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AMERICAN MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL
MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN 1ST TEAM:
-Jordan Riley – SR, G – East Carolina
-Aaron Bradshaw – JR, F – Memphis
-Dug McDaniel – SR, G – Memphis
-Rowan Brumbaugh – JR, G – Tulane (Preseason Player of the Year)
-Kenyon Giles – SR, G – Wichita State
MEIDA DAY PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN 2ND TEAM:
-Izaiyah Nelson – SR, F – South Florida
-Damion Collins – SR, F – South Florida
-Vasean Allette – JR, G – UTSA
-Asher Woods – SR, G – Tulane
-David Green – SR, F – Tulsa
MEDIA DAY PRESEASON FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Josiah Parker – Florida Atlantic
COMMENTS FROM DAVID:
-Memphis is the class of this conference. Sometimes I think people forget how good a team they are because the American just does not provide them with a lot of showcase opponents. They won 29 games last year and made the NCAA Tournament, but did not advance beyond the Round of 64. This year they are tasked with replacing their entire starting lineup, but they have hit the portal and reloaded on proven D-1 talent. Hasan Abdul Hakim (UTRGV), Quante Berry (Temple), Dug McDaniel (Kansas State), and Sincere Parker (McNeese State) all averaged double-figures last year and help make up a strong core of players this year. All can be successful in this conference, and Memphis should once again be at or near the top of the standings.
-South Florida struggled last year, which was entirely understandable given the tragedy they experienced prior to the start of the season. This year they have hit the portal and added Wes Enis, who averaged over 20ppg at the D-2 level, and although transitioning from D-2 to D-1 is a major step up, he still looks like someone who can step in and contribute for the Bulls. Joseph Pinion and Izaiyah Nelson both come in from Arkansas State after averaging double-figures a season ago. The Bulls definitely have some pieces and the expectations are somewhat high.
-I have been a big fan of this Tulane program ever since Ron Hunter took over, and despite being in a transfer-heavy era where it is difficult to retain talent from one year to the next, the Green Wave have shown signs of improvement. They won 19 games a year ago and they may be able to build on that this year. Just two starters are back, but one of them is Rowan Brumbaugh (who was voted the preseason player of the year in the conference). JoJo Moore also transfers in from Oral Roberts, and they have a couple of Big East transfers in Scotty Middleton and Curtis Williams who are perhaps seeking more minutes. (***writer’s note*** Gregg Glenn III, who would have been a senior for Tulane this year, drowned this past July in a tragic accident. I have been doing what I do for a long time, and I can understand how much coaches, teammates, and administrators feel it when there is a tragedy like this. I never really know what to say other than all of our thoughts and sympathies are with them)
-UAB continues to win 20+ games every year under Coach Andy Kennedy, but this year they are in a bit of a rebuild mode after losing all five starters. Their roster seems to be made up of former power conference players who did not get a lot of playing time and JUCO standouts who have not played at the D-1 level. Kennedy has shown he can win despite having to retool the roster. We will see if he can do it again this year.
-Since jumping to the American, Wichita State has at no point been nationally relevant. They were just 8th in the conference last year and Coach Paul Mills is having to replace all his starters. They do have a solid player transferring in in Kenyon Giles, who was a great PG and outside shooter at UNC Greensboro last year. They have some other players with D-1 experience transferring in as well, but they will have to step into bigger roles than the ones they came from in order for the Shockers to be a contender.
-Florida Atlantic’s trip to the Final Four seems like it was forever ago. It is amazing how short a shelf life there is for success these days. They won just 18 games a year ago and are now tasked with replacing all their starters. No one on their roster really jumps out at me as being an experienced or proven D-1-caliber player, so it could be a tough year for the Owls.
-North Texas had a phenomenal season last year where they won 27 total games, finished 2nd in the conference behind Memphis, and advanced to the NIT semifinals. The problem is that, like a lot of teams in this transfer-heavy era, they were a victim of their own success. All five starters are gone, and their coach from last year is also gone. Daniyal Robinson takes over as coach and his roster consists of a mixture of guys with some D-1 experience who probably transferred in looking for more minutes as well as some standout JUCO players.
