NEC Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 27, 2025 by David Griggs

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

NEC MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Long Island
  2. Central Connecticut
  3. Stonehill
  4. Mercyhurst
  5. Fairleigh Dickinson
  6. Chicago State
  7. Saint Francis
  8. Wagner
  9. Le Moyne
  10. New Haven

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-NEC TEAM:

-Bernie Blunt III – SR, G – Mercyhurst
-Malachi Davis – SR, G – Long Island
-Jamal Fuller – SR, G/F – Long Island
-Hermann Koffi – SO, G – Stonehill
-Darin Smith Jr. – SO, F – Central Connecticut

COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-Be sure and download NEC On The Run from whatever app store suits you. It is a free app and provides quality broadcasts of all NEC home games. It’s awesome! I’m serious!!

-Long Island is the consensus, and basically unanimous, pick to win the NEC this year. They finished in 2nd place last year and finished the year with seven straight wins before losing in the NEC Tournament. Malachi Davis returns to the roster after averaging just under 18ppg last season. Two other starters are back, so they have some proven experience in their rotation. They have also added some pretty solid players from the portal, so it would not shock me to see the Sharks dominate the league this year.

-Central Connecticut was the 1st-place team last year and won 25 total games, but failed to make the NCAA Tournament after losing a rock fight to Saint Francis in the NEC Championship game. Unfortunately all five starters are gone so CCSU will have to rebuild their roster. They do have some high-level D-2 transfers mixed in with a few guys who came off the bench last year, so the cupboard is not completely bare.

-Stonehill is eligible for the NCAA Tournament this year!! And they have some experience as three starters return from last year’s team. The Skyhawks kind of fell apart in the latter part of the season losing four of their last five games, but Hermann Koffi had a great season as a freshman last year and should be able to step up even more this year. They have some experience mixed in with some decent looking transfers.

-Mercyhurst is still transitioning and they managed 15 wins a season ago and finished 3rd in the conference standings, which is not bad at all for a transitional team. Just one starter is back in Bernie Blunt III, who averaged over 12ppg and is a phenomenal free throw shooter. He cannot do it all by himself, though, and I am thinking it may be a rough year for the Lakers.

-Fairleigh Dickinson is having to rebuild their entire starting lineup. They are relying on players who were productive at lower divisions last year to come in and contribute right away. Whenever a roster turns over this much its hard to say just how good they are going to be. I am gonna be honest: I do not have much of a read on this year’s team.

-I cannot help it. I know we are not supposed to play favorites, but I have always had a huge soft spot for Chicago State. I am not saying that to be funny: I would LOVE for this program to start to experience some success. This is their second year in the conference after being forced to play as an independent, and I think that is a good start. The team won just 4 total games last year and was among the worst in the nation. The entire starting lineup is gone, and the roster turnover may be a chance for them to try and improve some. They have turned to some players who were prolific scorers at lower divisions to help infuse some energy into the roster. They have also added some D-1 transfers who saw limited minutes and are presumably seeking out more playing time. If this team can host an NEC quarterfinal game that would be a big success and a big step forward for this program. That being said: if I am being honest…I do not think it happens.

-Saint Francis finished a modest 8-8 in NEC play last year, but won the conference tournament and advanced to the NCAA First Four. A short time after that the school announced they were leaving D-1. So, this is sort of their swan song. Expectations are understandably low because it is hard to retain key players at the D-1 level when you announce you are leaving D-1. I wish they were not transitioning down. We have always had some love for STFU! I think it is going to be a very long year.

-Wagner has had a tumultuous offseason. The coach was suspended, the roster took forever to finalize, and I believe they were the last team to finalize their schedule for the season. Even before all this happened the prognosis for the season was not good. Just one starter is back and they do not have much in the way of proven D-1 experience.

-Le Moyne is still transitioning, and it is never easy to win while going through that process. Two starters are back from last year’s team that went just 4-12 in NEC play. One of the things they do have is a phenomenal 3-pt shooter in Deng Garang, who shot an amazing 48.6% from beyond the arc last season. They have been effective on the offensive end, but are still struggling as they continue to assimilate to D-1.

