Basketball Manitoba Podcast

In the summer of 2022, we were fortunate to sit down with Chad for over an hour as a guest on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast.  In the episode, he details his journey through basketball and where it has taken him from Winnipeg to around the world.  We remember him for his infectious attitude towards life and for being an amazing ambassador for Manitoba and Canada.  _______________________________________________ Today on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Chad Posthumus.  Chad is a professional basketball player who is a graduate of River East Collegiate, where he was recognized as an All-Manitoban and as one of the top five high school players in Canada.  He represented the Manitoba Provincial Team 3 times.  After high school, he was recruited to play at the University of British Columbia. He transferred to Howard Community College (Columbia, Maryland) and finally to Morehead State in Kentucky.  He was 4th in the NCAA in rebounds and was named to the All-Ohio Valley Conference Third Team.  He started his professional career with the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Summer League. Since then, he has played in Japan, Argentina, China, the United States in the G-League, and Canada in the NBL and the CEBL.   He has represented the Canadian National Team most recently at the FIBA AmeriCup 2022 in Brazil.

Today on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Robyn Boulanger. She was the 15U Female Manitoba Provincial Team Head Coach this past summer at Nationals in St John’s, Newfoundland. She played basketball in high school at the University of Winnipeg Collegiate with the Anishinabe Pride Basketball Club, which her family started. She then played for the Centre for Permanence, Manitoba Provincial Team and represented her province at the North American Indigenous Games. After high school, she continued her basketball career at the University of Winnipeg with the Wesmen team. She was part of their 2021/2022 playoff run, where they won Silver Medals in both Canada West and U-Sports Nationals. Now, she uses her experience as an assistant coach for the Wesmen to help young players improve. She started Zaagi'idiwin Sport Performance, which helps athletes get better on and off the court by combining Indigenous knowledge with sports and movement.

The Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame is pleased to announce its Class of 2024. The official induction occurred on Saturday, September 28, 2024, at the Victoria Inn in Winnipeg. The Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame induction dinner occurred on Saturday, September 28, at the Victoria Inn in Winnipeg. Two players, Jennifer Finch and Keith Strieter, four builders, Wes Crymble, Joe Di Curzio, Tom Kendall, and Reynold Reyes, and championship teams from Neelin High School and St. Laurent School, were inducted. Details on the event can be found at... https://www.mbhof.com/2024/05/manitoba-basketball-hall-of-fame-and.html You can view Part 1 of the event, which included the welcomes, memorial, and greetings from Emcee Ross Wedlake, at... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FtsD_SGn3I

Today, on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Lenin Mangaron. He graduated from Oak Park High School, where he was named an All-Manitoban and played for the Manitoba Provincial Team for four years. He then went on to play at the University of Manitoba, where he was named a GPAC Conference All-Star. He later transferred to the Brandon Bobcats basketball program for one year. The teams that he participated in were some of the first to break into the NABA and FBA national scene out of Winnipeg. After college, he played semi-professional basketball in the Philippines. After playing, he transitioned to coaching, a role he’s been doing for over 23 years. He started with JV basketball at Elmwood and has coached at various levels, from junior High to Club basketball. He’s been a leading figure in the program at Sargent Park School, where they have won many Provincial Championships over the years. There, he was awarded Co-Coach of the Year by Basketball Manitoba. He’s coached at the Manitoba Provincial Team level as an assistant coach and as a head coach, and he is currently the 15U male head coach for 2024.

Today, on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Dan Becker. He graduated from Fort Richmond Collegiate and played college basketball at St. Joseph’s University before transferring to the University of Colorado.  He then went on a 12-year journey through the professional ranks, playing in Europe, Asia, and Australia and back home in Canada with the Winnipeg Thunder and Winnipeg Cyclone pro teams. He also had the opportunity to try out for the NBA with the Indiana Pacers and Denver Nuggets. He also represented Canada on the National stage at the World University Games and Jones Cups in Taipei, where he notably won a Silver Medal facing the United States. After playing, he stepped back into the Manitoba basketball community as a coach, spending time at the University, Provincial Team, high school, and club levels. He is currently the Technical Director at Basketball Manitoba, a position he’s held for 13  years. Other notable achievements include…  Big Eight Conference Select Team member in 1988. Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame member Class of 2013. Gold Medal coach at the 2014 National Championship for the 17U Male Provincial Team. Producer's note: Darcy Coss had Dan Becker on his own Back2Basketball Podcast series as a guest before the Basketball Manitoba Podcast series launch. That interview can be heard here... https://open.spotify.com/episode/6PeIlMerL04uDmYc4QvA1o?si=Ocd8x-4OTiuoYbtNMVCqHQ

