SWAC Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 9, 2026 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE for All of our Preseason Coverage, Including Interviews, Podcasts, and Conference Previews

SWAC MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Bethune Cookman
  2. Southern
  3. Alabama A&M
  4. Florida A&M
  5. Prairie View A&M
  6. Jackson State
  7. Alabama State
  8. Grambling State
  9. Texas Southern
  10. Alcorn State
  11. Arkansas Pine Bluff
  12. Mississippi Valley State

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-SWAC 1ST TEAM:

-Daeshun Ruffin – Jackson State (Preseason Player of the Year)
-Daniel Rouzan – Bethune Cookman
-Michael James – Alabama State
-Dorian McMillian – Jackson State
-Jaquan Sanders – Florida A&M

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-SWAC 2ND TEAM:

-James Graham – Alabama A&M
-Sami Pissis – Alabama A&M
-Quentin Heady – Bethune Cookman
-Antonio Baker – Florida A&M (Preseason Defensive Player of the Year)
-Jalen Tatum – Arkansas Pine Bluff

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COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-Bethune Cookman had a great regular season that ended unexpectedly in the SWAC quarterfinals. Only one starter is back, but the expectations are high once again. Jaylen Jones comes in from Jacksonville, and Jameel Morris put up nice numbers at Alcorn State. Some other solid players from JUCOs and others who played limited roles at other D-1 schools fill out the roster, so they seem to have a good group of talent.

-Southern has been one of the more successful programs in the SWAC, and they were the 2nd-place team and conference tournament runners up a year ago. All five starters are gone, so it is a transfer-heavy roster. Justin Page comes in from Niagara after averaging 12ppg a year ago and they have a few others that put up big numbers at either JUCOs or lower divisions. They seem to be lacking in D-1 experience, but they could still make some noise this year.

-Alabama A&M is coming off their best season in quite some time and the expectations are for that to continue into this year. This is as high as I can ever remember them being picked in the preseason. Only one starter is back from last year’s 18-win team, but they have some good-looking JUCO transfers and other guys with some limited D-1 experience transferring in who could make an impact.

-Florida A&M tied for 2nd place last year, but is another team that is having to replace nearly all of their key players. Jaquan Sanders is back after being granted an injunction for a 5th season, Jaden Kempson comes in after being a double digit scorer for Albany, and Antonio Baker returns to the roster after averaging just under 10ppg a year ago.

-Prairie View A&M, who we are used to seeing much closer to the bottom than the top, won 19 games last year and was a fairly solid 9-9 in conference play. They then went on to upset Bethune Cookman in the conference tournament on their way to winning it, and then beat Lehigh in the First Four. All the starters are gone, and they are having to start completely over with players who have limited D-1 experience and who are looking to play a bigger role.

-Jackson State was a modest 10-8 in SWAC play last year, but four of those starters are gone and Trey Johnson is taking over as coach, so I can understand why there are question marks about them. Dorian McMillan returns after averaging nearly 12ppg last year, but other than him a lot of the newcomers lack substantial D-1 experience, so it is hard to tell how they will adjust.

-Alabama State really struggled last year after making the NCAA Tournament the year before. Chris Wright takes over as coach and he has his work cut out for him. Michael James comes over from Mississippi Valley State, where he averaged over 21ppg, and is joined by Paul McMillan IV, who was a big-time scorer for Canisius. Amaree Brown also comes in from Southern Indiana, so they have some pretty good pieces and I think they can be a bit of a dark horse this year. I like them a lot more than the voters do, and think they can finish as high as 2nd or 3rd this year.

-Grambling struggled last year in Patrick Crarey II’s first year and is basically starting over this year. All five starters are gone and they have a JUCO-transfer-heavy roster this year, so it is hard to say exactly how good they are going to be.

-Corey Lowery takes over coaching duties at Texas Southern. The Tigers are coming off a solid season where they were 10-8 in SWAC play, but four starters are gone and they do not have a lot of experience. It could be a long first year for the new coach.

-Alcorn State, like just about eveyrone else in the league, is having to replace most of their roster. All five starters are gone and their roster is made up of players who saw limited minutes at other D-1 programs.

-Arkansas Pine Bluff was a solid 10-8 in SWAC play last year, but all the starters are gone and they will be relying on players without a whole lot of D-1 experience to step into bigger roles.

-Last, and definitely least (at least on the court) is Mississippi Valley State. They have not won more than 5 games since 2018-2019 and have not won more than ten games since 2011-2012. They have finished below 360th in the NET for the last three years and are once again expected to be among the worst in all of D-1. It is getting to the point to where we may rename the Centenary Award after them. Are there any bright spots?? Tymias Williams was a prolific scorer for Rochester Christian, which is an NAIA school, so he may be able to give them some sort of a spark. I would love it if MVSU could ever get it going in basketball. We at Hoops HD really do follow them and pull hard for them! They are a fun team! But…it may be yet another tough year this year.

