on Saturday, May 16, at the Edmonton EXPO Centre at 6:00 p.m. in a home-and-home series. Edmonton comes to Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre to play Vancouver in their Home Opener on Friday, May 22, at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase at this link .
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Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Mamba on May 14, 2026.
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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.