YORKTON - The Edmonton Stingers, 2021 champions of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), have been competing in Group A in the Basketball Champions League Americas (BCLA).
The Stingers have played four games in group play against Real Estelí from Nicaragua, and Cangrejeros from Puerto Rico.
Cangrejeros from Puerto Rico, like the Stingers, are participating in their first season of the BCLA.
After winning their opening contest 84-81 over Esteli Dec. 13, in Managua, the Stingers have struggled.
They lost on the second night of a back-to-back in Managua 89-68 to Cangrejeros on Dec. 14.
In the second cycle of play Cangrejeros won 95-55 over the Stingers March 5, again in Managua, with Esteli revenging their earlier loss topping Edmonton 89-73 March 6.
The three teams play in phase 3 of the opening round this week in Calgary, with the Stingers facing Cangrejeros March 14, and Esteli March 16.
Just being involved in the championship is a big step for the CEBL, said former Saskatchewan Rattler Chad Posthumus, a member of the Stingers for the event.
“This is a huge opportunity . . . To play some of the top teams,” said Posthumus who has led the Stingers through four averaging 12.3 points, 10.3 and rebounds, while playing 26.7 minutes, team leader in all three categories.
While the Stingers are representing the CEBL by virtue of having won the 2021 CEBL Championship, the team is made up of players from across the league as many players are playing in other leagues in what has been the off season for Edmonton.
The CEBL’s Edmonton roster for the third window is comprised of nine Canadians and three international players, noted a CEBL release. Eight of the Canadians have played in at least one window of BCLA group stage competition, including centre Chad Posthumus who is averaging 10.3 rebounds (third best in the league), forward Murphy Burnatowski, and guards Junior Cadougan, Jahmal Jones, Malcolm Duvivier, Jaylen Babb-Harrison, Alex Campbell and JV Mukama. Notable CEBL player inclusions to the roster for this window include two-time CEBL Canadian of the Year, two-time CEBL champion with Edmonton (2020, 2021) and All-CEBL First team forward, Jordan Baker, as well as forward Travis Daniels, who played for the Edmonton Stingers in 2020 under current head coach Jermaine Small, and with the Saskatchewan Rattlers last season.
Edmonton is currently ranked third in their respective BCLA group with Cangrejeros of Puerto Rico in first place and Real Estelí of Nicaragua in second place. The Stingers will need to win at least one game in the upcoming window and hope that Esteli loses both games for a chance to enter the competition’s Final 8 playoffs, which will be held at a neutral site in early-April.
Posthumus, who hails from Winnipeg, said getting to play the latest round of games in Canada is great, as it is an opportunity to show Canadian fans “how far this league has come,” adding he feels fans may have underappreciated “what this is.”
While the team is under the Stingers name, since it is the CEBL off season Posthumus said the team really is “guys from a bunch of teams coming together,” to rep the CEBL and Canadian basketball.
The BCLA brings together 12 teams representing seven countries from the Americas, competing over the course of four months to win a berth in the 2023 FIBA International Cup, one of professional basketball’s most prestigious international championship events. The growth of the CEBL has been rather dramatic, especially through the COVID pandemic, but Posthumus, who has signed with Ottawa for the upcoming season, said that has not been a surprise.
“It’s been great from day one,” he said, adding the league has continually made good moves to support both its growth, and the growth of basketball in Canada.
The addition of three teams – Newfoundland, Montreal and Scarborough – this year, is part of a plan, said Posthumus.
“They’ve always been working on that, a 10-plus team league,” he said, adding prospective owners have “seen something special and want to be part of it.”
Posthumus added he has heard up to four more teams are looking to join the CEBL in the next couple of years.
One of those cities would seem to be logically Calgary, with the event this week a sort of showcase of interest.
Wherever the new teams are, it’s all good news for Canadian players, as it gives more sports to fill.
“I never had the opportunity coming out of university, (time at UBC and Moorehead State), eight years ago,” said Posthumus, adding the CEBL is helping “. . . keep guys playing in Canada . . .To have that opportunity now is huge … to keep a lot more of our talent here at home.”
The CEBL has announced NBA TV Canada will nationally televise both games featuring the Stingers starting with Cangrejeros of Puerto Rico at 7:30 p.m. CST Monday and Real Esteli of Nicaragua at 7:30 p.m. CST Wednesday.
The Saskatchewan Rattlers start the 2022 season May 25 hosting the Niagara River Lions.
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