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Charles in Charge: HoopsHD interviews Mike DePaoli about Charles Jenkins

Posted on October 9, 2026 by Jon Teitel

College basketball history has featured many great players named Charles, from 1984 SEC POY Charles Barkley to 1991 SEC Female Athlete of the Year Daedra Charles to 2021 CUSA POY Charles Bassey. Another 1 who belong on the list is Hofstra legend Charles Jenkins: 3-time 1st-team All-CAA, 2-time CAA POY, and graduated as the 2nd-leading scorer in conference history behind Hall of Famer David Robinson. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Hofstra associate head coach Mike DePaoli about Jenkins’ incredible career.

In 2001 his older brother Kareem was shot and killed in Brooklyn: how close were the 2 of them, and how did Kareem’s death change Charles’ life? I am not totally familiar with all the ins and outs, but I know that Charles wore #22 because Kareem was 22 years old when he was shot.

In 2008 as a player at Hofstra, Charles was named conference ROY: how was he able to make such a smooth transition from high school to college? I came in as a grad assistant after that season. He redshirted his freshman year because we had some very good guards at that time including 4-time all-CAA player Antoine Agudio. College basketball was different back then where you would stay 4 years at a school, so Charles spent his freshman year practicing against a group of tough guards.

In December 2010 he scored a career-high 40 PTS (including 31 in the 2nd half) in a 4-PT OT win over Binghamton: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot he put up seemed to go in because he was “in the zone”? I saw him get going many nights: he was fun to watch.

He was named CAA POY in both 2010/2011: what did it mean to him to win such outstanding honors? It was unbelievable. He is 1 of the only 3-time winners of the Haggerty Award (along with Jim McMillian/Chris Mullin) as the best D-1 player in the New York metro area. People think that he was an overnight success, but he worked so hard to make himself the player he became. Most kids shy away from things they need to work on, but he attacked it and took it so seriously that some days we had to tell him to stay out of the gym. He is the easiest kid to root for that I ever coached. He was such a reluctant superstar that we almost had to push him out there to be “Batman”. I know he is very proud of those awards but he is also very humble. When it comes to attending games now, there are some former stars at other schools who will ask to sit courtside and get a standing ovation during a TV timeout, but not him.

In February 2011 he made a game-tying 3-PT shot with 2.7 seconds left in regulation and then a game-winning 35-foot 3-PT shot at the buzzer in a 3-PT OT win over William & Mary (www.youtube.com/watch?v=nySUqQA53UQ): where does he rank among the most clutch players in school history? I was at Fordham that year but remember watching that game on TV. The year before he hit a game-winner at JMU. Late in the game, when the ball was in his hands, you felt that you would win, so he has to be up there among the most clutch players.

He graduated as the all-time leading scorer in school history and the 2nd-leading scorer in CAA history (behind David Robinson): did you realize at the time how prolific a player he was, and do you think that anyone will ever break his school record? The night he broke the school record, we were sitting with his family at the game to watch him do it. It was hard-earned so it was cool to see. I do not think his record will ever be broken: in today’s landscape, most players do not stay at 1 school for that long. I was a grad assistant on the staff, but being around him that day and seeing how he carried himself showed me the type of teammate he was.

The school retired his jersey prior to his final home game as a senior: where does that rank among the highlights of his career? That has to be up there and it was totally deserved: he is everything you want a student-athlete to be. There is a picture of him with his hands over his head looking up at his jersey: it was a special thing because he is Hofstra basketball. When 2-time conference POY/current coach Speedy Claxton would come back to the gym to visit, Charles would want to play against him.

In the summer of 2011 he was drafted by Golden State: did he see that as a validation of his college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA, or other? I was glued to my TV the whole night and was so happy for both him and his family. He was huddled up in a hotel room with his teammate Nat Lester and some other close friends/family. Speedy was a scout for the Warriors at the time, so it was cool to see the Hofstra family look out for his other. I assume that it was a lifelong dream that he was able to see come through.

He spent 2 years in the NBA and 10 more overseas: how proud are you of all his success? Uber-proud! We are hoping to get him at some point in the near future to join our staff. He led all rookies in AST/TO ratio during his 1st year after Steph Curry got hurt. He also had a really good run overseas: they still love him in Serbia due to the type of teammate he was.

When people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? He is 1 of the all-time greats in school history, probably #2 behind Speedy. I tell people all the time that it is hard to find superstars who when you peel back the layers of the onion are an even better person on the inside. He was very humble/grateful, which comes from his family: his dad still comes to all our home games.

