Every college basketball team has yearly turnover. Losing experienced players and adding newcomers is part of the deal. But at Saint Mary’s this season, the change isn’t restricted to the exit of key players with the Gaels also saying goodbye to the winningest coach in program history.
Randy Bennett won 589 games in 25 seasons at Moraga and guided the Gaels to 12 NCAA Tournament appearances. He’s coaching at Arizona State now, back in his home state, and junior point guard Joshua Dent, the only returning first-time All-West Coast Conference selection, says the Gaels are going to be just fine.
“We do hear the noise, everyone just expecting us to topple over and fall. But everyone around this place knows there’s no chance of that happening,” said Dent, a key player on the past two of Saint Mary’s four consecutive WCC regular-season championship squads. “We’re a good program in keeping to ourselves, don’t put too much out there in the media and we know what we’ve got.”
Former Gaels point guard great and long-time assistant coach Mickey McConnell takes the reins and is ready to carry on the program’s excellence. He expects to play a bit faster tempo, but otherwise trusts the foundational pieces that have been the program’s trademarks.
“I’ve been here. I played here. A lot of the stuff that’s been in our program is stuff I believe in. It’s what helped me become a great player,” said McConnell, the WCC Player of the Year in 2011. “The foundation of how we want to go day to day, our toughness and our grit, how we want our guys to act and how they should be during workouts, all that stuff stayed pretty similar.
“Defensively, rebounding — those things will stay very similar. Tempo, we’ll play a little faster. Try to get out in transition. Play faster in half court as well.”
As far as any pressure he might experience trying to fill legendary coaching shoes, McConnell said this move doesn’t come with any greater expectations than when he arrived as a freshman in the fall of 2007 in the same recruiting class as future NBA player Patty Mills.
“We all signed up for the same thing. You come into this program to keep it or raise it to a higher level. That’s not done overnight,” McConnell said. “It’s a process to get there and we have a lot of work to do, but I like the group we have.”
Vangelis “Zou” Zougris 6-8 senior forward from Greece, transferred from Louisville after meeting McConnell during the recruiting process and being impressed with his vision for the Gaels going forward.
“Honestly, Coach Mickey had a huge role to play in my decision. When I first got here the culture made a great impression on me,” he said. “And although Coach Mickey is a first-year coach, he embraced the tradition. He’s part of it and he’s building on what already is here.”
The Gaels were picked second in the annual preseason WCC coaches poll, finishing behind Bay Area rival Santa Clara, which is coming off its first NCAA Tournament berth in 30 years and was named first on nine of 10 ballots. San Francisco, Seattle and Pacific round out the top five.
Here is our preview of the West Coast Conference season, with teams ranked in order of the preseason coaches poll:
1. SANTA CLARA
2025-26: 15-3/3rd in West Coast Conference; 26-9 overall
Coach: Herb Sendek (190-129 in 11th season at Santa Clara; 600-424 in 33rd season overall)
Most recent NCAA appearance: 2026 (lost 89-84 in overtime to Kentucky in the first round)
Top returning players: The Broncos return three key players from their fNCAA Tournament team. Junior guard Sash Gavalyugov (9.0 points, 2.7 assists) of Bulgaria and 6-foot-9 graduate guard Jake Ensminger (6.5 points, 5.5 rebounds) of Germany both landed spots in the 10-player preseason all-conference team. Gavalyugov delivered a memorable 37-point performance in a win over LMU and had 16 points, six rebounds and five assists in the Broncos’ first-round NCAA loss to Kentucky. Ensminger had 14 points and eight rebounds vs. Kentucky and is an efficient player who shot at least 50% from the field in each of the team’s final 14 games. Thierry Darlan (6.1 points), a 6-8 senior guard from the Central African Republic, came to Santa Clara last year after two seasons in the NBA G League. Guard KJ Cochran (4.7 points, 43% 3-point) could see his role expand. Likewise, the Broncos hope to see a leap in contributions from 6-10 Francis Chukwudebelu (1.5 points, 1.3 rebounds), a Nigerian-born sophomore center.
Top newcomers: Santa Clara brought in five new players, including junior guard David Castillo, who averaged 10.3 points at Kansas State last season, putting up 15 points or more eight times. Sidi Gueye, a 6-11 sophomore center from Senegal, averaged 1.3 points while shooting 72 percent from the field in limited action last season at Arizona. The freshmen arrivals are 6-11 center Alex Ensor, 6-7 guard Eli Join and guard Brayden Kuykendall.
