Rattlers And Bandits Seeking Consistency In Season Three Of The CEBL
Justine Jones • June 26, 2021
The Saskatchewan Rattlers and Fraser Valley Bandits will tip off their 2021 CEBL seasons on June 26 at 7 p.m. ET at the Abbotsford Centre, marking the return of professional basketball to British Columbia for the first time since the COVID-19 shutdown.
Through two seasons, both franchises have finished near the top and bottom of the standings. This year they will look to establish themselves as consistent contenders in the CEBL.
Saskatchewan came into the league hot, winning the inaugural CEBL title in 2019 in front of a loud and proud Saskatoon crowd. But in the 2020 CEBL Summer Series, the team missed out on the playoffs, finishing at 1-5 and spending a large portion of the two-week condensed season nursing minor injuries.
This narrative is opposite of the Fraser Valley Bandits, who struggled in the 2019 CEBL season finishing at 4-16, but turned it around last year with a remarkable run to the championship. While they were ultimately defeated by their western rival, the Edmonton Stingers, head coach Kyle Julius was proud of the team’s gritty play.
Welcome back
Saskatchewan will have a familiar face behind the bench this season in Chad Jacobson. The Rattlers head coach was an assistant during their 2019 championship season before taking over full coaching duties last year.
Returning players Kemy Osse, Negus Webster-Chan, Denzell Taylor, Jelane Pryce, and Kai Williams will also give Saskatchewan a boost. In addition to keeping this core group of Canadians together, the Rattlers have added a crucial off-season import from the championship-winning Edmonton Stingers in Travis Daniels.
The six-foot-eight forward is a strong scorer and defender who will bring size to the Rattlers’ line up as well as a solid presence on the glass. Daniels was named a CEBL First Team All-Star in both 2019 and 2020 and is a versatile player who will be counted upon to play multiple positions in the front court.
Shoes to fill
While the Fraser Valley franchise may be called the Bandits, it was they who were robbed this off-season with the Ottawa BlackJacks and Niagara River Lions swiping two of the Bandits’ veteran players in Junior Cadougan and Olu Ashaolu. This, in addition to head coach Kyle Julius staying overseas in Taiwan, means there will be high expectations for the incoming recruits this season.
Former Fraser Valley assistant coach David Singleton will take over as bench boss and will look to continue with the same type of physical and tenacious play they found success with last year.
Guards Malcolm Duvivier and Marek Klassen are the only two returning from the 2020 roster. This duo will be asked to lead and continue to facilitate Fraser Valley’s signature gritty and persistent style of play.
Duvivier ranked in the team’s top three in both points per game and rebounds per game last year. As a dependable two-way player, the six-foot-two guard was named the team’s defensive player of the year and MVP last season.
The other backcourt Bandit, Klassen, averaged 9.3 points and 3.4 assists per game in 2020. The Abbotsford native is entering his third season with Fraser Valley and is the franchise’s all-time leading scorer. He was previously named a CEBL Second Team All-Star in 2019.
Klassen and Duvivier will anchor the Bandits’ backcourt this season alongside a key off-season acquisition in Alex Campbell.
Old friends
Campbell will square off against his old team, the Saskatchewan Rattlers on Saturday night. He travels west alongside his former Rattlers teammate, Shaquille Keith.
Keith finds himself in a new CEBL jersey for the third straight season having played for Saskatchewan in year one, and in the nation’s capital in year two. The Toronto, Ont., native played a key role for the expansion BlackJacks last season, averaging 10.3 points per game on 51.4 per cent shooting.
Campbell previously captained the Rattlers to the title in 2019 and won the CEBL Finals MVP as the team’s leader in points, minutes, and three-point shooting percentage.
In 2020, the six-foot-two guard took his talents overseas to Finland playing for Lahti Basketball Club and led the team to a fifth place finish. Campbell brings veteran leadership and championship pedigree to the Valley, and will be a key piece both against his former team and for the duration of the season.
All CEBL games will be available for live streaming on the CEBL’s new OTT streaming service, CEBL+, cbcsports.ca, the free CBC Gem streaming service, the CBC Sports App for iOS and android devices, and on Twitch.
A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 75 percent of its current rosters being Canadians. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. The only First Division Professional League Partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL season typically runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.
LATEST NEWS
The Canadian Elite Basketball League has confirmed that the start time for the Vancouver Bandits’ away game on Thursday, May 14 against Saskatoon Mamba at SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, Sask, has been changed from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 a.m. PT. This game will be Vancouver’s first game of the 2026 CEBL regular season. The game, along with all Bandits games during the 2026 season, will be live-streamed on the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+, and the CEBL Mobile app. Fans can also tune in on the CBC Gem app and the CBC Sports YouTube channel.