Today, on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Ashley Hoitink. She joins us fresh from her appointment as the head coach of the 17U Female Provincial Team and is gearing up for the upcoming Canada Games in 2025.  A native of Ste. Anne, Manitoba, she has been coaching for 12 years at the Team Manitoba, high school, club, WMBA, and Steve Nash Youth Basketball levels. She is currently an assistant coach under Michele Sung at the University of Manitoba and the head coach of the Varsity Girls' team at Pembina Trails Collegiate. She also served as the varsity boys' coach at Morden Collegiate for seven years. She played High school at St. Anne Collegiate and played for two years at Red River College.  She’s been a receipt of the… Jim Bulloch Coaches Award for contributions to basketball coaching 2019 MHSAA Female Coach of the Year among all sports 2023 Canada Basketball Mike MacKay Transformational Coach Award

Today, on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Bob Town. He graduated from Churchill High School and played at the University of Manitoba, where he was an All-Canadian and Captain of the team in 1972. His excellence on the court led to his selection for the Canadian National Team in 1972. Over the following five years, he represented Canada on the international stage, participating in prestigious events like the Pan Am Games in Mexico City, the World University Games in Moscow, and the 1976 Montreal Olympics. He also played for the St. Andrews Super Saints, where he achieved two national championships and was recognized as a Tournament All-Star four times. In 1996, he was inducted into the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame and in 2009, the Manitoba High School Sport Hall of Fame. In 2007, the 1976 Olympic Team was inducted into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame.

Today, on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Dean Favoni.  Dean is the Varsity Boys basketball coach at Dakota Collegiate, a role he’s held for over 30 years.  He’s coached many of the province's Top 10 players, and his team won the high school Provincial Championship in 2002.  He has been named the MBCA Coach of the Year and coached with the provincial team and the centre for high performance.  His most recent success has been the fundraising and creation of a state-of-the-art $1.5 million multi-sport complex, which includes an outdoor basketball in honour of the great Dale Bradshaw.

Today, on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Reid Kenyon.  He has been officiating for over 30 years and is one of 4 Manitoba’s who has held a FIBA international official’s card.  He has officiated in 14 U SPORTS National Championships and numerous international competitions around the world, including the USA Dream Team at Madison Square Garden. He has been the head assignor for the Winnipeg Minor Basketball Association (WMBA) since its inception in 1997.  He is the current President of the Manitoba Association of Basketball Officials (MABO) and was awarded Sport Manitoba Official of the Year in 2015 for outstanding officiating achievements.

Today, on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have a unique guest, Mr. David Asper. Many of you may have heard that name before and are surprised because you didn’t know he played basketball. Well, he hasn’t. David is a prominent Winnipeg businessman and lawyer. He is best known for his significant community contributions and entrepreneurial ventures. He’s served significant roles as Chair of the Asper Foundation and Dean of the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law. He is a Recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for community service and was Appointed Queen’s Counsel in Manitoba. He is a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bomber Hall of Fame, Class of 2017. His list of activities and accolades is vast. However, he is joining us today to share the story of how he brought the Winnipeg Sea Bears and professional basketball back to Winnipeg.

Today on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Niyah Becker. She attended Vincent Massey Collegiate in Winnipeg before transferring to the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association (OSBA) in Ontario. Niyah represented the Manitoba Provincial Team, claiming two Bronze Medals for the province. She played college basketball at the University of Utah in the PAC 12 for 3 years and then played her senior season (times 2 due to Covid) at Wake Forest University in the ACC. She’s represented the Canadian National Team at various stages since the age of 16. Currently, she is playing her first year professionally in Slovenia with the ŽKK Cinkarna Celje professional basketball club, which is located in Celje, Slovenia.

Today, on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Simon Hildebrandt. He is currently a University of Manitoba Bison and Winnipeg Sea Bears basketball player. Last season with the Bisons was his first year, and he racked up a long list of awards and recognition.  U SPORTS Rookie of the YearU SPORTS All-Rookie Team U SPORTS Second Team All-CanadianCanada West Rookie of the YearCanada West First Team All-StarCanada West All-Rookie Team  He was then drafted first overall in the U SPORTS CEBL Draft to the Winnipeg Seabear, where he went on to win CEBL U SPORTS Player of the Year.

Today, on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we are changing things up a bit! We are excited to reach our 50th episode of the series, and as part of reaching this milestone, we have asked former guest Stephen Tackie to take the helm for the episode and interview our host, Darcy Coss. Darcy Coss has been a part of the basketball community for over twenty years. He was a top-ranked high school player who represented Glenlawn Collegiate and Team Manitoba at the 2001 Canada Games. He then played at the University of Manitoba for four years. After graduating, he continued giving back to the game by coaching and organizing club programs and provincial teams. He went on to become the Executive Director of the Winnipeg Minor Basketball Association for six years. Most recently, he represented Winnipeg on the FIBA 3x3 World Tour as a player. He then went on to work for FIBA 3x3. He is now a private consultant and is involved in putting on basketball events all over the world.

