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![\"Ruth](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/4193835_web1_260430-Sea-Bears-training--.jpg\")
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Ruth Bonneville \/ Free Press<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Sea Bears\u2019 Teddy Allen (front right), on the court during the Sea Bears training camp at St. Paul\u2019s High School, Thursday.<\/p>\n
While Cross Jr. figures to have many opportunities to do that this summer, he received a tease of what to expect as the Sea Bears held a two-hour inter-squad scrimmage at Investors Group Athletic Centre on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Playing in front of a crowd of season-ticket holders, the 6-8 forward offered a taste of his skillset as he scored 13 points in the session and made a few crafty plays on both ends of the floor along the way.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve gotten to know the team pretty well,\u201d said Cross Jr., whose young career has already taken him to the NBA G League, Germany, Mexico and China.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like (the scrimmage) helps. We have a lot of young guys, a couple of older guys, so it\u2019s just being able to find that mesh.\u201d<\/p>\n
No one would\u2019ve blamed Cross Jr. if he were a bit sluggish in his debut.<\/p>\n
He was on the court nine days earlier with the Tianjin Pioneers in the Chinese Basketball Association, but has done a nice job of quickly shifting his focus to the Sea Bears, who are preparing for their regular season opener in Edmonton on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s nothing new. I\u2019m honestly pretty used to it. I just finished the season about a week ago, so it\u2019s just consistently running for me,\u201d he said about the challenges of being back on the court so soon.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s probably not my first summer, having to go through this. So just take it for what it is, and keep pushing through.\u201d<\/p>\n
Players switched between Team Teal and Team Black throughout three quarters and a Target Score Time period, as head coach Mike Raimbault and his coaching staff got a good look at the different lineup combinations he could deploy throughout the summer.<\/p>\n
From an intensity standpoint, the exhibition had the feel of a competitive scrimmage for the most part. As quarters flipped and the players grew fatigued \u2014 owing in part to several signings still needing to report to the team while they finish their winter seasons \u2014 there were certainly some lulls, especially in the third quarter.<\/p>\n
The Target Score period began tied at 91-91, with the first team to 100 being the winner. Once that started, the scrimmage instantly grew to its most intense stretch of play.<\/p>\n
Raimbault, who asked players to play as if it were a real game to improve their chemistry on the court, said he was pleased with the intensity, even if the players\u2019 fatigue led to a few possessions that were less than ideal.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought for the most part, really, really positive. I mean, we\u2019ve only had a few days of practice, so we were really hoping to see the few things that we\u2019ve been working on for the first three days translate into gameplay,\u201d the first-year bench boss said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor us, it really gives us a chance to look at the film, correct some of the mistakes, look at situations that we can clean up in the next few days, and just kind of keep the momentum going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
With four days in the books, Raimbault said there is still a long list of things to work on, notably his players\u2019 conditioning, which was tested greatly with short benches.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think you want to see everybody in a game situation. And some guys are a little bit more gamers than practice players, potentially,\u201d he said. \u201cThe one thing we really tried to do today is see a lot of different lineups, different people playing with different personnel, and just trying to look at all of our options.\u201d<\/p>\n
Teddy Allen led all players with 31 points, while Davion Warren and David Walker scored 21 and 17, respectively. Jeremiah Tillmon poured in 15 while showcasing his rim-protecting ability with three blocks.<\/p>\n
Winnipeg-born centre Kyler Filewich had eight points and scored the game-winner on a put-back.<\/p>\n
Most importantly, the Sea Bears appeared to escape without any injuries.<\/p>\n
Xavier Moon, Emmanuel Akot, Nathan Bilamu, Simon Hildebrandt and Isiah Osborne were not present for the scrimmage. The two Manitobans \u2014 Hildebrandt and Akot \u2014 are expected to join the team on Monday.<\/p>\n
The club\u2019s U Sports signings \u2014 Mason Kraus and Kato Jaro \u2014 and training camp invitees \u2014 Daren Watts, Ramogi Nyagudi, Ryan Luke and Elijah Mensah \u2014 received some more playing time in their absence, on a court they\u2019re all extremely comfortable on.<\/p>\n
Nyagudi, a homegrown forward who is entering his second year with the Manitoba Bisons, led the group of young guns with 12 points and captured the crowd\u2019s attention more than once with a highlight-reel dunk.<\/p>\n
Kraus, the Bisons\u2019 graduating guard, said he felt more like he belonged on the court with professionals than last year, when he debuted as a U Sports draft pick.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank God I was at U of M. We got a few of my shots to fall in,\u201d said Kraus, who scored seven points.<\/p>\n
Kraus, who finished up a strong university career this past winter, has transitioned into a full-time pro now, fighting for every contract he can get. He signed with EPG Baskets Koblenz of the German BARMER 2 Basketball Bundesliga ProA, which begins in the fall.<\/p>\n
Despite this being his livelihood now, he said that he feels a strange sense of comfort entering this next chapter in his career.<\/p>\n
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\u201cHonestly, it\u2019s weird. I felt more pressure last year than I do this year, where last year I felt like I had to prove more that I\u2019m one of the guys and I\u2019m not just a U Sports guy,\u201d he said. \u201cThis year, I feel like I\u2019m now accepted as, \u2018He\u2019s actually a pro.\u2019 So I feel like with just from that standpoint \u2026 gives me confidence in my game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Raimbault, who has coached for and against his U Sports players as head coach of the Winnipeg Wesmen, said he\u2019s pleased with the early returns on his young additions.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought they were great. I mean, they\u2019ve been really good in all of our practices up to this point. They\u2019re thrown into the fire a little bit today, and some of the game experience, and really that\u2019s part of the benefit of them being here in training camp,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve been good at picking things up in training camp and competing and making us better. So, without them, it would have been hard to even have a game today.\u201d<\/p>\n
winnipegfreepress.com\/joshuafreysam<\/p>\n
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Joshua Frey-Sam Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Josh produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.<\/p>\n \t\t
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