FARMINGTON, Utah– The Eastern Washington men's basketball team was selected to finish tied for fifth in the Big Sky Conference preseason coaches' poll and eighth in the media poll, as announced by the league office on Wednesday.
Entering his second season at the helm, head coach
Dan Monson looks to build upon his first year in Cheney with a roster that blends returning experience and dynamic new additions. The Eagles return seven players from last year's squad —
Angelo Winkel,
Tyler Powell,
Elijah Thomas,
Andrew Cook,
Maddox Monson,
Emmett Marquardt, and
Shaumba Ngoyi — each bringing leadership, familiarity, and a renewed drive to elevate the program.
Eastern also made key additions through the transfer portal, welcoming a talented group headlined by
Isaiah Moses,
Straton Rogers,
Alton Hamilton IV,
Kiree Huie,
Johnny Radford, and
Jojo Anderson. The newcomers arrive from programs including Miami, UC Riverside, Whitworth, College of Idaho, and Lewis-Clark State, adding proven experience and depth across multiple positions.
Rounding out the roster are two freshmen,
Cole Scherer of Littleton, Colorado, and
Alan Gballou of Layton, Utah. The pair bring youthful energy and represent the next generation of Eagle basketball.
Montana was tabbed the preseason favorite, receiving six first-place votes in the coaches' poll and 21 from the media. The Grizzlies, led by 12th-year head coach Travis DeCuire, enter the 2025–26 campaign as the defending Big Sky Tournament Champions after finishing 25–10 overall and 15–3 in league play last season. Montana returns Money Williams, last year's Big Sky Top Reserve, as part of a veteran core aiming to repeat as champions.
Full results of both the coaches' and media polls are listed below. The 2025–26 Big Sky Men's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team and Preseason MVP will be announced tomorrow.
2025-26 Big Sky Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
1: Montana (6) – 78
2: Portland State (3) – 72
3: Northern Colorado – 63
4: Idaho (1) – 59
T5: Eastern Washington – 40
T5: Montana State – 40
7: Sacramento State – 35
8: Idaho State – 31
9: Weber State – 22
10: Northern Arizona – 10
() – Denotes First-Place Votes
2025-26 Big Sky Men's Basketball Preseason Media Poll
1: Montana (21) – 323
2: Portland State (9) – 302
3: Northern Colorado (2) – 245
4: Idaho (2) – 231
5: Idaho State – 202
6: Montana State – 165
7: Sacramento State (1) – 143
8: Eastern Washington – 136
9: Weber State – 113
10: Northern Arizona – 61
() – Denotes First-Place Votes
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ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, both as learning opportunities for its most athletically talented students and as an enhancement to student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, an association of 10 regional schools with comparable enrollments and academic goals.
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