FARMINGTON, Utah – The Big Sky Conference announced its 2025–26 Men's Basketball Preseason Polls and All-Conference Team on Wednesday, with Idaho State men's basketball earning a fifth-place selection in the media poll and an eighth-place ranking from the league's coaches.
The Bengals, entering their seventh season under head coach Ryan Looney (68–111 at Idaho State; 398–243 overall), return six players and welcome nine newcomers to a retooled roster featuring national award winners, elite-level transfers, and one of the conference's deepest frontcourts.
Looney, who begins his 22nd season as a collegiate head coach, ranks fourth among all active NCAA Division I head coaches aged 50 and under in career victories (398) across all divisions.
Montana was selected as the preseason favorite by both coaches and media after capturing last year's Big Sky regular-season co-championship and tournament title. The Grizzlies received six first-place votes from the coaches and 21 from the media, while Portland State, Northern Colorado, and Idaho rounded out the top four. Idaho State collected 202 points in the media poll and 31 points in the coaches' vote, marking its highest preseason media ranking of the Looney era.
Bengal Breakdown
Idaho State returns one of the Big Sky's brightest young stars in Evan Otten, the 2024–25 Big Sky Freshman of the Year. Otten started all 30 games as a true freshman, averaging 5.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game, while leading the Big Sky in both total blocks (66) and blocks per game (2.28). He finished 14th nationally in total blocks and 16th in blocks per game, and tied the Big Sky Conference's all-time freshman single-season record for blocks, matching Eastern Washington's Venky Jois (2012–13). Otten also shattered Idaho State's freshman record, moved to fourth on ISU's all-time single-season blocks list, and helped anchor a Bengal defense that ranked second in the league in scoring defense (69.6 ppg) and second in blocks per game (4.8).
Graduate forward Connor Hollenbeck returns after starting all 30 games last season and establishing himself as one of the Big Sky's most efficient scorers. The Rapid City, South Dakota native averaged 8.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists, shooting 44.8 percent from the field, 40 percent from three, and 85.5 percent at the free-throw line—the eighth-best single-season free-throw percentage in ISU history (minimum 50 made). His top performances included 22 points against Montana State and a perfect 7-for-7 shooting night against Embry-Riddle, which included three made threes in one half.
Joining the Bengals is Hollenbeck's former Minot State teammate, Caleb Van De Griend, who brings an All-American pedigree and dominant inside presence. The 6-foot-8 forward from Bridgetown, Australia, earned NABC and D2CCA All-America honors, was named to the NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence, and captured NCAA Division II statistical national titles in both rebounds per game (13.1) and double-doubles (30). He also appeared on the Bevo Francis Top 25 Watch List and swept Minot State's BESPY Awards as both Male Athlete of the Year and Most Improved Athlete of the Year.
Van De Griend set single-season school records for points (752) and rebounds (470), ranked second in the NSIC in scoring (20.9 ppg), and led the nation in rebounding while shooting 70.8 percent from the field and 81.9 percent from the line. His 22 rebounds in a win over Winona State rank sixth all-time in program history, and he helped lead Minot State to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance and program-best national ranking of No. 4 after a 17–0 start.
In the backcourt, Idaho State adds two proven playmakers in Gus Etchison and Jamison Guerra, both accomplished scorers and distributors.
Etchison, a senior point guard from Arcadia, Indiana, arrives after two prolific seasons at Marian University, where he averaged 22.8 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game in 2023–24 and earned Crossroads League First Team honors. He broke Marian's single-game scoring record (43 points) and record for three-pointers in a game (9) while posting 28 double-figure efforts and eight 30-point outings. He previously appeared in 36 Division I games at Western Michigan.
Guerra, a graduate student and point guard from Sherwood, Oregon, joins Idaho State after four standout years at Oregon Tech, where he earned NAIA Third Team All-America honors and was a multiple-time Cascade Conference All-Academic and NAIA Scholar-Athlete. In 2023–24, Guerra led the NAIA with 227 total assists, averaging 12.1 points and 6.9 assists per game while starting all 33 contests. He tallied 22 double-digit scoring games and six double-digit assist outings, including a career-high 14 at Southern Oregon. Over his career, Guerra totaled 1,364 points and 660 assists in 132 games.
On the wings, Lachlan Brewer adds elite perimeter shooting after starting 28 games as a freshman at Sacramento State. Brewer averaged 6.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per game in 2024–25, leading the Hornets with a team-best 45 percent from three-point range (37-of-83). He scored a season-high 17 points (5-for-6 3FG) in a road win at Weber State and added a double-double (11 pts, 10 reb) against Northern Arizona.
Returners Cheikh Sow, Jaedyn Brown, Martin Kheil, and Blake Daberkow provide size, energy, and depth to a rotation built for versatility. Brown flashed scoring potential with a 20-point, 10-rebound performance vs. Walla Walla, while Daberkow contributed 3.6 points and 1.8 rebounds across 30 appearances.
2025–26 Big Sky Preseason Polls
Coaches' Poll
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Montana (6) – 78
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Portland State (3) – 72
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Northern Colorado – 63
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Idaho (1) – 59
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T5 Eastern Washington – 40
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T5 Montana State – 40
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Sacramento State – 35
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Idaho State – 31
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Weber State – 22
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Northern Arizona – 10
Media Poll
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Montana (21) – 323
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Portland State (9) – 302
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Northern Colorado (2) – 245
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Idaho (2) – 231
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Idaho State – 202
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Montana State – 165
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Sacramento State (1) – 143
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Eastern Washington – 136
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Weber State – 113
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Northern Arizona – 61
2025–26 Big Sky Preseason All-Conference Team
Money Williams, Montana (Preseason MVP)*
Terri Miller Jr., Portland State
Jaylin Henderson, Portland State
Andrew Cook, Eastern Washington
Tre-Vaughn Minott, Portland State
Jack Payne, Idaho
* Unanimous selection
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