FHSU Athletics
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The MIAA released its 2025-26 Preseason Basketball Polls on Monday (Oct. 6) at the annual MIAA Basketball Media Day. The Fort Hays State men have been tabbed second in the media poll and fourth in the coaches poll. The Tigers were the MIAA Tournament champions in 2024-25, punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for a second-straight year. It was FHSU's 15th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and ninth under head coach Mark Johnson.
Washburn, the 2024-25 MIAA regular season champion and national semifinalist in the NCAA Tournament, was picked first in both polls. The Ichabods were a unanimous pick at No. 1 in the coaches poll, taking 13 of the possible 14 first-place votes. Coaches are not able to vote for their own team, so the other first-place vote went to Rogers State. Ahead of the Tigers in the coaches poll were Rogers State and Central Oklahoma. In the media poll, Washburn received 23 of 25 first-place votes, while Fort Hays State and Rogers State each received one.
In 2024-25, the Tigers went 22-10 overall and finished fourth in the MIAA standings with a conference record of 12-7. However, since the MIAA used KPI ratings to seed the conference tournament, FHSU received the No. 2 seed for the MIAA Tournament. The Tigers went on to win the tournament title for a second time in their MIAA history, joining the 2010-11 team. FHSU was the No. 2 seed that year as well.
Kyle Grill is the only returning starter for the Tigers from last year's squad. He earned All-MIAA Honorable Mention honors for the season and also earned an MIAA All-Tournament Team selection helping the Tigers to their national tournament berth. Grill averaged 11.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game last year. The Tigers have several of their reserves from the 2024-25 season returning, including Dan Mukuna, Lucas Hammeke, Muhamed Kante, and Eli Lawson. Jahvari Martino, Tory Homan, and Alec Carlson also return after redshirting their first year at FHSU. The Tigers welcome six newcomers to the team in 2025-26.
The Tigers lost an average of 37.8 points per game in the four starters who exhausted their eligibility last year, which included five-time All-MIAA selection Kaleb Hammeke and MIAA All-Defensive Team selection Shaun Riley. The FHSU starting five in 2024-25 produced 75 percent of the team's scoring.
FHSU averaged 66.3 points per game offensively last year, but the Tigers were the nation's top defensive team for the second-straight year, allowing just 59.9 points per game to opponents. It was the second-straight year the Tigers allowed less than 60 points per game on average.
Fort Hays State will be in its 25th season under the leadership of Mark Johnson, who enters the year with a 473-230 record overall. He is the all-time wins leader at FHSU. The Tigers open their year with an exhibition contest at the University of Kansas on Tuesday, October 28. Their regular season begins at home November 15-16 with a pair of contests against Southwest Minnesota State and Concordia-St. Paul. The Tigers will be at home five times in the month of November.
Below are the MIAA Preseason Men's Basketball Polls for 2025-26.
2025-26 MIAA MEN'S BASKETBALL COACHES POLL
1. Washburn [13] – 169 points
2. Rogers State [1] – 141 points
3. Central Oklahoma – 137 points
4. Fort Hays State – 134 points
5. Pittsburg State – 127 points
6. Nebraska Kearney – 106 points
7. Central Missouri – 102 points
8. Missouri Western – 79 points
9. Northeastern State – 62 points
10. Emporia State – 59 points
11. Newman – 52 points
12. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 41 points
13. Missouri Southern – 35 points
14. Northwest Missouri – 30 points
[#] - First Place Votes
2025-26 MIAA MEN'S BASKETBALL MEDIA POLL
1. Washburn [23] – 346 points
2. Fort Hays State [1] – 297 points
3. Rogers State [1] – 286 points
4. Pittsburg State – 280 points
5. Central Oklahoma – 229 points
6. Nebraska Kearney – 211 points
7. Central Missouri – 186 points
8. Missouri Western – 169 points
9. Emporia State – 159 points
10. Northeastern State – 132 points
11. Northwest Missouri – 108 points
12. Newman – 93 points
13. Missouri Southern – 69 points
14. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 59 points
[#] - First Place Votes