Right & Wrong: An Analysis of the Bandits' round robin performance
By Contributing Bandits Writer: Grant Vassos • August 8, 2020
On the final day of the CEBL Summer Series round robin, the Bandits earned a crucial victory against the Guelph Nighthawks to earn their fourth CEBL Summer Series win and secured a bye to the semifinals. With the prospect of advancing to the team’s first-ever CEBL championship game, let's take a look at what has gone right – and wrong – for the Bandits thus far.
Right – Teamwork makes the dream work
Early on in Summer Series action, the Bandits relied on a combination of physical play inside the paint, and quality shooting from guards Junior Cadougan, Kyle Johnson, Marek Klassen and the league’s runner-up in three-pointers made (19) in Jahenns Manigat.
The Bandits’ offensive philosophy is to play up tempo with quick ball movement, utilizing the pick-and-roll and making sure every player is involved in each possession. Unselfish basketball has also been a staple of the Bandits as they currently lead the league with 18.8 assists per game.
In the game against Guelph, the Bandits rebounded from a scrappy opening half to pull off an outstanding 46-point second-half; highlighted by Klassen's decision-making, Manigat's six-of-seven shooting from beyond the arc and all-around play by forward Olu Ashaolu.
Fraser Valley has recorded three halves where they finished with 50-plus points, respectively, this Summer Series. However, it was the 113-point performance against the Edmonton Stingers that showed what this team is truly capable of when everyone works together.
Right – Grit and Tenacity
While the roster assembled by Julius may not wow an audience in size or household basketball names, there may not be a more well-conditioned, battle-tested team that plays with more swagger or toughness in the Summer Series than Fraser Valley.
Where the Bandits excel is by getting in your face, making you uncomfortable when the ball is in your hands, and winning on the hustle plays by sacrificing their bodies and diving for loose balls.
"We just picked up the intensity, and we pride ourselves on defence. Whatever happened on offence, that's it, but defence wins games. We pride ourselves on getting stops, so we did, and that helped our tempo on offence," Cadougan said, following the game against Guelph.
Fraser Valley also possesses a roster of versatile, defensive players in Ashaolu, Malcolm Duvivier, and Marcus Capers – who ranks fifth in the CEBL in rebounds per game (6.8) and fourth in blocks per game (1.2).
It's the steals, however, that have been a defining difference-maker for this team. Never was this more evident than in their game against Guelph, where the Bandits recorded 15 steals in comparison to the Nighthawks’ two. The Bandits also rank in the upper echelon of the CEBL in points off turnovers, which was critical in Fraser Valley’s victory against Edmonton when they outscored the Stingers 31-17 in that category.
Wrong – Slow First Quarter Starts
When the Bandits are riding a hot hand, slow starts are a liability they can live with. But when the shots aren't dropping, and they miss easy dunk and layup attempts, they can often find themselves fighting to stay within reach of the lead.
In the last four games before facing Guelph, the Bandits were outscored in the first quarter by an accumulated point total of 89 to 74. Two of those games ended in losses and the only game in which they scored more points in the opening frame was against the River Lions, who converted on just 28 per cent of their field goals.
"I liked the shots that we were getting, they definitely didn't go in the way I wanted them to today, but the truth is I liked what we were getting," Julius said after the Niagara game. "Our offensive identity, we've only been together for four or five games now, it's hard to really have a true identity, but we do want to space the floor and play quickly."
Despite what recent numbers may indicate, slow starts haven't always resulted in poor results for the Bandits. Against the Rattlers, Fraser Valley trailed by a margin of 10 points to end the first quarter before mounting an incredible second-half comeback where they outscored the Rattlers 49-28 to steal the victory.
Wildcard – Shooting Slumps
As important as team rebounding and establishing a robust inside presence may be for this team, especially against a physical team like Hamilton, shooting will continue to be the backbone that holds this scoring unit together.
Fraser Valley has proven to be one of the better-equipped shooting teams in the league.