-New Haven is this year’s lone first-year-transitional team! They are picked to finish last after going just 12-17 at the D-2 level a year ago. That is not good: teams that struggle in D-2 will likely struggle infinitely more in D-1.

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Ivy League Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 27, 2025 by David Griggs

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

IVY LEAGUE MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Yale
  2. Harvard
  3. Cornell
  4. Princeton
  5. Dartmouth
  6. Brown
  7. Penn
  8. Columbia

COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-In the modern day transfer-heavy era, the Ivy League is still the Ivy League. The roster turnover is not nearly as drastic as what we see in virtually all other areas of D-1, and many of these teams probably have an advantage early on because as early as May they have a pretty good idea of what their rotations are going to be. Yunno, kinda like how it used to be for everyone.

-Yale ran away with the league last year, and with three starters back is expected to do the same again this year. If there is a team in this conference that might be good enough to make a run at the bubble, it is the Bulldogs. Nick Townsend is perhaps the best player in the conference. He can score and rebound and is one of the best three-point shooters in the country. The frontcourt is strong and is made up of multiple guys who also have range. When you have frontcourt players that can nail it from beyond the arc, you are a hard team to beat.

-Harvard was a modest 12-15 overall last year, but they were playing much better down the stretch and with three starters back they should be able to carry that momentum into this season. They did miss the Ivy League Tournament last year, but they won five of their last seven. Chandler Pigge, Thomas Batties II, and Robert Hinton are all double-digit scorers who return to the lineup, and they should be able to develop some depth as well.

-Jon Jaques enters his second year as Cornell head coach, and with two key starters back they should be able to continue to compete with the top half of the conference. This is always a fun team to watch because of how much their style conflicts with the rest of the conference. Cooper Noard and Jake Fiegen were both double-digit scorers last season and both can hit from the outside. They will need some guys to step up and play more minutes this year if they are going to keep pace with the top of the league.

-Princeton is in a bit of a reset mode with just one starter back from last season. Guys that came off the bench and saw limited minutes last year will have to step up this year. The middle of the league feels about right for the Tigers. They have a shot at making the Ivy Tournament, but I do not see them competing for the top spot.

-Dartmouth had their best season in recent memory last year and played well enough in the second half of conference play to make the Ivy League Tournament. Three key starters are back including Brandon Mitchell, who averaged over 13ppg last year and is a proven rebounder. Connor Amundsen is also a strong guard for the team. Last year’s success has brought some excitement and raised some expectations. I think they will have another good year and be back in the Ivy League Tournament this year.

-Brown was a modest 6-8 in conference play last year. They return their top-two scorers and should be a little better this year, but most of the league is returning the bulks of their rotations and is also likely to be better. I think they improve some, but still finish in the bottom half of the conference.

-Penn won just 8 total games last year and it is kind of weird to see a program that was a flagship in this conference for so long suddenly struggling like they are now. Ethan Roberts is one of the best players in the conference and his return is huge for the Quakers, but other than him they seem to be lacking in proven experience. I think Penn is better this year, but I also think they are closer to the bottom than to the top.

-Columbia had an unusual season last year. They started off 11-1 and won at Villanova during that stretch…then from December 30th on they won just one game the rest of the way. It was a shocking and almost inexplicable decline. Four starters are back. That may not seem like a big deal for a team that won just one Ivy League game, but let us not forget that they were also 11-1 at one point. The potential is there for this team to surprise some people like they did in November and December of last season.

