Bandits Debut New-Look Roster in Preseason Games

MEGAN SWAIN/GATG

The 2026 roster for the Vancouver Bandits has drastically changed in personnel but you wouldn’t necessarily know that watching their performance across both preseason games. 

While returning faces like Tyrese Samuel and Duane Notice have picked up right where they left off at the end of the season, eleven of the new faces brought into the organization have begun to fill holes left by departing impact players like 2025 CEBL Player of the Year, Mitch Creek. 

Head Coach and General Manager Kyle Julius knows his work is cut out for him in filling those gaps, but feels confident in this year’s roster to do so.

“We’d never say we’re replacing Mitch Creek by any means but…we said in the off season we gotta do it by committee and we’ve got a good group of guys that can do that”

Indeed they do with recent blockbuster signings like Tevian Jones and Michael Mulder, who combined bring 176 NBA games-worth of experience to the Bandits organization. NBA G League forward Miller Kopp has also brought necessary leadership and elite shooting, exploding in the first half of the Bandits exhibition game against the Sikh Warriors.

Returning for his third season with the team, Duane Notice has also stepped up as expected in a leadership role as a skilled veteran and familiar face.

“I think probably one of the best leaders I’ve ever had is Duane Notice. Duane doesn’t say a lot but he leads by example. He knows what to do, when to do it, how to do it. He knows what not to do. He’ll play a whole game and take four shots, or he’ll play a whole game and take fourteen shots…We do have good leadership, and it is emerging now in this like, mini training camp that we’ve had

Of course, building up a team that has lost a few of its previous stars means the opportunities for young, local talent to step in and shine, which is precisely what the Vancouver Bandits wanted when they hosted a two-day combine last month. Collegiate athletes from 40 Universities across North America gathered to compete for the chance to join this year’s team while undergoing rigorous, pro-level training and testing. Coaching staff ran drills and scrimmages, while local gym Koofit Sports Performance ran speed and performance tests.

In addition to skill and talent, team culture is a massive part of the Bandits success as an organization and is something that they’ve worked hard to firmly establish in a way that guides coaching staff to finding the right athletes to recruit. It’s also something that Coach Julius prides himself on, particularly when scouting potential additions and extending invitations to the combine.

“The combine was a real success for us in many ways. There’s even a few other guys that we didn’t bring into camp that we really liked a lot…It’s cool because our culture’s, you know, been set for a couple years and now we can like, watch games, university games and pin point guys that fit well with us.”

While there were a number of standouts that coaching staff had their eye on during the combine, their final picks ultimately proved themselves in their play making abilities and how they have embraced the team culture. Island prospect and Forward from the University of Victoria Shadynn Smid made a big impact at the combine and in both preseason games, demonstrating to his Head Coach exactly why he caught the front office’s attention in the first place.

“Shadynn is elite. His athleticism, his ability to make plays above the rim, his coach-ability. He’s here early, he’s here late. He’s like a Bandit you know…he’s truly our kind of guy.”

That culture will be the key if the Bandits will be able to continue building on the massive progress they’ve achieved in the last few years under Kyle Julius’ leadership, though he has faith that his team this year is more than up to the challenge.

“Culture is like what you tolerate, what you don’t tolerate, what you emphasize, what you celebrate, and we try to keep all of that the same year after year. It’s not easy, it’ll be hard this year missing some of the pieces that we’re missing, but I like what’s in that locker room…It’ll be a challenging summer but for sure we’re excited because we feel like we got our kind of guys.”

The Vancouver Bandits begin the regular season on the road with games in Edmonton and Saskatoon over the May long weekend, before hosting the Edmonton Stingers in their Home Opener at the Langley Events Centre on May 22.