2025/26 Canada West Preview

After such a positive response to my 2024/25 ACAC preview, I have decided to reach out to the Canada West coaches and put together a preview for them. One of the things you will quickly realise is that this is a tough league to compete in with outstanding coaches and talent, teams bring in very select freshmen each year, and a lot of transfers are occurring.

We have seen more players transferring to NCAA Division 1 from USport over the last several years, but that also comes with players transferring back from American programs, and American players seeing quality in USport, and transferring here to finish their careers.

This year, the Canada West playoffs will once again feature the top 5 teams from the Pacific division and top 7 from the Prairie division, who are slotted by record, as all teams will play 20 league games. Calgary will be the host for nationals, meaning they get an automic berth. Canada West also gets 2 berths, so there will be 3 teams from this list at nationals. There is also a wildcard that the 3rd or 4th place team (depending on where Calgary finishes) can apply for, which could see 4 of the 8 teams in Calgary from Canada West.

I highly recommend that young players who want to play beyond high school need to get out to watch local games, both USport and CCAA, to see just how tough it is to play at the next level and how much work they need to put in.

PACIFIC DIVISION

1. Victoria Vikes

Where else can I rank the defending national champs but in 1st place? They have been the top team in Canada West for the 2020s, and that doesn't look to end soon. They return 4 out of 5 starters with Geoffrey James (5th; Edmonton, AB) coming back from injury, Reynaldo Robinson (4th; Montreal, QC) coming off 1st team Canada West honors, Ethan Boag (5th; Victoria, BC) having earned 2nd team Canada West, and Shadynn Smd (4th; Duncan, BC).

They will add Cam Slaymaker (2nd; Coquitlam, BC) from Southern Nazarene University and an incoming freshman class as good as any in the country, with Toren Franklin (1st; Victoria, BC), Tyler Felt (1st; Victoria, BC), and Justin Hinrichsen (1st; Victoria, BC) all opting to stay home.

There isn't much I can say about this program; they have lost a coach, a national Player of the Year, and yet they keep reloading and rolling along.

2. University of British Columbia (UBC) T-Birds

An era has ended at UBC as Kevin Hansen announced his retirement over the summer. After 25 seasons and 600+ wins, the Thunderbirds will now move forward under interim coach Philip Jalalpoor. The team itself will look different as 7 of the 10 players that regularly saw action last season have moved on, most notably Canada West 1st team all-star Adam Olsen (3rd; Surrey, BC), who will suit up for South Alabama this season in the NCAA.

The team will center around 6'10 "center Luka Guzina (4th; Vancouver, BC), who will be building on his 3rd-team all-star appearance. He, along with Tobi Akinkunmi (5th; Calgary, AB), Toni Maric (5th; Vancouver, BC), and Canada West All-rookie selection Nylan Roberts (2nd; Abbotsford, BC), will be looked upon to keep UBC's winning traditions alive. The Thunderbirds also add Holt Tomie (5th; Calgary, AB) from Mount Royal to bolster their rotation.

This team boasts a lot of size and physicality, which should keep them in the hunt to make a run at the Canada West crown and secure another shot at nationals.

3. University of Fraser Valley (UFV) Cascades

The Cascades finished 5th in the Pacific division last season, and Coach Joe Enevoldson will look to improve upon that, bringing back 11 players, including 2nd team all-star Dario Lopex (5th; Madrid, SPAIN). This team has a lot of size with 6'11 Matthias Klim (5th; Chilliwack, BC) and Malcolm Tyley (2nd; Langley, BC).

They will add 3 transfers to the deep returning core as Bennett O'Connor (3rd: Fall City, WA) from Skagit Valley College, Jaylen Lee (2nd; Chilliwack, BC) from Calgary, and Mateo Kells (2nd; Foothills, AB) from Olds, could all provide meaningful minutes. This team is tough and has a lot of depth that should see them settle into the playoffs, but also challenge UBC for a first-round bye.

