Shooting Stars Host Alliance in High-Powered Play-In Game

August 14, 2025

Myles Dichter

(Preview: Eastern Conference Play-In)

After the CEBL’s longest regular season ever, the playoffs have arrived — and the urgency is about to pick up.

The post-season begins with the Eastern Conference Play-In game as the Scarborough Shooting Stars host the Montreal Alliance at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET. Live coverage is available on TSN, RDS, CEBL+, TSN+ and NLSE.

The winner of the one-game knockout will then travel to Gatineau, Que., to face the Ottawa BlackJacks in Saturday’s conference semifinal, where a trip to Winnipeg for Championship Weekend will be on the line.

Both the Shooting Stars (11-13, third in East) and Alliance (9-15, fourth) experienced roller-coaster regular seasons — and both on paper appear intriguingly even.

Scarborough opened the year with three straight wins, only to lose its next three to fall right back to .500.

The Shooting Stars then found their level through the middle of the season and lightly threatened the Niagara River Lions atop the conference before another three-game skid ended those hopes. Now, they enter the playoffs having dropped two straight to fall into the play-in game.

Montreal’s ride was even more extreme — the Alliance opened the season in dominant fashion, winning four straight games by at least 20 points each.

Then, like the Shooting Stars, they crashed back to earth with a four-game skid that brought them back to .500.

Another four-game skid in July put Montreal on its back heel, and it’s essentially been locked into fourth place ever since.

Perhaps unsurprisingly then, the Shooting Stars and Alliance split their four games against each other, including a Montreal win in Sunday’s regular-season finale.

However, going into what promises to be a raucous Scarborough arena could prove challenging for the Alliance, who struggled on the road with a 4-8 record.

Still, these teams enter with nearly identical statistical records: they were average both offensively (Scarborough fifth, Montreal sixth) and defensively (Montreal fourth, Scarborough fifth).

While both teams were also middle-of-the-pack in field-goal percentage, they were each top-four in three-point percentage, but strangely both bottom-three in free-throw percentage.

The Shooting Stars’ glaring advantage comes on the defensive side of the ball, where they were third in steals per game while leading the league in blocks per game at 6.1 (no other team even average five).

Player spotlight

Ultimately, however, this contest will come down to the stars on either side.

The Shooting Stars boast two of the league’s five leading scorers in Donovan Williams (22.7 points per game) and Terquavion Smith (22.6).

Williams and Smith are equally capable of carrying the load for Scarborough, and if both are firing on all cylinders the Shooting Stars offence can become deadly.

Williams, the 23-year-old Houston native, is in his second season with Scarborough. A steady scorer, Williams also hauled down 4.5 rebounds per contest on the season.

Smith, the 22-year-old from Greenville, N.C., made 3.3 triples per game to sit fourth leaguewide. However, he’s failed to reach 20 points in three of his last four games while attempting just seven free throws in that span.

On the other side, the Alliance have a pair of shifty guards who could alter a game in a hurry.

If he hadn’t sat the final game of the season, Tavian Dunn-Martin might have set the league record for three-pointers in a season as he finished with 68. The all-time mark sits at 70.

The 5-foot-8 Dunn-Martin emerged as Montreal’s MVP, leading the team in points (19.6), assists (six) and steals (0.9) per game in addition to a 41.5 per cent mark from beyond the arc.

And then there’s Montreal’s secret weapon: Tavis ‘Pistol’ Smith.

The 6-foot-3 guard is a firecracker offensively. Though he played just seven games, Smith sparked the Alliance with 15.3 points per contest including 2.7 three-pointers, proving to be a more-than-capable sidekick for Dunn-Martin.

If those two get hot, the Shooting Stars could be in trouble.

And if Williams and Smith find their stroke too, then the first playoff game of the season could even prove to be its most entertaining.