Today on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Winnipeg Sea Bears Head Coach Mike Taylor. He was born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and played his college ball at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He has coached in the United States, Germany, Czech Republic, England, Poland and most recently here in Winnipeg with our Seabears.

Today on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Pierre Dubreuil.  He began playing basketball at the age of 15 years old in his home country of France. After playing for just two years, he started coaching and refereeing, finding himself more drawn to that side of the game.  For 11 years, he coached and refereed at the pre-national level before moving to Canada in May 2018. That summer, he took over the Men's Basketball program at Providence University  Under his leadership, the Pilots clinched their first MCAC championship in 19 years and repeated as Champions this year with an undefeated season in the MCAC. Pierre has led multiple basketball camps in both Canada and France and has mentored several coaches to develop the game of basketball in his community. He has been named the 2022-23 MCAC Coach of the Year and serves as the head coach of the 15U Manitoba Provincial Team.

Today on the Basketball Manitoba podcast, we have Joel Coursey. Joel played his high school basketball at Steinbach Regional High School. He then went on to play at Providence University College for three seasons. During his playing career, he received numerous awards, including the MCAC All-Conference Award and was NCCAA All-Conference Honorable Mention. His passion for basketball didn't stop After he finished playing, he went on to become the assistant coach of the Providence Women's Basketball Team for one year. From there, he took over as head coach, a role he’s held now for 12 years. Under his leadership, the team has achieved numerous milestones, including winning the NIAC Championship in 2019, and he was named NIAC coach of the year. Additionally, he was named the MCAC Coach of the Year in 2023. This season he achieved a personal milestone of winning his 100th game as a head coach, with an impressive record of 63 wins and 44 losses since 2018.

Today on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Erfan Nasajpour. He is a Daniel McIntyre Collegiate Institute graduate in Winnipeg, where he won a provincial championship and was ranked the number 1 player in the province. He played for the Manitoba Provincial Team program for 2 summers. He went on to play at the University of Winnipeg Wesmen. There he was Second Team All-Canadian two timesCanada West Conference Rookie of the YearCanada West Conference First Team All-Star three timesCanada West Conference Second Team All-Star once He finished his career with all-time records with the Wesmen. 1st in points3rd in rebounds1st in field goals1st in assists1st in steals He played on the Canadian U18 National Team and the University National Team. He then went on to play professionally in Iran for ten years.  During that time, he represented the Iranian national team for two summers. He is now a Personal Trainer & Nutrition Coach, Attack Basketball Program Coordinator and head coach. Most recently, he is his wife launched "Bballerz Athletic Academy", focusing on teaching basketball to kids aged 2-10 in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

Today on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Marjorie Kelly.  She graduated from Daniel McIntyre Collegiate and went on to play at the University of Manitoba.  During her time there, she was a Canadian National Rookie-of-the-Year National Defensive Player of the Year Three-time GPAC Conference All-StarTwo-Time CIS All-Canadian Additionally, she was a member of the two consecutive National Championship teams with the Bisons in 1996 and 1997, and she was named a Tournament All-Star in both years.  She is a two-time Hall of Fame member, first with the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2011 and with the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 2021.

Today on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Rashawn Browne.  Rashawn played college basketball at New Mexico State University and then transferred to the California University of Pennsylvania for one season before returning to Canada. He played his final three years at the University of Manitoba.  During his final season in Manitoba, he led them to the most wins in school history (at the time) while playing in the Canada West Conference.  While with the Bisons, he was named… Second Team All-Canadian Canada West First and Third Team All-StarUniversity of Manitoba Male Athlete of the Year in 2019-20Men's Basketball Team MVP  After ending his university career, Browne was selected eighth overall in the 2020 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) draft by the Saskatchewan Rattlers. As a rookie playing the CEBL Summer Series, he averaged 8.5 points, 3.5 assists and 3.2 rebounds and was the runner-up for USPORTS Player of the Year. Currently, Rashawn is an assistant coach with the Manitoba Bisons and is an Advisory Board member for the newly founded Winnipeg Sea Bears of the Canadian Elite Basketball League.

Today on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Xavier Smith. Xavier is a graduate of Sisler High School and played basketball at Lakeland College before transferring to Brandon University and finally to the University of Manitoba. He played for the Manitoba Provincial Team for three summers from 2002 to 2004.  He returned to his alma mater Manitoba Bisons, to be an assistant coach from 2019 to 2021. Upon ending his college career with the Bisons in 2013, he played internationally at the 3x3 level. Since 2012, he has volunteered his time offering skill camps with community centres around the city and has been the SWISH Basketball program coordinator.  The program offers free basketball drop-in experiences for inner youth through the summer months and will see its return this coming summer after a three-year pause during the pandemic.