YORKTON -
It was almost a dream season, the unfortunate part being the almost, for Vancouver Bandit Koby McEwen.
The dream started well as McEwen was named Canadian Player of the Year when the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced the winners of the 2024 CEBL Awards at Le Centre Sheraton Montréal.
McEwen told Yorkton This Week that while he appreciated the award he also realizes it is not solely his citing that having a great team around him set him up nicely for his success.
“I think we had a lot of great players on the team,” he said, adding that makes everybody else better.
McEwen led the CEBL in three-pointers made per game (tie-3.4), was second in total three-pointers made (54), fifth in three-point percentage (44.3), and ranked fourth among Canadians in total points (295), all of which were career highs. The Toronto native’s career season for the Bandits also included personal bests in average points per game (18.4), field goals made (5.9), free throw percentage (88.3), offensive rebounds (1.2), rebounds (tie-4.8), steals (1.2) and blocked shots (0.5).
McEwen was also named to the All CEBL Second Team alongside two Saskatchewan Rattlers , Teddy Allen, and Jalen Harris.
The Vancouver Bandits had three year-end award winners, including McEwen, guard Tazé Moore who took home top honours as Most Valuable Player, and Kyle Julius earned Coach of the Year honours.
The dream continued for McEwen as the Bandits played their way to the league championship final topping the Calgary Surge in the West final 99-97 after Vancouver won the West through the regular season with a 14-6 record.
The fine regular season might not have been widely expected, but McEwen said the Bandits felt it was possible.
“Nobody expected it, but we did,” he said. “From day one when I walked into the dressing room I knew our team could do it.”
The win over the Surge put the Bandits on the court to face the Niagara River Lions who won the east semi over host Montreal in a defensive contest 78-75 .
The final was a classic.
Niagara held a health lead 87-77 at the start of Target Score Time, but Vancouver slowly chipped away.
A McEwen three-pointer knotted things 95-95, leaving both teams within a basket of the championship, and the dream still intact.
And then it wasn’t, as the River Lions Khalil Ahmad scored the CEBL Championship Final-winning basket.
“I knew the better team won,” offered McEwen. “That’s how it goes sometimes in sport. It doesn’t always go as you planned it.”
That said McEwen said personally after many years playing basketball “it was cool” making a national championship game, adding it was an experience “I’ll never forget.”
Of course the whole CEBL experience something McEwen as a Canadian appreciates.
“It’s incredible to get to play in front of family and friends,” he said, adding before the CEBL “higher-end guys always had to go overseas.”
Now, while players still go abroad – McEwen was heading to Lithuania the day after his YTW interview – the CEBL offers a summer playing on home soil.
“I think it’s a great league – still up and coming,” he said. “. . . I appreciate the opportunity of just getting to do what I love.”