-Tulsa, who at one time was a very strong program, has not been strong at all in recent years. They won just 13 games a year ago and expectations are not high this year. David Green had a solid season last year and received all-conference honors this year, and Terrance Ford Jr. was a solid player for Arkansas State a year ago, so they do have a few pieces and should be a little better, but they will likely struggle to finish in the top half of the league.
-Temple is another program that has a rich and successful history, but also has a very underwhelming recent history. They were not impressive at all in the second half of conference play last year so I can understand why the expectations are low. Having said that, they do have some quality guys with D-1 experience transferring in. AJ Smith (College of Charleston), CJ Hines (Alabama State), Masiah Gilyard (Manhattan), and Derrian Ford (Arkansas State) all played key roles for their teams last year and I think could be the nucleus of an improved Temple team this year. I do not want to get carried away and say they can win the league, but I think they will finish better than 9th.
-East Carolina seems to be slowly trending up under Coach Michael Schwartz. They were a modest 10-8 in league play last year, but were really good in the second half of conference play. Having said that, they did lose a lot from last year’s team. Jordan Riley returns, who is one of the better guards in the conference, but he cannot do it all by himself.
-UTSA just cannot ever seem to build anything and the expectations are that they will not start to do so this year. It has been a while since they have had a winning season, and with all five starters gone it is looking like it is going to be another long year for the Roadrunners.
-Rice has a pretty solid point guard in Trae Broadnax, and with the addition of transfers Jordan Williams (Vanderbilt) and Dallas Hobbs (Mount Saint Mary’s), I think we could see significant improvement out of the Owls this year. I am actually surprised they are picked to finish this low. I know that traditionally they are usually much closer to the bottom than the top, but I like this team this year and think they can be a dark horse!
-Charlotte is another team that I think is being undervalued. I do not expect them to be good, but I do not think they are the worst team either. They do have some talent transferring in in Dezayne Mingo (Marshall) and Major Freeman (Siena), and I think they will manage to win at least a few games this year.
BIG TEN MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:
MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN 1ST TEAM:
-Braden Smith – SR, G – Purdue
-Trey Kaufman-Renn – SR, F – Purdue
-Yaxel Lendeborg – SR, F – Michigan
-Donovan Dent – SR, G – UCLA
-Bennett Stirtz – SR, G – Iowa
MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN 2ND TEAM:
-Bruce Thornton – SR, G – Ohio State
-John Blackwell – JR, G – Wisconsin
-Nick Martinelli – SR, F – Northwestern
-Nate Bittle – SR, C – Oregon
-Andrej Stojakovic – JR, G – Illinois
COMMENTS FROM DAVID:
-The Big Ten is now a super-conference. Not just a power conference, but it is now almost the size of the Premier League, and a reminder that the single-division double-round-robin conference format is long gone. Last year it did not quite perform at the same level that the SEC did, a lot of the teams from top to bottom look like they will be better this year.
-Purdue is the preseason favorite, and many think they may not just be good enough to win the Big Ten, but they may be among the teams that are good enough to win it all. Four starters are back from last year’s Sweet Sixteen team, and it is almost unheard of that any team at any level is able to retain that much of their rotation. Braden Smith is one of the best point guards and all-around players in the Big Ten, and Trey Kaufman-Renn is a fantastic power forward who has range and can hit from the outside. The Boilers are super-talented, have a lot of experience, and look like a team that could go to the Final Four.
-Dusty May had a fantastic first year at Michigan, and I expect them to be as good (and perhaps better) this year. They are having to replace two talented frontcourt players and will have to rely on guys who will need to step into bigger roles all across the board, but all accounts seem to indicate that they have players who are ready to fulfill those roles and contribute this year. Also worth nothing is that every Dusty May-coached team seems to exceed expectations, so I have no reason to think this year will be any different.