Key non-conference games: The Broncos face early tests at home against VCU (which beat North Carolina in its NCAA Tournament opener last season) and New Mexico (which reached the NIT semifinals), on Nov. 14 and 19, respectively. From there, Santa Clara will play in the Acrisure Series at Palm Desert, with matchups vs. Illinois State on Nov. 23 and Nevada on Nov. 24. The Broncos play Dec. 5 at Grand Canyon, an NCAA participant four of the past six seasons. They venture to Las Vegas on Dec. 12 and 14 to play Murray State, coming off a 20-win season, and McNeese State, which has earned for three consecutive NCAA bids. At San Juan Capistrano, SCU faces Boise State (with a run of five straight 20-win seasons) on Dec. 21, and Oregon State on Dec. 23.
What matters: Sendek, who has guided the Broncos to five straight 20-win seasons and last year ended the program’s 30-year NCAA Tournament drought, will try to make it two in a row despite losing five of the team’s top six scorers. Santa Clara faces a challenging non-conference schedule, with six games against teams among the top 71 in the final 2026 NET computer rankings, four of them away from home. He has a core of three key returnees to build around, several promising newcomers and three others who have spent a year in the program and may be ready to emerge. “We have a good nucleus returning, guys who have been in our program,” Sendek said. “We’ve also fortified our roster. We lost a great deal from last year’s team. We do have a number of guys that can contribute. I think we do have good depth.”
Quote: “Last year’s group didn’t get over the hump. Last year’s group had one chance at it and they were successful in earning an (NCAA) at-large bid. This year’s team is completely different than last year’s team. There will be a unique journey to this season, unlike any other. We start over and we’re excited about getting better.” — Coach Herb Sendek on the Broncos earning their first NCAA bid last year since 1996
2. SAINT MARY’S
2025-26: 16-2/tied for 1st in West Coast Conference; 27-6 overall
Coach: Mickey McConnell (1st season)
Most recent NCAA appearance: 2026 (lost 63-50 to Texas A&M in the first round)
Top returning players: Point guard Joshua Dent (13.2 points, 5.6 assists, 1.6 steals, 40.4 percent 3-point, conference-best 91.8 FT percent) started all 33 games as a sophomore last season, earning first-team All-West Coast Conference honors. The 6-foot-3 Australian, named to the preseason All-WCC team, led the conference in minutes played and had five games of 20 points or more and three 11-assist outings. McConnell said Dent has shouldered the responsibility of folding the newcomers into the way the Gaels function. “He’s done a great job. He’s been very good about being Josh. He doesn’t have to be Logan Johnson, he doesn’t have to be Augustas (Marciulionis). He just has to be Josh Dent and attack it that way.” Sophomore wing Mantas Juzenas (2.1 points) from Lithuania, played well on the Gaels’ five-game summer tour of Australia. Jazz Gardner, a 6-10, 260-pound junior who played one season each at Nevada and Pacific, redshirted for the Gaels a year ago but figures to be in the rotation. Guard Rory Hawke and forward Kevin Gad both are expected to contribute after battling injuries last season.
Top newcomers: The Gaels brought in eight new players, including multiple potential starters. Freshman point guard Darius Bivins, a Washington DC native who played in the McDonald’s All-America game, could pair with Dent in the backcourt. Salih Altunas, a 6-10 sophomore from Turkey, played last year at Miami, where he had a 13-point, 11-rebound, 4-steal game against Delaware State. Vangelis “Zou” Zougris is a 6-8 senior forward from Greece, who averaged 2.6 points and 2.4 rebounds last season at Louisville but scored 13.8 points per game on the Aussie tour. Thomas Ndong, a 6-10, 245-pound senior from Canada, began his career at Oregon State before averaging 4.9 points and 6.5 rebounds last season at Cal Baptist. The Gaels got a late signing from Jeremy Dent-Smith, a graduate guard who averaged 8.2 points, mostly off the bench, at Stanford.
Key non-conference games: The Gaels open the season at home vs. Illinois State on Nov. 4, the first of 10 non-conference games they will play in Moraga. A highlight among those will be a Nov. 20 visit by Saint Louis, which went 29-6 last season and beat Georgia in a first-round NCAA Tournament game. Big tests await away from home. Saint Mary’s will take on Nevada at the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic on Nov. 8. The Gaels will face UCLA in the opening round of Rady Childen’s Invitational at San Diego on Thanksgiving Day, then play either Georgetown or Texas the next day. Road games against Oklahoma City on Dec. 5 and New Mexico on Dec. 12 both will be challenging.