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West Coast Conference Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 26, 2025 by David Griggs

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

WEST COAST CONFERENCE MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Gonzaga
  2. Saint Mary’s
  3. San Francisco
  4. Santa Clara
  5. Oregon State
  6. Washington State
  7. LMU
  8. Seattle U
  9. San Diego
  10. Pacific
  11. Pepperdine
  12. Portland

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-WCC TEAM:

-Ryan Beasley – JR, G – San Francisco
-Thierry Darlan – JR, G – Santa Clara
-Braden Huff – JR, F – Gonzaga
-Graham Ike – SR, F – Gonzaga
-Mikey Lewis – SO, G – Saint Mary’s
-Elijah Mahi – SR, F – Santal Clara
-Paulius Murauskas – JR, F – Saint Mary’s
-Elias Ralph – SR, F – Pacific
-Tyrone Riley IV – SO, G – San Francisco
-Harry Wessels – SR, C – Saint Mary’s

COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-It is no surprise that Gonzaga is picked to win the league despite only having one starter back from a year ago. If there was ever a year where Gonzaga was not picked to win it, then that would be a shock. They are coming off a 26-win/Round of 32 season, which is actually below their standards. They are having to replace some key pieces, but as you would expect they are loaded with talent. Adam Miller transfers in from Arizona State and will join Braeden Smith in the backcourt. Tyon Grant-Foster is a grad transfer from Kansas (update: www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/oct/24/federal-court-rejects-ncaas-removal-request-in-tyo/), Graham Ike is another grad transfer who had a big career at Wyoming, and Braden Huff saw significant minutes last year off the bench. It is Gonzaga. The expectations are that they will once again be a top-25-caliber team, once again be at or near the top of the WCC standings, and once again be safely inside the bubble come March.

-As dominant as Gonzaga has been, they were not the first place team last year. Saint Mary’s finished three games ahead of them in the conference standings and also made the Round of 32. Just one starter from that team is back, so they are having to reload, and they will be relying on some freshmen that they have signed to keep them at the top. Paulius Murauskas is the lone returning starter, and the lack of experience will likely result in a bit of a setback, but I still expect this to be a solid NCAA Tournament-caliber team.

-San Francisco won 25 total games last. year, which was a solid season, but failed to make the NCAA Tournament. Two starters are back in Tyrone Riley IV and Ryan Beasley, and they should have some guys that came off the bench last year who can step into bigger roles.

-Santa Clara is having to replace all five starters from a 21-win season last year. They have won 20+ games in each of the last four seasons, but have been unable to play their way into the NCAA Tournament. Elijah Mahi returns to the roster after averaging double-figures a season ago and they have a couple of impressive-looking freshmen coming in, but they are not exactly stacked with proven D-1 talent, and while they will likely be a formidable team in the conference, I do not think they will end up near the NCAA Tournament bubble.

-Oregon State won 20 games last season, which is better than what we are used to seeing. All five starters from that team are gone so Coach Wayne Tinkle is tasked with rebuilding the roster. Dez White is transferring in from Missouri State, and a couple of guys who saw significant minutes off the bench are back, so the cupboard is not completely bare.

-Washington State is also having to replace all five starters and they do not have much on the roster in the way of solid D-1 experience. Jerone Morton (Morehead State) is the only player who averaged double-figures at the D-1 level a year ago, so it could be a long season for Wazzu.

-LMU looked pretty strong through January last year, but then kind of fell apart in the second half of conference play. Just one starter returns, but they did pick up two pretty solid players in the portal in Tanner Thomas (Sacred Heart) and Nakyel Shelton (Eastern Illinois), so they do have some pieces to work with.

-Seattle U makes their WCC debut this season after coming over from the WAC! They struggled last year in the WAC, and will likely struggle even more this year in the WCC. Brayden Maldonado is a good outside shooter, and they do have three starters returning so that experience should help them out some, but this is a tougher league than the WAC and they will likely have a tougher time in it.

-San Diego had a pitiful season last year winning just 6 total games and 2 in conference play. All five starters are gone, and perhaps the roster overhaul is something they needed. Dominique Ford comes in from Southern Utah and Toneari Lane comes in from Georgia State, both of whom were double-digit scorers a year ago. They have also added Tim Moore (who is a grad transfer from NJIT) and some other standout players from lower divisions so their roster appears to be upgraded. Hopefully for them that will translate into more wins.

