It was a close relative who saw Paul Ogweno's potential long before he was able to realize it for himself.
Ogweno, a 6-foot-3 guard from College Jeanne-Sauve, is the latest official commitment of the 2025 Winnipeg Wesmen men's basketball recruiting class.
An athletic and versatile shooting guard, Ogweno's rise in basketball has been rapid, and he credits his older brother Ian for seeing in him the potential to grow in the game.
"Before I knew my potential or how good I could be, it was really my brother who saw it in me and pushed me to really work," Ogweno said.
"He would go out to Dakota Community Center over here, the outdoor court, and he'd just run me through drills, just working and working. And sometimes I wouldn't even know what I'm doing this for, but my brother really saw it in me. The amount he has put into me to get me really started in the sport has been so much, so I'm forever grateful to my brother.
"Having somebody literally in the same exact household as you with the same desire as you and having faith in me as well just pushed me to become who I am today on the basketball court and off."
Ian Ogweno's vision has paid off as the younger Ogweno now pursues a post-secondary playing career in his hometown.
Born in Kenya, Ogweno moved to Winnipeg when he was 2. It was in Grade 7 that he picked up a basketball and began pursuing the sport that would soon become a passion.
A tournament in Toronto as a Grade 11 with his Ignite Academy team opened his eyes to the potential to play beyond his high school years.
"The end goal was always to be able to play university basketball," he said. "Over there I had spoken with some coaches and after a few games they were just telling me 'You have a bright future.' So that's really when I first got the first like glimpse of it. Like, OK, let me really focus up here."
Ogweno sought out Wesmen head coach Mike Raimbault as he jumped onto the recruiting trail.
"What really sold me, apart from just U of W being one of the best programs in Canada West already, it was just how welcoming Coach Mike was. From the jump, from the day I got in the gym with him or spoke with him, he wasn't just always about basketball, he also cared about how I was doing and would just check up on me asking me, 'Hey, how are you doing? How's school going?', stuff like that. How open he was to me; that's really something that I value."
Ogweno, who was named the players choice award winner at AAAA provincials last month, was a member of the U15 provincial team during COVID and played on the U17 Manitoba squad that finished fifth at nationals last summer.
"We are excited about adding Paul to our group," Raimbault said. "He is a top student and high character young guy with a ton of potential to impact our program."
Ogweno recognizes the challenge ahead, but also the accomplishment.
"It's more than an honor," he said. "I'm beyond excited. It's been one of my biggest goals ever since I started playing basketball to be able to play university basketball. And here I am about to play for a top program in the country. With the guidance of Coach Raimbault and all the teammates and the family that's there, I'm just so excited to get out there and put the work in and see how far we can really go with a Wesmen."
2024 MANITOBA BASKETBALL PROVINCIAL TEAM PROFILE
