OWENSBORO, Ky. – Kentucky Wesleyan men's basketball has been picked fifth among the 12 teams in the annual Great Midwest Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll, as announced by the league office Tuesday afternoon.
The Panthers earned 82 points and one first-place vote. Kentucky Wesleyan were picked sixth in last year's poll, leading to a seventh-place finish in the regular-season standings and a quarterfinal appearance in the G-MAC Tournament.
This season's roster features the returns of
Logan McIntire and
Jorge Sanchez-Ramos, solidifying head coach
Drew Cooper's 2026-27 roster. Among the six newcomers are NCAA Division I transfers
Matthew Bothun (University of North Dakota),
Fallou Gueye (Sacred Heart University), and
Connor Loy (Jacksonville State University). Freshmen
Terrence Burri (iSchool Prep) and
Brodey Cuffle (Academy of Central Florida) will be making their college basketball debuts with the Panthers. Freshman
Drew Wilkas from Princeton High School will join as a preferred walk-on.
Walsh, who won the conference last season, was picked atop the poll for the upcoming year with 108 points and five first-place votes. Lake Erie earned 106 points and five first-place votes, and Ashland rounded out the top three with 97 points and the final first-place vote.
The Panthers begin their campaign Thursday, November 5th in Bowling Green against the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky in an exhibition at 6:30 PM at E.A. Diddle Arena. Fans can also listen live on 100.7 FM/The Varsity Network and can tune in on ESPN+.
Season tickets for Kentucky Wesleyan men's basketball are on sale now. For full season ticket details, click
here.
Great Midwest Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
* Number of First-Place Votes
| School |
Points |
| 1. Walsh *5 |
108 |
| 2. Lake Erie *5 |
106 |
| 3. Ashland *1 |
97 |
| 4. Findlay |
93 |
| 5. Kentucky Wesleyan *1 |
82 |
| 6. Hillsdale |
76 |
| 7. Northwood |
63 |
| 8. Thomas Moore |
53 |
| 9. Cedarville |
50 |
| 10. Malone |
27 |
| 11. Tiffin |
21 |
| 12. Ohio Dominican |
16 |
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