YORKTON - When the Canadian Elite Basketball League recently announced the individual award nominees for the 2025 CEBL Awards, Isaac Simon of the Saskatchewan Rattlers was a finalist for the Developmental Player of the Year along with Aaron Rhooms of the Edmonton Stingers.
Simon would be selected as the award recipient as the league handed out its awards in Winnipeg.
“It’s definitely an honour to be nominated for an award like this,” Simon told Yorkton This Week in a recent telephone interview.
First joining the team in the summer of 2023 after a Canada West all-rookie freshman season with the University of Alberta Golden Bears, Simon has spent the last three seasons as a Rattler.
Prior to his collegiate career, he competed at Harvest City Christian Academy in his hometown of Regina, Saskatchewan. Over three seasons with the University of Alberta Golden Bears, he averaged 14.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 26.7 minutes in 75 games.
Simon said in his third summer with the CEBL Rattlers he felt he finally felt completely comfortable in the league, and as a result saw more court time.
The extra playing time may have been the result of the Rattlers looking for a combination to generate some wins. The team went 7-and-17 on the season, dead last in the west and second worst – only better than Brampton with five wins – in the 10-team league.
“That may have been a factor,” said Simon, who added by its nature the CEBL sees significant roster change as players pursue other opportunities, and of course because of injuries. “. . . With the CEBL there’s a lot of players moving in and out. Someone in my position – a university guy “” has just got to be ready.”
Simon was ready for all 24 games, starting six, scoring 112 points.
As for the many losses Simon said it was obviously challenging, in-part because the Rattlers lost too many close ones they might have won with a break, or two.
“Losing is frustrating. I think everyone on the team felt it,” he said, adding there were a lot of close games. “We were so close . . . but not able to pull it out.”
But you learn in losses, and part of that education for Simon was that you play hard.
“We came out and played hard every night regardless of what our record was,” he said. “You’ve got to stay positive. You keep going out and being competitive and getting better.”
In that regard Simon said the CEBL has been positive in terms of his own game.
“It’s been great to have had this opportunity to learn from so many different players in my time here,” he said.
Simon will take what he has learned back to his Golden Bears where he still has two seasons of eligibility. He expects good things with the team this season.
“We were a younger team last year,” he said, adding they lose only one player due to graduation, and with some transfers and a new head coach (Geoff Pippus) coming in, it bodes well. “There’s lots to be excited about.”
Also among the CEBL awards are Mitch Creek of the Vancouver Bandits and Sean East II of the Edmonton Stingers up for Most Valuable Player honours.
The season awards will be presented Aug. 21, at The Metropolitan Entertainment Centre (The MET) in Winnipeg. The CEBL Awards serve as the first official event of 2025 Championship Weekend (CW25), which runs from August 21 to 24.
