Coach Kannemeyer’s 3 Keys vs. HHB - July 23
By: Cassidy Kannemeyer • July 23, 2021
Here are Coach Kannemeyer's 3 Keys to the Game:
So far this season the Fraser Valley Bandits are 5-0 at home and winless in two games on the road. At home the Bandits play with better ball movement on the offensive end thanks to the off-ball activity of its athletic guards and forwards. Very rarely are any of Fraser Valley’s perimeter players standing still as the ball zips from side-to-side creating great shots instead of good shots.
Clearly the roster plays with more unselfishness at home and because more guys get involved offensively their defensive energy dramatically increases. The Bandits travel to Hamilton to face the Honey Badgers who have won four of five at home. On the road the Bandits haven’t shared the ball with the same effectiveness, opting for an isolated brand of basketball that calls for a lot of one-on-one play. The Bandits are at their best when the opposing team can’t focus on one offensive threat. Sharing the ball allows for several players to carry the load during different points in the game. If the Bandits can focus their attention offensively on side-to-side ball movement, inside-out dribble penetration and kicking to open teammates, the game should be close down the stretch and should allow for the Bandits to have a shot at winning their first road game this season.
Shut Down Lindell Wigginton
The Fraser Valley Bandits are one of the most balanced offensive teams in the CEBL. The Hamilton Honey Badgers through nine games have only two players averaging double figures in scoring. Meanwhile, the Bandits have seven. Lindell Wigginton is the head of the Honey Badgers’ attack. Like the Guelph Nighthawks led by Cat Barber, if the Bandits can shut down the one man scoring show it will force Hamilton’s role players to step up offensively. Wigginton is one of the league's brightest combo guards with the ability to be a three-level scorer. He has shown a tremendous ability to get to the free throw line. The Bandits would be wise to shut down all of Wigginton’s driving lanes in order to force the ball out of his hands. In pick and roll scenarios the Bandits should occasionally double team for the same effect. Seven footer Brandon Gilbeck would be the only defender that I would not want to double twenty five feet from the basket as he has been prone to foul trouble in the two road losses this season. In the Honey Badgers' worst loss of the season versus the Edmonton Stingers, Wigginton was harassed every time he touched the ball. Two defenders often stayed with him on pick and rolls. Alex Campbell, Kenny Manigault, and Malcolm Duvivier can all guard the ball effectively and will no doubt have the assignment of shutting down one of the best guards in the CEBL.
Zone or Man?
The Hamilton Honey Badgers play more zone than anyone in the CEBL so far this season. Make or miss the team drops back into a two-three zone on a high percentage of their defensive sequences. I suspect part of the reason for this is to hide their lack of an interior presence. Khalif Young and Jean-Victor Mukama at both six-foot-nine and six-foot-eight, respectively, are the linchpins in one of the smallest frontlines in the league. Their zone is essentially deployed to keep both of those big men out of foul trouble and crowd the paint to limit offensive paint touches. In their worst loss of the season versus the Edmonton Stingers, they were repeatedly gashed inside by high-low feeds versus their zone. If they deploy the zone versus the Bandits I expect the team to put a playmaker in the high post like Shaquille Keith or Kenny Manigault with Brandon Gilbeck and Ryan Ejim roaming the baseline for easy buckets. Fraser Valley’s shooting prowess could also expose the Honey Badgers’ zone but based on how the team has shot on the road, high-low basketball is the best way to expose Hamilton’s lack of front court rim protection.
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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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