-It has been a while since Pacific had a winning season, and they have failed to even win 10 games in four of the last five years. This year, with just one starter back, it is looking like they will struggle once again. They have gone into the portal to try and build up the roster and landed Alexis Marmolejos (Lamar) and TJ Wainwright (Long Beach State), both of whom are good outside shooters and who averaged double-figures a season ago. If the rest of the roster can step up and give them some help, then we are likely to see at least a few more wins this year.

-It was a tough year for Ed Schilling in his season debut at Pepperdine last year, and the expectations this year are that it will be tough for him again. Just one starter is back and they are lacking in players who have proven D-1 experience.

-After three straight losing seasons Portland is once again expected to struggle this year. All their starters from a year ago are gone, and while Riley Parker is a quality transfer from Saint Francis, no one else on the roster seems to have proven themselves yet at the D-1 level.

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Big 12 Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 26, 2025 by David Griggs

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

BIG 12 MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. Houston
  2. BYU
  3. Texas Tech
  4. Arizona
  5. Iowa State
  6. Kansas
  7. Baylor
  8. Cincinnati
  9. Kansas State
  10. TCU
  11. West Virginia
  12. Oklahoma State
  13. Utah
  14. UCF
  15. Colorado
  16. Arizona State

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-BIG 12 TEAM:

-AJ Dybantsa – BYU
-Richie Saunders – BYU
-Emanuel Sharp – Houston
-Joseph Tugler – Houston
-Tamin Lipsey – Iowa State
-Darryn Peterson – Kansas (Preseason Freshman of the Year)
-PJ Haggerty – Kansas State
-Christian Anderson – Texas Tech
-JT Toppin – Texas Tech (Preseason Player of the Year)

COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-It is hard to overstate how good Houston’s program has become. They nearly won the national championship a year ago in a game that came down to the very last play in the final seconds. LJ Cryer is gone, but three key starters do return and Houston looks to be as good as ever. Milos Uzan decided to return to school and wait another year before going into the NBA Draft. He and Emanuel Sharp make up one of the best backcourts in the country. Isiah Harwell is also an incredibly talented freshman. They are not quite as experienced in the frontcourt as what we are used to seeing, but they are still incredibly talented and will likely develop quickly. Houston is also always one of the best defensive teams in the country. I expect them to be as good as anyone. They were my pick to win it all in the preseason last year and they almost did. They are not my pick this year, but I think they are a Final Four-caliber team and it would not shock me if they won it all.

-BYU won 26 games last year in Kevin Young’s debut as head coach with the Cougars, and have once again stacked their roster with talent this year. Robert Wright III, Kennard Davis, and Richie Saunders make up a very talented backcourt that is as good as any in the country. All three can hit from the outside and Saunders may be among the best 3-point shooters in the entire nation. There frontcourt does give me a little bit of pause, but when I say that I mean it gives me pause when I compare it to other teams that are protected seed-caliber teams. It is certainly good enough to be formidable against 95% of the teams in D-1 (thanks to 1 of the best freshmen in the nation in AJ Dybantsa). The Cougars are good. I think they will be high in the rankings all season and will likely earn a protected seed come March.

-Grant McCasland had a phenomenal season at Texas Tech a year ago, winning 28 games and advancing to the Elite Eight. This is a program that seems to be lost in the shuffle of blue bloods and never gets the full respect of being as good as it actually is. They have undergone coaching changes, they play in one of the strongest conferences in the country, yet they still perform at a top-15 level year after year. Just one starter is back, but they have reloaded on their talent and will likely be a protected-seed caliber team yet again. Tyeree Bryan comes in from Santa Clara, LeJuan Watts comes in from Washington State, and JT Toppin was a phenomenal post player at New Mexico who from all accounts is a likely future NBA player. This is a loaded roster and I expect them to have another big year.

-Arizona returns three starters from last year’s Sweet Sixteen team and all indications are that they will be that strong again this year. Losing Caleb Love is massive, but they still have a formidable backcourt with Jaden Bradley and incoming freshman Brayden Burries. Koa Peat is another highly-touted freshman who is new to D-1, but showed he could produce in the FIBA U19 World Cup over the summer. They will need some guys who were role players a season ago to step into bigger roles this year, but I think Arizona has the pieces to be a top-25-caliber team and safely make The Dance.