-UCLA, and really any team that Mick Cronin has ever coached, is always tough defensively and is usually tough in general. So, I always seem to think the teams are going to exceed whatever their expectations are. Having said that, expectations for this year’s UCLA team are incredibly high. Three starters are back from last year’s NCAA Tournament team, including Donovan Dent who is simply a phenomenal point guard who can both shoot and distribute the ball. Skyy Clark is another backcourt players who can hit from the outside. They have a very solid frontcourt as well and will be a very tough team defensively.
-Illinois is another team that returns a solid part of their rotation after making the NCAA Tournament a season ago, and expectations are once again very high for Coach Brad Underwood. Mihailo Petrovic and Kylan Boswell are two double-digit scorers who make up a very formidable backcourt, and Tomislav Ivisic looks like he will be a very solid center, so the Illini have a lot of balance. Simply put, they have talent in every position and are well coached.
-Oregon won an impressive 25 games a year ago. I do not know how to put this, but this is a good program that seems to be undervalued. Dana Altman is a phenomenal coach who has done an outstanding job and often exceeds expectations. Now, having said all that, this may be a rebuilding year for the Ducks. Only two starters are back, and while they have some guys who clearly have potential, no one has really been a key contributor at a top-25-caliber program yet. Guys will really have to step up if they are going to repeat the success they had a year ago.
-Michigan State won 30 games a year ago and made it all the way to the Elite Eight. Most of the key players on that team are gone, so the Spartans are having to rebuild. As you would expect they have a very talented class coming in, but is it good enough to contribute to a Big Ten level program right away?
-There are certain teams that I always think are going to do better than where they are picked in the preseason, and Wisconsin is usually one of those teams. I like how tough they typically are defensively and they always seem to get the maximum out of the sum of their parts. They won 27 games a year ago, and while they likely will not be quite as good this year, they should still be good. John Blackwell and Nick Boyd make up a talented and experienced backcourt. Their frontcourt is always strong and likely will be again this year. They do not have a ton of depth, but I think they probably have enough. Wisky will be dancing again this year! That is my prediction.
-Iowa struggled in Big Ten play a year ago and is tasked with replacing all five starters for this year. Fortunately for them, they have basically had another established team move in and replace the old one. Ben McCollum also takes over as head coach after a very successful (and short) run at Drake. Drake was a top-40-caliber team last year, and several contributing players from that team followed McCollum to Iowa, so they are not starting off with a bare cupboard. If anything, this group may already have gelled. What makes this so fascinating is that prior to last year these guys did not have D-1 experience, but they clearly showed they could play at the D-1 level. Now the question is can they play at the Big Ten level?
-Ohio State is a team that had a few good moments last season, but they were only moments and there were only a few of them. They do return a very talented backcourt including Bruce Thornton (who is very productive on the offensive end), and I think we will see some improvement from the Buckeyes this year. They have some big additions from the portal as well, including Brandon Noel from Wright State, who was one of the best players in the Horizon League a season ago.
-Darian DeVries takes over at Indiana, which is a program that has not lived up to the expectations of the fans for about the last two decades. They missed the NCAA Tournament a year ago and are now rebuilding the roster. Tucker DeVries (West Virginia), Lamar Wilkerson (Sam Houston), Nick Horn (Elon), Reed Bailey (Davidson), and Tayton Conerway (Troy) all put up very impressive numbers a year ago, so the potential for Indiana to be noticeably better this year is certainly there. We will see if they can come together as a team and play at a much higher level than the programs they came from play at.
-Washington was among the worst teams in the conference a year ago, but they are expected to be a little better this year under second-year coach Danny Sprinkle. Almost no one returns from last year’s roster, which is what teams seem to do when they feel like they are underperforming. Quimari Peterson, who was perhaps the best player in the SoCon last year, is transferring in from East Tennessee State. Jacob Ognacevic was a huge get from Lipscomb, so the Huskies will definitely have some pieces and will likely not repeat as basement dwellers this year.