Entering Saturday’s semifinal game, the Bandits are shooting 43.7 per cent from the field and a second-best 35.2 per cent from the perimeter. In the paint, Ashaolu, Capers, and forward Tavarion Nix are all capable of holding down the fort after recording a combined 27 points, two steals, two blocks, and a +23 plus-minus rating against the River Lions.
When wide-open shots come, shooters must capitalize on the broken coverage of their opponents. But this isn’t always the case for Fraser Valley.
Against Ottawa, the Bandits made 42 per cent of their two-point attempts compared to the Blackjacks’ 51 per cent, and followed up their next games against Hamilton and Niagara by going 33 per cent and 28 per cent on three-point attempts, respectively. When the shots become stagnant, and their rhythm is interrupted, that's when the Bandits benefit from their intangibles.
Fraser Valley finds a way to overcome their in-game struggles and push through.
"This is why you assemble a team with veterans," Julius said. "You can't coach everything, and you can't hold people's hands through adversity and things like that. This is why you have leadership and experienced players. Leadership does that, and we have a lot of leadership in that locker room."
Fraser Valley will attempt to stave off elimination at 10:30 a.m. PT this morning as the Bandits take on the Hamilton Honey Badgers on CBC.
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Vancouver emerged victorious over Montréal in a battle between the best of both conferences on Saturday (June 14) at Langley Events Centre. The Bandits stormed back from a 20-point deficit in the first half to earn their third straight victory. A timely 15-0 run in the fourth quarter propelled the Bandits to the comeback, featuring clutch shooting from Curtis Hollis, along with inside finishing from Mitch Creek and Shamar Givance. Vancouver head coach Kyle Julius said certain possessions in the third quarter set the tone for the comeback. “We just kept talking about chipping away and we talked a lot about the power of one possession and how it can change a game,” Julius said. Creek paced the Bandits’ attack with a game-high 30 points to go along with seven rebounds. Hollis added 18 points, including the game-winner. “I knew we had to get one more bucket. I knew the guys were helping off me all game, which I really don't know why, but I saw he helped off me, and Shamar made a great pass and I just had to make a shot,” Hollis said. James Karnik and Corey Davis Jr. also made their season debuts for Vancouver, adding nine points each. Julius said incorporating new faces mid-season can be a challenge. “The chemistry of a locker room is fragile. You build your offence around a particular group, you build your defense around a particular group, and when certain pieces change, it can affect your scheme. And so, yeah, you have to tweak things all week,” Julius said. Meanwhile, Montréal guard Tavian Dunn-Martin proved difficult to stop despite second-half struggles as a team. He netted 20 points with four threes on eight-of-13 shooting overall. “We settled for too many threes [in the second half]. We didn't attack the basket … didn't get to the line. Then they got out in transition and made shots, and we didn't,” Dunn-Martin said. Montréal seized control early on, shooting 70 per cent from the field in the first quarter and forcing the Bandits into catch-up mode. Alliance head coach Jermaine Small said his squad was outrebounded in the second half but expects to get better from the loss. “You have to understand that you've got to play a 40-minute game. We got off to a really good start [and] obviously we tapered off a little bit. But it's just a good lesson … basketball is a long game, so I'm not worried about it,” Small said. Montréal began the game on a 14-4 run that culminated in back-to-back threes from Anthony Walker and Quincy Guerrier. Creek showed off his rebounding ability on the offensive glass, keeping the Bandits in the contest with three putbacks. However, the Alliance offence was on fire in the opening 10 minutes. Montréal closed the quarter on a 13-3 run, highlighted by a pair of Michael Diggins Jr. slams and a deep trifecta from Dunn-Martin, to take a 32-15 lead into the second. Guerrier connected on a free throw and a spin layup to extend Montréal’s lead to 20 early in the second before Vancouver went on a quick run fueled by transition finishes to narrow the gap. However, the Alliance stayed hot with another deep triple from Dunn-Martin and a corner three from former Bandit Malcolm Duvivier. The red-hot Montréal offence cooled off to end the half and Vancouver took advantage, closing the deficit to single digits by halftime at 48-41 with a 9-2 