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ACC Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 9, 2026 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE for All of our Preseason Coverage, Including Interviews, Podcasts, and Conference Previews

ACC MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Duke
  2. Virginia
  3. Louisville
  4. Miami FL
  5. North Carolina
  6. Clemson
  7. Virginia Tech
  8. Florida State
  9. Syracuse
  10. NC State
  11. SMU
  12. Stanford
  13. Pittsburgh
  14. California
  15. Wake Forest
  16. Notre Dame
  17. Boston College
  18. Georgia Tech

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-ACC 1ST TEAM:

-Thijs De Ridder – Virginia
-John Blackwell – Duke (Preseason Player of the Year)
-Patrick Ngongba II – Duke
-Flory Bidunga – Louisville
-Shelton Henderson – Miami FL

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-ACC 2ND TEAM:

-Jackson Shelstad – Louisville
-Dame Sarr – Duke
-Acaden Lewis – Miami FL
-Chance Mallory – Virginia
-Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje – Duke

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COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-Duke was one of the top teams in the nation last year and they barely (and I mean BARELY) missed the Final Four. With three starters back and an influx of talent to replace what is left, Duke is once again the favorite to win the ACC and may be good enough to win the national championship. Duke’s entire starting five received preseason honors, including John Blackwell who transfers in from Wisconsin and is as good a player as anyone in the country. This is a deep and talented team that is good enough to win it all.

-Virginia won 30 games a season ago and finished 15-3 in ACC play before a somewhat early exit from the NCAA Tournament, but this team returns three starters and are once again stacked and will be set up to contend for a protected seed. Ryan Odom had an outstanding first year as coach last year and he has Chance Mallory returning at PG. Mallory and Sam Lewis make up a very strong backcourt. They are also solid in the frontcourt, very good defensively, and have as much depth as they need. Virginia will once again be very good.

-Expectations were sky high for Louisville a year ago and while they had a decent year they fell a little short of what everyone was expecting. Once again their roster has been overhauled, but once again they appear to be stacked with talent. Coach Pat Kelsey has shown he can stockpile a roster from year to year, and this year he has Jackson Shelstad from Oregon and Karter Knox from Arkansas in the backcourt, Alvaro Folgueiras comes in from Iowa, and Flory Bidunga comes in from Kansas. Louisville’s roster is made up of good players who played key roles on good teams. Again.

-Miami FL is one of those teams who, every year, I say is going to exceed expectations. This year the expectations are quite high, so it is hard for me to say that. They had a solid 26-win season a year ago where they made it to the Round of 32, and while two of the better players from that team are gone, Acaden Lewis transferred in from Villanova and will likely be the starting PG after a very solid freshman season last year, and Somto Cyril is a very solid big man who comes in from Georgia. Brent Bland is a grad transfer who put up nice numbers for Saint Peter’s and who can also contribute to what should be a solid frontcourt. I am all-in on the Canes most years, and this year is no different. I think this is a top-25-caliber team again this year.

-Coach Michael Malone takes over at North Carolina and we are all waiting to see how it goes. UNC is one of the most storied programs in all of college basketball, but by their own standards they probably feel they have slipped. Since winning the national championship in 2017, UNC has been past the Sweet Sixteen just once (albeit they made it all the way to the championship game) and the fans are getting restless. It is hard to say just how good they will be this year. I think they will be in the top half of the bracket, but with only one starter back and a first-year head coach, will they be set up to go beyond the Sweet Sixteen? Terrence Brown transfers in from Utah where he was a fantastic PG for the Utes. Neoklis Avdalas was a solid player for Virginia Tech so he is no stranger to the ACC, and they have some other solid players to fill out the roster, so they do have some good pieces.

-After making the Elite Eight in 2024, Clemson has failed to get past the Round of 64 during the past two years, but they have still had two solid seasons and are still a team to be reckoned with. Their main strength is usually defense, and this year should be no different. Coach Brad Brownell is tasked with rebuilding the roster with just one returning starter. Dylan Faulkner was a prolific scorer at Samford a year ago, David Fuchs comes in from San Francisco, and Cole Certa comes in from Notre Dame, so the Tigers have what should be a solid frontcourt and some talented pieces. I like them to…once again…finish safely inside the bubble.

-Virginia Tech is getting a fair amount of love after a so-so 19-13 year last year where they were just under .500 in ACC play. Three starters are back and that experience should help them, and Jaylen Curry also transfers in from Oklahoma State. Ethan Copeland is another player to watch. He put up big numbers for an otherwise very underwhelming Stetson team, but is a very good outside shooter.

-Coach Luke Loucks had a modest debut season at Florida State last year, going 18-15 overall and a respectable 10-8 in league play. This year the Noles have to rebuild their roster after losing all five starters. Sebastian Rancik was a solid player for Colorado last year and they have some highly talented freshmen, but it is hard for me to get any sort of read on what kind of team they will have this year.

-Syracuse has only managed 20 wins in one of their past five seasons. The days of them being a top-level program from year to year seem like it was a long time ago. Gerry McNamara takes over as coach and he has his work cut out for him. No starters return from last year’s team, but they do have some solid transfers coming in. Gavin Doty was a fantastic player for Siena last year, and Frances Folefac also comes over. Aiden Tobiason was a strong player for Temple last year, so the Orange have some pieces, but the ACC is a much higher level than where a lot of these guys are coming from.

-NC State really did get the full Will Wade experience. He was there, he was brief, he left, and he did not clean up after himself!! Justin Gainey takes over as coach and with just one starter back there seems to be a lot of uncertainty around the team. A trio of very solid transfers join the roster as Darius Adams comes in from Maryland, Preston Edmead from a solid Hofstra team, and Christian Hammond from a very good Santa Clara team, so the cupboard is not bare. It is a transfer-heavy roster with some really formidable pieces and if the team can mesh together they could exceed expectations.

-Coach Andy Enfield got SMU to the NCAA Tournament last year (albeit barely), but with all five starters gone he is tasked with a rebuilding season. It is a transfer-heavy roster with no standout stars, but of guys who were pretty solid players. I never want to overlook an Enfield coached team, but I get the sense it may be a long year for the Mustangs.

-Stanford struggled through much of last season, but down the stretch they were playing really well. They won their final four regular season games before barely losing in their first ACC Tournament game. Unfortunately just one starter is back for Coach Kyle Smith’s squad and they do not have much in the way of experience with a lot of younger players.

-Pittsburgh, like a lot of teams in their situation, had nearly all their key players abandon ship after a rough season and Coach Jeff Capel is having to rebuild the roster. Naithan George comes over from Syracuse, which was another ACC team that struggled last year. Baye Ndongo was a solid rebounder for Georgia Tech last year…but that was a team that struggled even more than Pitt did! They seem to be made up of key players from struggling teams. Having said that, A’lahn Sumler was a big-time player for Charleston Southern last year and is a player to watch this year.

-California had a surprisingly good year last year and for a while seemed to be within reach of the bubble: 22 total wins and a 9-9 record in ACC play was fairly solid. They face the same issue that a lot of teams are facing, which is that they retained very few of their key players. Just one starter is back and they do not appear to have any standout players on their roster. It could be a long year for the Bears.

-Wake Forest struggled last year and their entire roster jumped ship. That is starting to become the theme of the entire bottom of the conference. The Deacs landed Kevair Kennedy, who was a terrific player for Merrimack last year, but no one else seems to have much in the way of solid and proven D-1 experience. It could be another frustrating year for the Deacs.

-Notre Dame has had four straight bad years of basketball, and appears to be set up for a fifth straight. They were just 13-18 overall and were a very underwhelming 4-14 in ACC play, which was not good enough to put them in the ACC Tournament. Logan Duncomb was a great player for Winthrop last year and pulling him out of the portal was a big get, and Ethan Roberts was a solid player for Penn. As good as those two players were, and as capable as they are of playing against ACC-level competition, they cannot do it all themselves and there just does not appear to be much else around them. Just how warm is Coach Micah Shrewsberry’s seat getting?

-Coach Luke Murray takes over at Boston College, and it is not hyperbole to say that it is one of the toughest jobs in all of D-1. Very rarely are they good, and they are in a conference of heavyweights. All five starters are gone, but a fresh start may be what BC needs. Money Williams was a fantastic player for Montana a year ago and he has transferred in. Ernest Shelton had a big year at Merrimack, and the roster is made up of guys who put up very nice numbers at Under the Radar programs. Can they come together and compete in the Big East?? Well, the preseason voters do not think so, but I think they can do a little better than 17th.

-Georgia Tech finished in last place last year and is picked to do the same again this year. Scott Cross is a very good coach and he takes over, but holy cow does he have his work cut out for him!! Victor Valdes comes over from Troy and Colby Garland was a big time scorer for San Jose State, so they have a few individuals that can play, but it will be difficult to compete with the talent that the teams in the middle of the league, let alone the top of it.

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Mountain West Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 8, 2026 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE for All of our Preseason Coverage, Including Interviews, Podcasts, and Conference Previews

MOUNTAIN WEST MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. New Mexico
  2. Grand Canyon
  3. Nevada
  4. UNLV
  5. Wyoming
  6. Hawaii
  7. San Jose State
  8. UC Davis
  9. UTEP
  10. Air Force

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST TEAM:

-Dylan Darling – SR, G – Grand Canyon
-Efe Demirel – SO, C – Grand Canyon
-Jaden Henley – SR, C – Grand Canyon
-Makaih Williams – SR, G – Grand Canyon
-Elijah Price – JR, F – Nevada
-Vaughn Weems – SR, G – Nevada
-Jake Hall – SO, G – New Mexico (Preseason Player of the Year)
-Uriah Tenette- SO, G – New Mexico
-Tyrin Jones – SO, G – UNLV
-AJ Storr – SR, G – UNLV
-Naz Meyer – SO, G – Wyoming

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COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-I liked the Mountain West Network a whole lot better when it was free.

