Mariners Roster Breakdown: Men's

 

Harry Fayle (5), Cameron Gay (8), and Jerod Dorby (12) celebrate a play during their CCAA national championship run in 2019 (Langley, BC).

With most rosters recently finalized and the PACWEST season fast approaching, the Mariners are gearing up for a national championship run on their home court. Not only does it mark the first time the CCAA men's basketball national championship will be hosted on Vancouver Island, but the Mariners look to become the first team to win national gold on their home court since SAIT in 2023.

Here are the horses that will lead them into battle for the 2025-26 campaign.

#2 - Levi Van Egdom

VIU and quick-shot guards. Name a more iconic duo.

The latest in a long line of sharpshooters, Levi Van Egdom transfers to the Mariners after spending the previous three seasons at Columbia Bible College. He was a career 33% from beyond the line as a Bearcat, and is the incumbent holder of CBC's President's Award for academic and athletic excellence.

He is expected to become VIU's three-point specialist, and has added an arsenal of off-ball cuts to fit better with VIU's motion offense.

#3 - Winston Cole

Touted as one of the strongest defenders in American JUCO during his time at Tacoma Community College, Winston Cole looks to immediately slot into a starting role.

Cole's greatest strength is his versatility: While primarily a guard, he played as a small forward while at Florida Memorial. Strong on offense and defense, he will star in a Mariners backcourt that looks to be among the strongest in the country.

With Damein Coleman out of the conference, Cole is among the favorites to win DPOY this year, and could be a dark horse for MVP.

#4 - Kye Kotapski-Tinga

A former U Sports national champion with St. Francis Xavier, Kye Kotapski-Tinga enters the season with a renewed confidence and a bleached buzz cut to match.

His magnum opus last season came against the CBC Bearcats, where he came off the bench and exploded for a game-high 28 points to help the Mariners clinch a playoff spot.

His role as a sparkplug off the bench

#5 - Ekman Sohal

A former member of the All-Rookie team in 2023, Ekman Sohal hasn't seen the court since 2024. As a Mariner, the 6'7 forward looks to be a versatile scorer in an offense that emphasizes motion above all else.

His stats with the Royals were drool-worthy: 16 points per game on 50% shooting to go with 8 rebounds per game is something to plan around. Sohal adds another wrinkle to a VIU offense rich with lethal scorers from every spot on the court.

#6 - Ryan Bastian

Ryan Bastian's career has been one of consistency. Since joining the team in 2022, Bastian has matured into the leader of VIU's backcourt and a reliable defender, setting a career high in rebounds per game last season.

He looks to take on a similar role this season, even being rewarded with a new backcourt partner in Winston Cole to shut down opposing shooters. Expect to see a 13-8-6 stat line next to his name many times.

#7 - Ty Cyr

Ty was a big piece in VIU's last recruiting cycle, but chose to attend prep school.

In his first year of college eligibility, Cyr is the lone rookie on a Mariners team filled with veterans. While a starting role is not likely, Cyr should see heavy minutes off the bench, and is expected to play a big part in VIU's future.

#8 - Markus Modrovic

The former Belmont Bulldog has been the anchor of VIU's defense for almost as long as he's been in Nanaimo.

Last season saw the Victoria native add more offense to his wheelhouse. In addition to a career-high 6.9 point average, he remained a steady presence on the boards while providing a slight uptick in steals across all 24 games he played, 20 of which were starts.

#10 - Kai Leighton

VIU's frontcourt leader for most of the decade is gearing up for one last ride.

Last year, Leighton was the centerpiece of VIU's five-out motion offense, averaging 11.6 points per game while leading the team in rebounds and being named a First Team All-Star. Without the shackles of grad credits weighing him down, the former Charles Hays Rainmaker looks to command similar acclaim in his last hurrah.

#15 - Rylan Adams

Adams is the biggest mystery box on the Mariners this season. After a sheltered rookie campaign that saw him show flashes of his potential, Adams looks to stake a claim in a strong VIU backcourt.

He faces heavy competition from the likes of Bastian, Cole, and Van Egdom, but as Matt Kuzminski can attest, a saturated guard room is a good problem to have. I'm excited to see what he can do.

#24 - Breandan McLaughlin

One of VIU's lone true centers is expected to make his return this year, after being sidelined for the entire 2024-25 season with a torn ACL.

In his first season, McLaughlin was primarily used as a backup centre behind American big Adam Anhold. This year, he looks to slot in as VIU's foremost post presence, giving them a paint dweller that they sorely lacked last season.

That being said, ACLs take a long time to heal fully. McLaughlin will likely not be ready immediately, but should be back to normal by January at the latest.