Local talent among Sea Bears picks in U Sports draft

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This article was published 10/04/2025 (517 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mike Taylor wanted players with ties to Winnipeg whom he felt could develop into strong rotational pieces for his club.

The Winnipeg Sea Bears’ head coach and GM believes he accomplished that during Thursday’s Canadian Elite Basketball League draft.

Winnipeg rounded out its (projected) active roster by adding a trio of emerging players from the collegiate ranks: University of Victoria guard Geoffrey James, University of Manitoba guard Mason Kraus and McMaster University forward Brendan Amoyaw.

The draft has been favourable to the Sea Bears, whose first-round draft pick in 2023 and 2024 was used on local product Simon Hildebrandt, who won back-to-back U Sports Player of the Year awards.

Taylor is hoping for a similar outcome in 2025.

“I think we’ve done a great job the last several years with the U Sport Draft,” said Taylor, who also coached Thomas Kennedy, the 2022 U Sports Player of the Year, with the Vancouver Bandits.“We’ve been able to find players in the draft that can take over rotation spots on your team.”

Meet the three newest Sea Bears:

Geoffrey James, guard (Victoria) — Round 1, fifth overall

James brings CEBL experience to Winnipeg, having suited up last summer for the Edmonton Stingers, where he averaged 16.6 minutes per game. Taylor is familiar with the 6-1 guard from his time with the Bandits, where James was a practice player.

The 25-year-old’s stats don’t jump off the page, but his impact on the court can not be ignored. James shot 40.5 per cent from the field and 44.3 per cent from beyond the arc while averaging 9.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists for the Vikes this season.

He saved his best performances for the biggest moments, though, scoring 21 and 17 points in the U Sports national championship semifinal and final, respectively, to help Victoria claim its first national title in nearly three decades.

“He was a really solid, steady force for that team. He got the ball to the people he needed to get the ball to; he made big shots when he needed to make big shots. The Victoria team had a lot of adversity… I think Geoffrey was a key stabilizing force for them,” said Taylor.

“He’s a proven CEBL player. There’s game film of him having good games in the league. We know, without a question, that we can put him on the court and he can contribute.”

Mason Kraus, guard (Manitoba) — Round 2, 16th overall

The 6-3, 180-pound guard was a catalyst for the Bisons’ offence this winter. Kraus’s 18.4 points per game ranked sixth in Canada West, and his 5.3 assists per contest were the second-most in the conference. He also averaged 5.1 rebounds per game.

Kraus was equally effective on the defensive end, averaging 2.8 steals per game, which was the second-most in the conference.

“I think Mason Kraus had a fantastic season. He’s got a natural feeling for playing passing lanes and getting steals,” said Taylor. “We like his size at the one.”

Brendan Amoyaw, forward (McMaster) — Round 3, 25th overall

Amoyaw was elevated to a full-time starter for the Marauders this season. The 6-9 forward averaged 8.1 points and 5.6 rebounds across 22 contests.

Still in his third year of university, Amoyaw is just scratching the surface. Spending a summer with professional hoopers should serve the up-and-comer well.

“Brendan Amoyaw is another young prospect. We’ve got, I think, a really deep front court right now, but again, I think he’s a hometown kid, really has high upside in basketball,” said Taylor.

The trio of additions brings the Sea Bears roster to 10 players, with a little under a month until training camp begins on May 8. The team can carry 16 into camp, so Taylor anticipates filling the rest of the roster with practice players from the University of Winnipeg or University of Manitoba programs.

On Wednesday, the club signed 6-8, 242-pound center Solomon Young. He joins center Simi Shittu, and forwards Tevian Jones and Jaylin Williams in a loaded frontcourt.

The Sea Bears open their season on May 16 against the Edmonton Stingers at Canada Life Centre.

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca