Jermaine: To start, I had a list of seven to 10 domestic players at each position. Once our president John Lashway made an official offer to Ryan to be head coach, Ryan and I started working together to determine which players would complement our vision. Our focus was mainly on Canadians, and we ended up signing only two import players, one in Derek Cooke, Jr. who played for Raptors 905 and is well-known by Canadian basketball fans in our area.

Eddy: Why have you emphasized NBA G League and Canadian National Team players?

Jermaine: The focus was more so on players who had international experience, regardless if they had played in the G League, overseas, or at the USports level. All of our players have international experience with the junior national team, Senior Men’s National team, or having competed at the Commonwealth Games. We wanted players who had that FIBA experience and international experience, who understand FIBA rules and have that intensity that comes with playing at the FIBA level. It just happens that we have a bunch of guys who have played in the NBA G League.

That’s part of the reason why Ryan is extremely important because he has been a part of the National team training centre and serves as an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors G League team, Raptors 905. We were able to kill two birds with one stone from that standpoint. It’s extremely important that there is a level of familiarity and comfort amongst the players.

Eddy: What can Honey Badgers fans expect from the team this year after reaching the CEBL Championship Game last season?

Jermaine: Honestly, just the same approach. The guys who were on the team last year did an amazing job. Fans can expect a bunch of guys that are going to come together. We’re going to move the ball. We’re going to play extremely hard, and we’re going to play the game the right way.

Regardless of whether we win or lose, I think just based on the players we have and their character they all approach the game the right way. Fans can expect that our guys are going to give it their all, and they’re going to represent Hamilton to the best of their ability.

Eddy: What can we expect from the U Sports drafted players?

Jermaine: These guys are extremely important and that was a part of our process as well while we were building the team. We looked for veterans who could be mentors to the U Sports players. Once you have mentorship on a daily basis it helps with the development process. Obviously, you have the training aspect, but a young player like Lock Lam will be able to pick the brains of veterans like Derek Cooke and Owen Klassen, and that’s going to help with his development process. 

Eddy: You’ve worked with a lot of these guys before and know most of them. Did that make your job easier when you were trying to recruit them to Hamilton?

Jermaine: For sure. It’s not one-size-fits-all. You have to understand what a player needs and wants to get out of his experience in the CEBL. For one guy, he might be coming back from injury, for another he might need experience at a particular position. Another guy may be playing for financial reasons. The fact that I already have these relationships allows me to approach the conversation in a way that makes sense for the player.

At the end of the day we want to create an environment in Hamilton where we have immediate success, while helping to develop our players on and off the court. We want to help them maximize their earning potential moving forward. This is a long-term mindset because we want to help these young men and having that personal relationship with them, we know what it is that they need.

Eddy: How important is it for the CEBL to be attracting former NBA draft picks like Justin Jackson and players with NBA experience like Brianté Weber?

Jermaine: It shows that the league is credible. It brings a certain level of credibility, and it shows that the CEBL is serious about what it’s trying to create. We feel that each and every guy who plays this summer will benefit greatly. The fact that we are able to play even though we’re in a pandemic is a testament to what Commissioner Mike Morreale and everyone behind the scenes has done.

I know as a former player that word of mouth is everything. When these guys leave here and go back to their respective teams across the globe and say good things about the CEBL—that it’s competitive and that players get treated the right way—then high-level players will continue to come back. We’re trying to create an environment where the players feel that the league is helping them and their career.

Eddy: Tell us about your relationship with Head Coach Ryan Schmidt. You two knew each other from the national team training centre, and then later through Raptors 905. How do you work together now with the Honey Badgers?

Jermaine: Honestly, it’s been a seamless process. Ryan and I communicate on a daily basis. We’re always talking, exchanging voice notes, and picking each other’s brain. We think the same way, and we both have a players-first mentality, which makes it easy. There’s obviously a business side, but I love working with Ryan. We work well with our president John Lashway to create that players-first environment. We’re all determined to make sure that Hamilton is the premier franchise in the league. It’s a blessing, to say the least.