Combo wing Sam Jensen's ties to the Bisons basketball program are immense, dating all the way back to his grandpa Ron Paseshnik, who was an early mentor to current bench boss Kirby Schepp. 
 
Paseshnik coached for 30-plus years at Silver Heights (now Sturgeon), and when he was at the back end of his career, Schepp began teaching at the school. Paseshnik knew Schepp played basketball, and asked him to help out with the program. 
 
According to Shepp, Paseshnik allowed him to "focus on coaching while he took care of managing all the other stuff." It was an opportunity that led to further involvement in the sport for Schepp.
 
Early memories formed during Junior Bisons 
Jensen's whole family played basketball, so his participation was a no-brainer. Some of his fondest memories at an early age were with the Junior Bisons program. He started there in grade five, with the program providing an outlet to develop his skills in a positive learning environment, build confidence and create goals, all while having fun. 
 
Throughout his time with Junior Bisons, Jensen's coach was Marlin Kraus, the father of All-Rookie point guard Mason. Being coached by the former, and playing consistently with the latter helped to develop good habits and strong connections. 
 
"Junior Bisons offered such a great environment to learn from, and such great knowledge to apply to your game. My coach Marlin preached being a good player but also a good person. He would always make sure we were doing well in school, and even in practice, if someone would start swearing too much, we would run. It was always because of Mason though," joked Jensen.
 
"It was also about the fundamentals, and I apply that in life. Get the basics down and go from there. We would have an hour practice working on footwork. Even when I would watch other teams, I could tell you didn't do 40 hours of footwork a month. It really got down to the basics of life and basketball. It gave me a great structure to build off of."
 
Jensen and Kraus' connection continued into high school. The well-spoken guard convinced his friend to move from Niverville to the St. James area, and the rest is history. 
 
The pair won a junior varsity provincial championship in 2018, going 25-0, while building their fundamentals with coaches like Stephen Tackie. 
 
"It was just Bisons every weekend, high school, whatever it was, just playing every day," says Jensen. 
 
"We've been so close. There were two Junior Bisons teams, and we were always on Bisons black together. We played high school together, provincial teams and now we live close by. Last semester I was driving him to school a couple times. There's just something there that keeps bringing us back together."
 
In grade ten, the brotherhood expanded. Six-foot-nine rookie sensation Simon Hildebrandt – who's shattered a 16-year consecutive free throw record on two occasions this season – joined the Junior Bisons ranks, and the trio also faced off against current teammates Tito Obasoto, Jonam Kazadi and Daren Watts, who were on the opposite Junior Bisons roster.
 

Every one of these players has had an impact on the court in 2022-23, as the Bisons have boasted one of the deepest rosters in the nation. 
 
"It's cool being on this team, because I've been playing with or against almost every other guy since I was ten years old," Jensen says. 
 
"Just going into this we had so much chemistry. We didn't need to break anything in. Immediately we could play together well. I think that translates in the locker room and on the court. Even when a guy like [guard] Elijah [Lostracco] comes in, and he doesn't know anyone, it's not like there's cliques. Everyone's a team, so it's very easy to integrate players, which I like."
 
The proof is in the numbers. The Bisons are atop the Canada West standings at 11-1, giving up just 72.4 points per game, which leads the conference. Kraus is tied for second in the conference, with 2.7 steals per game, while Isaac Miller-Jose is second in blocked shots per game, at 2.2. 
 
It's been success by committee, as nine different players have logged at least 127 minutes, impacting the game in a variety of different ways. 
 
Jensen – a consistent shooter who had 25 points per game along with seven rebounds and seven assists as a senior with Sturgeon – has been a key part of the Herd's rotation off the bench. 
 
He had a career-high 12 points in 13 minutes of action against Fraser Valley in the second game of a back-to-back, and when he's not in the game, he's still making his presence felt.
 
"I think I've always found a way to impact the game. Some games I don't play, but I'm the loudest on the bench. If I'm not shooting then I'm diving on the floor. Stephen Tackie really hammered home to do something even when you can't, and just affecting the game in aspects even when you're not playing well."
 
With eight games left in the regular season, five of which are at home, Manitoba stands a strong chance of having every post-season game run through Investors Group Athletic Centre. 
 
There's still lots to be decided, including a key matchup this weekend against a Mount Royal team that boasts two of the conference's top scorers, but the Herd are ready. They're undefeated in IGAC, preparing themselves for any situation thanks to a competitive, but fun environment at practice.
 
"We're going to war every practice. Everyone wants to win so bad. No one is going to push as hard as we push ourselves in practice. I think it just translates well. When you're going against a guy and you practice with him every day and know what he's going to do, it makes it even harder to succeed and also when he's talking so much, it just helps even the mental aspect," says Jensen. 
 
"If a guy starts talking to me in a game, you can't say anything that I haven't already heard in practice, and you can't affect me in ways I haven't already seen in practice. I think it just helps everyone stay ready, so you know what it's like in a game and the atmosphere, regardless of the score."