-Eric Musselman at USC will be replacing his entire starting lineup from a year ago. They have gone into the portal and grabbed a nucleus of pretty solid players from Under the Radar schools to try and get things turned around. Jordan Marsh in particular was a big-time scorer for UNC Asheville, so the Trojans do have some talent.
-Maryland had a great season last year where they won 27 total games and made the Sweet Sixteen, but they are now starting completely over. Buzz Williams, who is a fantastic coach, takes over the program. The problem is that none of the starters are back and he is having to rebuild the roster. I think Buzz knows how to win, and knows how to win in this era of college basketball. I just think it may take a year or two for him to get the Terps back to being a top-20-caliber program.
-Nebraska won 21 total games last year, and actually took home some hardware by winning the College Basketball Crown (for whatever that is worth), but they missed the Big Ten Tournament after losing five straight to end the regular season. Connor Essegian returns to the roster, and they add some pretty solid players from Under the Radar schools who should be able to contribute.
-I love Chris Collins as a coach, but as good as it is it is simply very difficult to consistently win at Northwestern. Just one starter returns from last year’s team and they seem to be at the bottom of their talent cycle, so it could be a long year for the Wildcats.
-Minnesota has a new coach in Niko Medved and he has his work cut out for him as no starters are back from a year ago. It is a transfer-heavy team that does have a few guys that were successful at Under the Radar programs, but expecting them to step in and perform at a high level in the Big Ten is a big ask.
-Rutgers had a super-talented roster last year that did not live up to their expectations. This year, a lot of that talent is gone, and the expectations are…well…not high. Steve Pikiell is a good coach, and I think they will be a little better than next-to-last, but it will likely be a long year for the Scarlet Knights.
-Mike Rhoades just has not been able to get it going at Penn State. They finished 17th a year ago, and this year they are not expected to be much better. They seem to be lacking in guys who have proven they can produce at this level.
HAPPY COLLEGE BASKETBALL SEASON EVERYBODY!!!
Today, we have our first college basketball game of the 2025-2026 athletic year!! It is just an exhibition game, so it’s not a game that really means anything. And, unless you buy a ticket, the only way to follow the game is to listen to the radio stream. But, it is the first time two college basketball teams have played against one another since last year’s national championship game!! Grand Canyon visits Baylor this afternoon!!! So, this is the official soft launch to the season!!
CLICK HERE for a list of all the open exhibition games for this year.
ENJOY THE GAMES!!!
CONFERENCE USA MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:
MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-CUSA TEAM:
-Cavan Reilly – G – Delaware
-Mostapha El Moutaouakkil – G – Jacksonville State
-Simeon Cottle – G – Kennesaw State
-Braedan Lue – F – Kennesaw State
-Zach Cleveland – Liberty
-Kaden Metheny – G – Liberty
-Colin Porter – G – Liberty
-Kaden Cooper – G – Louisiana Tech
-Kamari Lands – G – Middle Tennessee
-Jemel Jones – G – New Mexico State
COMMENTS FROM DAVID:
-Liberty won 28 games last year, finished 1st in CUSA, and made the NCAA Tournament. Yet, it felt like they could have been even better. This is not just a good CUSA team, but a team that may be good enough to land inside the bubble this year. Colin Porter is a good all-around player and a fantastic outside shooter. Kaden Metheny is a scorer who can also hit from the outside, and helps make up a very solid backcourt for the Flames. Isaiah Ihnen is a solid player who is back from injury, and he and Zach Cleveland help make up a formidable frontcourt. This is a very good Flames team!
-Kennesaw State’s program has gone from being a constant doormat in the A-Sun to being one of the better teams in CUSA. Antoine Pettway will be in his third season as head coach, and the expectations are high. Replacing Adrian Wooley will not be easy, but Simeon Cottle is back and he is one of the best guards in the league. They also have a decent amount of experience in the frontcourt. I am a little surprised they are picked to finish this high, but I do like this team! A lot!
