REGULAR SEASON
| Lakehead | 12-4 | 20-9 | Howard Lockhart | ||
| Winnipeg | 11-5 | 21-7 | Frank Evans | ||
| Manitoba | 10-6 | 19-8 | Don Hunter | ||
| Brandon | 5-11 | Gary Howard | |||
| Regina | 2-14 | 3-18 | Gene Rizak | ||
In the inaugural campaign, Lakehead captured the title with a (12-4) record. No postseason playoffs were held. The Norwesters featured six Americans, a limit specified in the new conference’s bylaws. Brandon argued that with an enrolment of 1,200, it couldn’t compete with Manitoba’s enrolment of 15,000 and Winnipeg’s enrolment of 5,000, particularly as the city lacked a population base and needed time to develop Canadian talent.
Non-medalist rosters:
Brandon Bobcats: Mike Dean, Rick Condo, Ken Rucker, Mike Vaira, Ellis Ware, Tom Ford, Bill Moody, Jack Gibson, Bob Fosker, Bob Hill, Dick Doerr, Jim Henderson, coach Gary Howard, assistant Bob Nevill, assistant Jim Ross
Regina Cougars: Brian Johnson, Neil Jacoby, Merv Prior, Rob Pyne, Paul Jacoby, Wes Stevenson, Glenn Szabo, Bernie Schmidt, Ken Bryant, Gary Dodds, Jerry Brhelle, Larry Kram, Wayne McKeage, Rollie Petrowitsch, Brian Ward, coach Gene Rizak, manager George Miller
In regular season play, Winnipeg defeated Manitoba 74-69; the first time in the program’s history they had defeated the Bisons.
Brandon defeated Manitoba 69-68, the first time in three years that the Bobcats defeated the Bisons.
Manitoba defeated Regina 97-74 as Rick Watts scored 24.
Manitoba defeated Winnipeg 98-89 as Rick Watts scored 33 and along with John Loewen and Darryl Rumsey dominated the boards. Barry King led the Wesmen with a league-record 43 points. Manitoba completed the sweep in game two. Winnipeg took a l5-3 lead but led by Jon Gurban and Darryl Rumsey, the Herd got untracked. Gord Puttaert held Barry King to 10 points on 1-17 from the floor and eight free throws.
Manitoba split with Regina. In their win, Don Lamont scored 28.
The league announced that it was decreasing the number of Americans a team was allowed on an annual basis (by one per year) and that over the course of three years, the limit would be three. Lakehead and Brandon complained that because they had such small school populations that they needed that American base. Doug Steeves, Brandon’s athletic director, argued that the league would likely fold because of the Winnipeg team’s insistence that there be limits on Americans.
At the end of the year, Winnipeg coach Frank Evans resigned saying he wants to go somewhere “where basketball is more of a traditional sport … It’s definitely low man on the totem pole behind hockey and curling in this country.”
The bronze medalist Manitoba Bisons: Darryl Rumsey; Jon Gurban; Rick Stefanyshyn; Brad Craig; Gord Puttaert; Ron Waugh; John Loewen; Doug Freeth; Rick Watts; Hymie Fox; Don Lamont; coach Don Hunter; trainer Steve Dzubinski; manager Ross Zilkey; manager Benji Levin
The runner-up Winnipeg Wesmen: Joel Irish; Don Bowen; Watts; Charlie Shiaro; Tom Prentice; Bob Montgomery; Joe Dudar; Willie Reimer; Craig Parker; Dave Synott; Howie May; Harry de Beer; Jose ‘Chico’ Rodriguez; coach Frank Evans
The champion Lakehead Thunderwolves (then the Norwesters): Robert Jackson; Evan Simpson; James Copeland; Dan Rajnovich; Don Rajnovich, Joe Edwards; Russell Bailey; Ken Hill; Jerome Blue; Tom Frances; Grant Pierce; Rick Whitfield; John Gamble; Mike (Mitch?) Lalonde; Rick Warner; coach Howard Lockhart; assistant coach Jerry Hemmings