Parkside's men's basketball team was picked fifth in the GLIAC preseason coaches' poll released on Wednesday. The Rangers, led by first-year head coach Kyle Blackbourn, finished behind Grand Valley State, Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech and Ferris State in a closely grouped vote, with each of those four teams receiving at least one first-place vote.
The roster has a new look for the 2026-27 season, with ten new faces joining the program. The group still brings experience, with ten players who have played at least two years of college basketball.
Leading returner Luka Mateski averaged 16.7 points per game last season while shooting better than 45 percent from the floor. He set a Parkside single-season record with 189 free throws made, a total that led the GLIAC and ranked ninth in NCAA Division II last season. Sophomores Logan Zahour and Zach Behn also return after appearing in more than 20 games each.
Transfers include Brian Hawthorne, a two-time All-GLVC honoree at Rockhurst who spent last season at South Alabama, along with Dillon Mong and Micah Deaver, who were part of a GLVC championship and NCAA Tournament team at Rockhurst last season.
Tevin Schultz and River Randall are the team's only true freshmen. Schultz, a three-time All-State performer in Iowa, scored eight points in 15 minutes in an exhibition against Wisconsin.
Parkside opens the season on November 13 at Upper Iowa. Its home opener is November 25 against Lewis University.
