Rattlers search for bounce-back win over BlackJacks with new head coach
New Saskatchewan Rattlers (-125) head coach Tanner Massey will look to lead the team on a playoff push starting with his debut against the Ottawa BlackJacks (-110) at SaskTel Centre on Wednesday at 7 p.m. CT.
The game will be available for streaming on TSN+, CEBL+ powered by BetVictor and on the CEBL Mobile app available on iOS and Android devices.
The Rattlers relieved Dean Demopoulos of coaching duties on Tuesday ahead of the final eight games of the season, promoting Massey from assistant coach.
Saskatchewan sits fifth in the Western Conference at 4-8, 3.5 games back of first-place Winnipeg. With a spot in the semi-finals secured for Vancouver, Saskatchewan will have to finish in the top three among the remaining western teams to qualify for the postseason. They are currently 1.5 games behind third-place Edmonton and 2.5 back of second-place Calgary.
Meanwhile, Ottawa will look to hold on to the top spot in the CEBL’s Eastern Conference and earn a bye to CEBL Championship Weekend in Vancouver next month. The BlackJacks enter the contest with an 8-5 record and a half-game lead on second-place Scarborough in the east.
Saskatchewan visited the nation’s capital last week for their first meeting of the season with the BlackJacks. Despite a franchise record 37 points from Justin Wright-Foreman, the Rattlers fell 97-86. Five BlackJacks scored in double-figures in the win, highlighted by 22 points, seven rebounds and five assists from Deng Adel.
The performance from Wright-Foreman gave Ottawa head coach James Derouin nightmares.
“It's difficult, especially when he's in the groove that he's in right now. It didn't matter if there's two guys or one guy [guarding him]. I mean, he's fading out of bounds, going left, going right, splitting the [defence], tough finishes at the rim – he's world-class, that I've seen, scoring the basketball,” Derouin said after the game.
Ottawa will look to prevent Wright-Foreman from securing too many touches in Wednesday’s rematch.
“I think as soon as we got the ball out of Justin's hands – their support players – that's probably one of their weaknesses,” Ottawa’s Jackson Rowe said after the previous meeting. “I think the key was just to get it out of his hands and then let the other players create.”
Wright-Foreman is off to a historic start for the Rattlers this season. He leads the league in scoring at 30.2 points per game on 53 per cent shooting from the field, 48 per cent from three and 82 per cent from the line. If he keeps stuffing the stat sheet, he could become the first player in CEBL history to average over 30 points in a season. No player has eclipsed 25 points per game in a season, which Winnipeg’s Teddy Allen is also on pace to achieve this year.
The supporting cast will look to step up for Saskatchewan with their star garnering so much attention. Michael Nuga is the only other Rattler averaging over 10 points per game, with 13.6 on the season. Nuga has largely come off the bench this season as a backup point guard, starting in just three of 11 appearances thus far. Malik Benlevi averages 9.2 points per game for Saskatchewan, but the forward was added to the injury report on the weekend.
Meanwhile, Ottawa has been able to rely on its depth to complement top-end talent. Adel leads the team in points per game and is second in assists, rebounds and blocks. He averages 18.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 0.9 blocks in nine starts.
Five BlackJacks average over 10 points per game with Zena Edosomwan just short at 9.7. Point guard Kadre Gray has earned consideration for Canadian Player of the Year, with 16.8 points per game and a league-best 6.7 assists per game.
Thomas Scrubb, Jackson Rowe and Michael Flowers are all averaging double digits for the team as well, with streaky shooter Tyrrel Tate and Maxime Boursiquot also serving important roles. Former CEBL champion and Canadian Player of the Year Caleb Agada was released by the BlackJacks on Monday after one appearance with the team.
The BlackJacks boast an efficient offence that features the league’s best field goal percentage, three-point percentage and assist total, along with top-five averages in points per game and two-point percentage.
Ottawa will hope for another balanced attack on Wednesday in an effort to sweep their season series against the Rattlers.
All games are available for streaming on TSN+, CEBL+ powered by BetVictor and on the CEBL Mobile app available on iOS and Android devices.
A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 71 per cent of its 2022 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. Nine players have moved from the CEBL into the NBA following a CEBL season, and 28 CEBL players attended NBA G League training camps during October. The CEBL season runs from May through August. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.
