UNBC Timberwolves guard Isaiah Bias got the surprise of his life at noon Wednesday, just before his afternoon marketing classes at the Cranbrook Hill campus.
Asked to report to TWolves sports information officer Dan O’Connor’s office to meet with head coach Todd Jordan, Bias was shown a laptop screen displaying a family gathering of nine in Vancouver, including his parents, sister, grandmother, aunts, nephews, and nieces. They broke the news: Bias had been selected to the U SPORTS Canada West All-Rookie Team for 2024-25.
O’Connor had texted Bias the day before, saying he wanted him to come to the office to look at a graphic to help plan for next season, keeping the true purpose of the meeting a secret.
“I was still trying to wake up from a nap, and I was for sure shocked. I was just so happy and grateful,” said Bias. “My whole family was there. It was really nice, and to have them break it to me is a special feeling.”
The five-foot-11, 170-pound Bias played in all but one of the team’s 20 games and started 10 of them. The Timberwolves struggled with injury problems, as veteran guard Justin Sunga and forward Josh Gillespie missed most of the season, leading UNBC to a 1-19 record and last place in the conference. Bias stepped up, filling in for point guard Sunga during the second half of the season. He averaged 27.8 minutes per game and made a name for himself in Canada West.
“It means a lot, just to be recognized by the league. Being the second All-Rookie from UNBC (after forward Fareed Shittu was selected in 2023) is an amazing feeling,” said Bias.
“The start of the year was pretty rough; I obviously wasn’t playing much. But it was all about growth, trust, and patience with the coaches. Just being able to trust what Coach Jordan says, building off that confidence, and feeding off the team’s energy, everything started clicking after Christmas break. I gained a lot more confidence and just started playing freely.”
Bias led the Pacific Division in rookie points (145), points per game (7.6), field goals (56), assists (40), steals (20), free throws (24), and assists per game (2.1). He also finished second among Pacific Division rookies in rebounds (58) and free-throw percentage (72.7).
“Isaiah has shown remarkable growth in his first year. Initially, we were going to redshirt him, but he showed early on that he was going to be able to help our team right away with his competitive spirit and ability to create off the dribble,” said Jordan.
“Isaiah has stayed the course through the normal ups and downs of being a first-year player. His mental toughness in keeping his head up and learning from his mistakes put him in a position to take off and become our starting point guard once Justin (Sunga) went out with injury.
“It was fun to watch him have a number of breakout performances in the second half of the year. He has really learned a lot about decision-making, and I'm excited to see where he takes it from here, as I believe this season was just the start for him.”
A graduate of Vancouver College, Bias signed with UNBC after attending the Timberwolves spring camp in April. The 18-year-old reached double digits in points five times, scoring 19 points twice, both in road games.
The lack of wins for a team that had previously won bronze in 2024—becoming the first TWolves team to earn a Canada West medal—was a clear disappointment. However, it was not a lost season, especially for players like Bias, who gained valuable experience on one of the youngest teams in Canada West.
“Even though we didn’t get to win, we were able to learn a lot from each other,” said Bias.
Bias began playing basketball in Grade 1. His father played men’s league hoops in the Philippines before coming to Canada. Both of his parents are Filipino, a heritage he shares with Sunga.
“A lot of people get me and Justin confused sometimes,” said Bias. “Even at practice, Todd would call me Justin sometimes.”