2025 CEBL Playoff Schedule

Eastern Conference Play-In – Thursday, Aug. 14 – MTL at SSS – 7 p.m. ET – Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (TSN, RDS, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE)

Western Conference Play-In – Thursday, Aug. 14 – EDM at CGY – 7:30 p.m. MT / 9:30 p.m. ET – WinSport Event Centre (TSN, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE)

Eastern Conference Semifinal – Saturday, Aug. 16 – TBD at OTT – 1 p.m. ET – Centre Slush Puppie – Gatineau, QC (TSN, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE)

Western Conference Semifinal – Saturday, Aug. 16 – TBD at VAN – 12:30 p.m. PT / 3:30 p.m. ET – Langley Events Centre (TSN, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE)

CW25 – Eastern Conference Final – Friday, Aug. 22 – TBD at NRL – 5 p.m. CDT / 6 p.m. ET – Canada Life Centre – Winnipeg, MB (TSN, RDS, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE)

CW25 – Western Conference Final – Friday, Aug. 22 – WPG at TBD – 7:30 p.m. CDT / 8:30 p.m. ET – Canada Life Centre – Winnipeg, MB (TSN, RDS, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE)

CW25 – CEBL Championship Final – Sunday, Aug. 24 – TBD at TBD – 6 p.m. CDT / 7 p.m. ET – Canada Life Centre – Winnipeg, MB (TSN, RDS, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE)

For the full 2025 CEBL schedule, please visit cebl.ca/games.

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Former NBA Executive Al Whitley Joins Brampton as Chief Executive Officer

November 12, 2025

The Brampton Honey Badgers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced today that Al Whitley, former NBA executive and general manager of the Texas Legends (NBA G League affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks), has joined the franchise as chief executive officer (CEO). Whitley brings more than two decades of experience in professional basketball, having spent 22 years within the Dallas Mavericks organization, where he helped drive basketball operations at the highest level. His leadership has been defined by his commitment to creating a winning culture, fostering relationships, and developing talent on and off the court. Born in Belleville, Ontario and raised in Victoria, British Columbia, Whitley discovered his passion for basketball alongside childhood friend and NBA legend Steve Nash. After playing college basketball at the University of New Brunswick, Whitley began his professional career with the Dallas Mavericks in 2001 in their marketing department, before quickly transitioning to basketball operations. As a special advisor to former Mavericks Majority Owner Mark Cuban, Whitley played a pivotal role in the franchise’s success, including its historic 2011 NBA Championship. That experience, he says, gave him firsthand insight into “what it truly takes to build and sustain a championship team and culture.” In 2017, Whitley was named general manager and vice president of basketball operations for the Texas Legends, where he oversaw all aspects of the organization - from basketball operations and scouting, to business development and community engagement - leading the team to its first-ever playoff win. “I am incredibly grateful and excited for this opportunity to help lead the Brampton Honey Badgers back to championship form - both on the court and in the community,” said Whitley. “I want to sincerely thank our owner, Leonard Asper, for his trust and commitment. Being born and raised in Canada, this is a full-circle moment for my family and me. Coming back home to help guide, develop, and grow the Brampton Honey Badgers of the CEBL is not only an honour - it’s a privilege and a challenge I wholeheartedly embrace.” Throughout his NBA career, Whitley has worked with some of the game’s most influential figures, including Mark Cuban, Donn Nelson, Rick Carlisle, Donnie Nelson and legendary players such as Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, and Luka Dončić. “When I acquired the Honey Badgers, I committed to creating a winning team that also serves as a pillar of its community,” said Leonard Asper, owner of the Brampton Honey Badgers. “Al Whitley’s track record and reputation leave me no doubt that he is the right person to fulfill that mission. We are extremely fortunate that he is making this commitment to Brampton, and I thank him for his trust in us.” As CEO, Whitley aims to elevate the Honey Badgers organization both competitively and culturally - building a championship-caliber roster, enhancing fan engagement, and strengthening the team’s ties within the community. Honey Badgers fans can look forward to an exciting offseason filled with community events leading up to the 2026 CEBL season tip-off in May. Details on 2026 season ticket packages will be announced soon. ### About the Brampton Honey Badgers One of the original franchises of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the 2022 CEBL Champion Brampton Honey Badgers proudly call the CAA Centre home. The Brampton front office and basketball operations department bring NBA, NBA G League, national team, NCAA and major international pro league experience to the franchise. With a vision of promoting Brampton grassroots basketball and local businesses through community and corporate engagement, the Honey Badgers will leverage the explosion of basketball as a vehicle for innovation and change. For more information visit honeybadgers.ca .