Where has the first month gone? We are already in June and six games into the 2026 CEBL season. Through this first quarter of the season, the expectations of some teams have either stayed the same or changed. There’s one team that has completed exceeded those expectations and another that has been nowhere near as good. We are going to talk about the former today and who I think are the top three contenders so far this summer.

Brampton Honey Badgers

A league best 5-1 start for the Honey Badgers is just what we could have expected to begin the year. Sean East II has been fantastic, Cameron Tyson’s provided some much needed secondary scoring, and the surprise so far has been Matthew Moncrieffe with the amount of production he has brought to the table. While you could argue that they’ve squeaked out of four of their five games, only one of those wins is over a team we expect to not make the playoffs (which is the one blowout). Hopefully Keon Ambrose-Hylton can get going now that he is re-acclimated to the CEBL, which would only make Brampton that more dangerous. They are still my pick to make it out of the East, even with the surprise rise of another franchise in their conference.

Scarborough Shooting Stars

The biggest surprise of the year so far has to be the Shooting Stars. Having an entirely new roster has not fazed them whatsoever, beginning the year at 4-1. Myles Powell has provided some of the highest scoring performances already, really flexing that high-level talent. Frank Mitchell has been very good in his first season as a pro, giving Scarborough stability in the middle. The player I was not expecting to make that much of an impact has been Javan Johnson. Don’t forget Kellen Tynes either, showing off his impressive defensive skills. As long as this team stays together and healthy, they might be the dark horse to compete with Brampton in the East.

Vancouver Bandits

So far the only team in the West that has been consistent is the Bandits. A 5-2 start sees them sit atop of the conference and for the time being a little comfortably. Tyrese Samuel has been just as good as a season ago, Jaelen House has stuffed the stat sheet, and Jarkel Joiner might be one of the best underrated guards in the league. Dominic Parolin has also been very good playing his first season of professional basketball. No more Tevian Jones might hurt Vancouver, but I think they have more than enough scoring to outscore other teams. It may be their defence that is going to have to step up in order for them to be consistent. I don’t think they will be able to outscore everyone.

Honourable Mentions

There are a few other teams that I would classify as under the radar contenders. The Ottawa BlackJacks might be a dark horse for second place in the conference, with the backcourt of Javonte Smart and Justin Harmon. Matthew Cleveland might be up in MVP conversations as well. You can never count out the Niagara River Lions, especially once Khalil Ahmad arrives. The Winnipeg Sea Bears have not been consistent, but at the end of the year should be considered. Let’s reconvene at the halfway mark!