EASTERN WASHINGTON MEN
It's never great when your conference player of the year transfers to the school down the road (see: Venters, Steele), but the sky certainly isn't falling in Cheney. After a season that saw EWU boast one of the longest win streaks in the country on the way to a regular season Big Sky title, the Eagles are expected to keep up their winning ways under coach David Riley. Eastern was picked to finish second in the Big Sky in the preseason media poll, trailing only Weber State.
British big man Ethan Price leads the way for the Eags as a preseason All-Big Sky selection. Another name to watch is former UCLA/Wyoming guard Jake Kyman, a transfer who could step in instantly to fill the sharpshooting void left by Venters. Junior college transfer Andre Mulibea could also provide an instant scoring spark. The Eagles will test themselves with a Pac-12-heavy nonconference schedule that includes WSU, UW, USC, Utah and Stanford (plus Ole Miss and Cincinnati), but in the end it will be the Big Sky battles with Weber, the Montana schools, and Sac State that will determine how high these Eagles fly. Game to Watch: Feb. 7 vs. Weber State (SETH SOMMERFELD)
EASTERN WASHINGTON WOMEN
Could this be the year the Eagles make it to the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in program history, and first since 1987? After the turnaround head coach Joddie Gleason pulled off in her first two seasons in Cheney, the third year might just be the charm. After winning just nine games in year one under Gleason, last season the Eags soared to their first winning season since 2018 with a 19-11 record.
Picked by the coaches to win the league this season, EWU is the only program that boasts two players on the preseason All-Big Sky team: guard Jamie Loera (last season's Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year) and forward Jaydia Martin. Local players to watch include Lewis & Clark graduates Jacinta Buckley and Andie Zylak, and University High grad Ellie Boni. Game to Watch: Nov. 29 vs. Gonzaga (WILL MAUPIN)
IDAHO MEN
While Idaho's football team has vaulted from the depth to a national force over the past couple years, the men on the hardwood are desperately overdue for a turnaround of their own. There's a case to be made that the Vandals are the worst college hoops program in the country, having not won over 10 games in a full season since 2017-18. The monumental challenge of making Idaho competitive falls to new head coach Alex Pribble, who previously was an assistant coach at Seattle U and EWU.
Pribble has completely overhauled the Vandals' roster. The only two returning players for Idaho — Terren Frank and Jack Hatten — combined to appear in 13 games last season. It's hard to know what to expect from a team that brings in three freshmen and eight transfers, most of whom didn't play at Division I schools previously (the biggest name of the bunch is probably UW transfer Tyler Linhardt). To no one's surprise, Idaho is picked to finish dead last in the Big Sky, but with so much fresh blood in the program, it should be an interesting ride nonetheless. Game to Watch: March 2 vs. Montana (SS)
IDAHO WOMEN
The Idaho women are under the direction of fresh leadership as well, having hired Carrie Eighmey (formerly of DII University of Nebraska at Kearney) to be their new head coach. Turning the Vandals into winners will be a tall task for the first-time DI coach, especially after the graduation of program and Big Sky legend, Beyonce Bea (now at WSU). But at least the bar is set relatively low, with Idaho tabbed to finish near the bottom of the Big Sky.
As is standard operating procedure these days, Eighmey hit the transfer portal hard while also having an eye for international talent. Newbies to this year's squad include Aussie Georgia Gray, Brazilian Ana Paula de Oliveira Dias, Dane Amalie Langer and Rwandan Hope Butera. Considering UI only returns three players that averaged over 10 minutes per game last year (Ashlyn Wallace, Asha Phillips, Sarah Brans), the globetrotting newcomers will need to make an immediate impact for the Vandals to actually make some noise in the Big Sky. Game to Watch: Jan. 13 vs. Eastern Washington (SS)
GONZAGA MEN
Unfamiliarity isn't something Gonzaga fans are used to experiencing in the Mark Few era, but the massive influx of fresh faces make this year's squad both exciting and unpredictable. Essentially Spokane stalwart Anton Watson, polarizing guard Nolan Hickman and reserve center Ben Gregg are the only returning Zags contributors. But the rest of the roster is filled out with some seriously talented players including conference player-of-the-year caliber transfers — point guard Ryan Nembhard (Creighton, Andrew's bro), forward Graham Ike (Wyoming), wing Steele Venters (EWU) — and intriguing international and stateside newbies — Jun Seok Yeo, Dusty Stromer, Pavle Stosic, Braden Huff, Luka Krajnovic. While Few historically tends to prefer not dipping too far into his team's depth, it's hard to imagine not running a deeper rotation this year considering the collection of talent.