What matters: The Gaels are a mostly new program following the departure of coach Randy Bennett, who won seven regular-season conference titles. It falls to McConnell, to keep the Gaels going. McConnell, 37, played on two NCAA Tournament teams with the Gaels. He returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach in 2019 and was instrumental in helping the Gaels earn NCAA berths the past five seasons and at least a share of the past four regular-season conference titles. The Gaels lost 77 percent of their scoring from a year ago, including all-conference forward Paulius Murauskas, who followed Bennett to ASU. But McConnell has a critical player back in Dent and a recruiting class that promises to keep the Gaels competitive near the top of the WCC.
Quote: “The team has the potential to be great, amazing. But that’s just words. If we don’t put the work in and take advantage of our talents, we’re not going to be great. So far we’re doing a great job, trusting the process, coming in every day, chop wood, carry water, doing work that is going to help us.” — Senior forward and Louisville transfer Vangelis “Zou” Zougris
3. SAN FRANCISCO
2025-26: 8-10/tied 5th in West Coast Conference; 17-16 overall
Coach: Chris Gerlufsen (85-51 in 5th season; 93-56 overall in 6th season, including as acting coach at Hawaii in 2019-20)
Most recent NCAA appearance: 2022 (lost 92-87 in overtime to Murray State in the first round)
Top returning players: USF’s top returnee is 6-7 graduate forward Ndewedo Newbury, who sat out all of last season after suffering a season-ending leg injury midway through the 2024-25 campaign. He averaged 9.4 points in 2023-24 and was placed on the preseason All-WCC team. “He knows what it’s supposed to look like and he knows what the expectation is of me and the staff. He’s been a part of a lot of winning here,” Gerlufsen said. “And he’s on a mission to finish this thing the right way. That’s really important to him, both personally and as a team.” The Dons’ only returning player who saw action a year ago is junior guard Aidan Braccia, a walk-on who scored 12 points.
Top newcomers: The Dons brought in 14 new players, including 11 freshmen and six international players. The three Division I transfers are led by Ben Oosterbaan, a 6-6 junior forward who produced 6.4 points and 3.7 rebounds at St. Thomas and averaged 19.5 points in two Summit League tournament games. Abdul Bashir, a 6-7 senior guard, comes to USF from Auburn, where he played just six games last season before a season-ending injury. The year before he scored 27.2 points per game at Casper JC, topped by a 49-point game. Ismailia Diagne, a 7-foot junior center from Senegal, is a developing player who averaged 1.1 points and 2.4 rebounds last season at Gonzaga. Among the freshmen, 6-11 forward Ziga Daneu comes from Slovenia, where his grandfather was a FIBA Hall of Fame player. Guard Dashel Wiley averaged 22.7 points and 9.2 rebounds at Faith Lutheran HS in Las Vegas, guard Dylan Gordon of Argentina played the past several years in Spain, and 6-9 forward Jaroslav’s Pihtovs had a 23-point, 24-rebound game for a Riordan-San Francisco team that went 28-2 last season. The Dons got a late-summer signing from guard Jaylen Hunter-Coleman of Boston, who recently reclassified from the class of 2027.
Key non-conference games: The Dons play an intriguing home game Nov. 6 against North Dakota State, which last year made it to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time since 2014. USF will play in the Acrisure Series at Palm Desert, Calif., against Nevada and Oregon State on Nov. 23-24 and returns home to face UNLV on Dec. 2. The Dons will trek to Texas to face Texas State on Dec. 16, then play at the Texas Legends College Classic at Frisco against George Washington and Tulsa on Dec. 19 and 21.
What matters: Gerlufsen faces a total rebuild after losing 99.5 percent of the team’s scoring and 99.2 percent of its rebounding from a year ago, including double-digit scorers Ryan Beasley, David Fuchs and Tyrone Riley IV. But he likes the new players who have joined the program. “We’re going to have a really balanced collection of just really good basketball players,” he said. Among the challenges Gerlufsen faces is assembling a team that can win close games after USF lost six times by six points or fewer last season. Newbury’s ability to pick up where he left off two seasons ago will be significant.
Quote: “I think we were trying to set the world record. I think we have a young group with talent and it’s going to be really important to retain some of these guys.” — Coach Chris Gerlufsen on USF bringing in 14 new players this season
4. SEATTLE U
2025-26: 8-10/tied 5th in West Coast Conference; 21-14 overall
Coach: Chris Victor (101-67 in 6th season)
Most recent NCAA appearance: 1969 (lost 75-73 to Weber State in the first round)
Top returning players: The Redhawks return a pair of starting forwards who landed on the preseason All-WCC team. Will Heimbrodt (12.3 points, 5.2 rebounds), a 6-7 senior, was the league’s Defensive Player of the Year after setting program record with 90 blocked shots, including three or more in 19 games. “He started off last year offensively very strong, then had his struggles throughout conference play,” Victor said. “One of the things I want to see improvement from Will is to be more consistent from the offensive side throughout the year. I know he’s capable of doing it.” Junseok Yeo (12.0 points, 4.0 rebounds), a 6-7 fifth-year player, started all 34 games last season and spent the summer playing with the Korean national team. “He learned a lot and that experience is going to be huge for him this season,” Victor said. Point guard Maleek Arrington (4.7 points, 3.9 assists, 2.3 steals), a co-captain last season, gained a fifth year of eligibility through the Oct. 20 court injunction in a case involving 76 players. The NCAA is expected to appeal the decision. Also back are 6-9 junior forward Yuto Kawashima (5.0 points in five games) and 6-8 junior forward Ray Adams (3.2 points in five games).
