Vancouver Bandits Announce First-Ever Pro Combine for Local University Student-Athletes

Bandits Staff • April 22, 2026

The Vancouver Bandits of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) have announced that the club will be hosting its first-ever university combine, inviting some of British Columbia’s most promising men’s basketball student-athletes to showcase their talents and earn a spot on a professional roster. 


The Bandits University Combine, presented by Fuel Supplements, will take place April 25-26, 2026 at Langley Events Centre and is the first event of its kind hosted by a CEBL team. The invite-only combine will feature nearly 40 student-athletes from post-secondary men’s basketball programs across BC and North America. The goal of the combine is for Bandits coaching staff to identify players to invite to training camp, where they can compete for a roster spot for the 2026 CEBL season.


“This combine will give local student-athletes a real professional experience and help us identify players who can impact our team this season,” said Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius. “This is the first event of its kind and it is going to create real opportunities for players to step into a pro environment and prove themselves. University players have been a big part of our success, and we will use this combine to strengthen our roster this summer and build for the future.”


Under the guise of Julius and the Bandits’ coaching staff, student-athletes will participate in workouts and training mirroring those at the professional level. The combine will consist of team-based drills and full-court gameplay; participants will also undergo off-court health testing including a complete body composition analysis scan. 


Student-athletes from the following post-secondary men’s basketball programs will be participating in the Bandits University Combine: Briercrest College, Bishop’s University, Brandon University, Capilano University, Cleveland State University, MacEwan University, McMaster University, Okanagan College, Queen’s University, Thompson Rivers University, Trinity Western University, University of British Columbia, University of British Columbia Okanagan, University of the Fraser Valley, University of Manitoba, University of Northern British Columbia, University of Victoria.


As part of the CEBL’s long-standing partnerships with U SPORTS and the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), Canadian men’s basketball student-athletes can be signed to Developmental Player Contracts therefore retaining a student-athlete’s post-secondary eligibility.


Past Bandits rosters have consisted of university talent such as Thomas Kennedy (2023 U SPORTS Player of the Year), Diego Maffia (2024 U SPORTS Player of the Year) and Sam Maillet (2025 U SPORTS Championship MVP) who have excelled at both their schools and in the CEBL, and have since advanced to professional opportunities.


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.

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BANDITS VICTORIOUS IN FIRST PRO BASKETBALL GAME PLAYED IN KELOWNA

By Rois Chand • June 7, 2026
A change of scenery didn’t stop the Vancouver Bandits’ wrecking crew in Kelowna on Saturday night. The Bandits cruised to a dominant 105-85 win over the Saskatoon Mamba as part of the first ever Kelowna HOOPFEST. Jarkel Joiner (23 points) and Tyrese Samuel (22 points) led the team while Miller Kopp followed with 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists. With this win, the Bandits boast a 6-2 record and are winners of five of their last six games. Kelowna native Grant Sheppard also chipped in with a CEBL career-high 10 points and three rebounds on perfect five-for-five efficiency from the floor. Shephard credited his hometown fans for a jolt of support. “I just had that extra energy and passion tonight. I want to play my best but tonight it was just for Kelowna,” said Shephard. “This whole stadium reminds me of Langley Events Centre. The atmosphere and the fans were great.” Bandits head coach Kyle Julius also applauded the atmosphere at Prospera Place as “tremendous” and said his team felt the support from the fans for all four quarters. “I knew it was going to be good, but this was better than I could’ve expected,” he said. Julius praised Shephard’s play and his ability to enter action without seeing heavy minutes. “He doesn’t complain. He comes in everyday with a smile and he’s locked and loaded and ready to go,” said Julius. The Bandits controlled the game from the opening tip, jumping out to a 23-3 lead in the first quarter. The lead would only build, extending to as many as 21 points in the opening half and eventually 29 points as the game went on. Samuel scored 13 of his 22 points by halftime. Eight Bandits were on the scoresheet, including seven points and nine rebounds from standout rookie Dominic Parolin. Everything went right for Bandits tonight as they shot 12-27 from three point land and forced the Mamba into a hole that was too deep to climb out of. “To play the way we did feels great,” said Julius. The Bandits are back in action at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre on June 13 to battle the Ottawa BlackJacks in the second game of a three game home stand.

