CREEK, EAST II TOP 2025 CEBL AWARD FINALISTS

The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Wednesday the individual award nominees for the 2025 CEBL Awards, taking place on Thursday, August 21 at 7 p.m. CDT at The Metropolitan Entertainment Centre (The MET) in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The CEBL Awards serve as the first official event of 2025 Championship Weekend (CW25), which runs from August 21 to 24.

Most Valuable Player finalists Mitch Creek of the Vancouver Bandits and Sean East II of the Edmonton Stingers headline the list of nominees revealed across six player award categories. In total, eight individual CEBL awards will be presented in 2025.

2025 CEBL Award Finalists

Most Valuable Player: Mitch Creek (Vancouver Bandits), Sean East II (Edmonton Stingers)

Canadian Player of the Year: Sean Miller-Moore (Calgary Surge), Tyrese Samuel (Vancouver Bandits)

Sixth Man of the Year: Chris Smith (Edmonton Stingers), Zane Waterman (Ottawa BlackJacks)

Defensive Player of the Year: Greg Brown III (Calgary Surge), Jameer Nelson Jr. (Calgary Surge)

Developmental Player of the Year: Aaron Rhooms (Edmonton Stingers), Isaac Simon (Saskatchewan Rattlers)

The 2025 CEBL Coach of the Year, Clutch Player of the Year (most Target Score Winners), Fox 40 Officiating Recognition Award winner and All-CEBL First, Second, and All-Canadian teams will also be announced at the CEBL Awards on August 21.

Creek’s leadership and production were instrumental in Vancouver’s league-best 19-5 record this season. He finished second in the CEBL in scoring with 24.4 points per game, ranked third in three-point percentage (48.6%), and fourth in field goal percentage (58.4%). The 6-foot-5 Australian's 488 total points were the second-highest in the league in 2025 and the fourth-most ever recorded in a single CEBL season. He also ranked among the league';s top 10 in several other categories, including free throws made (2nd – 110), field goals made (3rd – 171), minutes played (6th – 687.7), and steals (9th – 30).

East II made history in 2025, setting a new CEBL single-season scoring record with 546 points — surpassing the previous mark of 544 set by Winnipeg’s Teddy Allen in 2023. The first-year Edmonton guard also recorded the second-most steals (48) and seventh-most assists (116) in league history. He led the CEBL in both field goals made (202) and minutes played (741.5), ranked second in steals per game (2.0) and free throw percentage (90.7%), and finished third in scoring with 22.8 points per game. He also made 54 three-pointers, the fourth-highest total in the league this season.

Miller-Moore’s 427 points in 2025 set a new CEBL record for the most scored by a Canadian player in a single season and ranked as the sixth-highest total in league history. The two-time CEBL All-Canadian (2023, 2024) tied for the league lead with six Target Score Winners, and finished second in both minutes played (760.5) and field goals made (173).

In his first CEBL season, Samuel was a dominant presence for the Bandits and the only player in the league to average more than 20 points (21.4) and 10 rebounds (10.8) per game. Despite appearing in just 15 games, the Canadian big man tied for the league lead with six Target Score Winners and led the CEBL in field goal percentage (65.9%). He also ranked third in rebounds per game and tied for third with eight double-doubles.

Smith and Waterman each played valuable roles off the bench for their respective clubs in 2025. Smith appeared in 17 games for the consistently competitive Stingers, averaging 9.1 points and 4.7 rebounds in just 15.4 minutes per game. Waterman was a key factor in the BlackJacks’ strong second-half surge, averaging 15.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 23.1 minutes per game, while shooting 52.9 per cent from three-point range.

Surge teammates Greg Brown III and Jameer Nelson Jr. delivered strong two-way performances in 2025, particularly on the defensive end. Brown III ranked second in the CEBL with 1.8 blocks per game and recorded 41 total blocks — third-most in a single season in league history. He also collected the second-most defensive rebounds (144) and finished third in total rebounds (188), while adding 16 steals. Nelson Jr. set a new CEBL single-season record with 57 steals in just 19 games, adding five blocked shots along the way. His 3.0 steals per game average led the league by a full steal over the next closest player, MVP candidate East II.

Rhooms (Toronto Metropolitan University) and Simon (University of Alberta) were nominated for the CEBL’s Developmental Player of the Year award after contributing valuable minutes for their pro teams in 2025. Rhooms appeared in 19 games for the Stingers, logging 150.5 total minutes and averaging 4.5 points and 1.7 rebounds per game. Simon played in all 24 games for the Rattlers, including six starts, and averaged 4.7 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per contest.

Award nominees and winners are determined by votes cast by the league’s head coaches, general managers,

assistant coaches, select league broadcasters, and internal media personnel. Team representatives are

prohibited from voting for a player or head coach from their own team.

All CEBL award winners will receive a customized ring from Jostens, the official Supplier of Awards and Rings of the CEBL; a custom trophy from protocole, crafted from maple and solid metal with a silkscreened CEBL logo; and a special gift from the league’s partner, Foot Locker.

The 2025 CEBL Playoffs begin tomorrow (Thursday, August 14) with a Play-In round doubleheader at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET. For full details on the CEBL’s playoff format and 2025 matchups, please visit: https://www.cebl.ca/playoffs

The four-team CW25, hosted this year at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, features a Conference Finals doubleheader Friday, August 22, and the CEBL Championship Final on Sunday, August 24. The Championship Final official halftime performer will be acclaimed Canadian rapper k-os, while Winnipeg-based musicians The Lytics and Boogey The Beat will perform at the Conference Finals doubleheader. Ticket and event information is available at cebl.ca/championshipweekend.