-New Mexico State’s expectations are high despite having to replace all five starters. Jemel Jones transfers in from Cal State Bakersfield, where he averaged over 18ppg, so he is certainly a huge addition for the Aggies. Jayland Randall was also a big time scorer last year at Southern Indiana, so the two of them are two proven players at the D-1 level. Elijah Elliot also comes in from Southern Illinois, and they have some pretty impressive looking JUCO transfers as well. This team reloaded and they may be even better than they were a year ago.
-Middle Tennessee is also trying to replace several starters. James Dent Jr. transfers in from Western Illinois and gives them some good experience. They have some other promising players, but many do not have much in the way of D-1 experience. Still, the expectations are high for the Blue Raiders.
-Louisiana Tech has Kaden Cooper returning to the lineup, and Will Jeffress, who is a transfer from Pittsburgh, should also be a solid players. Several JUCO transfers fill out the roster, and it will be interesting to see if they can step in and be contributors at the D-1 level.
-Western Kentucky is having a hard time building traction and retaining their key players from year to year, and is once again having to replace most of their starters. Ryan Myers was a very solid player at Western Illinois last year, and Cam Haffner comes in from Evansville, so they do have at least a couple of guys who have shown they can be solid contributors at the D-1 level. Grant Newell comes in from North Texas and Louie Semona comes in from Stonehill, so the Toppers do have a few pieces.
-Ray Harper has had a solid run at Jacksonville State, and proven that he can survive in the transfer-heavy world we now live in. He is tasked with replacing all five of his starters from a year ago, but they actually do have some talent. Jamar Franklin missed the latter part of last season with a knee injury, but is now back. Marcus Fitzgerald was a solid player at Tennessee State, AC Bryant proved he could score at Alabama A&M, and Toby Nnadozie averaged double-figures at Coppin State. Aitor Anabitarte was a standout NAIA player and I think he will be a major contributor as well. I think Jax State can finish a lot better than where they have been picked. I do not know what I am missing here. I know they had to replace quite a bit, but they have quite a bit transferring in and Ray Harper has shown he can get teams to mesh quickly. I think Jax State could finish as high as SECOND!
-Joe Golding enters his fifth season as UTEP’s head coach and is having to deal with having to replace pretty much everyone from last year that was any good. Tyreese Watson comes in from UL Monroe, who was a double-digit scorer, and Jamal West Jr. was a fairly productive player at Nicholls State, but those two guys are going to need some help and it looks like there may not be much of it.
-Sam Houston, like a lot of teams, is having to reload. All five starters are gone. Kashie Natt was a standout NAIA player last year who averaged over 19ppg and he should be able to give them a spark. Po’Boigh King was also a solid player at NC Central, so the Bearkats do have a couple of notable pieces to work with.
-Florida International won just ten games last year and just three of those came in conference play. Expectations are not much higher this year as all their starters from a year ago are gone. They do have a couple of guys with some solid D-1 experience, particularly Zawdie Jackson (who is a good outside shooter and was a double-digit scorer for New Mexico State) and Julian Mackey (who averaged 15ppg at Houston Christian), so perhaps there is reason to think they can finish a little better than where they have been picked.
-This is Delaware’s first season in CUSA, and I guess they are not getting much respect. They had an underwhelming season last year, but they did go on a run in the CAA Tournament and made it to the championship game. Most of that team is gone, though, and quite frankly, not much is known about the players they do have. I guess 11th feels about right.
-Missouri State is also new to CUSA, and they are coming off one of their worst seasons in recent memory where they won just nine games. They have some guys transferring in from the D-2 level, but the question is whether or not they can contribute at the D-1 level.