Top newcomers: Seattle scored an in-state recruiting victory by landing former Washington State forward Tomas Thrastarson, a 6-7 junior from Iceland, who averaged 8.8 points and 4.1 rebounds last season. Thrastarson is dealing with a stress fracture in his lower leg and is expected back sometime in December. Junior Tyler Boston, a 5-10 guard, spent the past two seasons at Holy Cross, where he averaged 14.2 points a year ago and had 17 points, 9 rebounds and 14 assists vs. Lafayette in a Patriot League tournament game. “He can do a little bit of everything,” Victor said of Boston. “He’s got great speed, quickness, strength. Can score when needed. All-around player.” Junior guard Kaden Hansen averaged 18.6 points last season at Division II Saint Martin’s of Washington, and included a 37-point outing among 15 games of at least 20 points. Junior guard Mason Williams returns to his hometown after spending last season at Iowa State, where he sat out with an injury. Williams averaged 13.9 points the year before at Eastern Washington. The Redhawks signed 6-10 sophomore center Ladji Coulibaly, a native of Mali, who produced 7.9 points and 7.1 rebounds last season at New Mexico JC. Halvine Dzellat, a 6-10 junior center from France, averaged 2.1 points and 2.0 rebounds last season at Cincinnati. Freshman guard Amare Larane averaged 27.1 points last season at Knight HS in Palmdale, Calif., and broke NBA star Paul George’s career scoring record. Victor said Larane and Jaden Bailes are physically ready to contribute as freshmen.
Key non-conference games: The Redhawks will play two games in the Acrisure Series at Palm Desert, scheduled to take on future conference rival UC San Diego on Nov. 22 and either Loyola Chicago or San Jose State on Nov. 23. Seattle also will face Washington State at the inaugural Seattle Holiday Classic, a doubleheader at Climate Pledge Arena on Dec. 19.
What matters: The Redhawks have a great 1-2 returning duo in Heimbrodt and Yeo. The key will be how well newcomers such as Thrastarson, Boston, Hansen and Williams can be folded into a cohesive unit. Seattle has talent, but as with so many other teams much will depend on quickly they develop chemistry. The court ruling that provides eligibility to Arrington is a significant step in that direction.
Quote: “I really like this new group. I’m sure not how good we are yet and how it all fits together, but I like who we brought in the program. They really fit who we are. We’ve got some key returners — Will and Jun are at the top of the list.” — Coach Chris Victor on the Redhawks’ prospects
5. PACIFIC
2025-26: 8-10/tied 5th in West Coast Conference; 18-15 overall
Coach: Dave Smart (27-39 in 3rd season)
Most recent NCAA appearance: 2013 (lost 78-49 to Miami in the first round)
Top returning players: The Tigers return just one player who made tangible contributions last season. Sophomore guard Jaion Pitt (4.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 66.7% FG), who scored a season-high 16 points against Cal State Fullerton, was a member of Canada’s U18 national team before arriving in college. He’s pegged as a starter and will be expected to help acclimate a large herd of newcomers. Junior guard Noah Badu has redshirted the past two seasons at Pacific.
Top newcomers: Smart, who was inducted into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame this summer, reloads with 13 new players, including nine transfers, after losing his top six scorers. Senior guard Jaden Winston averaged 11.2 points and 4.3 assists in three seasons at Manhattan College, including a 15.3 scoring average last season. Jacob McFarland, a 6-11 junior, saw limited action in two seasons at Houston. Redshirt sophomore forward Gavin Ripp (4.1 points, 2.5 rebounds) comes from conference rival San Diego. Sophomore guard Adriel Nyorha, is a native of Canada who played last season at South Florida (3.7 points). Sophomore guard Damarion Vann-Kelly played last season at Northwest Florida State JC (12.0 points, 44% 3-PT) and scored a season-high 30 points in the national tournament. Graduate guard Dominick Harris has spent time at Gonzaga, LMU, UCLA and, most recently, Loyola-Chicago. He averaged 14.3 points and shot 44.8 percent from 3-point range three years ago at LMU. Junior 7-footer Ivan Matlekovic, a native of Croatia, saw action in just nine games the past two seasons at High Point and North Carolina, although he shot 7 for 9 from the field. Senior forward Jaylen Thompson spent three seasons at Stanford (2.3 points, 45 games), The Tigers landed three freshmen from Europe: 6-9 post Jorge Carot from Spain, wing Andrej Mitrevski of North Macedonia and forward Vincent Osazee of Ireland. A fourth freshman, guard Nishayne Sharpe, comes from Canada. Dartmouth transfer guard Connor Amundsen (10.1 points, 3.4 assists, 53 starts in two seasons) is out for the season with a shoulder injury.
