Basketball Manitoba Podcast

🏀 Basketball Manitoba is celebrating 50 years!As part of our 50th Anniversary celebrations, we’re counting down the Top 50 Impact Moments in Manitoba Basketball History, recognizing the people, teams, achievements, organizations, programs, events and milestones that have helped shape the game across our province.🎥 In this chapter, we reveal Impact Moments #10 through #1.The Top 50 was developed following public nominations and input from a committee representing decades of experience across the Manitoba basketball community. The goal was simple: impact over popularity — identifying moments that changed the game, created opportunities, inspired future generations or left a lasting mark on basketball in Manitoba.From grassroots basketball to the international stage, the countdown spans championships, legendary athletes and coaches, officials and builders, professional and university basketball, community organizations, facilities, major events, inclusive sport, rule changes and much more.🎙️ Produced and voiced by Joey Slattery💬 What do you think? What Manitoba basketball moments stand out to you? Join the conversation and help us celebrate the players, coaches, officials, volunteers, builders, organizations and communities that have made the game what it is today.🌐 basketballmanitoba.caHere’s to the first 50 years — and everything still ahead! 🏀🧡

The Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame and Museum welcomed the basketball community to the 2026 Induction Dinner on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at the Victoria Inn in Winnipeg.This special evening celebrated the outstanding achievements and lasting contributions of the newest members of the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame:BUILDERS• Bryan Kornberger• Earl Barish• Ted FardoePLAYERS• Uzoma Asagwara• Chad Posthumus• Anne Schimnowski-BoykoTEAMS• Brandon University Bobcats Men• Glenboro School Panthers Varsity GirlsThe evening honoured individuals and teams whose accomplishments have helped shape basketball in Manitoba at the high school, university, provincial, national and professional levels.The Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame induction dinner takes place every second year and has become a special gathering for Manitoba’s extended basketball community.Learn more about the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame and Museum:https://www.mbhof.com/#ManitobaBasketball #MBHOF #BasketballManitoba #HallOfFame #ClassOf2026

Today on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Patrick Mart.

He has been involved in basketball for over two decades as both a player and a coach. He is currently a teacher and coach at River Heights School, where he continues to play a key role in developing young athletes.

As a coach, he has contributed extensively to the basketball community. He has served as the head coach of the junior varsity boys team and as an assistant with the varsity boys program at Sturgeon Heights Collegiate. 

He has also served as an assistant coach with the 17U Manitoba Provincial Team on multiple occasions and is involved with the Canada Basketball Junior Academy and various club programs across the province.

As a player, he competed at Sturgeon Heights Collegiate before representing Manitoba at the provincial level. He continued his playing career at NAIT College, and he holds a degree in Education from the University of Winnipeg.

This summer, he will lead the 15U boys Provincial Team for the second year in a row to the Canada Basketball National Championships in August.

Today on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Sharlene Harding.

She is a native of Mississauga, Ontario, where she went to play at Queen's University and Royal Military College of Canada, becoming an OUA All-Star 

She then enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces, where she continued her athletics career and built a high-level athletic and coaching résumé. 

She competed in 3 World Military Games and over a dozen World Championships, captained the Canadian Armed Forces National Women’s Soccer Team, and coached at the international level with the CAF National Women’s Basketball program.

Since moving to Winnipeg in 2021, she’s spent time coaching with provincial programs and spent the last two years as Head Coach of the Canadian Mennonite University Blazers women’s basketball team.

She has completed a certificate in High Performance Coaching through the University of British Columbia.  She is currently the assistant coach of the Queen's University Women's basketball program. 

Today on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Duane Whyte.Duane dedicated over three decades to growing the game from the ground up in the Swan River region. At Swan Valley Regional Secondary School, his varsity boys teams captured Provincial AAA Championships in 1986, 1995, 1996, 2000, and 2001. He didn’t just coach a team; he built an entire basketball community. He organized coaching and referee clinics, hosted provincial championships, brought in high-level exhibition games, and helped develop generations of players, many of whom have gone on to become coaches themselves.He’s also contributed to the game as an official, working provincial championships at both the high school and senior men’s levels.Duane is an MHSAA Hall of Fame inductee and a Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame inductee.

Today on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Terry Garrow.

He is one of the standout players in Manitoba Bisons history. Originally from Ottawa, Ontario, he came to Manitoba and quickly made an impact, helping lead the Bisons to back-to-back GPAC championships and a CIAU national bronze medal.