4. Trinity Western University (TWU) Spartans

Coach Trevor Pridie and the Spartans had a solid season last year, finishing 3rd in the Pacific division before meeting the eventual champions, the Calgary Dinos, in the quarterfinals. They will be without Canada West 2nd team all-star Josh Belvin and 3rd team all-star Jerric Palma this season, as both have completed their eligibility. The team will be looking to 6'11 Connor Platz (5th; Langley, BC) and David Mutabazi (5th; Delta, BC) for leadership, especially after they both had big summers in CEBL and the Rwanda national team, respectively.

They will add a trio of transfers in Pearse Long (3rd; Temecula, CA) from Mira Costa College, Rondell Moore (3rd; Diamond Bar, CA) from LA Valley College, and Tyus DeVries (4th; Chilliwack, BC) from Thompson River. They are also high on freshman Logan Stewart (1st; Langley, BC).

5. Thompson Rivers University (TRU) Wolfpack

After a 10-10 season that saw the Wolfpack make the playoffs, Coach Chad Jacobson will have a lot of work to do this coming season with a team that will only return 5 players. Steve Stinson (4th; San Diego, CA), Dami Farinlove (4th; Winnipeg, MB) and Thomas Olsen (5th; Surrey, BC) will have to lead early as the coach works in his 4 transfers and 4 freshmen.

Transfers Jaeden Bynoe (3rd; Ajax, ON) from SUNY Niagara, Jayden Green (3rd; Fresno, CA) from Mendocino Community College, Fran Monreal (Zaragoza, SPAIN) from Fort Hayes NW Tech, and Jayden Stephen (Calgary, AB) from Rust College will all take some time adjusting to USport play. Still, they should provide talent and experience to help get them back to the playoffs. Freshmen Cason Scott (1st; Kamploos, BC) and Chris Piorowski (1st; Winnipeg, MB) are both highly touted and may be able to impact games this season.

6. University of British Columbia - Okanagan (UBC-O) Heat

After missing the playoffs last season, Coach Clayton Pottinger will have his work cut out for him after graduating 7 players from last year's roster. He will be counting on veteran leadership from Jalen Shirley (5th; Brampton, ON), Lamine Conde (3rd; Montreal, QC), and Isaak Moore (3rd; Kelowna, BC). He will need his 11 freshmen to step up quickly, and believes Anthony Brady (1st; Calgary, AB) could make an impact early.

7. University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) Timberwolves

Coach Todd Jordan will be looking for growth from within on this squad that will see 12 players returning, including 7 players returning for their sophomore season. Leading scorer Evgeny Baukin (4th; Moscow, RU) will be looked upon again, along with Justin Sunga (4th; Burnaby, BC, Ben White (2nd; Richmond, BC), and Canada West all-rookie selection Isiah Bias(2nd; Vancouver, BC).

However, they also brought in some key pieces to help the returning squad in transferring Haukur Davidsson (3rd; Hveragerdi, ICELAND) from New Mexico Military Institute and their only freshman, Cairo Wells (Coquitlam, BC). Climbing up the standings to the playoffs will be tough in this Pacific Division, but it may be within reach if this team keeps its core together.

Prairie Division

1. University of Manitoba Bisons

Coach Kirby Schepp led his Bisons to a 16-4 record and top spot in the Prairies division, but a tough loss in the bronze medal game to eventual national champs Victoria kept them from advancing to nationals. This year, they will look to compete for not only Canada West but also a national title with 6 5th-year players on their roster. They will be led by Canada West 1st team all-star Mason Kraus (5th; Winnipeg, MB), Cieran O'Hara (5th; Winnipeg, MB), and Manyang Tong (5th; Calgary, AB).

They have added several freshmen to give them the depth they will need, but none will be bigger for them than Ramogi Nyagudi (1st; Winnipeg, MB), who transferred home after a redshirt year with St Thomas (NCAA D1).

2. University of Calgary Dinos

Coach Vanhooren put together a very talented team in 2024/25 that finished first in the division, won Canada West, and made it all the way to the national final. They would like to get back and win it this year, even more so when they will be hosting it right in the Jack Simpson gym. However, they will have some major holes to fill as USPort player of the year Nate Petrone has moved on to professional aspirations, Noah Wharton has graduated, and Declan Peterson has transferred to Western Michigan (NCAA D1). They will need Beckett Johnson (3rd; Salmon Arm, BC), Aiden Smith (4th; Cochrane, AB), and Martynas Sabaliquska (5th; Vilnius, LITHUANIA) to take on bigger roles.