Bandits Fall Short to BlackJacks to Close Out Road Trip

By Rois Chand • June 3, 2026
As the road trip ends, so does the winning streak for the Vancouver Bandits as they suffered a 114-105 loss to the Ottawa BlackJacks on Tuesday night. A late comeback by the Bandits fell short in the final game of a three-game road trip, outscoring the BlackJacks 58-54 in the second half. They trailed by as many as 18 points. “We were tired. It’s been a long road trip and I thought we played tired,” said Bandits head coach Kyle Julius. “A little bit of everything wasn't clicking.” Heading into tonight’s contest, the Bandits were winners of four straight games but scored their third-lowest point total of the season in Ottawa. Ottawa’s energy could be felt from the opening tip as they went in front in the first quarter and never lost the lead. They jumped out to a 60-47 lead at half-time, outscoring the Bandits 28-18 in the second quarter. The story of the game was the play of Ottawa’s Matthew Cleveland and Justin Harmon, who combined for 71 points. Cleveland finished with 35 points, 10 rebounds and five assists and Harmon finished with 36 points, eight rebounds and six assists. The Bandits entered action with a 5-1 record, tied for the league’s best, which Cleveland said his team didn't take lightly. “That’s a great team right there so I knew coming in we had to play our A game,” said Cleveland. Jarkel Joiner pitched in with a team-high 25 points, the most he’s scored as a Bandit, while Tyrese Samuel recorded 13 points and five rebounds. Julius credited the BlackJacks for making it difficult for his team, noting the improvement of the league’s Eastern Conference. “In years past (the conference) was quite weak, but at the moment it seems strong,” said Julius. Defensive stops were hard to come by for the Bandits as the BlackJacks shot 12-24 from three-point range and shot 45-74 from the field overall. Vancouver’s ball security was some of the best of the season, committing just 10 turnovers compared to Ottawa’s 21 turnovers. They also shot 37 free throws while Ottawa had only 16 attempts. However, the Bandits were beat out in rebounds (46-27) and threes made (12-10). Julius said his team will use the next few days to watch film and regroup to put the loss behind them. “We’ve got to go back and take care of our bodies and work on the things that we see need correcting,” said Julius. Jaelen House recorded his third straight double-double with 24 points, 12 assists and a season-high five steals. In the latter minutes of the fourth quarter, House was ejected after receiving his second technical foul of the game. The Bandits will head back to the West Coast for a three-game home stand, beginning on Saturday against the Saskatoon Mamba at Prospera Place in Kelowna. Afterwards, they’ll get a rematch with the BlackJacks on June 13.

Tyrese Samuel Named CEBL Player of the Week

By Bandits Staff • June 2, 2026
Vancouver Bandits forward Tyrese was named the CEBL's Player of the Week, the league announced today. This marks the second consecutive honour received by a Bandits player this season (Jaelen House: May 25, 2026) Samuel averaged 23.0 points and 12.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists across two games with the Bandits between May 25 to June 1, with the club going 2-0 on the road during that stretch. On May 29, Samuel scored 29 points on 11-for-12 shooting from the field, along with 14 rebounds in a 110-110 road win against Niagara. One May 30, Samuel recorded another double-double, scoring 17 points and 10 rebounds along with 7 assists. 

Bandits Take Down Undefeated Honey Badgers For Fourth Straight Win

By Rois Chand • May 31, 2026
A late game comeback helped the Vancouver Bandits become the first team to defeat the Brampton Honey Badgers this season, clinching a 93-87 win on Saturday night. A career-high 19 points from Dominic Parolin and 23 points and 12 assists from Jaelen House led the Bandits to their fourth straight win. “It’s just another game. I trust my work and I trust my teammates,” said House, who recorded his fourth double-double of the season. Both teams entered action on top of their conferences, the Bandits at 4-1 while the Honey Badgers were undefeated at 5-0. It was a slow start on either end for the Bandits and the Honey Badgers, with the Bandits showing rust on the latter half of a back-to-back. Bandits head coach Kyle Julius credited his team’s recovery to stay engaged during back-to-back games. “We spend a lot of time on recovery because no one has to travel like we do,” said Julius. “We make it a tough grind in practice so (we) can come and do that in games like this. I feel like we’re built for it.” An early sub, entering Parolin into the game, gave the Bandits a jolt of energy. He recorded eight points and four rebounds by the end of the first quarter. “Those are major stats for a Canadian in our league so I’m super proud of him,” said Julius about the Coquitlam native. “I think the sky is the limit. He’s going to be a great pro for a really long time.” The teams could barely be separated after ten minutes as the Bandits narrowly led 21-20 after one. It was a physical game as the Bandits and Honey Badgers carved their way into the heart of the defence and got rewarded, shooting a combined 42 free throws. Five Bandits reached double-digit scoring, including Parolin who also finished with a game-high three blocks. Tyrese Samuel added 17 points, a season-high seven assists and 10 rebounds, while Jarkel Joiner scored 11 points to continue his streak of scoring 10+ points in his first three games. More back-and-forth followed in the second quarter, but the Bandits surrendered the lead to trail 47-45 into the break. Brampton’s Sean East II scored 20 of his 35 points in the first half. The Bandits briefly took the lead in the third quarter, but the Honey Badgers’ bench, led by six quick points from Keon Ambrose-Hylton helped them take a 67-64 lead into the final quarter. Vancouver began the fourth quarter on a 13-2 run and never looked back, with buckets coming from all areas of the court. A Miller Kopp three pointer in target time sealed the win for the Bandits. Kopp finished with 18 points and four threes made. “(Miller) has been phenomenal. I love coaching him and being around him,” said Julius. “He’s special because he doesn't get too high or too low and that’s why he’s always ready to make a shot.” The Bandits will travel to take on the Ottawa Blackjacks for the final game of a three-game round trip on Tuesday, before heading to Kelowna for a matchup with the Saskatoon Mamba. “We just stay the course and follow the process.”

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