-The Mountain West looks a lot different. San Diego State has moved on to the Pac-12, which brings an end to one of the best and most underrated rivalries in college basketball. San Diego State and New Mexico had two of the best fanbases and best student sections. They were two of the better teams in the league and it was alway destination programming when they went against one another. They may continue to play, but it will not be the same with them not being in the same conference.

-New Mexico has won 26 games or more each of the last three years and are the preseason favorites to win the league this year. Jake Hall is the only returning starter, but he is also one of the best players in the league and one of the better outside shooters in the nation. Uriah Tenette is also back after a very good freshman year last year, and Hudson Mayes transfers in after having a big year for UC San Diego. The Lobos have talent and I think they will be back in the NCAA Tournament this year.

-Grand Canyon had a modest 20-12 season a year ago and finished 3rd in the MWC. They had been the flagship team of the WAC, but moving to the MWC was a clear step-up in competition and they did not do bad at all their first time out. Jaden Henley is back after being one of the leading scorers in the league last year. Three other probable starters for the Lopes received all-conference preseason honors. Grand Canyon has been successful at retaining its talent from year to year. They’ve also added Jaden Zimmerman, who was a big-time scorer for Quinnipiac last year. I think this team is loaded with good players, I think they have balance, and I think they have depth. I think they can win the league and end the season safely inside the bubble.

-Nevada won 24 games a year ago but was only a modest 12-8 in conference play. Elijah Price returns and he was a solid frontcourt player last year. Styles Phipps has transferred in from Pepperdine, but other than those two they do not appear to have guys with a whole lot of proven D-1 experience. Still, it is a chance for some of the other players to step into bigger roles and contribute. Coach Steve Alford has managed 20+ wins in three of the last four seasons, and will try to make it four of five before he retires in the spring.

-I keep waiting for UNLV’s program to take off. It seems like it should. But, it has been awhile since they have been anywhere near the bubble, and while they will likely finish near the middle of the pack again (which is not bad), they will not be nationally relevant like it feels like they should be. Josh Pastner enters his second year as coach after going a so-so 18-17 last year. Just one starter is back, but he should be able to get contributions from Dontrez Williams (who put up big numbers at Lindenwood) and Sebastian Mack (who was a key player for UCLA).

-Wyoming. Nobody gets higher!! Well, unless you are talking about the standings. In fact Wyoming finished 9th last year, but did show signs of life down the stretch by winning five of their last six regular season games. With a couple of key players back in Naz Meyer and Khaden Bennett, both of whom were double-digit scorers, and with some fairly-solid-looking transfers the Cowboys should take a big step forward this year. I do not think they will end up making the NCAA Tournament, but they should be noticeably better than they were a year ago.

-Hawaii is playing its inagural year in the MWC after spending the past 14 years in the Big West. They actually won the Big West Tournament last year, and went a very solid 6-5 on the road. If you follow Hawaii, you know they are very tough at home but struggle on the road. I kind of see that being the case this year, and kind of think that finishing around .500 in league play makes a lot of sense. Their entire starting lineup is gone from a year ago, so Coach Eran Ganot is tasked with rebuilding the roster. Bol Dengdit and Chance Trujillo were solid pickups out of the portal, but some of the other players will have to step up if they are going to be successful.

-Coach Tim Miles won at North Dakota State when they were transitioning to D-1, won at Colorado State (who had never really won before), and took Nebraska to an NCAA Tournament, but he cannot seem to get anything going at San Jose State. They were just 9-24 overall and 3-17 in league play with two of the three wins coming against Air Force, which barely counts. All five starters from last year are gone and there just is not much in the way of experience on their roster.

-UC Davis is making its Mountain West debut! And I think they’re being slightly undervalued here. I do not think they will contend for the league title, but I do not think they will be quite this close to the bottom either. Connor Sevilla, who is a very good outside shooter, returns to the lineup. They do not have a whole lot of experience and that is reason to believe they may struggle, but I still think they will do a little better than 8th.

-UTEP is a program that should be better than what they are. They won just 11 games a year ago and it has been a long time since they were anywhere near the bubble. All five starters are gone and they have gone into the portal to try and rebuild. Ryan Jackson is an interesting player to watch. Last year at William & Mary he shot 52.4% from three-point land, which is just a crazy percentage. They have some other guys coming in who played limited roles at D-1 programs and are looking for a chance to play bigger roles at UTEP.

