Two whole months after their pre-season opener and one month following the Ron & Jane Graham Shootout, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s basketball team is certainly ready for the real thing.
The team finally got the 2024-25 Canada West season underway on Friday, visiting the University of Calgary Dinos.
The Huskies are ranked eighth in the pre-season coaches poll after rebounding last year with a 11-9 record, a full six wins better than their final record in 2022-23.
While it was good enough to get the Huskies back into the playoffs, they’ve seen an exodus of star players with six graduations, including Alexander Dewar, Chan De Ciman, Tyrese Potoma and Fisayo Moibi.
“It’s tough to replace great people like that,” said Huskies head coach Jamie Campbell. “But we have got a lot of really good, young, talented kids in here. We got to live through some of the young mistakes that they’re making. They’re showing a lot of great promise for where they’re going to be not just this year, but where they go over the future.”
At the guard position, the Huskies will be banking on the continued growth of Emmanuel Bonsu who is entering his second season with the program.
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This after a stint at the NCAA Division I level with Stonehill College, with Campbell projecting him to be one of the best perimeter defenders in the country.
That experience and watching the Huskies fifth-years last season has helped the Quebec product prepare for the larger workload expected in 2024-25.
“It allowed me to see the floor from a different perspective because it was my first time playing below all of these vets,” said Bonsu. “I really got to be a sponge last year and soak up what I could.”
Entering his second year of Canada West play, reigning conference rookie of the year Easton Thimm will be driving the Huskies offence from the forward position after averaging 9.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.
Now, the stage will become even larger for the former Holy Cross High Crusader.
“You always want to help the team whichever way, whether that’s scoring or defence,” said Thimm. “If I do attract attention this year, I’m really looking to expand my passing game.”
Falling in their lone play-in round game last February 62-55 to the Brandon Bobcats, the Huskies are determined to make a deeper playoff run this upcoming winter.
Something they’ll aim to do, even with a lack of post-secondary experience throughout the lineup.
“I kind of see us as a team that’s going to be a way different team to see in February,” said Campbell. “A team that could be a very difficult out, if and when we make the playoffs.”
The Huskies will visit the Dinos on Friday and Saturday before returning to the Physical Activity Complex the following weekend for their home opener against the University of Manitoba Bisons on Nov. 8.