The Wesmen are entering a crucial year. Some new faces have arrived, while others have departed. Can Winnipeg make the playoffs for a fifth consecutive year and compete for a national title?
Here's everything you need to know ahead of the Wesmen 2025-26 season.
Coaching Staff
Mike Raimbault returns for year 16 as head coach of the Wesmen. He holds a 159-125 record through regular-season play and has coached the program through 37 playoff games with a 14-23 record. Winnipeg has made the postseason in four consecutive seasons and qualified for the Final 8 in both 2023 and 2025 under Raimbault.
Roster Breakdown
1st Years: 5
2nd Years: 2
3rd Years: 2
4th Years: 3
5th Years: 2
Guards: 7
Forwards: 7
Strengths & Weaknesses of 2024-25
Scoring: If there was one trait to describe the Winnipeg offence in 2024-25, it was depth-scoring. Nine players scored 100-plus points last season, and four of those included players who scored 200-plus points. It's easy to see why Winnipeg finished 11th in the nation for points scored per game last year when you have an offence of that calibre.
Shooting percentage: The downside to last year's offence was their efficiency. Winnipeg shot 41.4 per cent from the field, which ranked 26th in U SPORTS. While they were scoring in bunches, it often meant doing so while missing shots. It's easy to overlook when a team is winning games, but a team's shooting percentage can play a significant role in determining how far they advance in the playoffs.
Defence: Playing good defence can also fuel a deep playoff run. Winnipeg allowed the sixth-fewest points per game last season. The Wesmen held their opponents to an average of 68.7 points, allowing the fewest points in their division. The Wesmen had a very balanced offence that scored throughout the lineup and a very defensive mindset, which pushed them to a 16-4 season.
New Additions
1st Year, Forward, Connor Grandbois: The 6'7" forward from Kenora, Ont., joins the Wesmen from Dakota Collegiate. He is one of three forwards in the 2025 class and moved to Winnipeg to finish his high school career before jumping to university ball.
1st Year, Guard, Noah Macalalad: The 5'9" guard from Winnipeg is one of two guards for the Wesmen recruiting class. Macalalad graduated from Maples Collegiate and was ranked third in the annual Winnipeg Free Press coaches poll in March.
1st Year, Forward, Levi Molitowsky: The 6'7" forward from East St. Paul, Man., comes in from Royal Crown School in Toronto to suit up for Winnipeg. Before that, Molitowsky played for Rothesay Netherwood School in Rothesay, N.B.
1st Year, Guard, Paul Ogweno: The 6'3" guard from Winnipeg is the second guard in the recruiting class. Ogweno graduated from College Jeanne Sauve and was named the player's choice award winner at AAAA provincials in his final year of high school.
1st Year, Forward, Jayden Westerlund: The 6'6" forward from Winnipeg is the third forward in this year's class. Westerlund joins from Vincent Massey Collegiate, where he was a part of the team's AAAA provincial title run in 2023-24. He was also born and lived in Sweden before moving to Winnipeg at the age of seven.
Roster Analysis
The team's top two scorers from last season — guards Shawn Maranan and Lamar Everd — will not return. Both have now graduated, leaving a significant number of points to be replaced. The good news is that they have plenty of depth to cover that vacancy.
Ryan Luke, the team's third-leading scorer, and Donald Stewart, the team's fourth-leading scorer, are returning in 2025-26. And while they are forwards, they will provide some consistency on offence this year.
After Maranan and Everd, the Wesmen returned most of their core roster. Five players who scored 100-plus points last season are coming back for the upcoming campaign. Guards Malachi Alexander, Alberto Gordo and Kato Jaro are among those five — Luke and Stewart being the others. Watch for all three to see bigger responsibilities with the team's top two guards leaving.
The influx of five freshmen will be a welcome breath of fresh air, setting this team up for long-term success while still contending for a conference championship. However, most of the team's veterans are about to age out. The time to win with this team is now, before it's too late.
Position Battles
Two forward spots should be locked up with Ryan Luke and Donald Stewart, but there is a clear vacancy for who might line up alongside them. If preseason is any indication, Malachi Alexander or Elijah Mensah will likely get the nod for opening night. Alexander has started in almost every preseason game compared to Mensah, who started early but is now coming off the bench.
Switching to the backcourt now, both guard positions are open for the taking. But like the forward spot, it may already be decided. Kato Jaro and Alberto Gordo have consistently gotten the start at the two guard spots leading up to the final pre-season game. Expect them both to be in the starting five on opening night.
My Projected Starting Lineup
G - Malachi Alexander
G - Alberto Gordo
F - Kato Jaro
F - Ryan Luke
F - Dylan Stewart
Schedule Overview
October: 1 Home Games (HG), 1 Away Games (AG)
November: 4 HG, 3 AG
December: 0 HG, 1 AG
January: 5 HG, 3 AG
February: 0 HG, 2 AG
Oct. 26 - vs. Brandon
Oct. 31 - @ MacEwan
Nov. 1 - @ MacEwan
Nov. 7 - vs. Mount Royal
Nov. 8 - vs. Mount Royal
Nov. 21 - @ Calgary
Nov. 22 - @ Calgary
Nov. 28 - vs. Alberta
Nov. 29 - vs Alberta
Dec. 5 - @ Manitoba
Jan. 9 - @ Brandon
Jan. 10 - @ Brandon
Jan. 16 - vs. Regina
Jan. 17 - vs. Regina
Jan. 23 - vs. Lethbridge
Jan. 24 - vs. Lethbridge
Jan. 29 - @ Manitoba
Jan. 31 - vs. Manitoba
Feb. 6 - @ Saskatchewan
Feb. 7 - @ Saskatchewan
Closing Thoughts
It's go time for the Wesmen. They have made the playoffs for four consecutive years and struggled to get it done in the Final 8 — although just getting to the tournament is an accomplishment, it's not what teams set out to do when planning their ultimate goal for each season.
This roster has a sufficient blend of youth and veteran leadership, and with a proven track record of success in the regular season, expectations for this year are high.
Winnipeg should finish near the top of the conference once again and should be in the conversation for winning the championship. Now, whether they will be taken seriously as national contenders relies on how the roster adapts to the loss of two leading scorers and if they can continue to play solid defence.
The sky is the limit for the Wesmen in 2025-26, and if the stars align, it could be the moment this program has been working towards for four seasons.