Jaro’s time to shine for Wesmen

Being the workhorse ball-handler for a top-ranked U Sports basketball program isn’t made for everyone.

Shawn Maranan, a former three-time Canada West conference second team all-star guard with the University of Winnipeg Wesmen, knows that as well as anyone.

“It takes a lot, especially playing under (head) coach Mike (Raimbault),” said Maranan, who transitioned into an assistant coach under Raimbault this season.

“We have so much responsibility. We have to defend at a high level — defence starts with the point guards applying pressure — and not only on the defensive end, but offensively, we have to feel the game out. We have to control the game.”

Those are just a few reasons why the Wesmen are putting their trust in third-year guard Kato Jaro to be the next workhorse in a strong run of recent play for the program at the position.

Jaro, who spent two years as Maranan’s understudy, was passed the proverbial torch after last season ended, and if his play through eight pre-season games and one regular season contest is any indication, he appears poised to excel in a prominent role.

While Raimbault admitted it was odd preparing for a season without Maranan — who spent five years in red and white — he had every reason to be comfortable with his program transitioning to Jaro.

“One, experience — we’ve seen him have to do it before when Shawn was on the shelf. Two, you get a chance to see him in practice every day, and his work habits in the off-season,” said Raimbault.

“We actually have to tell him sometimes to take a day off because it is important to rest occasionally. He loves to play, he loves to practice, he’s a worker, he’s hard on himself. He wants to be the best that he can be. So he’s got all of the intangibles of a guy that really wants to grow and get better every single day. We’ve had a chance to be around him long enough to know that he’s gonna do all the work.”

Jaro started four pre-season games and one regular season contest as a first-year player while Maranan was shelved with an injury. Last season, while Maranan was sidelined for a dislocated shoulder, Jaro started seven games.

Named to the Canada West all-rookie team, Jaro averaged 6.5 points, three rebounds and 2.1 assists across 19.2 minutes in his first year. In a slightly elevated role last season, he increased those numbers to 7.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 23.5 minutes.

“We saw a small glimpse of what he could bring as a starting point guard,” said Maranan.

“He just has a great feel for the game. We all saw that when he came onto the team, but he’s kind of taken that role of, ‘This is kind of my team now. I set the tables. I get to run the show,’ and he’s been doing a great job.”

Jaro is already getting the Maranan treatment. The 6-0 guard played 38 minutes in Winnipeg’s 80-74 victory over the Brandon Bobcats, pouring in 15 points and adding eight assists, four rebounds and three steals.

“The pre-season was good to shake off the rustiness. But every game in the pre-season, I feel like it got better and better, just seeing the floor, seeing my teammates, seeing what we’re trying to accomplish,” said Jaro, who was offered some wise words of advice from Maranan as he was given the keys to the car.

“Just play with confidence,” Jaro recounted. “Whatever you’re going to do, just do it at your speed. Don’t second-guess things, going one foot in, one foot out. It may not be the right play, but if you do it with 100 per cent confidence, it’s better than hesitating and stuttering.”

Perhaps no one played their style better than Maranan, who at 5-8 was known for overcoming odds and standing tall in the face of adversity. While Jaro carries an immense appreciation for what his mentor accomplished, he is focused on impacting the Wesmen in his own way.

“I’ve had a few conversations with some family, and they were just saying, ‘It’s not so much filling Shawn’s shoes, but it’s more so just embracing the role that I have and doing it my way,’” he said.

The nationally ranked No. 5 Wesmen have the respect of the country once again, coming off a season that ended in the conference quarterfinals and did not include a trip to the national championship tournament — a much earlier ending than they had hoped.

The team remains strong despite the departures of three veteran guards — Maranan, Emmanuel Thomas and Lamar Everd — and they showed that by going 7-1 in pre-season action and closing out a tight affair against Brandon to open.

“We’ll see. Obviously, where you’re at in October and where you finish are two different things, but it is a testament to the value of experience,” said Raimbault. “We’ve got a lot of guys that have been in a lot of big games together. I think even on Sunday night, the game gets a little bit tense, and we do a pretty good job of handling some of the situations that come up.

“We’re going to go through our learning ups and downs this season, just like any group does. But we have a pretty steady, solid group, and they’re definitely committed to the process of improving, working together — being a connected group.”

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca