SASKATOON, Sask. - The University of Saskatchewan Huskie Men's Basketball team is just hours away from tipping off the 2025-26 Canada West regular season. With a talented group of returning student-athletes and an exciting group of incoming freshmen, the Huskies will look to build on a 2024-25 season which saw them narrowly miss out on the conference postseason. Their 2025-26 campaign begins with an opening-weekend, home court doubleheader against the MacEwan Griffins.
2024-25 Season Recap
Regular Season: 5-15 / 9th in Prairie Division
CW Team Ranks
Offence: 67.4 PPG, 16th
Defence: 77.3 PAPG, 11th
Season Leaders (RETURNING)
Points: 267 -
Easton Thimm
Rebounds: 141 -
Easton Thimm
Assists: 66 -
Emmanuel Bonsu
Blocks: 8 -
Dylan Miller
Steals: 25 -
Easton Thimm
The 2024-25 season saw the Huskies finish with a 5-15 record, just two games back of the Brandon Bobcats for the seventh and final playoff position in the Canada West Prairie Division. Despite missing out on the postseason and experiencing challenging start to the season, the Huskies showed plenty of promise down the stretch. After a weekend split with Lethbridge, the Dogs went on to sweep the MacEwan Griffins and Regina Cougars in two of the final three weeks of the season to keep their playoff hopes alive until the final week of the campaign.
Now eager and motivated to improve on 2024-25, a strong core of experienced student-athletes are set to lead the Huskies in
Emmanuel Bonsu,
Easton Thimm, and
Dylan Miller. This veteran trio will join forces with an exciting and talented group of freshman athletes such as Mohamed Mahadi,
Treyvon Folkes, and
Josiah Roberts, forming a skilled lineup poised for a bounce back season.
Ranked 11th in the Canada West coaches poll, the Huskies open the 2025-26 season with a favourable matchup in the No. 17 MacEwan Griffins at home. However, the remainder of the regular season schedule is sure to test the Dogs, who are set to take on five of the top six—and seven of the top ten—ranked teams in the conference.
Fortunately, the Huskies have been testing themselves prior to the start of the season, with six preseason matches under their belt against Waterloo, Laurentian, Fraser Valley, McMaster, Carleton, and Bishop's. Of those six opponents, five were playoff teams a year ago in their respective conferences.
Saskatchewan officially tips off the 2025-26 season at 8:00 PM Friday night at the Physical Activity Complex.
2025-26 Canada West Coaches Poll (First Place Votes)
1. Victoria Vikes - 254 points (14)
2. Manitoba Bisons - 235 (2)
3. Winnipeg Wesmen - 219 (1)
4. UBC Thunderbirds - 218
5. Calgary Dinos - 186
6. Alberta Golden Bears - 183
7. Trinity Western Spartans - 158
8. Fraser Valley Cascades - 149
9. Mount Royal Cougars - 137
10. Lethbridge Pronghorns - 99
11. Saskatchewan Huskies - 94
12. Regina Cougars - 88
13. Brandon Bobcats - 81
14. Thompson Rivers WolfPack - 80
15. UNBC Timberwolves - 57
16. UBCO Heat - 51
17. MacEwan Griffins - 23
2025-26 Huskie Men's Basketball Recruiting Class
(Name / No. / Position / Yr. / Ht. / Major / Hometown / Last team)
Mohamed Mahadhi / #0 / G / 2 / 6-1 / Arts & Science / Saskatoon, SK / Central Wyoming College
Amari Lessa Linklater / #4 / G / 2 / 5-8 / Education / Saskatoon, SK / NAIT
Treyvon Folkes / #5 / F / 1 / 6-7 / Arts & Science / Brampton, ON / Cali Prep
Faisal Mahadhi / #6 / G / 1 / 6-0 / Education / Saskatoon, SK / Walter Murray Collegiate
Josiah Roberts / #13 / G / 1 / 6-4 / Arts & Science / Brampton, ON / Hodan Prep
Josiah Draper / #14 / F / 1 / 6-7 / Arts & Science / Braeside, ON / Renfrew Prep
Key Performers
The 2025-26 edition of the Huskies is set to be led by a pair of veteran student-athletes in forward
Easton Thimm and
Emmanuel Bonsu.
Thimm, the Huskies' leading big man, is coming off another strong campaign in which the former Canada West Rookie of the Year finished the season as a top-20 scorer in the conference, averaging 13.3 points per game while shooting an efficient 49.8 percent from the field. On the glass, the local Saskatoon product is one of the best in the conference, finishing second in total rebounds with 207 and leading Canada West in offensive boards with 66. A pivotal piece at both ends of the court, Thimm also continues to prove to a stout defender, totaling 25 steals and seven blocks.
Thimm is also coming a summer in which the third-year student-athlete gained professional experience after being drafted by the CEBL's Saskatchewan Rattlers in the league's 2025 entry draft.
In Bonsu, the Huskies welcome back a talented guard for his final season in the program. The Saint-Laurent, Quebec product was the team's second-leading scorer last year, averaging 13 points per game while totaling 88 rebounds, 66 assists, and 19 steals. Saskatchewan will look to Bonsu to once again be a leader for the team both on and off the court.
Along with Thimm and Bonsu the Huskies are hoping to see several second- and third-year players the next step in their development, including
Dylan Miller,
Owen Murphy Wiebe, and
Freddy Kapinga. Each of these student-athletes saw significant playing time last season and finished among the team's top five scorers. For the Huskies to continue building on last year's progress, the trio will need to develop into consistent contributors on a nightly basis.