-Iowa State returns three starters from last year’s 27-win team, and once again looks like they will be in the top-25 for most of the season. Tamin Lipsey and Nate Heise make up a solid backcourt, and Heise is a very good outside shooter. Joshua Jefferson transferred in from Saint Mary’s a year ago and put up over 13ppg, and they have a fair amount of experience underneath as well. I think they will easily finish in the top half of the conference and end up in the top half of the NCAA Tournament bracket come March.

-It is not often that you see Kansas projected to finish as low as 6th, but with all five starters gone from a year ago and finishing just 6th in the standings last year, people are once again thinking that Kansas is not quite strong enough to finish at the top of the standings. As you would expect from a program like Kansas, they are loaded with new talent. Melvin Council Jr. comes in after putting up strong numbers at Saint Bonaventure, Tre White comes in from Illinois, and they have some very-highly-touted freshman coming in who will play big roles as well (including Darryn Peterson, who Coach Bill Self called, “the best player we have recruited since we have been here”).

-I am almost always big on Baylor. I think Scott Drew is a Hall of Fame coach and he continues to build successful teams year after year and find ways to win. He does have his work cut out for him this year. All five starters are gone from last year’s NCAA Tournament team and a new crop of talent is coming in. The Bears are adding 8 total transfers, and all have a lot of experience. Dan Skillings Jr. comes in from Cincinnati, Michael Rataj put up points and grabbed a lot of rebounds at Oregon State, Caden Powell came off the bench last year and should be able to step into a bigger role, and JJ White was a solid player at Omaha. So, they do have some pieces to work with.

-Cincinnati had high expectations a year ago and kind of fell flat. They were just 19-16 overall and finished 12th in the conference after beginning the season in the top 25. Just one starter returns from that team and there appears to be a lot of question marks surrounding Coach Wes Miller. Jalen Haynes is a solid returner (update: https://gobearcats.com/news/2025/10/14/jalen-haynes-out-indefinitely), and Moustapha Thiam transfers in after putting up double-figures at UCF a year ago. Day Day Thomas also averaged double-figures and is a solid outside shooter. I like Wes Miller as a coach, but like everyone else I was expecting a lot more out of this team a year ago and am now questioning if they will be able to rebuild this year.

-Jerome Tang has done a fantastic job at Kansas State, but the team did struggle last season finishing just 16-17 overall. The roster has been overhauled in the hopes of getting this team back to the NCAA Tournament. They are bringing in five players who averaged double-figures a year ago including PJ Haggerty, who was an absolute monster at Memphis. I think K State is being a little undervalued. They definitely have the pieces to be much improved this year. I guess the question is can those pieces fit together?

-TCU was just 16-16 a year ago, which was a bit of a digression from what we had been seeing from them. Jamie Dixon has gone into the portal and gotten some guys that put up quality minutes from high level conferences. Brock Harding (Iowa), Jayden Pierre (Providence), and Liutauras Lelevicius (Oregon State) are guys who should be able to step into key roles right away. I think we will see an improved Horned Frogs team this year and that they have a shot at getting back into the Big Dance.

-Ross Hodge takes over at West Virginia and is having to start over from scratch. All five starters are gone, but they did grab some really high level players from Under the Radar programs. Treysen Eaglestaff averaged 19ppg at North Dakota last year, Chris Moore was a solid player at Saint Bonaventure, and Honor Huff is a great outside shooter who put up big numbers at Chattanooga, so they have some pieces. There are reasons to be optimistic.

-Oklahoma State has not been anywhere close to the NCAA Tournament the last two years, and from all accounts will struggle to get there this year. Just one starter returns and head coach Steve Lutz has gone into the portal to try and restock the cupboard. Isaiah Coleman had a great season at Seton Hall last year (although his team did not), and Jaylen Curry put up some quality numbers at UMass (which was a team that had very little else in the way of quality), and Parsa Fallah comes in after a pretty good season at Oregon State, so the Pokes have some pieces to work with.

