With his size and skillset, Istvan Reid was never going to go under the radar.
 
And indeed the Grant Park Pirate has garnered interest from not only universities around the country, but also multiple invitations from the national body for basketball in this country. 
 
As he pursues his dream of one day playing for Canada, he will also play for Winnipeg. 
 
Reid, a 7-foot-1 forward who will attend Canada Basketball's U18 national team camp next month, has committed to head coach Mike Raimbault and the Winnipeg Wesmen men's basketball program as the newest member of the 2026 recruiting class. 
 
Reid, who played this prep year with Central Canada Prep, possesses a unique blend of size and skill. Listed at 6-foot-11 without shoes, he's the tallest player to commit to the Wesmen since all-Canadian Norm Froemel in 1991. 
 
But Reid isn't just content with living around the rim. 
 
"(Growing up) I had opportunities to play a lot of different positions and just do a lot of different stuff on the court," Reid said. "I'd say like shooting threes — off the catch — is a pretty big part of my game. And then just being able to use my size, being physical and finishing around the rim."
 
Reid received interest from schools across U Sports, but ultimately decided signing with a Wesmen program that has won 32 out of its past 40 conference games was the right move. 
 
"We are excited to add Istvan for next season," Raimbault said. "His combination of size and skill fits well with the way that we play and we look forward to adding him to our group moving forward."
 
This spring's Canada Basketball invite is the third such offer Reid has received, having attended previous U16 and U17 camps. 
 
"It's huge to me, it means a lot," he said. "It shows I've put in the work but also I need to get a lot better because I haven't made the team yet. But it's just an honour to even be invited to try out for a chance to get to represent the country."
 
Despite having offers from other schools, Reid realized home was Winnipeg. 
 
"To me the biggest thing was just the coaching and the people I was going to be around," he said. "I connected really well with Coach Raimbault and I know a lot of the guys on the team and I think there's some really good guys on the team that I want to be around. So, I think U of W is the best place for me to call home for the next five years.
 
"I'm super excited, man. I was trying to sign even earlier, but my parents told me to just wait a little bit. But when I got it done, it was wasn't a relief, it was an excitement like, 'I'm ready for this.'"