Key non-conference games: The Tigers open their season on Tuesday, Nov. 3 against Bethesda. From there, they travel to Peoria, Ill., for a Nov. 7 matchup vs. Bradley, the winner of at least 21 games each of the past four seasons. The Braves make a return visit to Stockton on Nov. 21. Pacific will play at the Resorts World Classic in Las Vegas on Nov. 25-26-27, where their opponents are Jacksonville State, Omaha and UC Davis. The Tigers take on host Stanford on Dec. 6.
What matters: Smart begins his first season without versatile all-conference forward Elias Ralph (15.8 points, 7.1 rebounds in 2 seasons). With 13 newcomers, creating chemistry and developing a rotation will be keys to assembling a second consecutive winning season for the first time since 2013 and 2014. “We have more talent than we had last year. But last year we had an incredible culture,” Smart said. “If we come together, we’re probably more talented than last year. In the portal era, I’m not sure you’re going to find a team with better culture than we had.”
Quote: “Jaion’s a key guy for us. He’s pretty talented. Across the board — rebounding, defense, passing — he’s probably better than Eli (Ralph). They’re both really good people and understand the game.” — Coach Dave Smart on sophomore guard Jaion Pitts moving into a leadership role on the team
6. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT
2025-26: 6-12/tied 9th in West Coast Conference; 15-17 overall
Coach: Stan Johnson (87-90 in 7th season)
Most recent NCAA appearance: 1990 (lost 131-101 to UNLV in the regional final)
Top returning players: Senior Aaron McBride, a 6-6 forward who started 24 times and contributed 7.6 points and 5.6 rebounds a year ago, is the lone returning starter. “I expect him to have a big role in terms of leadership, guiding our new guys, being an example on the floor, off the floor,” Johnson said. “If he’s really good in that, the faster our team can come together. Fifth-year Jevon Porter, a 6-11 forward, gained eligibility through the Oct. 20 court injunction and is back at LMU after averaging 6.2 points and 4.0 rebounds at Missouri in 12 games last year before suffering a season-ending injury. He played the 2024-25 season with the Lions, averaging 12.5 points and 7.2 rebounds, and was voted onto this year’s preseason all-conference team. “He’s gotten a lot more mature. He’s stronger,” Johnson said. “He’s healthy. When he was with us, he couldn’t really practice. That’s not the case now. We didn’t have that the first time around. One of the things he told me was he wanted to come back and finish what we started.” Guard AJ Thomas scored 5.2 points per game as a freshman last season.
Top newcomers: Among 12 new players, the Lions welcome seven transfers, including junior guard All Wright, a native of Mexico who was the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year in 2024-25, when he averaged 15.5 points at Valparaiso. He played last season at Xavier, contributing 7.5 points on 42-percent 3-point accuracy. “He’s an elite shooter. Shooting was a huge component we wanted to get better at. He addresses that,” Johnson said. Zion Sensley, a 6-8 junior guard, posted 10.8 points and 7.5 rebounds last season at UC Santa Barbara. “I think he’s really peaking as a player,” Johnson said. “The second thing we needed to get back to is rebounding. He’s a really good offensive rebounder and an elite defensive rebounder.” Sophomore guard Mazi Mosley was a top-100 high school prospect who averaged 1.8 points last year at LSU. Senior guard Jasai Miles played sparingly last season at Indiana after averaging 15.4 points in 2024-25 at North Florida. Other transfers are 6-9 sophomore forward Christian Humphrey-Rembert (7.7 points, 6.6 rebounds) from Layafette, 6-9 sophomore forward Andy Sigiscar (7.2 points) from Tarleton State and 6-9 junior forward Donovan Rivers (8.6 points, 4.6 rebounds) of Jacksonville. Leading a five-player freshman class is point guard Zamir Paschal, the top-rated prospect in Oregon out of Portland Central Catholic.
