FARMINGTON, Utah — The Montana Grizzlies will begin their Big Sky Conference men’s basketball title defense with high expectations, as they’ve been voted preseason favorites by both the league’s coaches and media.
The Griz received six first-place votes in the coaches’ poll and 21 in the media poll to claim the title of outright favorite heading into the 2025-26 campaign. Last season, Montana was a co-regular-season champion before winning the conference tournament and making its first trip to March Madness since 2019. The Grizzlies are led by Travis DeCuire, who is entering his 12th season as the head coach in Missoula. Last season, the Griz finished 25-10 on the year with a 15-3 record in Big Sky Conference play. The Grizzlies return last season’s top reserve in Money Williams.
Portland State has been projected as this season’s runner-up by both coaches and media, as the Vikings return a strong core that includes a second-team all-conference player in Terri Miller Jr. and the defending defensive player of the year in Tre-Vaughn Minott. PSU finished third in the Big Sky standings last season, finishing the year 19-13 overall with an 11-7 Big Sky record.
Last season’s other co-regular-season champion was slotted third in both polls, with the Northern Colorado Bears entering the upcoming campaign looking to claim some more hardware. The Bears finished 25-10 overall a season ago, with a 15-3 record in league play.
The Vandals of Idaho were selected fourth in both polls. Last season in Boise, Idaho, the Vandals claimed their first Big Sky tournament victory since 2017 with a win over Portland State.
Full results of both the coaches’ and media polls can be found below.
The 2025-26 Big Sky men’s basketball preseason all-conference team and most valuable player will be announced Thursday.
The 2026 Big Sky Basketball Championships in Boise will take place from March 7-11 inside Idaho Central Arena. Visit StarchMadness.com for more details.
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
