What do Calgarians think of when they hear the word basketball? It should be seeing our very own Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) team, the Calgary Surge, returning for their second season at the Saddledome.
The Surge prepares for another season after making it to the finals last year against the Scarborough Shooting Stars. The team held an open training camp practice on their home court at WinSport on Tuesday.
With a new head coach and a refreshed roster, this young team is hungry for the championship.
Sean ‘Rugzy’ Miller-Moore is a returning player from the Surge’s inaugural season. Topping the stat sheet regularly, Miller-Moore started all 23 games last season, averaging 16.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.
“I think in terms of us playing well, each game we have to take it one game at a time. You can’t just look forward to the championship,” said Miller-Moore.
“When everyone has a main goal in basketball, it’s easy to just compete and come together.”
One of the new players this year is Corey Davis Jr. who played for the Vanoli Cremona of the Lega Basket Series A in Milan, Italy last season. Davis has a lot to offer the Surge with seven years of experience of professional basketball under his belt.
“I think they set a high mark for this, this year’s team for sure. But we’ve got to be ready to take on the challenge and do what they did,” said Davis.
New head coach Tyrell Vernon is coming off a championship title with the St. Francis Xavier X-Men basketball program. Vernon was also awarded the 2023 Atlantic University Sport (AUS) Coach of the Year title. Vernon’s emphasis on consistency and building championship habits is what he hopes sets Calgary’s CEBL team apart from the competition.
“It’s not about me. It’s about us and being able to know that if there’s a skill set that we’ve got to foster, we got to put them in a situation that their skill set can kind of show,” Vernon said.
The team has all the pieces in place for a great season, but what makes the Calgary Surge stand out is their focus on community outreach. The players visit schools and do fan meetups to spread awareness for the CEBL and foster the interest for basketball in the city.
“Seeing how much they like basketball, and just talking to some of the kids, it was very fun. It was very interesting,” said Justin Lewis, a new player for the 2024 lineup.
“I like actually being in the communities because that’s where most of the fans would be from.”
Coach Vernon said there was buzz surrounding the CEBL but a lot of Calgarians still don’t know about the league yet. Being part of the community and creating something great is what they’re trying to do to foster that overall city support.
“For us, it’s putting a good product on the floor where, you know, Calgary can be proud of us,” said Vernon.
The Calgary Surge will be starting the season with an Alberta rivalry, playing against the Edmonton Stingers. The game will take place at 7 p.m. at the Saddledome. You can get your Surge tickets here.