Key non-conference games: The Lions will face Troy in Alabama on Nov. 10 and South Alabama at the Coastal Classic at Pensacola, Florida on Nov. 12. Otherwise, they play eight non-conference home games and leave the state just twice, making short trips to Reno to take on Nevada on Dec. 9 and Las Vegas to meet McNeese State on Dec. 13. A challenging matchup awaits Nov. 28 at UC San Diego, which has won 74 games the last three seasons and reached the NCAA Tournament in 2025.
What matters: The Lions identified shooting and rebounding as two aspects they hoped to address in recruiting. Johnson feels good about the improvements he’s seen. “I think we have a chance to be right there in the mix,” he said. “We recruited players who could shoot and rebound. If we answered those questions, then I like where we’re at.”
Quote: “I’ve coached in the Mountain West, the Pac-12, the Big East, Missouri Valley. I would say (the WCC) is the hardest league I’ve ever coached in because literally a play here or there determines if you’re this seed (in the conference tournament) or that seed. It’s so close.” — LMU coach Stan Johnson on the balance and depth of the conference
7. PEPPERDINE
2025-26: 4-14/last in West Coast Conference; 9-23 overall
Coach: Griff Aldrich (1st season; 127-100 overall in 8th season, including 7 seasons at Longwood)
Most recent NCAA appearance: 2002 (lost 83-74 to Wake Forest in the first round)
Top returning players: Graduate guard David Mager (4.4 points, 39% 3-PT) is the only returnee who scored last season. Guard Anton Balian, who has represented Armenia on its national team, was redshirted as a freshman last season.
Top newcomers: The Waves are hoping for a return to full health for graduate guard Will McClendon, who transferred to Pepperdine from North Texas, where he played just four games last season before tearing his ACL. McClendon, named to the preseason All-WCC team, began his career at UCLA and blossomed in 2024-25 when he averaged 12.0 points with three games of at least 20 points. “What can really ignite us is if Will is able to get back healthy. He’s a high-level point guard.” Aldrich said. McClendon is one of 13 newcomers Aldrich brought in after the loss of the team’s top six scorers. Among the seven transfers, 6-9 graduate forward Youri Fritz, a native of the Netherlands, averaged 9.8 points and 5.4 rebounds last season at Northeastern and has recovered from a summer hamstring injury. Aldrich has seen good things from several newcomers. Anthony Robinson, a 6-10 senior forward, played last season at Xavier (2.3 points, 2.4 rebounds), after a season at Virginia (3.6 points, 2.4 rebounds). Senior guard Jahari Williamson started 51 games the past three years at Valparaiso, Niagara and Kent State, averaging 10.3 points and making 81 3-pointers last season at the latter. Junior guard Evan Haywood (7.2 points) made 55 3-pointers last season at Butler Petar Majstorovic, a 6-8 junior forward from Serbia, played last season at Long Beach (14.4 points, 6.4 rebounds) after a season at Syracuse. “Petar has been fantastic,” Aldrich said. Also on board is graduate forward Ethan Meuser from Stonehill (6.1 points, 5.2 rebounds). Among six high school signees, Alex Costanza, a 6-8 wing, is a four-star prospect out of Miami and believed to be the highest-rated player Pepperdine has landed.
Key non-conference games: The Waves tip off a new era on Dec. 5 when they host Florida Gulf Coast in the first game played at The Mountain at Mullin Park, the school’s new $150 million, 3,600-seat on-campus facility. Before that, Pepperdine will play five final games at Firestone Fieldhouse, the last of them on Nov. 25 against Cal State Bakersfield. The Waves will play at Oregon on Nov. 15.
What matters: Pepperdine intends to play international-style basketball, Aldrich said, what he called “advantage basketball,” featuring lots of 3-point shots. The Waves shared the ball with 18 assists on 24 baskets in their first scrimmage. At the other end of the floor, Aldrich knows they must come together to create a solid defense. It could be a challenge. “That’s probably area further behind than our offense right now,” he said. “This is probably one of the least physical teams that I’ve had. We probably exchange skill for physicality.”
Quote: “I think it’s a great group, character-wise. I think it is a group that’s going to continue to work to get better. And it’s a group that has a chance to stay together when things don’t go your way. The character of these guys has been fantastic.” — First-year coach Griff Aldrich on his squad, which features 13 newcomers
8. SAN DIEGO
2025-26: 5-3/11th in West Coast Conference; 12-21 overall
Coach: JR Blount (1st season)
Most recent NCAA appearance: 2008 (lost 72-63 to Western Kentucky in the second round)
Top returning players: The Toreros return just three scholarship players from last season and only one of them — sophomore forward Alejandro Aviles — got into the scoring column. A native of Puerto Rico, Aviles averaged 2.6 points and 1.7 rebounds last season. He underwent back surgery in May and was recovered from that when he suffered a stress reaction in his foot that’s expected to sideline him until around Thanksgiving.
