Coach Kannemeyer’s 3 Keys vs. EDM - August 6
By: Cassidy Kannemeyer • August 6, 2021
Here are Coach Kannemeyer's 3 Keys to the Game:
Getting Back to the Basics
During the unprecedented 25-0 run by the Stingers on Wednesday, the Fraser Valley Bandits missed three layups and turned the ball over five times. All five of those turnovers resulted in wide open threes by Adika Peter-McNeilly and easy layups by Jordan Baker. The game was essentially over in the blink of an eye. The bleeding stopped following a Shaquille Keith post up bucket, but the internal bleeding continued until the final whistle blew at the conclusion of the fourth quarter. The Bandits' struggles are internal, their errors are not completely unforced, but there appears to be a blueprint to stop their offensive attack.
The Stingers pressured the Bandits at all levels of their offence. They pressed them in the full court, either with zone or man to man. During the run this led to inexplicable turnovers from Kenny Manigault against a 2-2-1 full court zone. In the half court the Stingers extended their defence beyond the three-point line by forcing the Bandits to make immediate decisions with the ball, which in their current mental state is proving to be difficult.
In order for the Bandits to counter an aggressive defence, there needs to be more ball and player movement. Perimeter players need to identify the pressure quicker and cut towards the basket to either create a scoring opportunity or vacate a perimeter spot that will subsequently open up a bigger driving lane for the ball handler.
Once in the paint, the Bandits need to make the simple play. No homerun passes, be ball tough against reaching over aggressive defenders and take the shot when it’s there. The Stingers have essentially simplified their man to man defence to its most basic form; prove you can beat us and our ball pressure or we will continue to gamble and fly around knowing that you will turn the ball over.
Assist to Turnover Ratio
Basketball isn’t a complicated sport by any stretch of the imagination and one of the most tell-tale stats that we have to paint a clear picture of outcome is assist to turnover ratio. On Wednesday the Stingers had 32 assists to 11 turnovers. The Bandits, on the other hand, almost executed the exact opposite of their opponent to the tune of 12 assists to 23 turnovers. This simply has to change if the Bandits have any hope in upsetting the Stingers and solidifying their place as the four seed in order to host a home playoff game.
But how? I alluded to it in Wednesday’s preview and as well, earlier on how to deal with an extended pressure defence. Decision making is one of the most important mental characteristics that can define a player's career. During the four game losing streak, the Bandits have fallen in love with some bad habits. Fake a pass to make a pass is one core value staple that every coach has said to their players at one time or another.
On the majority of the turnovers, the Bandits passes were unforced. More often than not, the Bandits ball handlers were predictable against the pressure. They saw a pass, they looked at it, they passed it with no ball fake or deception. To execute against the Stingers offensively, the Bandits will have to do a better job of taking what the defence gives them and using ball toughness and deception to make better reads against an overly aggressive defensive front.
Toughness
I’ve mentioned ball toughness and mental toughness, and both are essential to all facets of professional basketball. The last piece of the puzzle for Friday and the rest of the season will be the Bandits' ability to be physically tougher than their opponent.
Earlier in the season the team was tougher on loose balls than their opponent, winning every battle. They owned the defensive glass by executing physical block outs, hustling and anticipating the ball off the rim. They were ball tough, driving when they needed to drive, limited turnovers and were decisive on their passes.
Friday, win or lose, the Bandits need to get back to being the tougher team. Obviously it’s a huge part of winning, but more importantly for the team's psyche moving forward, it’s paramount to being competitive again.
LATEST NEWS
The Vancouver Bandits have announced today the following roster updates in advance of its Thursday, June 18 away game against the Winnipeg Sea Bears at 5:00 p.m. PT: G Shamar Givance has been added to Club's active roster and will be available for tonight's game. F Tyrese Samuel has been placed on the Club's reserve roster in order for him to participate in potential NBA team workouts; he will return to the club at the conclusion of his commitments.
Mitchell Creek’s season debut didn’t disappoint. The reigning Canadian Elite Basketball League Most Valuable Player poured in 29 points, seven rebounds and four assists as a late game comeback by the Vancouver Bandits fell short. “I thought (Creek) was awesome tonight, as he always is,” said Bandits head coach Kyle Julius. The Scarborough Shooting Stars defeated the Vancouver Bandits 108-105 in dramatic fashion on Monday Night. The Shooting Stars led by as many as 17 points in the third quarter, which eventually turned into a one point deficit, led by Creek. However, the comeback proved to be too much for the Bandits as they fell in the final moments of the fourth quarter. “I was disappointed with our third quarter. It was like an implosion,” said Julius. In the opening quarter, back-and-forth action followed, with neither team gaining too large of an edge. The Shooting Stars led 24-23 after the first quarter. This contest featured a star-studded cast of players as both teams boast the best records in their conferences. The Bandits entered action with a 7-2 record, while the Shooting Stars were 7-1. Countless lead changes ensued, yet Scarborough’s lead jumped out to 65-61 by halftime. They continued the pressure as the lead grew to double digits in the third quarter, headlined by Myles Powell’s 33 points. Julius thought his team “lost their cool” and acted “immature” as the Shooting Stars took the lead. Jaelen House scored 22 points on seven-for-nine field goal shooting, while Miller Kopp followed with 20 points, five three pointers made and three steals. Jarkel Joiner had 17 points in 26 minutes. Despite the loss, Julius praised the versatility and depth of his team, noting the Bandits’ adversity through injuries. “I’m proud of where we are,” he said. The Bandits were without reigning Canadian Player of the Year Tyrese Samuel and Dre Davis, allowing Dominic Parolin into the starting lineup. Parolin finished with eight points and eight rebounds. Next, the Bandits will travel to Winnipeg for a matchup with the Sea Bears on Thursday before playing the Brampton Honey Badgers at home on Saturday.
