Idaho Basketball Picked Sixth in Preseason Polls

MOSCOW, Idaho - Fresh off a Big Sky Tournament title in March, Idaho men's basketball was picked sixth in the 2026-27 Big Sky Conference Preseason Coaches and Media polls, receiving a first-place vote in the coaches poll.

The Big Sky has grown to 11 members for the 2026-27 academic year, adding Southern Utah and Utah Tech following the departure of Sacramento State to the Big West.

Alex Pribble's Vandals return four players from their championship-winning campaign. Idaho's returning core is led by Kristian Gonzalez, who started 29 of 32 games in 2024-25, leading the Vandals with 11.4 points per game on 44.7 percent shooting from the field. Gonzalez appeared in only one game during the 2025-26 season, posting a team-high 18 points in 18 minutes off the bench in the Vandals' season-opening win over Washington State, before missing the remainder of the season due to injury. The senior returned to the floor for UI in its exhibition against Boise State on October 10, scoring a game-high 24 points, while going 11-12 from the free-throw line.

Senior forward Seth Joba appeared in all 36 games off the bench for Idaho last season, averaging 5.2 points and three and a half rebounds, while leading the Vandals in total blocks with 24. Joba posted a double-double against Whitman, scoring 10 points and a season-high 13 boards. Miles Klapper played in 30 games for the Black and Gold, averaging 3.7 points and 1.9 rebounds while shooting 42.9 percent from three-point range. He started Idaho's final three regular-season games and set his season high with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting against Eastern Oregon on Nov. 22. Sophomore forward Will Jenson, a 6-foot-9 product of Caldera High School in Bend, Ore., also returns after redshirting last season.

Kase Wynott headlines UI's newcomers, arriving in Moscow after two seasons at Washington State. The product of Lapwai High School broke the Idaho state scoring record during his four seasons for the Wildcats, helping Lapwai to three state titles. Wynott played in 24 games as a true freshman for the Cougars in 2024-25, before playing five of Washington State's first six games last season, shooting 50 percent from the field.

Also joining the Vandals is former St. Thomas guard Ryan Lafferty, a Spokane native. Lafferty set the Tommies' Division I single-game rebounding record with 13 in a 13-point double-double against Crown in Dec. 2024, and shot 51.5 percent as a freshman, while setting the Mt. Spokane school assists record during his senior season. Forward Diego Trejo-Delgado, a 6-foot-7 native of Camargo, Mexico, arrives from Saint Martin's, where he averaged 15.2 points and 6.9 rebounds, third most in the GNAC, and earned First Team All-GNAC honors in 2025-26.

Brady Kennison made 111 3-pointers at North Platte CC during the 2025-26 season, the most of any player in the NJCAA, while averaging 18.5 points. Junior forward Mo Diao, a 6-foot-9 native of Dakar, Senegal, averaged 11.4 points and a team-high 7.3 rebounds at McCook CC. Hudson Ward joins the Black and Gold after a season at Western Michigan, where he appeared in 13 games with six starts. The 6-7 Leduc, Alberta native had a decorated prep career, representing Team Canada at the 2022 FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup, and being named a two-time BioSteel All-Canadian All-Star.

The Vandals had one of the most improved defenses in the nation last season, moving up more than 200 spots in KenPom's Adjusted Defensive Rank and allowing the fifth-lowest offensive rebound rate in the nation. In its first exhibition action of the season, Idaho continued this mentality, out-rebounding a lengthy Boise State team 36-29.

UI is set to open its season against George Fox at 7 p.m. on November 2 inside ICCU Arena. The Vandals regular season slate includes 17 games in Moscow and marquee road matchups with Colorado State, Nevada, Washington State, and Arizona State. Idaho will begin conference play on December 3 at Northern Colorado.

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Players Mentioned

#10 Kristian Gonzalez: G; 6' 3"; Senior

#21 Seth Joba: F; 6' 9"; Senior

#24 Miles Klapper: G; 6' 3"; Senior

#32 Will Jenson: F; 6' 9"; Sophomore

#0 Ryan Lafferty: G; 6' 5"; Junior

#1 Diego Trejo-Delgado: F; 6' 7"; Senior

#2 Brady Kennison: G; 6' 1"; Junior

#8 Hudson Ward: F; 6' 7"; Junior

#34 Mo Diao: F; 6' 9"; Junior

#51 Kase Wynott: G; 6' 6"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#10 Kristian Gonzalez
: 6' 3"; Senior
: G

#21 Seth Joba
: 6' 9"; Senior
: F

#24 Miles Klapper
: 6' 3"; Senior
: G

#32 Will Jenson
: 6' 9"; Sophomore
: F

#0 Ryan Lafferty
: 6' 5"; Junior
: G

#1 Diego Trejo-Delgado
: 6' 7"; Senior
: F

#2 Brady Kennison
: 6' 1"; Junior
: G

#8 Hudson Ward
: 6' 7"; Junior
: F

#34 Mo Diao
: 6' 9"; Junior
: F

#51 Kase Wynott
: 6' 6"; Junior
: G