-Alex Jensen takes over at Utah, and will try to resuscitate a program that has been…well…just flat out bad in recent years. They have had losing records in three of the last five seasons and were 11th in the Big 12 a season ago. Babacar Faye comes in from Western Kentucky and should be able to contribute right away (update: https://utahutes.com/news/2025/9/22/utah-mens-basketball-injury-update). His former Hilltopper teammate Don McHenry also comes in, and will be joined in the backcourt by Terrence Brown from Fairleigh Dickinson. Both put up big time numbers at their respective programs and both make up what should be a decent backcourt this year.

-UCF won 20 games a year ago, but struggled in conference and is now having to reload. Johnny Dawkins has had a good run with this program, but it is hard for them to build and retain talent from year to year. Themus Fulks is a solid grad transfer from Milwaukee and George Beale Jr. is an experienced player from Hampton, and while they are solid players, it is questionable if they can compete against the high level of talent that exists in this league.

-I very much want to like Colorado. I think Tad Boyle is a very good coach, and because of that I tend to overvalue this program. They were not good last year, and they’ve lost most of the key players from that team. Barrington Hargress is a big-time transfer from UC Riverside who averaged over 20ppg last season, but other than him I just do not see anyone who is a proven Big 12-caliber player. It could be a long and frustrating year for the Buffs.

-Bobby Hurley has proven that he can win. He has had some great years. But, last year was not a great year, and the year before that was not great either, and this year is looking like it will be…well…not great. Adante’ Holiman comes in from Georgia Southern, and while he is a solid player, he is going to need some help, but I doubt he is going to get much.

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Mountain West Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 25, 2025 by David Griggs

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

MOUNTAIN WEST MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:

  1. San Diego State
  2. Utah State
  3. Boise State
  4. Grand Canyon
  5. New Mexico
  6. UNLV
  7. Colorado State (tied 7th)
  8. Nevada (tied 7th)
  9. Wyoming
  10. San Jose State
  11. Fresno State
  12. Air Force

MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MWC TEAM:

-Andrew Meadow – Boise State
-Jaden Henley – Grand Canyon
-Brian Moore Jr. – Grand Canyon
-Elijah Price – Nevada
-Deyton Albury – New Mexico
-Miles Byrd – San Diego State
-Reese Dixon-Waters – San Diego State
-Magoon Gwath – San Diego State
-Kimani Hamilton – UNLV
-Mason Falslev – Utah State

COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-San Diego State barely snuck into the NCAA Tournament last year and were blown out by North Carolina in the First Four. Expectations are higher this year and they should be able to land safely inside the bubble. Three key starters are back, two of whom earned preseason honors. Reese Dixon-Waters also returns after missing last season due to an injury. Sean Newman Jr. also transfers in from Louisiana Tech and I think he is a really nice addition to the roster. I think this is a top-25 caliber team that will play their way into the rankings as the season goes on.

-Utah State just keeps winning despite coaching changes and roster turnovers. They won 26 games last year and made it into the NCAA Tournament, and while they are once again undergoing a roster overhaul the expectations are still high. Mason Falslev is one of the best players in the conference and while he cannot do it alone, he will be joined by some transfers who have experience in high level conferences and who came to Utah State presumably to get more minutes. I do not know if I would have them picked as high as 2nd, but they have shown they can reload and they have proven me wrong when I have doubted them before.

-Boise State has won 20+ games in each of the last four seasons and while they missed the NCAA Tournament last year (albeit barely) they are consistently playing on the level of an NCAA Tournament-caliber team. They probably deserve a little more respect as a program than what they have gotten. Having said that, they do not appear to have a lot of experience this year. I never want to just overlook this team, but I think it will be hard for them to land inside the NCAA Tournament bubble.