-I do not want to beat up on Air Force. The player pool they have to recruit from is very shallow (given how difficult it is to be admitted there) and they are just always fighting an uphill battle. All five starters are back, and perhaps that experience will help them out some. They won just three games last year and only four the year before that. Joe Crispin takes over as coach and…well…I wish him luck.

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Big Ten Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 8, 2026 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE for All of our Preseason Coverage, Including Interviews, Podcasts, and Conference Previews

BIG TEN MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Illinois
  2. Michigan State
  3. Michigan
  4. UCLA
  5. Nebraska
  6. Purdue
  7. USC
  8. Ohio State
  9. Indiana
  10. Iowa
  11. Wisconsin
  12. Maryland
  13. Minnesota
  14. Oregon
  15. Washington
  16. Northwestern
  17. Rutgers
  18. Penn State

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN 1ST TEAM:

-Jeremy Fears Jr. – Michigan State
-Pryce Sandfort – Nebraska
-David Mirkovic – Illinois
-Elliot Cadeau – Michigan
-Trey McKenney – Michigan

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN 2ND TEAM:

-Nolan Winter – Wisconsin
-John Mobley Jr. – Ohio State
-Rodney Rice – USC
-Andrej Stojakovic – Illinois
-Aiden Sherrell – Indiana

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COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-Illinois is good. They made the Final Four last year after a 28-win season and are good enough to get back there again this year. Losing Keaton Wagler is no small thing, but with Stefan Vaaks coming in from Providence and joining Quentin Coleman (who looks to be a super-frosh), the Illini will have a monster backcourt. David Mirkovic also returns, and he and Tomislav Ivisic make up a monster frontcourt. Illinois is not my pick to win it all, but I definitely think they are in that discussion. I think they can make it back to the Final Four this year: they are that good.

-Michigan State is another team that is once again stacked with talent and who could contend for the Big Ten title and go deep into March. Jeremy Fears Jr. returns at PG, who was a scoring and assist machine last year. Anton Bonke is another player to watch as he is 7’2″ and has great range for a big man. I do not like them quite as much as Illinois, but we should see them ranked in the top-ten for much (if not all) of the season.

-Michigan was last year’s national champion after going an amazing 37-3 and kind of blowing through the Final Four. The problem is that Coach Dusty May is gone, as are four of their starters. Still, a program like Michigan is never going to be short on talent, and Elliot Cadeau is back at PG. He and Trey McKenney will make up a very solid backcourt. JP Estrella and Moustapha Thiam will make up a very strong and experienced frontcourt, so the cupboard is by no means empty for the defending national champs.

-I think I say this every year, but I really like this UCLA team. They won 24 games a year ago and are always tough defensively, and with three key starters back I think they are set up to be a huge headache for a lot of teams in the Big Ten. Trent Perry and Eric Dailey Jr. make up a strong backcourt and both were double-digit scorers a year ago. Xavier Booker is a big guy with great range, and with the addition of Jaylen Petty from Texas Tech, the Bruins have some great pieces that fit the style of play that Coach Mick Cronin wants to run.

-Nebraska was one of the great storylines in all of college basketball last year. Their 28-win season where they advanced to the Sweet Sixteen (and nearly went further) was the best in school history. Coach Fred Hoiberg has to replace four starters, but Pryce Sandfort is back and will once again be a huge part of this year’s team. They also have some key reserves coming back in Braden Frager who averaged double-figures last year, and Sam Orme, who was a key player for a very good Belmont team a year ago. The Huskers will likely be dancing again this year, and will likely once again be set up to get beyond the Round of 64.

-Purdue won 30 games last year and made it to the Elite Eight. This year they are not expected to be quite as good, but they will still be quite good. CJ Cox is the only returning starter, but Caden Pierce joins the team, who was Ivy League Player of the Year at Princeton in 2024 and some other guys who contributed off the bench. Purdue will almost assuredly still be a solid NCAA Tournament-caliber team, but they may not be a Final Four contender like they have been in recent years.

-USC has not cracked the 20-win mark for the last three years and missed the NCAA Tournament again last year. While they did lose some key players, both Rodney Rice and Alijah Arenas are back, so they will have a very solid backcourt. Jacob Cofie also transfers in from Virginia, and is one of seven players the Trojans got from the portal, so they have reloaded their roster and appear to have a fair amount of depth. We could see the Trojans take a big step forward this year.

