Saskatoon Mamba reflect on transformative 2026 CEBL season

Just over six months after he stepped to the podium at Merlis Belsher Place to announce a new chapter for professional basketball in Saskatoon, Jason Ribeiro says he’s happy to finally take a breath.

This comes after launching a new name, logo, home arena and overall identity for the Saskatoon Mamba franchise.

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“I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on the journey that’s been fast and furious since Feb. 4, when we stood up at Merlis Belsher Place and announced our acquisition and relaunch of this team,” Ribeiro said.

“I’m incredibly proud that so many of the promises that we made came to fruition.”

The Mamba completed their first Canadian Elite Basketball League season last week since being rebranded from the former Saskatchewan Rattlers.

That included a shift to purple and black as their main colours, splitting their season between SaskTel Centre and Merlis Belsher Place and a mostly new-look roster.

Ribeiro, the Mamba’s co-owner and chairman, believes most of the bets the franchise made last winter have paid off, with an increase in local interest in CEBL basketball.

“I think the commercial viability of this franchise has been solidified by what we did this season,” Ribeiro said.

“I think we’ve seen new inroads in our audience. I think there’s nearly 10,000 people that have been added to our database of people who are now interested in buying tickets, who have bought their first CEBL ticket to a game this season.”

On the court, the Mamba put together one of the most successful seasons in franchise history with a 13-11 regular-season record, finishing third in the Western Conference and ending a four-year playoff drought dating back to 2022.

Saskatoon also set a new single-season wins record with 13 victories in 24 games, surpassing their previous high of 11 wins in 2019 and 2022, when the league played 20-game regular seasons.

“There was somewhat of a mission this year to accomplish what we did accomplish, in terms of making the playoffs and having a positive year,” said Mamba head coach Isaiah Fox. “Not only is that in the record, the playoffs, but in some of the contracts some of our players have signed.”

According to Fox, that buy-in took some time after a 0-4 start to the season, and he thought the team finally hit its stride in mid-July with wins in six of its final seven regular-season games.

“It took some time to try to implement some of the offensive and defensive concepts,” Fox said.

“It took some adjustments from myself and the coaching staff to make sure what we were trying to implement fit the team that we had, with the personnel. Toward the middle to the end of the season, I think there was more of an understanding.”

Saskatoon’s return to the CEBL post-season was brief, as the Mamba were upended 99-88 by the Winnipeg Sea Bears in the Western Conference semifinal on Aug. 6.

Ribeiro said one of the biggest pieces of feedback the team received this summer was about its partnership with the University of Saskatchewan and the move of seven home games to Merlis Belsher Place.

The central location and more intimate environment were high on fans’ lists, according to Ribeiro.

“That’s the feedback that you want to hear,” Ribeiro said. “For seven years, that was sitting right under people’s noses and no one made use of it. I’m very heartened that it was our company and our staff that were able to pull that off this year.”

While no details have yet been released regarding where the Mamba will call home next year, Ribeiro said conversations are ongoing with both Merlis Belsher Place and SaskTel Centre.

When it comes to merchandise sales with the new logo and name, the Mamba are expecting to see major growth compared with where the former Rattlers brand sat a year ago.

“At that final game I’m seeing way more Mamba merch than I was seeing Rattlers merch from the first game,” Ribeiro said.

“It’s really taken to a youthful audience. For all those reasons, I think conservatively we’re comfortable saying that we’re in a position to double revenue next year.”

According to Fox, this season was about setting a new standard for the franchise with a group of new faces in the locker room, including captain Tavian Dunn-Martin, Jaylin Williams, Trey Townsend and Damari Monsanto. They complemented returning players such as Jamir Chaplin, Jaden Bediako and Devonté Bandoo.

Along with a return to the playoffs, the Mamba set a handful of CEBL records, with Bediako being crowned the league’s all-time blocks leader, while Dunn-Martin set single-season marks for both three-pointers made and assists.

For the second year in a row, the CEBL’s Developmental Player of the Year award will be awarded to a player in the city, with University of Saskatchewan Huskies teammates Easton Thimm and Mohamed Mahadhi nominated after Isaac Simon won last year.

“At least we know someone is going to get that and bring it back to good ol’ ‘Basket-Toon,’” Fox said. “I’m happy for those guys in all seriousness. That’s a reflection of not only their hard work, but the team.”

The Mamba/Rattlers franchise hasn’t had a returning head coach since 2023, when Dean Demopoulos came back for his second year with the team before being fired mid-season.

Since then, the organization has seen Tanner Massey, Larry Abney, Eric Magdanz and now Fox lead the team on the court.

Ribeiro said conversations are ongoing with Fox about his future with the team, but he is impressed with how Fox handled his first head coaching opportunity, in the CEBL or elsewhere.

“Isaiah and I are in the midst of speaking right now,” Ribeiro said. “Obviously, it’s really fresh after the season concluded. But I will echo that I’m incredibly proud of the work that he did, not only in his first year as a CEBL head coach, it’s his first year as a head coach in professional basketball.”

A highlight for both Fox and Ribeiro this season was a neutral-site game in Whitehorse, Yukon, on July 3 between the Mamba and Calgary Surge, with 1,532 fans in attendance.

That has Ribeiro thinking about potential games in other communities in the coming years, including markets in Saskatchewan.

“I’ve had a number of conversations with stakeholders in Regina, in (Prince Albert), in Moose Jaw, in Lloydminster,” Ribeiro said.

“Talking about what does the future hold? What is the engagement that we need to do at a youth, grassroots and Basketball Saskatchewan level, but also potentially at a live event level?”