Decision time for Carlos
Massey basketball star pondering seven U Sports options
Magnus Carlos (right) led the Trojans to a AAAA provincial title in 2024. / Amber Bridges, Vincent Massey
He’s a man in demand but Magnus Carlos isn’t about to rush one of the most significant decisions of his life.
It’s mid-April and Manitoba’s top university men’s basketball prospect is still unsure about where he will be playing next fall — but it isn’t for a lack of options.
He has seven firm scholarship offers from U Sports schools. Choosing one from a list that includes Winnipeg, Manitoba, Brock, Saskatchewan, Regina, Trinity Western and Cape Breton is the challenge.
“I try to make it seem like I’m not stressing or anything and be really calm about it but there’s a lot of pressure on me,” says the 17-year-old guard who led the Vincent Massey Trojans to a provincial AAAA title in 2024 and a final four appearance in 2025.
“I’ve had to wait to go on these (recruiting) visits. I’ve been playing (club) basketball tournaments and school ball pretty much throughout that whole time. So I didn’t have much time.”
Anyone who has seen him on the court quickly gains an appreciation for the 6-foot-3 Carlos’ skill set.
He can be a scorer or a facilitator — whatever the situation dictates.
A deadly offensive machine, he erupted for two 40-point games, a 30-point outing and five 29-point games for the Trojans in 2024-25. Carlos is also a versatile playmaker with a superb feel for finding teammates for open shots.
“Part of it is his IQ, because he sees the game so well,” explains Massey head coach Cameron Fay. “He can do so many different things because he’s seen so many different things.
“Whether it’s going over a screen or reading what a defence is giving him. Because he’s played so much and he’s seen so much, he has a very natural ability to make a read and make a play and I’d add to that his ability to finish. His bag of technique is so big.”
Magnus Carlos’ improvisational skills help to make him a nightmare to defend.
Carlos’ improv skills around the basket — he has a vast array of layup moves — drive bigger defenders up the wall.
“I definitely spend more time working on three-point shooting now, I’d say, but… layups are the easiest points to get, right?” says Carlos, who got his start playing during his elementary school years with Ignite club basketball, coached by his father Charles.
“I’ve tried to learn all the different angles and different ways to score because I’m pretty good at getting that close (with the ball). Some of the things I do are just natural.”
Fay came to expect the unexpected from Carlos, who averaged 21 points, five rebounds and four assists during the high school season.
“The thing that makes Magnus really tough to cover, especially going to the hoop, is he has so many different ways to score,” says Fay. “Some people might call it unorthodox but after watching him play for so long, you can see they’re all actual techniques. He has so many variables that each layup doesn’t look the same.”
University recruiters outside the province began to take a really serious look at Carlos after last summer’s 17U nationals, when he sparked Manitoba to a 5-1 record and a fifth-place finish, losing only to powerhouse Quebec..
Carlos was honoured an all-Canadian at the event.
“He’s got really good pace, poise and understanding of the game,” says Dan Becker, Basketball Manitoba’s technical director and coach of the 17U provincial team. “He’s got this acceleration, deceleration ability. A lot of evaluators at nationals were telling me he was the best finisher at the national championships.”
A decision on his U Sports destination is unlikely to be delayed much longer.
“It’ll probably be the next week or two,” says Carlos. “A lot of factors play into it. Every school has their similarities and differences. I compare each one and how much it means to me and how much it matters and then go from there.”
The University of Winnipeg is clearly a strong option. Carlos could join graduating Massey teammate Jayden Westerlund, a 6-foot-6 forward, who committed to the Wesmen last fall.
Charles Carlos, who still coaches Magnus with Ignite, has also weighed in on his son’s choice.
Magnus Carlos (1) was an all-Canadian at last summer’s 17U nationals / Amber Bridges, Vincent Massey
“He definitely has an opinion — I know where he wants me to go,” says Magnus, smiling. “I think he wants me to end up at the University of Winnipeg… He’s really close with the coach (Mike Raimbault) and they have a point guard who just graduated, Shawn Maranan, and he’s close with his parents. There are connections there.”
Carlos expects to contribute immediately, wherever he decides to go.
“I expect him to excel (at the university level) as well once he gets up to speed,” says Becker. “There’s always adaptation once you go up a level.”
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