With a roster that didn't lose a single player to graduation and advanced to the Canada West Final Four last year, the Bisons men's basketball team was already a national championship contender heading into 2025-26. This past week, their odds got even better with the signing of 6'9", 220-pound standout Ramogi Nyagudi.
 
Nyagudi was the best high school basketball player in Manitoba during his time at St. Paul's, helping the Crusaders to back-to-back provincial titles, while averaging over a double-double per game in his career.
 
In 2023-24, he had a stellar year at DME Academy, a Wisconsin-based prep school, where he averaged 17 points and nine rebounds in Grade 12, and last season, he plied his trade at the NCAA Division 1 level with St. Thomas in Minnesota, where he was born.
 
Nyagudi also has international experience, representing Canada at the FIBA U18 Men's AmeriCup in 2024, where Canada defeated the Dominican Republic to secure bronze. Nyagudi averaged 4.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists during the tournament. 
 
Long story short, he has all the intangibles to go pro. Described as "one of the top talents of this generation of Manitoba athletes," his aim is to eventually make it to the NBA.
 
For now, he's back where it all began, playing for a head coach in Kirby Schepp who's been an important mentor during his entire basketball career.
 
"I've had the pleasure of knowing Ramogi for a long time, since he was first breaking onto the scene when he was 14, 15 years old and talking to his parents and trying to help him along in his basketball journey. He had an experience going down south, not only for his grade 12 year of high school, but for first year university. We're really happy to have him come back home," said Schepp.
 
"He's joining a veteran group of players who are ready to win, but we do expect him to play a very significant role and help us reach our goals. Our hope is we can help Ramogi also reach his goals, not only him helping us, but us helping him in pursuing a basketball career at the highest levels."
 
Schepp didn't have to "hard sell" Manitoba to Nyagudi. He was more of an "advisor" throughout the big man's basketball journey. The timing was right for Nyagudi to come home, and it worked out perfectly for both parties.
 
"For all of our guys, I just want to help them to find the best fit. In those conversations, he started to realize that maybe what he needed at this point in his career was something that we could offer him," added Schepp.
 
"The conversation shifted into how he could fit with us. In a weird way we almost never really recruited Ramogi, it was just a relationship that was built all the way until the very end."
 
There's no denying the impact Nyagudi brings to the Bisons. Already the second best team in the nation on defence statistically, he brings elite-level defensive play, an unwavering competitive drive and sensational athleticism to a team that's long been known for their ability to shut down the opposition's best players on a nightly basis, create countless turnovers and capitalize with their speed in transition.
 
"First and foremost, I'm going to add defence. I'm going to be able to play one through five. I can match up with the best player on each team, and I feel like I can be able to stop them from doing what they're trying to do," beamed Nyagudi.
 
"Also, I'm very aggressive, an attack first type of player. Being able to attack the rim, and make a decision off of that, we're going to be working on that during the summer for sure. Those things, and being able to catch and shoot and rebound, are going to be a very influential part of this team that I can add."
 
"Last year we lacked some size and depth at our forward position. It was probably our only weakness. He certainly adds to that piece," added Schepp.
 
"We were the number two rated defence in the country last year, and I just think we've gotten significantly better in that area. Ramogi has the ability to be an elite, elite defensive player of all positions. That's certainly a big piece for him."
 
In returning home, Nyagudi is re-united with a local roster filled with some of the best talent in the country. His point guard from St. Paul's, Miguel Nitro is on the roster, as is sophomore Taven Vigilance, who he played on the provincial team with.
 
Nyagudi has also been mentored by countless Bisons veterans such as Mason Kraus and Daren Watts, the corner stones of the Herd's roster who both have pro experience with the Winnipeg Sea Bears.
 
"I'm pretty close with Mason. We talk a lot about his journey and how it's related to me. Even before I was being recruited here, he's been a really good mentor. The whole team has been. Jonam [Kazadi], great mentor, Daren [Watts], great mentor, I can name guys off the top of my head and say many stories. Taven [Vigilance], he's a very quiet guy but he's extremely funny when you get to know him. It's not going to be problem fitting in with this team."
 
With many pieces to the puzzle in place, Nyagudi and company have one goal in mind, winning a national championship. It's a team that's built to win now, and the buzz around this team continues to grow.
 
"My goal, and I'm going to be very clear about this, is I want to get better, and I want to win," Nyagudi said.

"That's the main thing. The spotlight, all this stuff that's going on around my name, I push that to God. My main goal is just to win. To play as hard as I can."