After a record-breaking year, men's basketball seniors Daren Watts and Mason Kraus have earned further recognition, being named Canada West All-Stars for the 2025-26 season. Watts was named a Second Team All-Star, while Kraus earned Third Team All-Star status. The duo were also part of Manitoba's local senior core that broke the program record for career regular season wins as teammates, with 67.Â
Watts is an all-star for the first time, after leading Manitoba and finishing fifth in Canada West with a career-high 17.6 points per game. He becomes the ninth different Bison to receive all-star recognition under head coach Kirby Schepp, and the 55th overall Bison in program history.
A veteran of 95 career U SPORTS games, Watts amassed over 20 points in nine different regular season contests, and also posted personal bests in field goal percentage (49) and offensive rebounds (49), with the latter ranking eighth in Canada West. He graduates having recorded 1,200 career points.
"We are very excited for Daren to end off what has been a great five-year career with the Bisons with this All-Star recognition," said Schepp.
"Daren's consistency, putting on great performances every week, showed this year. He was our most reliable veteran presence both on the off the floor every night. He has narrowly missed being an all-star a few years running so this is great way to put a bow on his time as Bison."
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Kraus is an all-star for the fourth time (All-Rookie in 2022, Third Team in 2023, First Team in 2025, Third Team in 2026). He becomes just the eighth player in program history to receive conference all-status status of some form in four different seasons, joining Terry Ball (1966-70), Darryl Rumsey (1972-76), Martin Riley (1974-78), Eric Bridgeland (1989-93), Mark Virgo (1992-96), Elliot Unger (1992/1994-96) and James Wagner (2016/2018-20, 2022).
Kraus re-wrote the school record book during his time with the Herd, setting new program marks in career regular season assists (493) and career regular season steals (236). Those totals rank fifth, and third all-time in Canada West history, respectively.Â
A diverse play-maker, Kraus led Canada West and was third in the nation with 116 assists, despite missing three games due to injury. He also recorded a career-high three double-doubles, and graduates having recorded 1,363 career points.Â
"Mason has capped off an incredible career putting his name all over the Bison and CanWest record books," said Schepp.
"He finished as the all-time Bison leader in both career regular season assists and steals, and was our engine at both ends of the floor. Mason set the tone for how we play the game. Congratulations to Mason on achieving league recognition for the fourth time! "
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