-Grand Canyon enters their first season in the Mountain West after becoming the dominant program in the WAC, as well as one of the top Under the Radar programs in the nation, in recent years. Just one starter is back from last year’s team, but this is a program that is willing to spend NIL money and Bryce Drew once again has a talented roster. Caleb Shaw is one of the best outside shooters in the nation, Dennis Evans and Nana Owusu-Anane both return from injury, Brian Moore Jr. was a big time scorer at Norfolk State last year, and Jaden Henley was a solid player at UNLV. They are picked 4th. I think part of the reason is that the MWC brass may just not know them that well. I think they can finish higher than 4th. I think they can finish higher than 2nd. I think they can win the league. I know they lost some very talented players from a year ago, but think the roster they’ve put together can step up and that this will be a top-25 caliber team as the season plays out.

-After two really solid seasons where they won 26 and 27 games, New Mexico is in restart mode. Coach Richard Pitino left for Xavier and Eric Olsen now takes over. He is tasked with replacing all five starters from a team that made the Round of 32. Tajavis Miller from North Dakota State is a solid pickup from the portal, but the Lobos are lacking in D-1 experience this year. I do not think they will sink to the very bottom of the league, but I do think they are in a bit of a rebuild mode.

-UNLV just cannot seem to get any traction going. It feels like they should be able to build themselves up into a team that makes regular runs at the NCAA Tournament, but it has been a long time since that has happened and the expectations are that it will not happen this year. Myles Che transfers in after having a good year at UC Irvine and is a fantastic outside shooter. Al Green is another guy who can hit from the outside who transfers in from Louisiana Tech, and Howie Fleming Jr. comes in from UTRGV. All three of those guys shot over 40% from beyond the arc last year, so UNLV does have one thing: shooters!

-Colorado State has had back-to-back 25+ win seasons and made the Round of 32 last year. They have a new coach in Ali Farokhmanesh this year and he is tasked with replacing nearly the entire starting lineup. Augustinas Kiudulas put up impressive numbers at VMI last year, and Josh Pascarelli was a standout player at Marist, but other than those two they lack proven experience. I have more questions than answers about the Rams this year.

-Nevada is coming off a rough season where they won just 17 games and may be in for a long ride again this year as Steve Alford has to rebuild most of his roster. Tayshawn Comer comes in after putting up big numbers at Evansville, and they have some standout JUCO players as well. I do not expect this team to contend for the league title, but I do think they will be at least a little better than they were a year ago.

-It has been a rough few years for the Wyoming Cowboys and they may be in for another rough one this year. Sundance Wicks went 12-20 in his first year as head coach a season ago. Just one starter returns from that team. They did get a few notable pickups in the portal as Khaden Bennett (Quinnipiac) and Leland Walker (Florida Atlantic) both averaged double-figures a season ago. They will need to rely on them if the Cowboys are going to win more games this year.

-It was just there years ago when San Jose State actually won 21 total games, but it has been a tough ride since then. They were an underwhelming 15-20 last year and finished just 8th in the conference. This year expectations are even lower. Colby Garland comes in from Drake and JaVaughn Hannah comes in from Western Michigan: both were double-digit scorers. San Jose State’s issue is that while Tim Miles is an excellent coach, his superpower was building and developing programs and players. That is difficult to do in the transfer-heavy era we are in now. As soon as a player starts to develop, they leave. It will likely be another long and frustrating year for San Jose State.

-Fresno State won just 6 total games last year and does not have much in the way of proven D-1 talent this year. They have looked overseas to try and land some international players that can spark some life into the Bulldogs.

-It is just hard to win at any service academy. Winning is something Air Force did very little of last year. They were just 4-28 on the season. Joe Scott, who actually had success during a previous stint at Air Force, is the head coach. It is hard to put together a program that is consistently strong when you have to work within the parameters that the service academies do.

