Bisons standout Simon Hildebrandt named CEBL U SPORTS Player of the Year with Winnipeg
An All-Canadian and Rookie of the Year for the Bisons, Hildebrandt was taken first overall by Winnipeg in the CEBL Draft and played in every game, scoring 129 points.
Bisons basketball standout Simon Hildebrandt has added another impressive accolade to his resume, as he was named the CEBL U SPORTS Player of the Year yesterday at the league's awards banquet in Vancouver.
The recognition caps off a whirlwild year that also saw the 20-year-old earn U SPORTS Rookie of the Year and All-Canadian honours with the Herd in 2022-23. This is the first time a Bisons player has won the CEBL U SPORTS Player of the Year award.
"What a great way to cap off an incredible year for Simon. We are extremely proud of his growth and success at the professional level," said Bisons head coach Kirby Schepp.
"This is only the beginning for Simon as we know this will build momentum into next year with the Bisons. Our focus now is continuing to help him grow as a player and person and reach the highest level of professional basketball."
Hildebrandt was the historic first-overall selection of the Winnipeg Sea Bears in April. He played in every game for the expansion team, earning his first career start in Winnipeg's home playoff game last Friday against Edmonton where he posted 11 points.
Overall, Hildebrandt scored in double figures four different times, including Winnipeg's opening game, where he recorded 13 points in 28 minutes played, logging heavy minutes for veteran Chad Posthumus, who was in early foul trouble. His first career basket came on a free throw, and he was fourth on the team with 1.4 free throw attempts per game.
The sharp-shooter was sixth on the team with 129 points on the year, and he also tallied 1.2 three pointers per game, good for fourth. He scored a career-high 19 points (including a personal best five treys) against Edmonton on July 8th in 25:18 on the court, and he also splashed the target score game-winning triple on July 14 against Montreal.
Hildebrandt will be back on the court with Manitoba this fall. The team kicks off their 2023-24 campaign on November 2 at 8 pm against Brandon at home, and will also host the 17-team Canada West Men's Basketball Playoff Tournament from February 21-25 at IGAC.