For the second straight year, Shawn Maranan is a conference all-star. And he's got more company this time around.
Maranan, a fourth-year guard from Sisler High School, was named second-team all-conference Tuesday as the Canada West unveiled its annual all-star and all-rookie teams.
Mikhail Mikhailov, a third-year forward, was named a third-team all-conference — his first all-star nod — and freshman Kato Jaro was named to the Canada West all-rookie team.
It is the first time since Winnipeg joined the Canada West that the Wesmen have landed three all-stars.
Maranan was once again a top playmaker in U Sports, leading the country in assists per game with a career-high 7.2.
He averaged 11.4 points per game and posted career-highs for steals (44) and free throw percentage (89.8), which were 13th and third in the country, respectively.
Maranan turned things on after the holiday break: He averaged 13.3 points, 8.6 assists and 2.2 steals per game over 10 contests, and posted three double-doubles in that span.
Mikhailov, who had a breakout in the second half of last season, provided the Wesmen with a steadying presence on the interior, scoring 14.3 points per game and adding 8.4 rebounds per game, scoring a career-high 30 points in a win over MacEwan in January.
He was sixth in Canada West and 15th in U Sports in total rebounds, and his 3.3 offensive rebounds per game ranked ninth in the country.
He made 52.9 per cent from the field, which was sixth in the conference and 16th in the country.
Jaro made an early impact as a freshman and earned the trust of head coach Mike Raimbault to garner significant minutes throughout the season.
He finished conference play averaging 6.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while making 41.9 per cent from three, which ranked second in Canada West among all rookies.
He averaged 19.2 minutes per game — and 21.2 per game after the holiday break — and played more than 20 minutes in 11 conference games, including a career-high 32 against Alberta.
The Wesmen enter this week's Canada West conference tournament as the No. 3 seed and will play a Thursday quarter-final (6 p.m.) against either Regina or Fraser Valley at the Investors Group Athletic Centre at U of M.