On Friday, January 23rd against MacEwan, Mason Kraus, Daren Watts, Cieran O'Hara, Tito Obasoto, Samuel Jensen and Jonam Kazadi made history, breaking a 50-year men's basketball program record for career regular season wins by a collection of teammates. At the time, it was the group of six's 63rd conference win, and since then they've added to that legacy, with four more victories.
 
The veteran unit surpassed Bisons legends Rick Watts and Darryl Rumsey to break the record. And much like the pair of national champions before them, all six Bisons are local.
 
Extremely connected to the Manitoba scene, Bisons head coach Kirby Schepp knew the group well. He had gotten to know these athletes before, during and after their high school days, and when the Herd needed to re-tool following a 2019-20 campaign that saw them go 16-4 and miss nationals by just one game (in overtime), the goal was clear.
 
"When I was recruiting them, I was recruiting them as a core unit, which included [All-Canadian] Simon Hildebrandt at the time," said Schepp.
 
"I thought, this team could be something, and they certainly have had a great run. It's pretty special to have that large of a group go through their years together and stay intact for the most part."
 
So, piece by piece, Schepp began to re-build the Bisons with a new look, new faces, but the same vision – make it back to nationals and bring the W.P McGee trophy back home for the first time since the Watts and Rumsey era.


 

'This was the plan and it's come through'
The first piece was O'Hara. The longest-serving member of Manitoba's roster, 'The Board Man' was already on the Manitoba's roster in 2019-20 when they made a run to the Canada West semi-finals.
 
A St. Paul's grad, O'Hara had planned to just go to Manitoba for school, but a chance run-in with Bisons great Ogo Okwumabua during a Junior Bisons tournament altered his life plans for the better.
 
Okwumabua encouraged O'Hara to reach out to Schepp about walking onto the Bisons in 2019. There was a family connection, as his older brother Cameron was already a key member of the roster. Cieran attended summer runs with the program, and eventually earned a spot on the roster.
 
Fast forward to present day, and he's firmly established himself as one of the most consistent centres in the country, collecting 672 total rebounds as a Bison.


 
In the spring and summers following, Schepp added the rest of the pieces to the puzzle. He secured the commitments of Kazadi, Obasoto and Jensen in 2020 and Kraus and Watts in 2021.
 
Jensen (25 points per game as a high school senior) and Watts (32.5 points per game, 9.7 rebounds per game, All-Manitoba selection as an underclassman) were recruited directly from their high school programs of Sturgeon Heights and Miles Mac, respectively. Meanwhile, Kazadi, Kraus and Obasoto came back home after spending time at prep schools across the country.
 
Kraus – a AAAA All-Manitoba member and All-Canadian from Sturgeon Heights – and Kazadi – a 6'7" 230-pound MHSAA All-Star from St. Paul's – played at TRC Rise Prep in Ontario together, where they were also roommates. This came after a summer bonding as teammates on Manitoba's 17U roster, where Mason's dad Marlin was head coach.
 
It was the second summer in a row where the duo were teammates for Manitoba's 17U squad, after suiting up together alongside Obasoto in 2018. Kazadi and Obasoto were the youngest players on that roster, just 15 years old at the time.
 
"I actually decided [to commit to TRC] because of Mason. The year he had committed to that school, we were playing on the provincial team together, and that summer his coach had contacted me, asking me if I was interested. Obviously the first person I talked to was the guy that committed," admitted Kazadi in a 2022 interview.  
 
"I was super skeptical at first, but I had a decent understanding of what prep was like, and if Mason was going, that's a guy I've known for a long time, and I've played with him. If I'm going to go have this experience, at least I'm going with somebody who I trust. I think that made it a fairly easy decision."


 
Jensen was also on the 17U roster team with Kazadi and Kraus in 2019, and Marlin was his Junior Bisons coach as well, dating back to around grade five.
 
His grandpa Ron Paseshnik was also an early mentor to Schepp. He 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, where the pair formed a close connection.
 
After meeting through Junior Bisons, 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. 
 
"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," said Jensen at the time.
 
"There's just something there that keeps bringing us back together."


 
In grade ten, the brotherhood expanded. Hildebrandt joined the Junior Bisons ranks, and the trio also faced off against Kazadi, Obasoto, and Watts, who were on the opposite Junior Bisons roster.
 
"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 added.
 
"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."
 
Long story short, the group of Bisons knew each other well before their U SPORTS careers began. That chemistry quickly led to results at the U SPORTS level, and eventually to history – in more ways than one.
 
Along with their record-breaking 67 conference wins, the group also set a new single-season conference wins record, going 18-2 in 2022-23, finishing first in Canada West while advancing to the conference semi-finals. They did the same in 2024-25, with a record of 16-4, first overall in the Prairie Division.  
 
"When I was recruited, I had a photo of all of us excluding Cieran – Daren had the same thing – and it just showed that over time and with progression, step by step through the years, that our vision [of building something special together] could become a reality," said Kraus, the program's all-time leader in career regular season steals, with 240 and a three-time conference all-star.
 
