2010-11 season. Second year Bisons head coach Kirby Schepp is pleased to
announce the commitment of Keith Omoerah, Josh Ogden and Xavier Smith
to the Bison program for the upcoming 2010-11 season.
All three players are guards with Omoerah and Smith played at Winnipeg high schools
Omoerah (pronounced O-Mare-uh), 18, is a 6’4”, 180 lbs. guard who finished his high school career with the Grant Park Pirates. Omoerah was captain for Team Manitoba men’s basketball team at the 2009 Canada Summer Games and has been captain of the Pirates for the past three seasons. In the 2009-10 season, the Winnipeg native helped the Pirates to the quarter finals in the “AAAA” Provincial High School Basketball Championship while he averaged over 20 points, 10 rebounds a game and was a named to the 2010 All-Manitoba team plus Graduating All-Star. He was also the second ranked high school basketball player in the province by the Winnipeg Sun in 2010.
Schepp commented, “We are ecstatic that Keith has decided to stay home and play for the Bisons. We think that Keith can be an impact player for this year’s team. He brings great size and athleticism to the guard spot. He is also a good student and a high character person that fits very well with everything we are trying to do at the University of Manitoba.”
Ogden, 19, is a 5’11”, 176 lbs. guard comes from the Lake Region State College Royals (North Dakota) after playing at Father Henry Carr High School in Toronto. In the 2009-10 season, Ogden was named Mon-Dak Athletic Conference First Team All-Star after averaging 15 points, six assists and four rebounds, led Mon-Dak in assist and selected as Mon-Dak player of the week at end of November 2009. At Father Henry Carr, the Toronto, ON native averaged 22 points and eight assists in his senior year, was named an All-Star and led the team to two TDCAA (Toronto District Colleges Athletic Association) Championships. In club season, he was part of provincial championship and named MVP.
Schepp stated, “We are very happy to have Josh joining our program. He played in a very tough conference last year at Lake Region and was as impact player. We expect he will do the same right away at Manitoba. Josh pushes the ball extremely hard and plays a very fast paced style which fits exactly with what we want to do at Manitoba. He is a player that has the ability to make his teammates better and I feel confident that he is a person that will help us take the program to the next level.”
Smith, 22, is a 6’2”, 200 lbs. guard who last played with Brandon University in the 2008-09 season and completed his high school career with Sisler. The Winnipeg native averaged 2.8 points per game (ppg) in limited playing time (9.0 minutes per game) in 22 conference regular season games with Brandon in his one season with the Bobcats. Prior to Brandon, Smith played with Lakeland College Rustlers in Alberta and was Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) First Team All-Star while fourth in north conference scoring at 16.8 ppg in the 2007-08 season. He started with the Rustlers and named team rookie of the year in 2005-06 after posting 9.5 ppg in 24 total games. Smith was a top player in province coached by former Bison Scott Martin at Sisler High School.
“Xavier commitment is a big one for our program. This off-season we have successfully added youth and size this off season and now Xavier adds a veteran presence who can help add the leadership of the this team, said Schepp. “Xavier can score and defend the ball very well. However what sets him apart is that he is a high character person with an outstanding work ethic. Xavier will definitely help us in many ways.”
Bison men’s basketball notes: The Manitoba Bisons men’s basketball team will begin their 2010-11 season earlier than usual while hosting a new opponent. For the first time in over a quarter century, Manitoba will play a NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division 1 school at the University of Manitoba campus when the Bisons host the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits in exhibition play on Tuesday, August 24 and Friday, August 27 at 7:30 pm CT both nights at the Investors Group Athletic Centre (IGAC). Tickets available at the door for both games: Adults $10, Students/Seniors $5.
For more information, contact Bison Men’s Basketball Head Coach Kirby Schepp at 474-8464.
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Chris Zuk
Sports Information Officer
University of Manitoba
Phone: 204 474-7492
Fax: 204 474-7634
e-mail: zukc@cc.umanitoba.ca
Web Site: www.gobisons.ca