Colorado has added a key piece for the future, landing Mana Winitana for the 2027-28 season after the guard signed a Financial Aid Agreement with the program, Tad Boyle announced Wednesday.
Winitana is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound guard at Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah, and he originally hails from Hastings, New Zealand. Before arriving at Wasatch Academy, which competes in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League Scholastic, he played at American Heritage High School in Utah.
Boyle made it clear why Colorado wanted him in Boulder.
"We are excited to have Mana join us next year," Boyle said. "He's a combo guard and can play either position well.
With us losing Barrington (Hargress) next year, he will come in and fit that same role, where we've had some great players, like Barrington, KJ Simpson, McKinley Wright. He's a great shooter and comes from a high-character family.
We're happy to have him in Boulder."
Winitana’s recruiting stock reflects that production. Rivals and ESPN both list him as the second-best player in Utah and a consensus top-50 guard prospect nationally. 247Sports ranks him third in the state and the 38th-best point guard in the country.
He also pointed to the atmosphere around the program as a major factor in his decision.
"One big reason why I chose Colorado was the community they had while I was there, it was crazy," Winitana said. "Another reason is the coaching staff and players were super loving and caring to me and my family."
On the floor, Winitana put up big numbers as a sophomore at American Heritage in 2024-25, averaging 22 points, seven assists, five rebounds and three steals per game. That performance earned him Utah Class 3A All-State First Team honors.
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