The Saskatchewan Rattlers released their individual player awards today with guard Justin Wright-Foreman copping three of the nine honours.

Wright-Foreman was named M-V-P, clutch player-of-the-year and had the dunk-of-the-year. Mike Nuga was named the C-E-B-L team’s sixth player-of-the-year and Canadian player-of-the-year. The full list of award winners can be found in the following news release from the Snakes…..

Rattlers Release 2023 Player Awards

Brennan Elliott • Sep 15, 2023

Saskatoon, Sask. – The Saskatchewan Rattlers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced announced Friday the full list of 2023 Player Awards. The awards are presented by the Rattlers to players who excelled on the court and in the community during the 2023 season.

A new addition to the team was presented with 2023 Breakthrough Performance of the Year for the impact he made on the team towards the end of the season. Trey Niemi, from Finland, made his debut on the roster on June 25^th, and this was his first time playing anywhere other than Finland. His performance on July 19^th against the Vancouver Bandits earned him Player of the Game with 20 points, three rebounds, two assists, one steal in 17 minutes while shooting 75% from behind the arc and in the paint.

The 2022 Breakthrough Performance of the Year recipient returned to the roster and made his name known in the home opener win against Vancouver. Mike Nuga was recognized by the team for his work off the bench and his ability to play on both ends of the court. Nuga was named Sixth Man of the Year and Canadian Player of the Year. He was responsible for game-winning plays and filled in where he was needed. He averaged 13.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.8 steals, and 27.3 minutes playing 19 games with 7 starts.

The 2022 Sixth Man of the Year returned coming off of a highly decorated U SPORTS season. Anthony Tsegakele named Defensive Player of the Year, for the impact he made on the defensive-end. He matched up with the best players on every team and shut them down – Cat Barber, Christian Vital, and 2023 CEBL MVP Teddy Allen to name a few. He ranked top five on the team in total steals and total blocks. He managed to average 5.2 rebounds per game while on playing 15.5 minutes.

The longest tenured Rattlers player made his presence known in his third consecutive season. D’Andre Bernard was named Man of the People. His work in the community was unmatched; attending events, visiting schools, leading youth programs, hosting clinics, refreshing mesh on community courts, hosting youth basketball clinics, and even gifting his shoes to young fans. Bernard’s character and leadership made an impact this season.

‘JWF’, ‘Justin Wright-Foreman’, and ‘MVP’ was heard all season long. The 2019 NBA Draft Pick was unstoppable this season. The CEBL MVP nominee was named 2023 Rattlers Clutch Player of the Year, Most Valuable Player, and fan vote for Dunk of the Year. Wright-Foreman led the CEBL in points per game (29.2), fouls drawn per game (7.3), and three-pointers made per game (3.9). He was responsible for four target-time game winning shots, and three-new franchise records for points in a game (36 points (June 4th), 37 points (June 29th), and 39 points (July 17th). Justin Wright-Foreman holds the single-season total points record of 525 points, which was previously held by 2022 MVP nominee Tony Carr (377). Justin Wright-Foreman is on his way back to the NBA attending workouts with the New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors.

Saskatchewan’s fan favourite, the reigning Mr. SSK repeated what he did in 2022. Malik Benlevi was a leader on and off the court this season – taking part in community iniatives while playing at a high-performance. Benlevi averaged 8.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.8 steals and 25.7 minutes while playing 15 games. The team captain was responsible for two game-winning shots this season. He was presented a handmade Beaded Medallion by Tribal Chief Mark Arcand and Residential School Survivor, Eugene Arcand. During the season Malik led his team to take part in community events. Malik reconnected with Anthony Lanier II of the Saskatchewan Roughriders to swap jerseys on centre court; both are from Savannah, Georgia and call Sask a second home.

“All of the players we bring to the Rattlers annually are of high quality, this year is no exception.” said Rattler Vice President Brad Kraft “The character these award winners have, matched with their on-court performances make this team exciting and approachable by all of our fans. It’s fun to give the guys a little nod and show that we care about them.”