The Saskatchewan Rattlers fell rather short in terms of defending their Canadian Elite Basketball League title.
The Rattlers were the lone team among the seven not making the playoffs following the Summer Series round robin.
鈥淚 think we played well. But the record was not what we wanted it to be,鈥� said Kai Williams, a 6-foot-6 forward from Regina in his first season with the Rattlers.
The 2020 edition of the Rattlers was a rather different one from the team that won the title in 2019, with only three returning players, so getting on the page was the first hurdle.
Then injuries hit and with a limited roster inside the 鈥榖ubble鈥� in St. Catherine鈥檚, the Rattlers scuffled.
鈥淭he play in some of the games toward the end, limited bodies hurt us ... We ran out of gas a little bit. Guys were tired,鈥� offered Williams.
Of course the entire Summer Series experience was something of a challenge too.
鈥淚t was a little bit different from what everybody was used to,鈥� admitted Williams during an interview recently. 鈥淏ut, it was a good experience ... as a whole it was a very unique experience.鈥�
Interestingly, Williams said the lack of fans was not a big thing.
鈥淥nce the ball goes up the guys are pretty focused anyway,鈥� he said, likening it to working out in the summer and then playing pick-up games which can be at a pretty high level of competition depending on what city a player is in.
In terms of cities, Williams has been all over the place since his high school days at Campbell Collegiate in Regina.
After high school Williams headed south where he averaged 11.7 minutes, 6.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 31.8 minutes in 122 collegiate games at 小蓝视频 Dakota State University.
Then it was on to Europe where he has spent time playing in the British Basketball League (BBL), the Cypriot Basketball Division A (the top-tier men鈥檚 professional basketball league in Cyprus), and the Basketligan (Sweden鈥檚 premier professional basketball league).
Finally coming home to play in Saskatchewan was something Williams said he was looking forward to, adding he was almost a member of the Rattlers in 2019.
鈥淚 was approached last season,鈥� he said, but with the pending birth of his daughter he chose to stay in the United Kingdom.
With the COVID-19 pandemic clouding playing opportunities the CEBL Summer Series was a breath of fresh air.
鈥淚 reached out that I鈥檇 still be interested,鈥� said Williams.
While it meant 小蓝视频 way from family in the bubble, Williams said it was still great to be playing for Saskatchewan.
鈥淚鈥檝e always been very proud to represent Saskatchewan. It had been a long time since I鈥檇 worn a jersey with Saskatchewan on my chest,鈥� he said.
With the varied European resume, how did the CEBL Summer Series compare?
鈥淚 think the competition was just as good as any league I鈥檝e played in,鈥� said Williams.
Williams said overall the CEBL is good for Canadian basketball, providing a sort of summer showcase for the talent coming out of Canadian universities, and hopefully opens door to pro contracts around the world.
Williams noted that Canadian college basketball is far better than many think.
鈥淚 think Canadian universities don鈥檛 get enough credit for the players they produce,鈥� he said, adding Ottawa had some fine Carleton (University) players on their team, and the Edmonton Stingers has U of Alberta players contributing as the won the title this year.
That bodes well for the CEBL and its quota of Canadian players on each team
鈥淚 think the sky鈥檚 the limit for this league,鈥� said Williams.
