Uzoma Asagwara, Chad Posthumus among inductees for 2026 Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame

Chad Posthumus in an undated photo. (Winnipeg Sea Bears)

Manitoba’s health minister and a Winnipeg Sea Bear are among the new inductees for the 2026 class at the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame.

The inductees were announced Tuesday and featured three players, three builders, and two teams.

On the players’ side, current Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara was named to the hall. Asagwara played high school basketball at Collège St. Norbert Collegiate before becoming a star with the University of Winnipeg Wesmen between 2002 and 2007.

Asagwara was a two-time All-Canadian and First Team All-Star in 2006 and 2007. They were also the scoring leader in Canada in 2007, averaging 28.5 points per game.

Asagwara went on to represent Canada on the international level twice, which included the 2007 Pan Am Games in Rio.

Former Winnipeg Sea Bear Chad Posthumus was also inducted posthumously after he passed away in 2024.

He played basketball at River East Collegiate before his career took him to UBC, Howard College and Morehead State University.

Once he turned pro, he played in Argentina, Japan and China and even represented Canada internationally. Once professional basketball returned to Winnipeg, he came home and played with the Winnipeg Sea Bears.

“Chad’s induction recognizes both his outstanding accomplishments on the court and the lasting impact he made on basketball in Manitoba and across Canada,” the hall of fame said.

The last inductee on the player side is Anne Schimnowski-Boyko. She played at Daniel McIntyre Collegiate as a teen and turned that into six years at the University of Manitoba between 1989 and 1994.

She was named to the all-rookie team and was an All-Star twice.

She averaged 21.7 points per game in 1994, her best season in university. She also represented Manitoba a pair of times on the provincial team.

Switching to the builders, the first inductee is the man who helped bring professional basketball to Winnipeg in the mid-90s.

Earl Barish was the founder, president, and owner of the Winnipeg Cyclone. The team operated in Winnipeg from 1995 to 2001 in both the International Basketball Association and the Continental Basketball Association.

“Beyond his executive leadership in professional basketball, Barish supported broader basketball development in the community, including programs that enabled many local young players to attend Cyclone games at no charge.”

The next inductee is an individual who coached high school basketball for 40 years.

Bryan Kornberger was the head coach of the girls’ team at Glenlawn Collegiate, helping the team claim eight provincial championships.

He also coached Team Manitoba 10 times, winning a gold medal in 1991.

“Over the years, many of his athletes advanced to successful university and national team careers, and he contributed to coach development through clinics and mentorship.”

Lastly, Ted Fardoe has been inducted as a builder. He was the president of the Winnipeg Minor Basketball Association for 11 years and served on the board for 14 years total.

He helped get six outdoor basketball courts built in the city—one in each district of Winnipeg—and he also helped found the Junior Bisons.

On top of that, he was a coach at Oak Park and John Taylor Collegiate.

Lastly, the team category featured a pair of teams. The first is the Glenboro School Panthers Varsity Girls.

They are one of the most successful programs in the province’s history, as they won five provincial championships in six years—2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2009.

The other team was the men’s Brandon University Bobcats. They saw a lot of success in the early 1980s, winning two national championship tournament silver medals in 1980 and 1984 and a pair of bronze medals in 1982 and 1983.

“Their induction recognizes one of the strongest stretches in program history and honours a team legacy built on national-level excellence and a major contribution to the reputation of Manitoba university basketball.”

The 2026 class will be officially inducted on Sept. 26, 2026.