HORIZON LEAGUE MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL
MEDIA DAY PRESEAOSN ALL-HL 1ST TEAM:
-Orlando Lovejoy – Detroit Mercy
-Marcus Hall – Green Bay
-Amar Augillard – Milwaukee
-Tuburu Naivalurua – Oakland
-Cris Carroll – Youngstown State
MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-HL 2ND TEAM:
-Faizon Fields – Milwaukee
-Seth Hubbard – Milwaukee
-Dan Gherezgher – Northern Kentucky
-Corey Hadnot II – Purdue Fort Wayne
-DeSean Goode – Robert Morris
COMMENTS FROM DAVID:
-Milwaukee finished with 21 wins a year ago, which was their third straight year of 20 wins or more. Expectations are high again this year despite just having one starter back. They do add some really strong players out of the portal, including Amar Augillard from Fresno State and Seth Hubbard from Western Michigan, so the cupboard is not completely bare. They also add several non-D-1 transfers who appear to have some promise.
-Oakland is coming off a losing season, but expectations are high once again for Greg Kampe’s team. They add several non-D-1 transfers, and Tuburu Naivalurua returns, who is one of the best frontcourt players in the conference. Several guys will have to step into bigger roles, but this is a well-coached team that no one should ever overlook.
-PENGUIN FEVER!!! IT LIVES!!! Despite having just one starter returning from a 21-win team a year ago, expectations are high for Youngstown State. They are trying to win 20+ games for the fourth straight year, which a short time ago would have seemed totally impossible. Jason Nelson and Cris Carroll both saw significant minutes last year and should be able to step into bigger roles this year. Vlad Salaridze is a solid player from UT Martin, and Bryson Dawkins was able to put up points at Houston Christian, so they do have guys that are solidly proven D-1 players. I think the Penguins will once again be a contender in this league, and it would not shock me at all to see them win it.
-Robert Morris went for the double last year finishing in 1st place and then winning the HL Tournament. Unfortunately for them not a single starter is back from that 26-win team. They are looking to some standout players from JUCO and D-2 to help rebuild the roster this year.
-Purdue Fort Wayne adds DeAndre Craig (Denver) and Mikale Stevenson (Grambling) to the roster, both of whom were double-digit scorers a year ago. That, and with two other players who saw significant minutes last year, PFW should be able to compete for the top half of the league again this season.
-Darrin Horn is a good coach, but like a lot of programs Northern Kentucky just cannot seem to get any traction and has difficulty retaining key players from year to year. Only three players are back from last year’s team, so they were tasked with having to rebuild the roster. Donovan Oday was a solid player for Cal State Fullerton last year, but most other transfers are from the lower divisions. It may turn out to be a long year for the Norse.
-Clint Sargent had a tough first year as Wright State’s head coach last year, and may be in for another tough year this year. They were an underwhelming 8-12 in conference play and Brandon Noel, who was hands down their best player, transferred to Ohio State. They do return some key guys from their rotation a year ago, but they will have to step into bigger roles if the Raiders are going to win more games this year.
-Cleveland State has won 20+ games for the last four seasons and been one of the better programs in the HL, so it is kind of strange seeing them picked this low. Part of the reason is all five starters, along with their head coach from last year, are gone. Rob Summers takes over as coach and much of their roster is lacking in players who are proven D-1 contributors, so the Vikings may be in a bit of a rebuild mode now.
-Detroit Mercy won just 8 games last year, which is not good, but they won just one game two years ago. So, they are getting better. I do not think the Titans will contend for the league title, but I do think they will do better than where they have been picked. Four starters are back, and that experience should result in at least being somewhat improved.
-It has been a long time since IU Indy has won more than ten games, and there is a good chance it will not happen this year. They have a new coach in Ben Howlett, and he is tasked with replacing all five starters. He is bringing some key players with him from West Liberty, who was a solid D-2 team last year. It will be interesting to see if they can play at this level.
-Green Bay made the decision to hire Doug Gottlieb, which was remarkable. They then made the decision to retain Doug Gottlieb after he won just four games in his first season, which was even more remarkable. The expectations this season are very low. Marcus Hall is a solid player, but he will need some help from his teammates if the Phoenix are going to climb out of the league’s cellar.
