As the Saskatchewan Rattlers look ahead to training camp, the province of Saskatchewan will see the return of many familiar faces- as five members of the 2020 roster return. The five returning Rattlers include Kemy Osse, Negus Webster-Chan, Jelance Pryce, Denzell Taylor and Kai Williams.
Osse, a Montreal-QC. native is coming off of a successful season in the CEBL bubble averaging 14.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. Similarly, Rattlers veterans Pryce, Webster-Chan, Taylor and Williams are coming off the 2020 CEBL season looking to build upon their performances in the bubble this past season. Pryce has averaged 12.5 minutes, 3.1 points, and 2.3 rebounds in 41 professional games. In addition, Pryce was named the 2019 Rattlers community ambassador. Webster-Chan, known as a sharpshooter and fan favourite, averaged 12.2 points per game in the 2020 CEBL Summer Series. The 2021 season will mark both Webster-Chan’s and Pryce’s third season with the team. Both players were part of the Rattlers 2019 Inaugural Championship Season. Denzell Taylor also returns to the Rattlers having averaged 5.3 points while playing in 128 professional games. Taylor led the CEBL in field goal percentage in the 2020 Summer Series, shooting 61.5 percent from the field. A consistent presence on both the offensive and defensive glass, the Rattlers will look to Taylor’s experience and leadership. Kai Williams is also set to return for the Rattlers after posting 3.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in the 2020 Summer Series.
In addition, Lawrence Moore who was a member of the Rattlers 2019 Inaugural Championship run will be rejoining the team for 2021. Moore returns to the roster after averaging 5.3 points per game for the Rattlers in their championship season.
The Rattlers built onto their championship experience, adding Travis Daniels and Mambi Diawara to the roster. Daniels has previously played in the CEBL for two seasons with the Edmonton Stingers. In 2020, he won the CEBL championship with the Stingers. A consistent producer in any league he plays in, Daniels has been named a first-team CEBL All-Star in both 2019 and 2020. Diawara also played in the CEBL Summer Series, winning a championship alongside Daniels in 2020. Diawara comes to Saskatchewan following a season with the Helsinki Seagulls in Finland, where he averaged 5.2 points per game throughout the regular season.
General Manager Barry Rawylk has bolstered the roster by recruiting from proven CEBL-experienced players as well as veterans who have had successful careers collegiately and overseas.
The Rattlers reinforced their roster with the addition of two Americans to the backcourt. Avery Woodson, a 6-2 guard from Waynesboro- MS and JaKeenan Gant, a Georgia native, will play critical roles for the Rattlers this season. Woodson comes from Butler University, where he averaged 8.6 points per game as a graduate transfer. He has previous professional experience playing 90 professional games with significant time spent in Sweden, Finland and Greece. Import forward, JaKeenan Gant played his collegiate basketball at the University of Louisiana- Lafayette where he was named a two-time Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He has played professionally with the NBA G-League as a Fort Wayne Mad Ants member- the G League affiliate of the Indiana Pacers. This past winter, Gant played three games for the Mad Ants during the NBA G League bubble season after competing in South Korea for Mobis Phoebus.
Canadian forwards, D’Andre Bernard and Nick Madray as well as guard Devonté Bandoo will also mark their Rattlers debuts. Bernard, a Ajax -Ontario native, has played in 102 collegiate games in the NCAA, averaging 8.6 points and 3.9 rebounds, with his most recent basketball being played at Louisiana-Monroe. Madray, a veteran out of Mississauga-ON has experience at Wagner College, where he averaged 5.7 points in 76 collegiate games, and recently averaged 13.9 points and 7.1 rebounds in 30 games for Decka Pelplin in Poland. Bandoo joins the Rattlers after playing for Baylor University, where he was named 2019-20 Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year. During the 2019-20 season, Bandoo helped the Bears achieve a school-record 23-game winning streak which earned Baylor a No. 1 ranking for five-straight weeks. In his final year with the Bears, Bandoo shot a team-leading 38.5 percent from three-point range and averaged 7.6 points and 3.6 rebounds during a shortened season. This will mark Bandoo’s first professional season.
Joining the returning veterans and new Americans is a group of young Canadians looking to make their impact felt in their first year with the Rattlers. Amongst those looking to make an impact is Nervens Demosthene, the first overall pick of the CEBL U SPORTS draft. Demosthene last played for Bishop's University in Sherbrooke-QC, where he averaged 13 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in 54 collegiate games. Demosthene is joined by two Saskatchewan natives entering the CEBL through the CEBL U SPORTS draft. Alexander Dewar and Tyrese Potoma will swap the green and white of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies for the green and wheat of the Saskatchewan Rattlers. Dewar was originally drafted in the 2020 CEBL U SPORTS draft but didn’t suit up during the Summer Series. The Saskatoon, SK-native has averaged 13.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 25.6 minutes, shooting an impressive 47.6 percent from the field over his two years with the Huskies. Potoma spent the past two seasons with Cleveland State University and Laramie Community College before transferring to the University of Saskatchewan ahead of the 2020-21 school year. The Regina, SK-native played at Campbell Collegiate where he was named the 4A Provincial Male Athlete of the Year on the way to leading the Campbell Tartans to a Provincial Championship in 2017.
The coaching staff has been finalized as well, headlined by the return of head coach Chad Jacobson. Jacobson made his professional coaching debut for the Rattlers at the 2020 Summer Series. In 2019, Jacobson served as an assistant coach for the Rattlers in their inaugural championship season. The coaching staff will also see the return of Mario Celebre returning to fill the role of an assistant coach, the same role he served throughout the 2020 Summer Series. Rounding out the coaching staff are new hires Conor Dow, Paige Crozon and James Wielenga. Dow will serve as the Rattlers lead assistant in 2021 and has previous experience coaching with Texas Legends of the NBA G League. Crozon, a Saskatchewan native, has played professionally for the Canadian National Team and is the current assistant coach of the University of Lethbridge women's basketball team. Wielenga has served as the head coach of the Keyano College Huskies where he coached the team to a 53-19 record during his time in Fort McMurray.
“I am very excited about the roster that has been assembled for the Rattlers 2021 season”, said Rattlers GM Barry Rawlyk. “We were able to get back our key performers from the 2020 Summer Series and have bolstered the roster with proven players like Daniels and Woodson. We have a strong mix of veteran and younger players and I am eager to see what this group can accomplish on the court. In addition to their skills on the hardwood, this group is one that I believe the people of Saskatchewan will really embrace. I expect this group will personify the spirit of Saskatchewan with their hard work ethic, resiliency and strong character. I can see the province really getting behind the team, and I know the players are ready to compete and make the province proud.”
The CEBL is preparing for its third season in 2021 starting June 24, 2021 following the success of this past year's CEBL Summer Series in St. Catharines, Ont., which saw millions of viewers across Canada and around the world tune in starting July 25 to watch 26 games played over 15 days in a single-site league competition. The CEBL became the first professional sports league in Canada to return to play after the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus in mid-March shut down sports across the country. For more information on the Rattlers, visit therattlers.ca.
The CEBL is preparing for its third season in 2021 starting June 24, 2021 following the success of this past year's CEBL Summer Series in St. Catharines, Ont., which saw millions of viewers across Canada and around the world tune in starting July 25 to watch 26 games played over 15 days in a single-site league competition. The CEBL became the first professional sports league in Canada to return to play after the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus in mid-March shut down sports across the country. For more information on the Rattlers, visit therattlers.ca.
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