Brandon to lean on fifth-years in 2025-26

The Brandon University Bobcats saw a streak snap last season, one they’d like to restart in a hurry.

For the first time since 2020, they failed to win a Canada West men’s basketball playoff game. On the bright side, a team that lost plenty of key pieces over the past few years still went 7-13 and made its fifth-straight playoff appearance.

But it’s now or never for the last few pieces of the corps that helped the Bobcats reach back-to-back conference quarterfinals, as fifth-years Sultan Bhatti and Travis Hamberger only have one more shot to do something special at BU.

“There’s definitely more of a sense of urgency but their leadership’s been great,” said Bobcats head coach Gil Cheung.

“They’ve done a great job with our young kids and that’s the biggest thing: They remember what it was like. I can’t believe they’ve been here for five years. I don’t care what sport it is, it’s getting more and more rare you keep guys that long and they’ve both had really standout careers here and are going to be missed.

“But they’re not thinking about Senior Night or anything. They’re thinking about how we can contain (Manitoba Bisons Mason) Kraus, (Daren) Watts, Ramogi (Nyagudi) and go from there.”

The Bobcats open the season at the Healthy Living Centre on Friday against a Bisons team ready to seriously contend for a Canada West title.

THE PRE-SEASON

Brandon didn’t play until the first week of October, dropping games 85-72 to the Lethbridge Pronghorns and 87-82 to the Regina Cougars.

It flew to Newfoundland and split the Memorial University Sea-Hawks, falling 79-78 and winning 86-83 before topping the Laurentian Vees 86-72.

BU travelled without Hamberger and Bhatti, opening the door for the younger guys to make their mark, and a couple of them certainly did.

Rookie guard Munroop Gill scored more than 20 points in each game, shooting no worse than 50 per cent from the field.

Gill and Arjun Hehar combined for 57 points in the win over Memorial.

Brandon closed exhibition play with an 89-72 win over the Algoma Thunderbirds last Thursday.

“We’re still working on things and we’re not a finished piece, just like most teams will be better come February, January or even the end of November,” Cheung said.

“I’m excited. We get to take on one of the best teams in the country to start. Our young guys have played well, and our veteran guys know what this time of year’s all about.”

THE LINEUP

Hamberger, Bhatti, Youri Cange, Darko Karac and Max Winters took the court in both pre-season games in Regina.

Gill and Hehar took their places in Newfoundland, while Malik Brown played the most minutes off the bench.

As usual, Cheung has plenty of guards to choose from.

Up front, the Bobcats will still be their undersized but speedy selves, trying to push the tempo and stretch the floor.

Bhatti, Winters and Hehar will play the most, with six-foot-nine import DeMarco Duncan ready to throw a different look at opponents and protect the rim.

“We will play small, we’ll play a bigger lineup, we’ll try different things,” Cheung said. “It’s not going to be perfect but I kind of like it when we play small and fast, it’s who we are.”

Cheung knows what he’ll get out of Bhatti — a second-team all-Canadian last year after averaging 20.6 points and 10.7 rebounds — and Hamberger, the team’s Energizer Bunny who put up 11.9 ppg in 2024-25.

Cheung needs to see more from sophomores Cange and Karac.

“They’re not even close to where they’ll end up,” Cheung said, “but Darko, Youri and Max, we’ll need more minutes from (them). Youri’s ready to make a jump. Offensively it’s hard because he’s still trying to figure out where his shots come from … but he’s a tough defender and he has a big role for us. He embraces that role.

“Darko’s had a good pre-season as well and worked hard in the summer.”

THE SCHEDULE

The Bobcats follow this weekend’s swing trip with a road trip to Lethbridge on Oct. 31-Nov. 1.

BU hosts Calgary on Nov. 7-8, visits Alberta the following weekend, hosts Regina Nov. 21-22 and visits Saskatchewan after that.

Brandon doesn’t have a bye in the first semester.

Naturally, that makes the second term lighter, beginning with a pair at home against Winnipeg on Jan. 9-10, then a bye before heading to Mount Royal.

The Bobcats face the MacEwan Griffins on senior weekend, Jan. 30-31, then close the regular season at Manitoba on Feb. 6-7.

When it comes to goals for the campaign, Cheung isn’t looking past the task at hand.

On paper, his team is facing some big losses, hoping for a few upsets and trying to take care of the other teams in the bottom half of the league.

The Bobcats’ high-tempo, three-pointer-heavy style has produced plenty of shockers over the years — shocking upsets and shockingly big blowouts.

One thing is certain: When they’re on, they’re worth more than the price of admission to watch.

» tfriesen@brandonsun.com

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