Coach Kannemeyer’s 3 Keys vs. EDM - August 4
By: Cassidy Kannemeyer • August 5, 2021
Here are Coach Kannemeyer's 3 Keys to the Game:
Passing, Passing, Passing
After two straight losses to the league leading Edmonton Stingers at home last week, the Bandits have to do some serious soul searching to reclaim their offensive identity.
Losing Marek Klassen several weeks ago has had a lasting impact on the roster with only four games left. Still the leader in assists for the team, Klassen had the ability to identify the hot hand, reward the bigs for strong defensive play and knew when to create his own shot. Klassen was the floor general that the current Bandits desperately need to get back to their winning ways.
The guard play needs to get better, the passing needs to be sharper and the team needs to execute in transition at a much higher clip to get back to get those momentum buckets that help spark offensive runs. The team has struggled mightily to score in odd man scenarios and I feel that this burden falls on Alex Campbell, Malcolm Duvivier and Shaquille Keith. Keith especially needs to see the tape. Because the hulking forward is one of the Bandits' best scorers, the ball is in his hands often. And as teams load up to stop Keith from getting to the rim, the forward needs to find his teammates and share the ball when the situation calls for it. With more of the burden falling on his shoulders, Keith could make even more of an impact offensively if he can begin to make better reads in both the half court and in transition.
How to Stop Xavier Moon?
The two time MVP completely dominated the two game series in Abbotsford last week. Moon was able to orchestrate in transition, in the half court and conducted the Stingers' offence with little resistance -- none of it had to do with a lack of effort. The Bandits have played hard on defence all season, but allowed Moon to find his rhythm whenever he needed a bucket against the team's pick and roll coverage. Over and over again, the Stingers got their shot when they needed a score because of Moon’s tremendous offensive talent.
The Bandits for the majority of defensive sequences against the Stingers' pick and roll played drop coverage. This means that the man guarding the ball is forcing their matchup to use the screen or not get screened at all. The defensive big man drops to the free throw line and protects the rim. As the ball handler gets over the screen, he has a defender chasing from behind and a big man staring him right in the face. More often than not this forces the offensive player to take a long contested two-point shot.
Moon is the one player in the league that can destroy this coverage with his devastating shot off the dribble. He was manipulating the screen so well in their last matchup that he was able to take lightly contested off the dribble threes, which in theory is a low percentage shot. I expect the Bandits to adjust for this two game set against Edmonton. We could see less Brandon Gilbeck in the second and fourth quarter allowing the team to switch onto Moon to take away this shot. We might also see the team try and trap Moon off the pick and roll occasionally to help take away his rhythm. Whatever the team chooses to do, I expect them to change their coverage throughout the game to try and disrupt the tremendous rhythm all the Stingers are playing with offensively.
Grit and Grind
The margin for winning for the Bandits is such a fine line. Three of the team's five losses have come by single digits.
However when the Stingers did miss, it seemed more often than not, that they were quicker to the loose balls than the Bandits. Who on the Bandits is best suited to go through the proverbial wall for his teammates? Gilbeck is often preoccupied boxing out and Ryan Ejim does not play enough minutes to make that type of impact when it matters in clutch time in the fourth quarter. A guard has to take on this role. The floor dives, the charge taker, flying into the crowd for no other reason to spark their teammates. This level of hustle is infectious and it might just take one desperate act to get this team going.
I’m going to nominate Kenny Manigault for this assignment on Wednesday, not because he’s the best at it but I think it might spark him and get him going on both sides of the court. Manigault is the team's smoothest athlete and is clearly a great leader. If he can kick it into high gear with hustle plays, adding to an already solid offensive repertoire, Manigault could propel himself to becoming one of the best import players in the league. More importantly get the Bandits back in the win column Wednesday night in Edmonton.
