Sea Bears’ Hildebrandt hauls in the hardware

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This article was published 07/08/2024 (785 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Simon Hildebrandt was a wide-eyed 20-year-old last year, trying to figure out if and where he belonged with the Winnipeg Sea Bears as he played his first season of professional basketball.

The rookie slowly found his way as the season drew on and even produced some promising moments — which garnered some recognition — but ended the year knowing there was still plenty to work on before he would be relied upon on a consistent basis.

This summer was much different.

A mature Hildebrandt hit the ground running when Sea Bears camp opened in May, boasting a noticeable difference in confidence with no doubt about his expectations and how to be an impact player in the Canadian Elite Basketball League.

“He made big strides in a lot of areas,” said Sea Bears head coach Mike Taylor. “There were times last summer where he was a little bit overmatched defensively.

“This summer it was different. This summer he really competed, he was physical, he rebounded, he played his angles, he was just a much more mature defender. I think he evolved his game offensively. He has always been a really good decision-maker and a good floor spacer because of his shooting but I think we saw him… impact the game in different ways.”

Amazing what a year can make.

Hildebrandt, 21, was recognized for another bright season Wednesday evening as he accepted the CEBL Developmental Player of the Year (formerly the U Sports Player of the Year) award for the second season in a row.

The surface-level numbers from the 6-9 sophomore forward won’t jump off the page — Hildebrandt averaged 5.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per game this year — but make no mistake, the homegrown product and University of Manitoba Bisons’ star was a pivotal player for the Sea Bears, especially in the club’s playoff push at the end of the year.

Hildebrandt logged the fifth-most minutes of any player on the Sea Bears this season (350) — one of two collegiate players to appear in all 20 of his team’s games — and became a viable threat on the offensive end late in the year.

“Obviously it’s a great feeling,” Hildebrandt told the Free Press. “It just kind of helps me know that and see that other people think it too, that I can fit in, in this league, that I do belong, that I’m capable of being a professional basketball player at a high level.”

There were times last year that flew by and made it hard for Hildebrandt to find any solid ground to stand on as he adjusted to university and later pro hoops.

This year, he found comfort in the chaos.

“Coming into the year having the whole experience of training camp last year, a whole season under my belt, another university year, I just felt like last year was a great learning experience, every day was something new, but now I’m like, ‘I came here, I know what to expect, I know I’m going to play, I’m here to contribute,’ said Hildebrandt, who earned a second straight CanWest first-team all-star selection with the Bisons earlier this year.

“I kind of came in with that mindset (of), ‘I’m not just trying to be the young guy who’s here to grow and get better but I’m here to be a vital part of a team that’s trying to contend for a championship.’”

Hildebrandt reached double-digits in scoring three times this season, but it was the home contest against the Vancouver Bandits on July 13 that was the moment where he truly found his rhythm for the first time as a pro.

“I only had (five) points… but I don’t even know what it was — everything just felt good,” he said.

Hildebrandt followed that up with a 15-point effort on the road against Vancouver and a 19-point outburst — including 11 points in the fourth quarter — to supercharge the Sea Bears in a crucial victory over the Saskatchewan Rattlers at home.

Perhaps Taylor didn’t anticipate he would lean on Hildebrandt as much as he did with the higher-profile Byron Mullens and Darius Days in the frontcourt to begin the year. Both players were gone by the mid-point of the season, however, and Hildebrandt needed to step up — a test, Taylor said, the young player passed with flying colours.

“I think the front court, two guys really deserve credit, and that’s No. 1 Simon Hildebrandt and No. 2 (fellow Winnipegger) Emmanuel Akot. Those guys were consistent, they were really productive and that’s a sign of great things for the future of our team,” Taylor said.

“We’re really proud of Simon and I don’t think there’s a better representative for the Sea Bears organization in Winnipeg than Simon Hildebrandt.”

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jfreysam