‘Time for the lights to come on’: Sea Bears excited, a bit nervous as sophomore season gets underway
Their inaugural season was a resounding success, even if it came up short of a championship, and the Winnipeg Sea Bears are biting at the bit to get going on their sophomore campaign.
The city’s Canadian Elite Basketball League team wrapped up training camp on Tuesday before boarding a flight to Saskatoon for the season opener on Wednesday against the Saskatchewan Rattlers.
“I’m super excited, you know, get a chance to play a conference rival in the first game,” said guard Teddy Allen.
Teddy Buckets, as Winnipeg fans affectionately know him, is the reigning CEBL MVP. Last season he tied the CEBL record for points in a game after netting 42 in a 98-93 win against the Scarborough Shooting Stars on June 2.
He finished they year as the second-highest scorer in the league, averaging 27.6 points per game and eight rebounds per game.
“We put in the work, we came out here and made the most of our time [in training camp],” the 25-year-old native of Arizona said.
“It’s time for the lights to come on, it’s time for us to do what we do.”
Fellow guard Alex Campbell echoed much of what Allen said, but as a new face on the team he was impressed with the quality of guys who’ll be wearing the teal and white jerseys.
“Super optimistic about the group. [We’ve] got a good team,” said the 31-year-old, who is a seven-year pro and signed with the Sea Bears as a free agent in the off-season.
Campbell said he’s most impressed with how quickly everyone has bonded — training camp only began on May 13. The players have spent a lot of time together inside and outside of the gym, he said.
“There hasn’t been a day I haven’t seen these guys.”
Campbell most recently played with the Vancouver Bandits but calls Saskatoon home in the off-season. Playing the season opener in his home city will be special, he said.
He’s also a youth basketball coach there so expects to see a bunch of familiar faces in the stands, but doesn’t expect any smack talk from them, even if it is with light-hearted intent.
“They’re too afraid to chirp [their] coach,” he said. “It should be fun.”
The first ever Sea Bears game was played May 27, 2023, against the Bandits at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg. Not only did the home team win, 90–85, the crowd of 7,303 fans shattered the CEBL attendance record by nearly 3,000.
The team continued to draw record-breaking crowds, and set a league full-season attendance record of 65,609.
The team finished second in the Western Conference with a 12-8 record but lost to Edmonton in the playoffs. That game drew 10,580 spectators.
The Sea Bears appear to be picking up right where they left off. They’re back in Winnipeg for their home opener on Friday against the Scarborough Shooting Stars, in front of yet another sold-out crowd.
Head coach Mike Taylor expects the crowd to be fully entertained. He described the team as having lots of experience and the will to make each other better.
“I’m very excited to see this team grow and develop. For the Sea Bears fans, we’ve got a lot to look forward to,” he said.
“We’ve got a good vibe, good energy.”
Rookie forward Darius Days said he’s looking forward to Wednesday’s tip-off and then the big home opener on Friday, but he’s still mixed about how exactly he feels.
“It’s exciting [but I’m] a little nervous. My first time in the league,” the 24-year-old Floridian said. “We’re prepared, though.”
The Sea Bears play a 20-game schedule that sends them back on the road for four games after the home opener, before they return for a five-game home stand.
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