2025-26 was a rollercoaster of a season for the Brock men’s basketball team. Defying the odds after numerous key players departed, they made it all the way to the OUA semi-final where they would fall to the eventual champion, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold. Although bringing home a trophy was the goal, this season was a success overall for a Badger squad that showed there’s a lot to look forward to in years to come. With little to no expectations around the league, the Badgers proved why they have one of the most consistent groups of coaches and players in the province, turning heads each year since their coveted OUA title season.
With the 2026-27 campaign just around the corner, the Badgers look to continue building on their success from the season prior with new talent, returning faces and a motivated Head Coach, Willy Manigat, who aims to bring gold back to St. Catharines once again.
Andrew McKenna
Leading the way in scoring for the Badgers last season was 6’6” forward Andrew McKenna. The Kingston native returned to the Badgers after a stint playing Division 1 basketball in the U.S.A., making an immediate impact, helping the team return to form, and leading a deep playoff run. McKenna most recently represented Canada at the U21 3×3 tournament in July, where the team reached the Stop 1 final.
It came as no surprise to anybody that McKenna was named a second-team OUA All-Star in 2025-26, carrying the scoring load for the Badgers for the majority of the first half of the season, before anyone else seemed to get comfortable on that side of the ball. His ability to score at all three levels adds a whole new layer to a Badger offence that has seen its fair share of dry spells throughout the past few seasons. Although not known for his playmaking ability, McKenna is always under control and never lets opposing players dictate his pace. The leadership qualities he possesses, along with his international and Division 1-level playing experience, all contribute to his importance to a Badger team that currently relies on many of its younger players to contribute on a nightly basis.
If McKenna can bring his same scoring prowess back to the court this coming season, there’s no doubt the Badgers will be eyeing down yet another deep playoff run.
Birch Pockar
Midway through last season, the Badger offence was in dire need of a spark off the bench. Player injury and lack of scoring personnel meant that somebody was going to have to step up in the big moments. In came Pockar, a freshman from Calgary who had seen staggering play time through the first number of games into the season. The moment Coach Manigat called his number and increased his playing time, Pockar never looked back.
There was a confidence that hadn’t been seen for a while by a Badger rookie, with the fearlessness of a veteran who provided the shot-making the team needed all along. The second half of the season saw Pockar light up opposing teams’ defences with some of the best iso scoring that’s been seen at the OUA level.
It wasn’t just on the offensive side of the ball where he provided, however, as his ability to play not only sound one-on-one defence, but also off the ball and around screens was another pleasant surprise. When a young, hungry player is able to give a coach options on both sides of the ball, it was a no-brainer when Manigat gave Pockar the green light come playoff time, where he dropped a team-high 12 points in their semi-final game against the Bold.
It’s only up from here for Pockar; with increased confidence and the trust from his teammates and coaches, there’s only more room for him to shine. A combination of McKenna and Pockar on the wings is one that any opposing team would hate to see any day of the week.
Ben Herbert
The heart and soul of last year’s squad, Ben Herbert returns after a season riddled with injury. The 6’4” guard was sidelined for several games last year due to a lingering lower body injury that didn’t allow him to get into any kind of flow throughout the year.
Assuming he can stay healthy, Herbert remains one of the most important players on Manigat’s team, bringing size, strength, shooting and an infectious energy every time he steps on the floor. Herbert is one of those guys you love to have on your team but hate playing against, always getting his hands on loose balls and taking charges at key moments.
He’s entering his third year of eligibility and with an increased leadership role, it’s likely that he will thrive in the 2026-27 season as a mentor to younger players. A 40 per cent three-point shooter last year, if he can match that number this coming season, then this Badger offence has the keys to be the best it’s been in years.
Cairo Perry
Rounding out the field for key returning players is another freshman of last year’s team that increased his role exponentially as the season progressed. Cairo Perry is a basketball coach’s dream: long, athletic, takes pride in defence and puts it all on the floor. The Pickering native gave Badger fans numerous highlights throughout his rookie campaign with monster dunks and powerful blocks.
While his shooting ability and self-creation aren’t quite there, that’s not the role that Manigat is asking out of Perry. Rather, Manigat seeks a player who can take up room on defence, cause havoc on the floor and run in transition — all things that Perry excelled at in his first year.
Going into this season, it will be very interesting to see if Perry has improved some of his weaknesses on offence, potentially unlocking a whole new player who could be one of the most dangerous athletes in all of the OUA.
Zach Hawley
With last year’s class of Badger freshmen exceeding all expectations, it’s intriguing to see how newcomers like 6’1” guard Zach Hawley will perform when their names are called.
Hawley is a sensational signing for the Badgers. A scorer in the purest form, he possesses one of the most refined scoring bags of any incoming player in the OUA this year. Similar to Pockar, the Calgary product played at Edge School, where he posted some of the most impressive scoring outputs at any level, including a ridiculous 74-point outburst in which he drilled 22 three-pointers. He didn’t stop there, however, as the next day he would finish a game with 42 points, highlighted by some nice dunks and another three-point barrage.
This addition marks yet another scorer to the Badger roster, filling out what is sure to be one of the most diverse sets of players the program has had in Manigat’s tenure.
While the expectation for Hawley isn’t to come in and play hefty minutes right away, his ability to put the ball in the basket at will undoubtedly be needed at some point or another as the season gets into swing.
Quinten Ethier
The second commit to the Badgers for the 2026-27 season is 6’4” combo guard Quinten Ethier. The hometown kid most recently played for Ridley College, a local prep program that defied all the odds to capture the 2026 NPA National Championship. Ethier chose to stay home and play for the Badgers after an outstanding year at Ridley, where he was coached by former Niagara River Lions Head Coach, General Manager and Niagara basketball legend Victor Raso. This winning pedigree will only help basketball grow in the Niagara region, on the heels of a prep program national championship, back-to-back CEBL championships by the River Lions, and an OUA title by the Badgers in 2022. There isn’t a thing Ethier can’t do on the court, demonstrating elite scoring ability with a take-no-prisoners mentality that helps him become such a pest on the defensive side.
Both Ethier and Hawley will look to integrate themselves into the rotation as the season begins, with both falling under the guidance of great mentors not only on the coaching staff but among teammates as well.
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The 2026-27 Brock Badgers men’s basketball team is shaping up to be one of the most dangerous teams in the entire OUA this year. Gone are the days of having a slept-on roster with a mishmash of unpredictable players; it’s win-now mode for Head Coach Willy Manigat. If he can get his players on the same page and playing as a cohesive unit for an entire regular season, the rest of Ontario basketball should be worried.