Top newcomers: Blount brought in 11 newcomers, nine of them transfers, and has high hopes for several of them. Shooting guard Dusty Stromer (6.5 points at Grand Canyon) began his career at Gonzaga. “He’s somebody we feel like is poised for a big offensive year,” Blount said. Senior combo guard Marqui Worthy Jr. (16.4 points at UC Riverside) is a natural leader, Blount said. “He’s somebody guys just gravitate to.” Junior point guard Davion Hill (14.0 points at Ball State) is an ideal fit, Blount said. “His personality is what our team is — just gritty and tough.” Small forward Antonio Munoz (12.5 points at Gambling State) was the SWAC Freshman of the Year last season. At 6-6 with a 6-10 wingspan, Munoz “is a freak of nature above the rim and can be disruptive on defense.” Jose Roberto Tanchyn (6.5 points, 5.7 rebounds at UMBC) is a 6-10 forward who played in the NCAA Tournament last season. Graduate forward Jevon Hill (14.6 points, 5.6 rebounds at Central Missouri) is a 6-9 perimeter shooter who provides “a gravity from the 3-point arc we definitely need.” Other newcomers: are 6 junior forward Terry McMorris (7.6 points, 5.8 rebounds at Eastern Illinois), 6-9 sophomore forward Sekou Konneh (6.4 points, 4.7 rebounds at Milwaukee) and junior point guard Braylon Ramon (12.8 points, 4.7 assists at Northwest Florida State JC).
Key non-conference games: The JR Blount era begins with a home game vs. Biola on Nov. 2. The Toreros’ pre-conference slate also includes road games against Colorado on Nov. 10, at Wyoming on Dec. 5 and at Arizona State on Dec. 20. USD will host Southern Cal on Dec. 8 in one of nine home games. The team treks to Palm Desert for Acrisure Series games against UC Irvine and Fordham on Nov. 21 and 22, respectively.
What matters: During his time as the top assistant at Iowa State, Blount was tasked with running the Cyclones’ defense, and that remains a priority for him at USD. “That’s definitely imbedded into what our identity is. We want to play really hard on both ends and we want to be super-disruptive and try to dictate to the offense,” Blount said. “That’s something we worked on really, really hard over the summer continue to try to make that who we are.”
Quote: “We got really lucky with the guys we brought in. They’ve been super-coachable but also just really hard workers. We preached it, we talked about being relentlessly consistent, sprinting into hard things and just getting better every single day. I feel like we’ve done that.” — First-year coach JR Blount on setting expectations for his team
9. PORTLAND
2025-26: 6-12/tied 9th in West Coast Conference; 15-19 overall
Coach: Shantay Legans (72-94 in 6th season at Portland; 147-143 in 10th season overall)
Most recent NCAA appearance: 1996 (lost 92-58 to Villanova in the first round
Top returning players: Legans welcomes back four returnees, including 6-8 Dutch sophomore forward Timo George (12.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 69.5% FG), who had 11 double-digit outings in the Pilots’ first 15 games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. “He recovered really well.” Legans said. “He’s a big piece of what we do and it’s great to have him back. I think he’s going to make a big jump for us.” Also back is 6-10 junior James O’Donnell (10.5 points, 4.4 rebounds), who scored a career-high 32 points vs. Lewis & Clark. Legans anticipates more consistency from O’Donnell this season. “His growth and his determination are going to be great for us. It’s going to show in how he plays,” Legans said. Australian graduate player Riley Parker, who came to Portland from St. Francis-PA (13.3 points, 3.3 assists, 40% 3-point) before last season, was projected as the Pilots’ starting point guard but missed the entire year due to injury. Dante Censori-Hercules, a 6-7 sophomore guard, and Carlin Briggs, a 6-7 redshirt freshman guard, both were redshirted last season.
Top newcomers: A headliner among 10 new players is Jaxon Olvera, a 6-5 junior guard, who comes from Louisiana (13.7 points, 4.5 rebounds), where he scored double digits 15 times, including games of 28 and 29 points in the Sun Belt tournament. Another prominent newcomer is Davidson transfer Hunter Adam (5.7 points), a 6-7 senior forward. “Those guys will big for us, just with their leadership,” Legans said. Others in the mix: Vito Perkovic (2.3 points), a 6-10 sophomore forward from East Carolina, Kaia Isaac (5.6 points), a 6-7 senior guard from Tarleton State, along with JC transfer Omer Sukur, a 6-8 junior forward, and sophomore guard Marchelo Moreira, who played at Division 3 Allegheny College. Notable among three freshmen is combo guard Austin Foxwell of Australia, younger brother of former Portland star Joel Foxwell.
