FARMINGTON, Utah – Idaho State men's basketball was selected ninth in both the 2026-27 Big Sky Conference Preseason Coaches' and Media Polls, the league office announced Wednesday.
The Bengals received 26 points in the coaches' poll and 93 points from the media ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.
Head coach Ryan Looney enters his eighth season at the helm of the Bengals after Idaho State finished the 2025-26 season with a 13-20 overall record and a 5-13 mark in Big Sky Conference play. During his time in Pocatello, Looney has compiled an 81-131 overall record, including a 47-79 mark in conference play and a 4-6 record at the Big Sky Tournament.
Idaho State will enter the new season with one of the most overhauled rosters in college basketball. The Bengals return just two players from last year's team, Quin Patterson and Landen Birley, while welcoming a large group of newcomers to Pocatello.
The 2026-27 roster will feature 10 underclassmen and just six upperclassmen, giving Idaho State one of its youngest groups in recent seasons. With nearly the entire roster turning over, the Bengals return only 1.67 percent of their scoring, 1.6 percent of their rebounding, 1.27 percent of their assists and 3.67 percent of their total minutes played from last season.
Idaho State is one of just nine programs in the NCAA returning that little production or less across those categories.
Montana State was selected as the preseason favorite in both polls. The Bobcats received seven first-place votes and 97 points from the league's coaches, along with 19 first-place votes and 326 points from the media.
Northern Colorado was picked second in both polls, followed by Eastern Washington in third. Montana and Portland State tied for fourth in the coaches' poll, while Montana was selected fourth and Portland State fifth by the media.
Idaho State was picked ninth in both polls, ahead of Southern Utah and Northern Arizona.
The 2026-27 season will feature an expanded Big Sky Conference with Southern Utah and Utah Tech joining the league as full-time members, bringing the conference to 11 men's basketball programs following Sacramento State's departure to the Big West Conference.
The conference also announced its seven-member Preseason All-Conference Team, led by Northern Colorado's Langston Reynolds, who was selected as the Big Sky Preseason Most Valuable Player.
Reynolds returns to Northern Colorado after spending last season at Minnesota, where he averaged 11.6 points per game in 26 starts and led the Golden Gophers with 150 assists. Reynolds previously earned First Team All-Big Sky honors with Northern Colorado following the 2024-25 season after averaging 16.0 points per game.
Montana State's Jed Miller joins Reynolds on the Preseason All-Conference Team after earning First Team All-Big Sky honors last season. Eastern Washington placed two players on the preseason team with Andrew Cook and Alton Hamilton IV.
Big Sky newcomers Utah Tech and Southern Utah are represented by Ethan Potter and Jaiden Feroah, respectively, while Portland State's Koren Johnson rounds out the preseason selections.
Portland State enters the season as the reigning Big Sky regular season champion, while Idaho won last season's Big Sky Tournament title.
The 2026-27 men's basketball season officially begins Monday, Nov. 2, on the road at Utah State in Logan. The Aggies tout one of the strongest mid-major rosters in the country, and have one of the top guards in the entire nation, in Mason Falslev.
2026-27 Big Sky Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Montana State (7) – 97
2. Northern Colorado – 81
3. Eastern Washington (3) – 79
T4. Montana – 73
T4. Portland State – 73
6. Idaho (1) – 56
7. Utah Tech – 50
8. Weber State – 29
9. Idaho State – 26
10. Southern Utah – 25
11. Northern Arizona – 16
2026-27 Big Sky Men's Basketball Preseason Media Poll
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Montana State (19) – 326
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Northern Colorado (7) – 295
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Eastern Washington (5) – 279
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Montana (1) – 254
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Portland State – 236
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Idaho – 183
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Utah Tech – 161
- Weber State – 143
- Idaho State – 93
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Southern Utah – 85
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Northern Arizona – 57
2026-27 Big Sky Men's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team
Langston Reynolds, Northern Colorado (Preseason MVP)
Jed Miller, Montana State
Ethan Potter, Utah Tech
Andrew Cook, Eastern Washington
Alton Hamilton IV, Eastern Washington
Jaiden Feroah, Southern Utah
Koren Johnson, Portland State
