Today, on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Sara Gillis. Sara has been a cornerstone of basketball in Manitoba for over 40 years, contributing as a player, coach, official, and advocate for the game. Her basketball journey began in Brandon, where she played for Earl Oxford Junior High and Crocus Plains High School. She also played for the Manitoba Provincial Team for three years and earned a silver medal at the 1985 Canada Games. She then went on to play at Brandon University with the Bobcats for five seasons. During her time there, she was named Brandon University’s Female Athlete of the Year in 1984-85.

After playing, she transitioned to coaching at first at Garden Valley in Winkler and then going on to and build a powerhouse program at R.D. Parker Collegiate in Thompson, leading the Varsity Girls to four consecutive AAA provincial finals, including back-to-back championships in 2015 and 2016. Her impact in northern Manitoba extended beyond the court as she organized clinics, camps, and leagues to grow the game at the grassroots level. She has also served as an assistant coach for Manitoba's under-17 female team, worked with Basketball Manitoba’s Targeted Athlete Program, and continues to advocate for rural basketball initiatives and increasing women in coaching through her role as the President of Basketball Manitoba. She has received the Mike Spack Lifetime Achievement Award and has been inducted into the Brandon University Dick and Verda McDonald Sports Wall of Fame.

Today, on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Murray Brown.

He is one of the most accomplished coaches in Manitoba's history, coaching for over 34 years and more than 1,100 games as a head coach with the Oak Park Varsity girl's basketball team.

During that time, he won seven provincial titles in 1998, 1999, 2004, and 2013, with a “three-peat” from 2017-2019. He has been named MBCA basketball coach of the year 7 times and MHSAA coach in 2013.

He retired from coaching at Oak Park in 2022 and is currently an assistant with the Winnipeg Wesmen Women’s basketball team.

In this special episode, we’ve compiled the best advice shared by basketball players from all our past episodes. Hear from athletes of all levels—local stars, college players, and pros—as they share the wisdom, tips, and lessons they’ve learned on and off the court.

Whether you're an aspiring player, a seasoned athlete, or a basketball enthusiast, this collection of insights is sure to inspire and motivate you to elevate your game.

What you'll hear:

• Strategies for improving your skills
• The importance of teamwork and leadership
• Overcoming challenges and setbacks
• Balancing basketball with life

Don't miss this ultimate highlight reel of advice for basketball players. Subscribe for more episodes and stay connected to Manitoba’s basketball community.

In the summer of 2022, we were fortunate to sit down with Chad for over an hour as a guest on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast. In the episode, he details his journey through basketball and where it has taken him from Winnipeg to around the world. We remember him for his infectious attitude towards life and for being an amazing ambassador for Manitoba and Canada.
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Today on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Chad Posthumus.

Chad is a professional basketball player who is a graduate of River East Collegiate, where he was recognized as an All-Manitoban and as one of the top five high school players in Canada.

He represented the Manitoba Provincial Team 3 times.

After high school, he was recruited to play at the University of British Columbia. He transferred to Howard Community College (Columbia, Maryland) and finally to Morehead State in Kentucky. He was 4th in the NCAA in rebounds and was named to the All-Ohio Valley Conference Third Team.

He started his professional career with the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Summer League. Since then, he has played in Japan, Argentina, China, the United States in the G-League, and Canada in the NBL and the CEBL.

He has represented the Canadian National Team most recently at the FIBA AmeriCup 2022 in Brazil.

Today on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Robyn Boulanger.

She was the 15U Female Manitoba Provincial Team Head Coach this past summer at Nationals in St John’s, Newfoundland. She played basketball in high school at the University of Winnipeg Collegiate with the Anishinabe Pride Basketball Club, which her family started. She then played for the Centre for Permanence, Manitoba Provincial Team and represented her province at the North American Indigenous Games. After high school, she continued her basketball career at the University of Winnipeg with the Wesmen team. She was part of their 2021/2022 playoff run, where they won Silver Medals in both Canada West and U-Sports Nationals. Now, she uses her experience as an assistant coach for the Wesmen to help young players improve. She started Zaagi'idiwin Sport Performance, which helps athletes get better on and off the court by combining Indigenous knowledge with sports and movement.

The Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame is pleased to announce its Class of 2024. The official induction occurred on Saturday, September 28, 2024, at the Victoria Inn in Winnipeg. The Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame induction dinner occurred on Saturday, September 28, at the Victoria Inn in Winnipeg. Two players, Jennifer Finch and Keith Strieter, four builders, Wes Crymble, Joe Di Curzio, Tom Kendall, and Reynold Reyes, and championship teams from Neelin High School and St. Laurent School, were inducted. Details on the event can be found at... https://www.mbhof.com/2024/05/manitoba-basketball-hall-of-fame-and.html You can view Part 1 of the event, which included the welcomes, memorial, and greetings from Emcee Ross Wedlake, at... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FtsD_SGn3I

Today, on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Lenin Mangaron.

He graduated from Oak Park High School, where he was named an All-Manitoban and played for the Manitoba Provincial Team for four years.

He then went on to play at the University of Manitoba, where he was named a GPAC Conference All-Star. He later transferred to the Brandon Bobcats basketball program for one year.

The teams that he participated in were some of the first to break into the NABA and FBA national scene out of Winnipeg. After college, he played semi-professional basketball in the Philippines.

After playing, he transitioned to coaching, a role he’s been doing for over 23 years. He started with JV basketball at Elmwood and has coached at various levels, from junior High to Club basketball.

He’s been a leading figure in the program at Sargent Park School, where they have won many Provincial Championships over the years. There, he was awarded Co-Coach of the Year by Basketball Manitoba.

He’s coached at the Manitoba Provincial Team level as an assistant coach and as a head coach, and he is currently the 15U male head coach for 2024.

Today, on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Dan Becker.

He graduated from Fort Richmond Collegiate and played college basketball at St. Joseph’s University before transferring to the University of Colorado. He then went on a 12-year journey through the professional ranks, playing in Europe, Asia, and Australia and back home in Canada with the Winnipeg Thunder and Winnipeg Cyclone pro teams. He also had the opportunity to try out for the NBA with the Indiana Pacers and Denver Nuggets.

He also represented Canada on the National stage at the World University Games and Jones Cups in Taipei, where he notably won a Silver Medal facing the United States.

After playing, he stepped back into the Manitoba basketball community as a coach, spending time at the University, Provincial Team, high school, and club levels. He is currently the Technical Director at Basketball Manitoba, a position he’s held for 13 years.

Other notable achievements include…

• Big Eight Conference Select Team member in 1988.

• Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame member Class of 2013.

• Gold Medal coach at the 2014 National Championship for the 17U Male Provincial Team.

Producer's note: Darcy Coss had Dan Becker on his own Back2Basketball Podcast series as a guest before the Basketball Manitoba Podcast series launch. That interview can be heard here... https://open.spotify.com/episode/6PeIlMerL04uDmYc4QvA1o?si=Ocd8x-4OTiuoYbtNMVCqHQ