The Vancouver Bandits announced Thursday that the club has signed 6-foot-9 forward Dominic Parolin to its roster for the 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. Hailing from Coquitlam, B.C., this marks Parolin’s first professional basketball contract after recently completing a six-year NCAA DI career with stints at Boise State University and Lehigh University. “I can’t wait to start off my professional career with the Bandits. This organization has a history of success and I am excited to be a part of it,” said Parolin. “Having grown up around Vancouver, this is also a great opportunity to reconnect with the local basketball community.” After redshirting during the 2024-25 season, Parolin appeared in 32 games for the Boise State Broncos in 2025-26 where he suited up in 32 games with averages of 5.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 0.5 blocks in 17.0 minutes per game. Prior to Boise State, Parolin played four seasons with the Lehigh Mountain Hawks where he was named Third Team All-Patriot League in 2024. “We are all excited about working with Dominic. He has had a tremendous college career and has a very high ceiling as a professional player,” said Bandits head coach and general manager, Kyle Julius. “Dominic plays with big time toughness, has great size and a versatile game as a power forward. Being a B.C. kid, we are thrilled that he is back home playing for us in front of friends and family.” An alumnus of Centennial Secondary in Coquitlam, B.C., Parolin captained the Centaurs’ senior boys team to a fifth-place finish at the 2020 BC 4A Boys Basketball Provincial Championship, while also earning First Team All-Star honours at the tournament. 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 Thursday that the club has signed NBA-experienced guard Mychal Mulder for the 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. A 6-foot-3 guard from Windsor, Ont., Mulder appeared in 84 NBA games between 2019 to 2022 for the Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic and Miami Heat. His breakout season in 2020-21 saw him appear in 60 games for the Warriors, where he averaged 5.6 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.4 assists in 12.8 minutes, including six starts alongside the likes of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins. “I am excited to be in Vancouver to play with the Bandits and work with coach Kyle Julius this summer. Playing in a Canadian league is a first for me, and it is an opportunity that I take pride in,” said Mulder. “We are going to have a really good group and a very competitive season; Bandits fans, get ready.” Mulder most recently played for the Washington Wizards’ NBA G League affiliate, Capital City Go-Go, during the 2023-24 season where he appeared in 27 games and averaged 5.2 points, 1.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists in 17.3 minutes per game. A product of the University of Kentucky, Mulder played two seasons of NCAA DI basketball from 2015 to 2017. He averaged 4.7 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.4 assists in 10.6 minutes through 32 contests for a Wildcats squad that advanced to the Elite Eight at the 2017 NCAA March Madness tournament. “Mychal is an elite Canadian player who has built a career as accomplished as any player to play in our league. He will provide big time experience and leadership to our group,” said head coach and general manager Kyle Julius. “He has played with the best players in the world and it is going to be awesome to have him enhance our culture and push our group towards a championship.” Internationally, Mulder has represented Canada at the senior level on two occasions at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers and the 2021 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Mulder joins reigning CEBL Canadian Player of the Year Tyrese Samuel as players who have signed with the Bandits for the upcoming 2026 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 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) is proud to announce CEBL Signing Day , coming April 8. Replacing the CEBL Draft , Signing Day will roll out across league-wide social platforms, spotlighting the next wave of elite Canadian talent as student-athletes from U SPORTS and the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) officially sign for the 2026 season. Two athletes per team will be announced, with the possibility of more signings as the season approaches. Since 2019, the CEBL’s partnership with U SPORTS and more recently also the CCAA has built a pro-level stage where the best intercollegiate talent from coast to coast can shine. CEBL teams are incentivized to carry development players on their active rosters, with up to three developmental players eligible per game outside the Club’s salary cap. The results speak for themselves: 116 student-athletes from 44 schools across Canada have been selected by CEBL clubs through the draft process, a testament to the exceptional depth and calibre of Canadian collegiate basketball. The world will be watching. Through the CEBL's landmark five-year broadcast partnership with CBC Sports, these talented student-athletes will get national, and global, spotlight. Marquee games will air on CBC TV, including the first-ever best-of-three CEBL Finals in league history, with every CEBL game live streamed on CBC Gem and CBC Sports YouTube and CEBL+ . Canadian basketball has never been more visible and it's only getting bigger. For the full 2026 CEBL schedule, visit cebl.ca/schedule . Details on the league’s new playoff format are available at cebl.ca/playoffs , and ticket information for all CEBL games can be found at cebl.ca/tickets .
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