They were also very aggressive in their reload this summer and have added transfers Eli Djordjevic (2nd; White Rock, BC) from Long Beach State, Hayden Franson (4th; American Forks, UT) from Cornell, and Dre Francis (4th; Toronto, ON) from Aquinas College. They have also added some impact freshmen who will contribute immediately in Aleksandar Kukovic (1st; Burnaby, BC), Mrigendra Dhaliwal (1st; Calgary, AB), and Daniel Chijioke (1st; Fort McMurray, AB).

This team will grow, but unlike everyone else, they know they will be at nationals and can focus solely on the goal of peaking come playoffs and being ready to defend their Canada West title.

3. University of Winnipeg Wesmen

The Wesmen finished last season in a tie for 1st place in the Prairie Division but were knocked out in the quarterfinals by UBC. Coach Mike Raimbault will be bringing back a majority of his players, but the loss of 2nd team all-star Shawn Maranan may take some time. The team will bring back 9 players, including Kato Jaro (3rd; Winnipeg, MB), Malachi Alexander (5th; Winnipeg, MB), and Ryan Luke (4th; Winnipeg, MB).

Emmanuel Ugbah (3rd; Winnipeg, MB) will join the team from Carleton, and 5 freshmen will give the coach some depth. Look for Paul Ogweno (1st; Winnipeg, MB) and Jayden Westerlund (1st; Stockholm, SWE) to play roles this season.

This team could make a run at cross-town rivals, Manitoba, to finish at the top of the division, but I think they will settle into this spot and be a very tough opponent for a top seed in the quarterfinals.

4. University of Alberta Golden Bears

The Bears are an interesting team coming back with all but 1 player; however, they lost coach Barnaby Craddock to Simon Fraser University (NCAA D2) over the summer. Coach Geoff Pippus comes in with huge expectations, but having coached Camosun College on Vancouver Island, I'm sure he is used to those.

This team will be led once again by Canada West 2nd team all-star and CEBL development player of the year Isaac Simon (4th; Regina, SK), who will be looking for Rookie of the year Kyle Varner (2nd; Munich, GER) and All-rookie team selection Nash Semeniuk (2nd; Kelowna, BC) to continue their development. If the 'bigs', Carden Kushnir (3rd; Edmonton, AB) and Carson Fisher (2nd; Spruce Grove, AB) can battle nightly, this team could be in for a long playoff run in February.

5. University of Lethbridge Pronghorns

Coach Kenny Otieno has slowly built this team over the last several seasons, and this could be the year they break through to make a playoff run. They do lose Angelo Mbituyimana, who was 3rd team Canada West all-star and their leading scorer, which is the one reason I think they are still a year away.

The Pronghorns do return 10 players, including Kymani Pollard (5th; Gardena, CA), Mason Hoffman (2nd; Magrath, AB), and Bryce Solis (4th; Calgary, AB). They grabbed Manny Biden (3rd; Regina, SK) from Okanagan College and signed freshman Cole Steele (1st; Kelowna, BC), who will shore up their rotation.

6. Mount Royal University (MRU) Cougars

Last season saw Coach Josh Mullens take over and retool the Cougars and finish with a 10-10 record. He has lost Canada West 3rd team all-star Keivonte Watts to graduation, but returns a very solid core featuring Kuach Gajak (2nd; Calgary, AB), Kole Scott (4th; Ajax, ON), and Sam Barnie (4th; Courtney, BC). The Cougars will also add 2 impact transfers in Tag Layton (2nd; Calgary, AB), who last played for Lethbridge before his 2-year mission, and Faruq Balarabe (2nd; London, ENG) from Lake Superior State.

One of the keys to watch will be the progress their incoming freshmen can make as Coach Mullens has a very highly-touted class coming in, including Desmond Ducheck (1st; Summerland, BC), Jacob McLellan (1st; Calgary, AB), and Jose Gabaldon (1st; Seville, Spain). This team is young, with a majority of the roster as 1st and 2nd years; however, I think they will surprise a lot of teams and be a tough match-up come playoff time.

