Recap The Court

Jacob Smith

21 days until the 2023 season of the CEBL kicks off with the Ottawa BlackJacks hosting the reigning champs in the Brampton Honey Badgers. With plenty of free agent signings and re-signings across the league, rosters are shaping up and all that’s left is to play some basketball.

Who will come out on top this year? Will the Honey Badgers led by new Head Coach Antoine Broxsie and the newest return of Cody John make it back to the top? Will Jalen Harris push Scarborough over the top and claim the championship after finishing 2nd last season, or will the River Lions led by TJ Lall and Phil Scrubb make the jump to the championship after back to back years of finishing within the top 4?

There are a lot of storylines going into the season, but two of the largest comes out of Alberta, with the Stingers new head coach and the addition of the Calgary Surge relocating from Guelph. Edmonton is now coached by a Stingers and Alberta Basketball great in Jordan Baker, and with additions like Isiah Osborne coming in from spending last season with the Montreal Alliance and playing professionally overseas, the Stingers look to reclaim their spot on the throne and secure their third CEBL championship.

The Surge brought over four players from the previous Nighthawks team, starting with electrifying guard Sean Miller-Moore. Rugzy playing with Cat Barber and Ahmed Hill last season gave Guelph speed off the dribble and an intensity on the court that was infectious to his teammates.

Now playing with Stefan Smith who also came over from Guelph, the combination of Rugzy’s ability to attack the rim and Stefan’s shooting which he showcased as the season went on in 2022, will give the Surge different options of how they want to attack, and two guys who leave everything on the floor no matter how big the game. The third Nighthawk now becoming a member of the Calgary Surge is Maurice Calloo. Maurice averaged 11.1 points and 2.7 rebounds with the Nighthawks and the 6’10 forward showcased his shooting in the playoffs against Niagara making three from beyond the arc.

The River Lions are making a case for the deepest front court early with their additions of Shaquille Keith alongside TJ Lall, EJ Onu and AJ Davis. There’s no question that the duo of EJ Onu and AJ Davis were hard for anyone to deal with last season. The shot blocking of Onu locked down the paint on a daily basis and the length of Davis gave troubles to opposing teams especially in transition and in the midrange. Playing with returning guards Phil Scrubb, Alonzo Walker and their addition in Jahvon Blair, the River Lions roster is looking strong and deep as the season gets underway.

Just three weeks until the season gets underway. Big names, big cities, big aspirations and big strides, strap in for the ride.