LATEST NEWS
The Vancouver Bandits have re-signed veteran guard Duane Notice for his fourth consecutive Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season with BC’s professional basketball team. A 6-foot-3 guard from Toronto, Ont., Notice debuted with the club in 2023 and has contributed leadership, grit, and clutch performances to the roster during his time. He holds several franchise records, including the most regular season games played (58) and the most Target Score game winners (7). Additionally, he is ranked second all-time in both total assists and steals, and fifth all-time in total rebounds. “Duane Notice is the heartbeat of our culture. He is a relentless leader, a clutch shot-maker, and a defensive tone setter who sacrifices his body,” said head coach and general manager Kyle Julius. “Duane shows up early, stays late, and drives everything we do on and off the floor. We expect another huge summer from Duane, and we know he will bring it like he always does.” Notice appeared in 18 regular season games in 2025, including nine starts, where he averaged 7.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 25.4 minutes per game. During his CEBL off-seasons, Notice has played for the Sudbury Five of the Basketball Super League (BSL), where he was most recently named 2026 BSL Finals MVP. In the 2025-26 BSL season, Notice averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 0.8 steals, and 36.9 minutes across 28 games played. Prior to the Bandits, Notice has previous CEBL experience with the Brampton Honey Badgers (formerly known as Hamilton) in 2019 and 2020 and spent two seasons with the Toronto Raptors’ NBA G League affiliate, the Raptors 905, between 2018 and 2020. Internationally, Notice has represented Team Canada at six different tournaments and has played a combined total of 30 games throughout his career for both the junior men’s and senior men’s national teams. Over a five-year university career, Notice starred at the University of South Carolina where he is the school’s all-time leader in games played with 138. He was named the SEC’s Sixth Man of the Year during the 2015-16 season and helped lead the Gamecocks to an appearance in the NCAA Men’s Final Four in 2017. 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 Saturday that Trinity Western Spartans alumnus David Mutabazi has re-signed with the club for the 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League season (CEBL). The 6-foot-5 guard joined the Bandits as a Developmental Player during the 2025 season where he was selected 30th overall in the CEBL Draft, appearing in nine games with three starts. Mutabazi made an immediate impact, logging 29 minutes and finishing with a game-high plus-44 as a starter in his professional debut on May 15, 2025 in a 106-65 win against the Saskatchewan Rattlers. “David was a complete surprise last season. His defensive instincts and relentless effort elevated our locker room culture,” said head coach and general manager Kyle Julius. “This year, we are counting on David to do even more. He is one of our few returning players and we expect him to bring that toughness, intensity, and now leadership to push us forward.” Mutabazi recently finished a four-year collegiate basketball career at Trinity Western University, where he averaged 13.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game across 83 games dating back to 2022. During the 2025-26 season, he averaged 9.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists across 17 games, placing him in the top five in those categories for the Spartans. Mutabazi will be reunited with fellow TWU product Jack Vandenberg on the Bandits training camp roster, which begins on Tuesday, May 5. Born in Kirinda, Rwanda, Mutabazi recently represented his country at the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket tournament. In his international debut, he averaged 5.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while playing 19.1 minutes per game across three games as its sixth man off the bench. 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 Friday that the club has signed Houston Rockets’ NBA G League guard John Knight III to its roster for the 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. Knight, a 6-foot-3 guard from Jackson, Miss., has spent the past three seasons in the NBA G League with the Houston Rockets’ minor league affiliate, Rio Grande Valley Vipers, where he became known for his dunking ability and shutdown defensive skills. During the 2025-26 season, Knight averaged 7.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game while playing 31.1 minutes per night across 34 games with 29 starts. “We are really excited to add John to our roster this summer. He is an explosive, high-level athlete who can impact the game on both ends and defend multiple positions,” said head coach and general manager Kyle Julius. “He has had real success in the NBA G League, and we expect him to bring that same production, toughness, and versatility to our group right away.” Prior to the NBA G league, Knight made his professional debut during the 2022-23 season with Norwegian club Frøya Basket where he averaged 22.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 6.3 rebounds per game. Knight led the team in all categories, as well as steals (104), blocks (39), and minutes played (1363). Before turning pro, Knight attended Utah State University during the 2018-19 season before transferring to Southern Utah University from 2019 to 2022. During his time with the Thunderbirds, Knight earned First Team All-Big Sky Conference honours in 2022 during his senior year. Knight will reunite with fellow Thunderbird alumnus and recent Bandits free agent signing Tevian Jones, who both shared the court during the 2021-22 season. 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. 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 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.
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.