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Big Sky Media Day Recap and Response

Posted on October 24, 2025 by David Griggs

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BIG SKY MEDIA DAY PRESEASON COACHES POLL:

  1. Montana
  2. Portland State
  3. Northern Colorado
  4. Idaho
  5. Eastern Washington (tied 5th)
  6. Montana State (tied 5th)
  7. Sacramento State
  8. Idaho State
  9. Weber State
  10. Northern Arizona

BIG SKY MEDIA DAY PRESEASON MEDIA POLL:

  1. Montana
  2. Portland State
  3. Northern Colorado
  4. Idaho
  5. Idaho State
  6. Montana State
  7. Sacramento State
  8. Eastern Washington
  9. Weber State
  10. Northern Arizona

COMMENTS FROM DAVID:

-Montana has been the flagship program in this conference for the last couple of seasons and is again the consensus favorite to win the league. Like seemingly everyone in college basketball, they are tasked with having to rebuild their roster. Just one starter is back from last year’s 25-win team that won the Big Sky and made the NCAA Tournament. Money Williams returns, and while Te’Jon Sawyer was not a regular starter, he provided a lot of quality minutes off the bench and is certainly capable of stepping into a bigger role. They have also added a handful of transfers from bigger programs that are likely seeking out more playing time, so the Grizz have some pieces.

-Portland State returns their two leading scorers from a season ago, and because of that the expectations are high. Jaylin Henderson and Terri Miller Jr. are two proven players who know the system. The question is can the rest of the roster step up? They do have several transfers, but most appear to have seen limited action a season ago.

-Northern Colorado is the team I like. They tied for 1st place last year and won 25 total games before losing to Montana in the Big Sky Championship. They return some key pieces from that rotation and add some talented-looking freshmen that, while young, may be able to contribute right away.

-It has been a while since anyone was all that excited about Idaho (other than their big rivalry game with Washington State, which involves two teams who are just eight miles apart that have never met in the NCAA Tournament!), but they have three starters back, including Kristian Gonzalez and Kolton Mitchell, who were both double-digit scorers a year ago, and Jack Payne was also a solid player. I kind of like the Vandals this year. While they were an unimpressive 8-10 overall in conference play, I like their experience and they have shown signs of getting better (albeit slowly) in recent years.

-Eastern Washington struggled last year in Dan Monson’s first year as head coach, but signs seem to be pointing toward an improved team this year. They have a lot more experience, and added Isaiah Moses from the transfer portal, who was a pretty solid guard for UC Riverside last year. Andrew Cook is also back (update: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmMpPO_R7e8), and Emmett Marquardt will likely be a contributing player after a really solid freshman season last year.

-Montana State is having to completely rebuild with all five starters from last season being gone. They have added a couple of guards who were standout players at the D-2 level, and they should be able to step in and contribute right away, but the question is how will they adjust to D-1?

-Sacramento State has been a disaster in recent years and won just seven total games a year ago. The expectations are still pretty low, but I do think this team will be better. Mike Bibby takes over as head coach, and this may be a much-needed change for the Hornets. He has gone out and gotten some transfers from higher level programs and conferences, so it is likely that win total will improve. They are unlikely to finish at the top of the standings, but I am willing to bet that they are not as close to the bottom as they have been.

-Idaho State was a pretty respectable 10-8 in conference play a year ago, but having to replace Dylan Darling is no small task. Two other starters are back, and I do think they can do a little better than 8th. They have added several standout players from lower divisions to fill out the roster, and while these guys are not proven D-1 players, it looks like they will be able to contribute. I think people may be overlooking this Idaho State team a little bit.

-Weber State has gone from being one of the flagship programs in this conference to being one of the doormats, and being picked 9th in the preseason poll shows that the respect for them just is not there. But, I think there are reasons to be optimistic. Four starters are back, and while this team only won 9 D-1 games last season, they were showing signs of life down the stretch. They won three of their last five before losing in the conference tournament (albeit badly to Northern Colorado), but they almost knocked off that same NoCo team in the last week of the season. I like that they are experienced and I like some of the roster additions. I think this could be a dark horse team this year.

-Expectations are not high for Northern Arizona, but with two key starters returning from a team that was at least decent last year (8-10 in Big Sky play), I am a little surprised they are being picked dead last. The program has actually shown signs of improving with the overall win total going up in each of the last four seasons. Having said that, they do not have too many guys who have proven themselves at the D-1 level, so it may be a struggle this year.

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