run. The third quarter turned into a defensive battle, with neither team scoring more than 15 points. The Bandits fought back to tie the game for the first time since the opening tip, powered by an 11-2 run in which the Alliance didn’t connect on a field goal. However, long-range shooting put Montréal back in front with back-to-back threes from Guerrier and Dunn-Martin. The Alliance carried a 62-56 advantage into the fourth quarter. Dunn-Martin continued to showcase his range with another deep three early in the fourth to bring the Alliance lead back to double-digits. But the Bandits demonstrated their resilience with a massive 15-0 run that put the home squad in front for the first time all game. Alain Louis made some clutch trifectas ahead of the final stretch, but a Creek and-one put Vancouver ahead 80-77 with an 89-point Target Score. After Guerrier kicked off scoring in Target Score Time with a transition slam, Davis Jr. buried a three, Creek got the hoop and the harm, and Givance scored in transition to put Vancouver one point away from victory. Hollis connected on a catch-and-shoot from the wing to complete the comeback and improve the Bandits’ record to 8-1. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600585
Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Montreal Alliance on June 14th, 2025.
The Vancouver Bandits have announced today the following roster updates in advance of its Saturday, June 14 game at home against the Montréal Alliance at 7:00 p.m. PT: G Corey Davis Jr. has been added to Club's active roster and will be available for tonight's game. F James Karnik has been removed the the Club's Suspended List and added to Club's active roster and will be available for tonight's game. F Tyrese Samuel has been placed on the Club's Suspended List in order for him to participate in potential NBA team workouts and Summer League opportunities; he will return to the club at the conclusion of his commitments. G Izaiah Brockington has been placed on the Club's Suspended List in order for him to participate in potential NBA team workouts and Summer League opportunities; he will return to the club at the conclusion of his commitments. G Tristan Jass (lower body) is ruled out for today's game.
The Vancouver Bandits announced Thursday that the club has signed 6’1” American guard Corey Davis Jr. No stranger to the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), Davis Jr. was a member of the Calgary Surge during the 2024 season where he set the league record for most assists in a single season with 126 helpers. Appearing and starting in 19 regular season games and three playoff games, he averaged 13.4 points, 6.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals through 33.1 minutes played. He finished the season with three consecutive, 20+ point performances in the postseason, leading the Surge from the Play-In round to the CEBL Western Conference Final. Davis Jr. most recently played professionally with Vanoli Cremona, the highest-tier level of Italy’s basketball league system, where he appeared in 30 games and averaged 13.6 points, 5.6 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 29.8 minutes of action per game during the 2024-25 season. His pro career also includes stops in Spain, Montenegro, France, Turkey and a stint with the Washington Wizards during the 2019 NBA Summer League. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to be back in the CEBL and can’t wait to get started with the Bandits. I’m looking forward to working with coach Kyle and the team, and building on the success that the Bandits have had so far this season,” said Davis Jr. A member of the University of Houston’s men’s basketball team for two seasons from 2017 to 2019, Davis Jr. was a unanimous First Team All-American Athletic Conference selection in 2019. Davis Jr. also helped the Cougars advance to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, including a berth in the 2019 Sweet 16. Davis Jr. will be on the active roster for the Vancouver Bandits game Saturday evening at home when the club hosts the visiting Montréal Alliance at Langley Events Centre. In a corresponding move, the club has placed guard Izaiah Brockington on its Suspended List in order to accommodate Davis Jr.'s addition while adhering to CEBL roster rules, which limit clubs to four Import players on active rosters.
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Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Montreal Alliance on June 14th, 2025.
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Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Ottawa BlackJacks on June 6th, 2025.
Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Calgary Surge on June 1st, 2025.