The Sea Bears bring back local varsity stars through the CEBL draft

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The Winnipeg Seabears added some hometown flavor Thursday by selecting two local players in the Canadian Elite Basketball League's university draft.

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The Sea Bears selected Simon Hildebrandt of the Manitoba Bisons and Shawn Maranan of the Winnipeg Wesmen in the three-round draft, in which teams select regional players to play on one-year contracts.

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They also got Tyler Sagle of Lakehead University in Thunder Bay.

Athletes are drafted as developmental players, meaning teams can have them on their active roster without their salaries being counted against the team's cap.

Known as the “Golden Boy,” Hildebrandt was the Sea Bears' first overall pick last year and was named the CEBL USports Player of the Year at the end of the season.

Now he has been called back and will be back for another season.

“Last year it was a lot of practice, not knowing what was going to happen as far as training camp and how the season was going to go,” Hildebrandt said. “And this year, I feel ready for it with another year of experience.”

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Hildebrandt averaged 16.5 points per game and shot 41.2% from the outside in his rookie season at the University of Manitoba in 2022-23, then made some noise in his first pro campaign that summer.

The 6-foot-9, 230-pound forward was one of four players on the team to start every game last season, averaging 5.9 points and 3.1 rebounds.

The rookie scored a season-high 19 points at home against the Edmonton Stingers last July. In the next home game, he made a memorable jump shot to lead the Sea Bears to within a point of a game-winning layup against the Montreal Alliance.

According to Hildebrandt's fellow Winnipegger Chad Posthumus, the rising star will be great for a comeback.

“He's like a little brother to me,” Posthumus, 33, said of Hildebrandt. The two hometown players were on the road together last summer.

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“So I got to know him well. I often see him in the U of M gym. “I've caught a lot of his games and he's just a great young talent.”

For Hildebrandt, who showed his star power in his second year with the Bison, scoring a career-high 41 points in a January home opener, this season is a continuation of his development.

Maranan, the Sea Bears' third-round pick, has a much different story. While Hildebrandt was one of the nation's top high school recruits before joining the Bisons, Maranan began his USports career as a walk-on for the Wesmen.

The 5-foot-11 linebacker from Sisler High School not only made the team, but scratched his way over five years to make his name as one of the most important in Wesmen history.

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After the Sea Bears announced his selection Thursday, Maranan attributed it to his work ethic, preaching that if he can do it, so can other locals.

“Yes, I think it will open the way for other athletes, especially local kids,” Maranan said. “It's just that if you keep working and putting in the time, you know anything is possible.”

Maranan was a big reason the Wesmen went to USports nationals over the past two seasons, averaging 10 points and 5.1 assists over his varsity career. This year, he had a career-high 18 assists and 21 points in the semifinal playoff game before scoring 34 points in the conference finals.

Maranan signed with the Sea Bears last year, went undrafted but was injured and did not take the floor last summer.

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However, he made his presence felt and Hildebrandt said it would be a boost to have a leader like Maranan back in the dressing room.

“So he's a guy who can help me with a little bit of leadership and a smart, good presence in the locker room,” Hildebrandt said.

Although unsure of his role with the Sea Bears, Maranan is excited about the opportunity to play professionally in front of his family.

“Yeah, I mean, 30 minutes ago they all texted me,” he said. “How do we get the tickets?” Seems like a bunch of people are already asking.”

He noted that his family won a good portion of the division at the Canada West Championships this winter at the U of M.

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“So my family shows a lot of love and that's how it's been in my life.”

He said he wanted to take the opportunity and make his family proud.

Maranan's mother was the first person she told when she found out the Sea Bears had drafted her.

“He's always first,” she said. “It has been with me and I think it deserves to be heard for the first time.”

Sagle, a native of Burlington, Ont., who played at Lakehead last season, was the Sea Bears' second pick, 13th overall. Sagle was also called up to the team last year and played 60 minutes, averaging 12.8 points per game.

The Sea Bears will begin training camp on May 13 before their season debut on May 22 and their home opener two days later at the Canada Life Centre.

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