-Ohio State finished in 8th place last year, which was good enough to get them into the NCAA Tournament. They are picked to finish in the middle of the league yet again, and that should be good enough to get them back to the (now expanded) NCAA Tournament. Bruce Thornton is gone along with two other starters, so the Buckeyes will have to reload, but with John Mobley Jr. back at PG and Justin Pippen at the #2, the Buckeyes should once again have a very strong and talented backcourt. They should have a formidable frontcourt as well along with a fair amount of depth.

-Indiana missed the NCAA Tournament a year ago, but would have probably made it had there been a 76-team field. Only one starter returns, but like a lot of teams they have added some key transfers. Aiden Sherrell, who has both size and range, comes in from Alabama and should provide a big spark for the Hoosiers this year. Samet Yigitoglu put up impressive numbers for SMU a year ago. The Hoosiers are definitely not empty-handed.

-Iowa had a rather unspectacular regular season that had a rather spectacular ending in March. Late in the season they went through a stretch where they lost five out of seven games and appeared to be going in the wrong direction, but in the NCAA Tournament they advanced to the Elite Eight before Illinois finally knocked them off. Three starters return for the Hawkeyes, so I am a little surprised they are not getting a little more preseason love. They do not have any superstar players, but they should be really balanced.

-Wisconsin is coming off another solid year where they were 14-6 in conference and made it to the NCAA Tournament, but they appear to be in rebuild mode this year. I always end up liking Wisconsin more than the consensus does, but even I can see how they may be in a bit of a reset mode this year. Just one starter is back in Nolan Winter, and while he can score and rebound he is going to need some help. Eian Elmer was a standout player for Miami OH last year, and Trey Autry put up solid numbers at George Washington, so they are able to somewhat reload, and they are always a hard team to play against, but they may not be quite as tough as what we have seen in the past.

-Maryland had a rough year last year, winning just 12 total games, and the expectations are not much better for this year. Having said that, Coach Buzz Williams has shown that he knows how to grow a program. Just one starter is back, but that could also mean that the roster is being built more to the way that it will fit Buzz’s style. DJ Wagner comes in from Arkansas, Bishop Boswell come in from Tennessee, and Andre Mills returns to the starting lineup. None of these players put up incredible numbers, but they were recruited to fit a system. I am going to go out on a limb and say that Maryland is much better this year than many are forecasting.

-Minnesota just was not good last year, but they did start to pick it up down the stretch by winning four of their final six regular season games, which accounted for half of their conference wins. Three starters are back and that experience should help them. I do not think Minny will challenge for the league title, but I do not think they will be the doormat either.

-Oregon had a rough season last year that saw them finish 15th in the league, and things are not looking all that much better this year. Just one starter is back, and Coach Dana Altman (who has announced his retirement since this was 1st posted) is tasked with a complete rebuild. Fred Payne transfers in from Boston College, which should give them some strength in the backcourt and Andrew Meadow put up solid numbers at Boise State, so the Ducks do have a few pieces and could take a bit of a step forward.

-Coach Danny Sprinkle’s Washington team stumbled through much of the year and are tasked with a roster rebuild this year. Wesley Yates III is back and LeJuan Watts is coming in from Texas Tech, but other than those two there are not many guys that have played major roles before, so some of them will have to step up if the Huskies are going to be competitors.

-It is so much fun when Northwestern is good. It is just that more often than not, they are not good and the media is not expecting them to be good this year…but can the Wildcats surprise some people? They have some guys who were really good at Under the Radar schools transferring in. LA Pratt put up huge numbers at Northeastern and he comes in as a grad transfer, Jack Karasinski scored more than 21ppg game at Bellarmine last year, and Colin Smith was a solid player for UC Santa Barbara. I am also a fan of Coach Chris Collins and I think Northwestern could be a bit of a dark horse this year.

-Rutgers is another team that is not getting any love, but who I think could turn out to be better than expected. Three starters are back from last year’s team, including Tariq Francis, and Darin Smith is transferring in. Both of those guys put up huge numbers at Under the Radar schools and may be better players than what most of those who follow the Big Ten realize.

-Penn State came in dead-last a season ago and is expected to repeat as dead-last again this season. They do have some players returning who had decent seasons a year ago and maybe that experience could help them improve this year. Maybe?? Probably not, but…maybe??

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Big West Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 7, 2026 by David Griggs

CLICK HERE for All of our Preseason Coverage, Including Interviews, Podcasts, and Conference Previews

BIG WEST MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. UC Irvine
  2. UC San Diego
  3. UC Santa Barbara
  4. Utah Valley
  5. Cal State Northridge
  6. California Baptist
  7. Cal State Fullerton
  8. Cal Poly
  9. Sacramento State
  10. Long Beach State
  11. UC Riverside
  12. Cal State Bakersfield

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COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-The Big West is perhaps the top Under the Radar conference and is often undervalued by…well…everyone. Including the selection committee.