Key non-conference games: The Pilots will participate at the Acrisure Series at Palm Springs, with games against Fordham and Cal Baptist on Nov. 21 and 22, respectively. The Pilots play at Stanford on Nov. 29 and at Utah on Dec. 16. Wyoming will visit the Chiles Center on Dec. 19.
What matters: The Pilots have been hit with injury issues in recent seasons and Legans is crossing his fingers his team can avoid that fate this season. “We’ve got to stay healthy. We haven’t had a season the last couple years where we stayed healthy,” he said. “If we don’t get hurt, I feel good about our chances this year.”
Quote: “Excited about having some older guys for the first time. Don’t really have to count on freshmen, like we’ve had to in the past. Even though those freshmen were really good for us, they’re still freshmen. They don’t play well on the road. They don’t know what they don’t know.” — Coach Shantay Legans on the benefits have having veteran players
10. DENVER
2025-26: 8-8/tied 4th in Summit League; 15-17 overall
Coach: Tim Bergstraser (15-17 in 2nd season at Denver; 90-39 in 5th season overall, including 75-22 in 3 seasons at Div. II Minnesota State Moorhead)
Most recent NCAA appearance: None
Top returning players: Just two players return from last year’s squad, but one of the is 6-1 junior guard Carson Johnson (20.1 points, 3.0 assists), who last season was voted Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year in the Summit League after transferring to Denver from Division II Minnesota State Moorhead when Bergstraser move the move. Johnson, named to the preseason All-WCC team, had 18 games of at least 20 points, including a 33-point performance against Oral Roberts. “We’re pretty fortunate he wanted to stay here at Denver. He liked the idea of being in the WCC. He likes our style, he knows the role he’s going to have,” said Bergstraser, who wants Johnson to be a more vocal leader. “He the captain of our program. As a coach, he’s hard to get mad at because he’s an every-single-day kind of guy. Unbelievable competitor.” Also back is Shaun Wysocki (7.5 points, 3.3 rebounds), a 6-7 junior forward and another former Moorhead player, who posted a career-high 32 points vs. Alaska-Anchorage. “Had a rocky start and then by the second half of the year was playing his best basketball in all areas,” Bergstraser said, alluding to Wysocki’s nine double-digit scoring games.
Top newcomers: The Pioneers welcome 12 new players, 11 of them transfers. Bergstraser praised Stamford transfer and junior guard Kam Martin (5.7 points) as high-IQ player, no maintenance player who can create for others. Junior forward Oskar Wickstrom Stumer (4.6 points) from JC national champion Howard (TX) “just makes winning plays,” Bergstraser said. The Pioneers also have high hopers for 6-9 senior Spencer Mahoney, who has seen limited action at Washington State, Cal and Temple, and junior wing Jordan Rogers (5.8 points, 5.7 rebounds) from NJIT. Other newcomers include: senior guard Logan Threatt (16.6 points) of Denver’s Metro State, junior guard CJ Hyland (6.2 points) from Western Carolina, junior guard Jaelen Nelson (11.2 points) from D-II Edward Waters, sophomore forward Trey Cady (6.1 points) from North Florida, sophomore forward Charlie Dimmock (5.7 points) from South Idaho JC, senior forward Harry Bates (11.3 points, 7.3 rebounds) from Temple-Texas JC and 7-foot junior center Baba Mbengue, who had five blocked shots in a game last season for Kansas City. Denver’s lone freshman is guard Will Kirsch, who scored 2,565 career points and averaged 27.8 as a senior at Waconia High in Wisconsin.
Key non-conference games: The Pioneers open their season on Nov. 2 at Wisconsin, which was 24-11 last season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. They make their home debut against UC Riverside on Nov. 7. Denver visits preseason AP No. 17 Kansas on Nov. 23 and closes its non-conference slate on Dec. 29 at Colorado.
What matters: Bergstraser’s priorities in his second season are clear. “We’ve got to buy in on defense and the rebounding aspect of the game,” he said. “Last year we were one of the worst defensive teams in the nation. I think that was because of our lack of size and guys that were able to guard one on one.” The Pioneers allowed 82.8 points per game last season, surrendering 90 or more nine times. “I’ve been really pressing this team to take pride on the defensive end,” Bergstraser said. “I believe we have guys that want to do that.”
Quote: “It’s going to test our maturity and our toughness because of quick turnarounds, a lot of travel. It really is like a professional lifestyle. I’m very curious to see how we handle that. But I’m excited.” — Coach Tim Bergstraser on the Pioneers’ non-conference schedule that includes 12 road games in 10 states in four time zones