Northern Colorado men’s basketball announced on May 6 the addition of forward Manning Shareef from Trinidad State Junior College to its roster for the upcoming 2026-27 season.
The move brings a new player with strong junior college experience to the Bears. Shareef, a freshman forward originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, averaged 11.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game at Trinidad State Junior College while shooting nearly 59 percent from the field.
Shareef played an important role in leading Trinidad State to its fifth consecutive Region 9 Tournament Championship and earned a spot on the Region 9 All-Tournament Team. In that championship game against Lamar Community College, he recorded a notable performance with 31 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists. He also scored 25 points in the team’s national tournament matchup against Snow College.
Head Coach Steve Smiley said, “The commitment of Manning Shareef is a big one for the Bears, and it helps to fill a big hole in our bigger forward spot! When looking to fill this spot our focus was on size, skill, and having a diverse skill set on both sides of the ball and finding a player from a winning program. Manning checks all those boxes after helping lead his Trinidad State JC team to the NJCAA national tournament as a freshman, while really blossoming as a player as the year went on.” Smiley continued: “In evaluating Manning, we felt like he played his best basketball as the season went on and we also feel like his upside and potential is through the roof as he continues to acclimate to the collegiate level. Most importantly, Manning is about all the right ‘stuff’ and is going to be a great fit not only for our team but for UNC and the Greeley community. Bears fans are going to really enjoy watching Manning next season”.
Trinidad State Head Coach Michael Folda said: “Manning has an incredibly high ceiling. He has a great blend of guard skills along with size and athleticism. He was at his best when it mattered most for us. He is an outstanding young man who will have Bear fans cheering for years to come.”