"It's nice to see that. Hopefully we can make it to nationals and make a push, but it's great to see that this was the plan and it's come through."
 
"It's cool to look back on it," echoed Kazadi.
 
"We've all played with and against each other since we were 12 years old or whatever it was. Ten-plus years later, here we are, still working, still hooping. It's a testament to all of our hard work over the years, and how great our team can be."


 
 
'Kudos to everyone for being themselves'
On the court, every Bison has brought a different type of energy. That versatility helped the Herd win a variety of contests in a variety of ways.
 
Kraus and Watts have been every-game starters together for the last three seasons. The former didn't miss a start in his UM career – 100 games overall – while Watts is a veteran of 93 career games and a constant in the starting five since 2023.  
 
Capable of knocking down a clutch shot any time, the duo both have over 1,000 career points at Manitoba, and defensive they have locked down the country's best time and time again.
 
A game that immediately comes to mind is Manitoba's 82-75 win over No. 2 ranked Calgary last season. The Dinos went on to win the Canada West championship, and made a run to the national final, but on January 17, 2025, they felt the full effects of the Kraus and Watts show.
 
Offensively, the pair combined for 50 of the Herd's 82 points, hitting eight threes overall. But the story was the pair's trademark defence.
 
They held the country's leading scorer Nate Petrone to seven points entering the fourth quarter, frustrating the dynamic guard, along with fellow play-maker Noah Wharton with their disruptive playing style.
 
The Dinos turned the ball over 19 times in total and Manitoba had 11 steals as a team.


 
"For me, it's just a time to show out how good of a defender I am," said Kraus after the game. 
 
"I love having the ability to show what I can do to prove myself in this league, and to show why I think I'm the best defender in the league."

Obasoto and O'Hara are also relentless defenders. Their compete level, battling to keep possessions alive while defending one through five, has helped define the gritty style of defence that the Herd are so well known for. 
 
Obasoto's 113 career regular season steals rank seventh in school history, while O'Hara has finished in the top five in rebounds per game each of the last two seasons.
 
"I truly do love this sport. Playing defence is a way for me to express my love for the sport," smiled Obasoto in a 2025 interview.
 
"When I'm overly active or super expressive, it helps bring the people around me up. When I'm in someone's face, the next man behind me wants to engage and he's locked into the play. If I come in the game, that's my way of impacting the game without putting the ball in the hoop. It fits perfectly, like a key into a door. It's my way of helping the team win. It's what I love to do."


 
In Kazadi, the Bisons have a physical force under the basket, and in Jensen they have a clutch shooter, especially from distance where he drained 57 buckets.
 
Kazadi was a perfect ten-for-ten from the field in a November 23^rd win over Mount Royal during the 2023 season, pouring in 21 points, while Jensen hit four three-pointers in 15 minutes the weekend prior in an 87-72 win over Calgary.
 
"Everyone has their different personalities, and it gives us something different to look to when we need that specific thing," stated Watts.
 
"If we need loud, defensive energy, then you can look to Tito. When things aren't going well and we need more confidence, you can look to Mason. If you need someone calmer, you can look to me. There's just different people you can look to all the time for whatever they provide. I feel like that helps us be more balanced."
 
Off the court, the teammates balance themselves out in the same ways.
 
"I feel like everyone has their own individual personalities," said Obasoto.
 
"It's magnified our chemistry, and made it better over time. Kudos to everyone for being themselves."
 
"Everyone on the team is pretty silly, but we balance each other out in good ways. Sam as a person is a super, super laid-back guy. I'd say he's probably one of the funniest guys on the team. Jonam is another chiller guy, and he's a presence in the paint for sure. Mason, he's one of the goofiest, silliest guys on the team. You know when Mason's there, whether he's on the court or off the court, whether he's scoring 28 points or making funny, weird jokes," added O'Hara.
 
"Tito is the same way. Tito is the heart of the team. He's the life to any room when he walks in. It's the same way on the court. He's very high-energy. And Daren, on the court he's so reliable. He puts the work in. I can honestly say that Daren is the hardest-working person that I know for anything. He brings the team up. As a person he's very easy to hang out with."


 

'I'm happy to be finishing this with these guys'
Tonight, Manitoba's leadership core begins their final playoff run as teammates. Their growth and development is a testament to what team sport is all about. But it extends far beyond that.
 
When all is said and done, the collection of unique individuals know that they've got friends, and brothers for life.
 
"Seven years is quite a while. You don't really notice where the time goes. But I'm so grateful to be a Bison. It's been such a cool opportunity to play basketball and do all the small things. Those small moments when you're just hanging out with your friends, I think that's what this is all about," said O'Hara.
 
"You're growing as a person, and as a player, but you're also gaining so many friendships and experiences. That's what I'm most grateful for. It's been quite a ride. But I'm happy to be finishing this with these guys."