7. University of Saskatchewan Huskies

This will be Coach Jaime Campbell's third year with the Huskies, and his roster is young, as he has worked hard to recruit players who fit his system. He will bring back 8 players from last year's roster that were in the playoff hunt right to the end. He will rely heavily on 2023/24 Canada West Rookie of the Year Easton Thimm (3rd; Saskatoon, SK), who spent time in the CEBL this summer. Emmanuel Bonsu (5th; St-Laurent, QC) will be the team leader, and Dylan Miller (3rd; Calgary, AB) will be asked to provide additional support.

The Huskies also added more young talent this summer with transfer Mohamed Mahadi (2nd; Saskatoon, SK) coming home from Central Wyoming College and Freshmen Treyvon Folkes (1st; Brampton, ON), Josiah Roberts (1st; Brampton, ON), and Josiah Draper (1st; Braeside, ON). This team will be tough to make the playoffs, but I will put them in mainly because I will admit I am a homer and see this team weekly.

8. Brandon University Bobcats

The Bobcats finished last season with a 7-13 record, but that was enough to secure their spot in the playoffs, where they hope the experience gained will benefit them this season. First Team Canada West all-star Sultran Haider Bhatti (5th; Laval, QC) will lead the attack after averaging over 20 points per game. He will be joined by Travis Hamberger (5th; Richmond, BC) and Youri Cange (2nd; Mascouche, QC).

Coach Gil Chang also has recruited Junior college transfers DeMarco Duncan and Malik Brown (3rd; Portland, OR). If you have followed us on Maple Minute, you will know we were very high on Munroop Gill (1st; Surrey, BC), who, along with Arjun Hehar (1st; Surrey, BC) could easily be the best freshman duo in USport this season.

9. University of Regina Cougars

Last season, the Cougars were eliminated from the playoffs right at the end of the season, and Coach Steve Burrows would like nothing more than to get back in this year. They have lost a few imports but will return 9 players, including leading scorers Ben Kamba (5th; Calgary, AB) and Lodie Kenyi (5th; Calgary, AB). Also expect Drew Akerman (4th; Meadow Lake, SK) and Zach Hillis (3rd; Regina, SK) to take leaps forward this year.

They also secured a couple of transfers to replace the departed players, Sufyan Ekannan (4th; Denver, CO) from Metro State University of Denver, Ajang Tong (3rd; Calgary, AB) from Bossier Parish Community College, and Gurech Gurech (4th; Calgary, AB) from Olds College should all be contributors this season. The Cougars will also look to 3 freshmen to provide depth.

10. MacEwan University Griffins

The last couple of seasons have not been kind to MacEwan as wins have been very hard to find for them, but the new head Coach, David Kapinga, is ready to go to work and turn around this program. He does return a few players, including Canada West all-rookie Diego Presingular (2nd; Winnipeg, MB).

Even though the coach has returning players, he has brought in a lot of experience in 5 transfers Marcus Moore (3rd; Scarborough, ON) from Nipissing, Nathaniel Mtumba (3rd; Pickering, ON) from TMU, Elisha Ampofo (5th; Milton, ON) from Brandon, Favour Igbinyemi (3rd; Surrey, BC) from Mount Aloysius (NCAA Division 3) and Peter-Aulk Deng (2nd; Edmonton, AB) from NAIT. Along with 4 freshmen, they will battle this season and hopefully find a way to pick up some wins.

This season will be fun to watch, as I actually have no clue what will happen. As much fun as these articles are to write and put together, they are stressful because I actually have no clue how these teams will come together through the year, and they are all stacked with talent and great coaching. In the end, they will do their talking on the court.

With that being said, I will make some bold predictions.

• Victoria and Manitoba will make nationals, but we will not get the wild card, as there will be upsets during the playoffs, so the team finishing 4th (Calgary will be top 3) won't have the resume to get the wildcard.

• Isaac Simon from Alberta will be the Canada West Player of the Year.

• Munroop Gill will be Rookie of the Year and will be joined on the all-rookie team by Mrigendra Dhaliwal (Calgary), Cason Scott (Thompson River), Ramogi Nyagudi (Manitoba), and 1 of the 3 Victoria rookies.