-UC Irvine is one of the flagship programs in the conference and the preseason favorite to win it this year. They won 23 games a year ago and finished in 1st place, but lost to Hawaii in the championship game. Tama Isaac had a solid freshman season last year running the point and should be even better this year now that he has a year of experience under his belt. Nils Cooper was a double-digit scorer at UC Davis last year who transfers in and they have a solid-looking group of freshmen and transfers. There are quite a few question marks with this year’s team, but Russell Turner has a history of meeting (and exceeding) expectations.

-I am a big believer in this UC San Diego team, and they are my pick to win the league. With four starters back from a team that was really playing well down the stretch (despite an early loss in the Big West Tournament) I think they can not only win the Big West, but perhaps position themselves to get beyond the Round of 64. In addition to the four starters, Rahmir Barno comes in at PG, who was a good player for FGCU a year ago, and Kayde Dotson was another strong guard from Loyola Chicago. They have got depth, talent, guys who can hit from the outside, and are going to be a very tough team to beat.

-UC Santa Barbara really fell apart in the second half of conference play last year, winning just one of their final seven games. Still, the expectations are high again this year with Miro Little returning. He averaged 12ppg a season ago despite batting injuries. CJ Shaw is also back, who averaged 12ppg last year and was a fantastic outside shooter. They add some key transfers as well in Viljami Vartiainen from Weber State and RJ Smith from DePaul, so the Gauchos definitely have some pieces to work with.

-Utah Valley joins the league after being one of the better programs in the WAC. They have won 25 games in each of the last two seasons, which is remarkable, but they came up short in the conference tournament both years, including in a classic championship game last year. They will have a much harder path to it now that they are in the Big West. Still, as a program they should be able to hold their own over time, but they may be in for a tough ride this year. Isaac Davis gives them a presence inside, but they will need some of the returners and newcomers to step up if they want to finish near the top of the standings this year.

-Cal State Northridge has won 20+ games each of the last two years, which is a huge accomplishment for a program that was very recently seemingly always at or near the bottom. Just one starter is back so Coach Andy Newman is in a bit of a reset mode, but Brooklyn Hicks and Caleb Smith are both key transfers who were solid D-1 players, so the cupboad is not completely empty. They also have some guys who can hit from the outside, so the Matadors will once again be fun to watch.

-California Baptist is another Big West newcomer. They won 25 games last year as member of the WAC and won the conference tournament after going 13-5 in league play. The bad news is that all five starters are gone and they are having to start completely over in a league that is much stronger than last year’s WAC. Ethan Duncan was a solid player for Lipscomb, but other than him they just do not have much in the way of players who are proven at the D-1 level, so there are probably more questions than answers when it comes to this team.

-Cal State Fullerton saw a huge improvement last year, winning 18 total games after winning just 6 the year before. Only two starters are back this year, one of whom is Christian Williams who was a really solid player a year ago. Malcolm Bell comes over from Cal Poly after averaging just under 15ppg, so he is a huge get for the Titans. They also add some talented freshmen and lower division transfers, and should be a fairly decent 3-PT shooting team.

-Cal Poly may be a bit of a dark horse this year. I do not think they will contend to finish at the top of the standings, but I could see them doing better than 8th. Four starters are back, and I am always a fan of experience, but it is also a team that won five of their last seven regular season games: one of those wins was at Hawaii who won the Big West Tournament last year. Cayden Ward is a solid frontcourt player who can score and rebound, Guzman Vasilic is a solid outside shooter, and they have some talented players. I think they will finish higher than where they are being picked.

-Sacramento State is the third newcomer to the Big West. They struggled in the Big Sky last year, winning just 10 total games and finishing 8th in the league, and with just one starter back they will likely struggle again this year. Mikey Williams is a phenomenal player who averaged over 17ppg a year ago, but he will need some help if they are going to finish higher than 9th.

-Long Beach State had a tough year last year, finishing 9th in the conference and is starting completely over this year with no returning starters. They have a couple of guys who were very strong JUCO players, but they do not appear to have much in the way of proven and experienced D-1-caliber players.

-UC Riverside was last year’s 10th-place team and with just one starter back it is looking like another long year for the Highlanders. Coach Gus Argenal has his work cut out for him and will be relying on guys who were standout players in lower divisions and others who played limited roles at other D-1 programs and transferred in looking for the chance to play a bigger role this year.

-Cal State Bakersfield was just 2-18 in Big West play a year ago and are starting completely over. Todd Lee takes over as coach and is tasked with replacing all five starters. Kjay Bradley Jr. was a solid player for San Diego a season ago and he is a solid pick up for the Roadrunners. Bryce Cofield was a double digit scorer for Cal State Fullerton and is another good get. They do have some proven D-1 talent, but are a JUCO-transfer-heavy team outside of that.

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