He was a three-time GPAC All-Star and earned CIS All-Canadian honours in 1988, averaging nearly 23 points per game in his final season. He was also a three-time Wesmen Classic All-Star and tournament MVP in 1987, establishing himself as one of the top guards in the country at that time.

Following his university career, Terry went on to play professionally with the Winnipeg Thunder and continued to compete at a high level with senior men’s teams, many of which had strong Indigenous representation.

Terry is also passionate about honouring his family’s legacy in the game, particularly by advocating for the recognition of his father, Alex Garrow, as the first Indigenous basketball player inducted into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame.

He continues to work with leaders in the basketball community to help share that story and ensure his father’s impact on the game is properly recognized.

Terry’s contributions to the game were recognized with his induction into the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015, and he continues to represent Canada on the international stage in masters competition, including at the FIMBA World Championships.

Today on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Jennifer How.

She has dedicated more than 30 years to basketball in Manitoba as a coach, manager, and educator.

She began her teaching career at Glenlawn Collegiate in 1997 and has been a cornerstone of the athletic program at Westgate Collegiate since 1999, where she has coached varsity girls basketball and contributed across multiple sports.

She was also part of one of the most successful eras in University of Winnipeg Wesmen history, serving as team manager from 1992 to 1996. During that time, the program captured three consecutive national championships and tied a North American record for consecutive victories.

She has played a significant role in managing the Basketball Manitoba Awards and is an advocate for women's and rural basketball in Manitoba.

Throughout her career, Jen has played a significant role in developing athletes and building strong school sport programs, while also helping lead and support athletic departments at the high school level.

She is a member of the Canada Basketball Hall of Fame, the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame.

Today on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Jon Giesbrecht, a coach who’s built a career around player development, the mental game, and helping athletes play free.

He started coaching at 15 when he stepped in to coach his younger brother’s team, and he hasn’t stopped since then. 

He’s coached many of those same players to a JV provincial championship and an undefeated Grade 12 season at John Taylor Collegiate, where he was the co-coach of the program, with many players going on to play university basketball.

He has coached at the provincial team level, winning a gold medal as an assistant with the U17 boys team. He’s also worked with Canada Basketball as a video coordinator for the Canadian Junior Men’s National Team. 

He’s coached at the University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba, including two seasons as a full-time assistant coach with the University of Regina women’s program. 

He moved on from the college level and went on to coach prep in Italy as the director of mental performance.

The last two seasons, he was with the Vancouver Bandits as Director of Mental Skills & Performance. 

He also runs a private practice called “Play Free”, where he teaches athletes how to handle pressure, regulate emotions, and perform when it matters.

Today on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Vic Pruden.

Vic Pruden’s influence on basketball in Manitoba spans more than seven decades. He began coaching in 1957, winning a provincial championship, and went on to build championship programs at the high school, university, provincial, and national levels. He was instrumental in establishing both the men’s and women’s intercollegiate basketball programs at the University of Winnipeg, guiding the women’s team to multiple conference titles and national finalist appearances, while also contributing to the development of Canada’s national junior program.

Beyond the wins, Vic helped shape the foundation of the game in Manitoba. He founded major events such as the Fort Garry Invitational and the Golden Boy Invitational (now known as the Wesmen Classic), launched influential summer camps, served as the first president of the Manitoba Basketball Coaches Association, and authored A Conceptual Approach to Basketball. His impact has been recognized with induction into both the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame and the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame.

In recognition of his lifelong commitment to the game and his understanding of the financial challenges student-athletes face, the Vic Pruden Basketball Bursary Fund has been established to support two graduating players each year as they continue their academic and athletic journeys.

Today on the Basketball Manitoba Podcast, we have Kerri Kuzbyt.

Kerri is the Head of Player Development for the Scottish Basketball Federation and a Clinician for the Transforming Basketball program, which focuses on coach education in modern approaches to basketball.

She is known globally for her evidence-based approach to skill acquisition and her work in reshaping female basketball culture through long-term development and effective learning environments.

A former number one-ranked female player in Manitoba out of Sisler High School, Kerri played five seasons with the University of Winnipeg Wesmen. She earned Female Rookie of the Year honours, served as a three-year co-captain, won a Canada West regular-season title, and graduated as an Academic All-Canadian with degrees in Kinesiology and Psychology through the Department of Education 

Kerri also played professionally in Australia, Spain, and Germany, winning a league title in the 2nd Bundesliga, before transitioning into player development. She has since led female development at Atlas Basketball and Unbounded Athletes, and continues to give back through Provincial Team, club, and grassroots programs.