Despite all the newcomers, clearly there's faith that Few will figure it out as Gonzaga was ranked No. 11 in the preseason AP Poll. That said, the Bulldogs were somewhat shockingly picked to finish second behind St. Mary's in the WCC (despite SMC being 23rd in the AP Poll). As usual, the Bulldogs will have plenty of chances to prove their mettle with a loaded slate of ranked nonconference games versus defending champ UConn, Kentucky, USC, San Diego State and a Maui Invitational trip that starts with a Purdue showdown. If all goes to plan, expect GU to be playing the first rounds of the NCAA Tournament in Spokane. The team may be unfamiliar, but odds are the Zags will continue their familiar winning ways. Game to Watch: Dec. 15 vs. UConn (in Seattle) (SS)
GONZAGA WOMEN
Surprise, surprise, the team that has won 17 of its past 19 West Coast Conference championships is the overwhelming favorite in the league once again. A seventh-consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament should be the absolute lowest expectation for this season, though that's not to say getting there is assured to be smooth sailing. The Zags' schedule features three teams ranked in the preseason AP Poll and eight teams that made the NCAA Tournament a season ago.
Forward Yvonne Ejim and guards Brynna Maxwell, Kayleigh Truong and Kaylynne Truong — the latter is the reigning WCC Player of the Year — were all named preseason All-WCC. Maxwell and Kaylynne Truong were named to the preseason watch lists for national player of the year at their respective positions. Oh, and all four are in at least their fourth year of college. Talent and experience? That's a winning combo. Game to Watch: Dec. 3 vs. Stanford (WM)
WASHINGTON STATE MEN
After back-to-back winning seasons in the Pac-12, head coach Kyle Smith has his work cut out for him in his fifth year at WSU. A bevy of offseason departures from key players with eligibility remaining has led to a nearly brand new roster for the Cougars. Senior forward Andrej Jakimovski is the lone returning starter from last year's team.
With eight freshmen on the roster compared to a combined seven juniors, seniors and fifth-year players, the Cougars are in a full blown rebuilding mode. The timing of this rebuild almost could not be worse, unfortunately, as the Pac-12 projects to be as tough as it has been in recent memory. After back-to-back seasons in the top-half of the conference standings, Washington State was picked 10th in the Pac-12 preseason poll. Game to Watch: Dec. 21 vs. Boise St. (WM)
WASHINGTON STATE WOMEN
Entering her sixth season on the job, Kamie Ethridge's era as head coach has been easily the most successful run in Cougars' history. Coming off of a third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament — and a fifth-consecutive season with more wins than the year prior — the Cougars look poised to continue their climb. At No. 24 in the AP Poll, Wazzu enters the season ranked for the first time in program history.
Senior center Bella Murekatete and senior guard Charlisse Leger-Walker were named to the top-20 preseason watch lists for national player of the year at their respective positions. A new weapon for the Cougars is graduate transfer from Idaho, Beyonce Bea, who ranks as the Vandals' third-leading scorer all-time and is sixth among active players in Division I with 1,938 points. Game to Watch: Nov. 9 vs. Gonzaga (WM)
WHITWORTH MEN
Last year's Whitworth squad featured eight freshmen. This year's squad features none. A year older and a year wiser is the theme at Whitworth. Mt. Spokane product Jerry Twenge was a full-time starter a season ago and returns this year for his graduate year. He's joined in a leadership and scoring role by fellow seniors Sullivan Menard and Jake Holtz. Expect improved consistency this season thanks to the return of another Mt. Spokane product, point guard Jojo Anderson, who missed last season with an injury.
The quest for a fifth consecutive Division III NCAA Tournament appearance will begin with a defense of home court. The Pirates open the season with nine straight games at Whitworth Fieldhouse. That monthlong homestand should help the team avoid the early-season stumbles they encountered last year and propel them into Northwest Conference play. Game to Watch: Dec. 7 vs. Wisconsin-Oshkosh (WM)
WHITWORTH WOMEN
The Pirates are looking to bounce back after a frustrating 10-15 season that saw Whitworth lose seven times by two possessions or fewer. Consistency and valuing the basketball are keys for second year head coach Kenny Love, a former player on the men's team. A year of experience, for both the coach and the players, should help catalyze improvement this season.
There are seven upperclassmen, six of whom are seniors, on the Pirates' roster. Guard Kim Dewey from Reardan is back in a leadership role this season. Younger players including sophomore Mya Edwards from Kettle Falls (who joined the team midway through last season) and freshman Zalisa Sanfo from Inchelium are also expected to make big impacts this year. Game to Watch: Jan. 2 vs. Whitman (WM) ♦