The Vancouver Bandits announced Sunday that the reigning Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) Most Valuable Player Mitch Creek has re-signed with the club and will suit up on Monday, June 15 against the Scarborough Shooting Stars. The 6-foot-5 forward and fan favourite returns to the Bandits after a stellar 2025 campaign in which he was named Most Valuable Player and an All-CEBL First Team Selection. Creek had one of the most statistically productive stretches of his career during the 2025 CEBL season. Starting in all 20 regular season games, he averaged a team-high 24.4 points per game along with 6.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals in 34.4 minutes.Creek made his CEBL debut during the 2024 season and currently ranks second on the Bandits’ all-time leading scorers list (643 points). Creek appeared in five NBA regular season games during the 2018-19 season, splitting time between the Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves averaging 4.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game on 50 per cent shooting from the field across both clubs. A veteran of 15 professional seasons, Creek was a mainstay and all-star in his home country’s National Basketball League (NBL), logging 338 games and served as captain for both the Adelaide 36ers and South East Melbourne Phoenix. Most recently, Creek competed for Romanian club U-BT Cluj-Napoca during the 2025-26 season where he captained the team to a Romanian League championship and received All-EuroCup Second Team honours. A native of Horsham, Australia, Creek is a major basketball figure in his home country and has been instrumental to the success of the national team, known as the Boomers, and was recently named to Australia’s roster for the upcoming 2027 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers taking place in July. Creek will step away from the Bandits’ roster later this month to join the Australian national team in advance of its FIBA World Cup Qualifier games on July 3 and 6 against Guam and the Philippines, respectively. He will rejoin the Bandits at the conclusion of his international duties. 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 led nearly from start to finish, avenging an earlier loss with a 104-95 victory over the Ottawa BlackJacks. The teams met on Saturday night on Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre, with the Bandits improving to 7-2 atop the Canadian Elite Basketball League's Western Conference. The BlackJacks fell to 4-5, dropping into a tie for third place in the Eastern Conference. “The way they beat us was pretty evident and obvious,” said Vancouver Bandits coach Kyle Julius of the earlier meeting on June 2. “So, I thought we did a great job – for the most part – correcting what hurt us, so that was nice to see.” “I think there was probably a little more urgency defensively,” he explained. The Bandits led for all but 29 seconds of the game, thanks in large part to a 30-point opening quarter. From there, however, the offence struggled to maintain the same rhythm. “Fatigue. We just didn’t have our rotation,” Julius said. “We were shorthanded, and I wasn’t really surprised with the ebb and flow and the dips we had. “Even D’Andre Davis – who is going to be a very good player for us – but if you look at his ankle, it’s still swollen, so he’s out there hobbling around.” The offence was powered by Jarkel Joiner, who had 37 points – a franchise record – seven assists and four rebounds. “The coaches had a great game plan, and we executed it,” Joiner said. “We locked in, we didn’t take the game for granted.” Joiner had a larger role in the game, especially with point guard and leading scorer Jaelen House sidelined. “Honestly, it’s hard without him. He makes the game so much easier with his quickness, how fast he is, how explosive he is, how he sees the game,” Joiner admitted. “But coach needed me to step up tonight, and (Duane Notice) helped with the point guard role, and everybody stepped up.” Miller Kopp added 15 points and eight rebounds, Mychal Mulder finished with 13 and Tyrese Samuel chipped in 10 points and eight boards. Dominic Parolin came off the bench to finish with a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds, giving Vancouver five scorers in double figures. Ottawa was led by Javonte Smart’s 29 points with Matthew Cleveland and Justin Harmon both adding 19. "They play hard. They have respect for the game and force you into a lot of contested shots, so for us, we have to continue to fight for great shots," said BlackJacks coach Justin Mazzulla. “We have to continue to play together and have our energy not be impacted by whether the ball goes in or not.” Up next, the Bandits return to Envision Financial Court on June 15 to host the Eastern Conference-leading Scarborough Shooting Stars (7-1). Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.
LATEST VIDEO
Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Mamba on May 14, 2026.
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.