FHSU Athletics
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) released its preseason basketball polls on Tuesday as part of MIAA Basketball Media Day. The Tigers were picked fifth by the media and eighth by the coaches in the pair of preseason polls.
Fort Hays State tied for fifth in the conference standings last year after posting a 19-10 overall record and 11-8 mark in MIAA play. FHSU reached the quarterfinals of the MIAA Tournament. It was the 17th time the Tigers reached at least 19 wins in a season under head coach Mark Johnson, who enters his 26th year leading the Tigers in 2026-27. Johnson will enter the new season with an overall coaching record of 492-240.
Washburn, the 2025-26 MIAA regular season and tournament champion, was picked at the top of both polls. Beyond Washburn holding the top spot, Central Missouri and Missouri Western were the only other schools to appear in the top five of both polls, showing several differences between the two polls.
Jahvari Martino headlines the returners for FHSU in 2026-27. He averaged 11.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 0.9 assists per game last year. Eli Lawson and Blake Danitschek also return after playing in all 29 contests for the Tigers last year. Lawson averaged 4.1 points and 2.7 rebounds, while Danitschek added 2.1 points and 1.7 rebounds per game. The Tigers also have a group of sophomores who all got a taste of action last year in their first season with the team, which includes Tegen Curley, Ben Johnson, David Johnson, and Zack Sharkey. Alec Carlson is also a veteran back for the Tigers who saw limited action last year. The Tigers welcome six new players to the team this year, which includes three transfers and three freshmen.
Fort Hays State will open the 2026-27 season in Minnesota, set to take on Southwest Minnesota State and Concordia-St. Paul on the weekend of November 13-14. The Tigers will be at home for the first time on Saturday, November 21.
Below are the MIAA Preseason Men's Basketball Polls for 2026-27.
MEN'S PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. Washburn [12] – 168 points
2. Central Missouri [1] – 154 points
3. Missouri Western – 123 points
4. Missouri Southern [1] – 120 points
5. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 114 points
6. Rogers State – 111 points
7. Pittsburg State – 104 points
8. Fort Hays State – 103 points
9. Central Oklahoma – 90 points
10. Northwest Missouri – 59 points
11. Nebraska Kearney – 43 points
12. Emporia State – 36 points
13. Northeastern State – 35 points
14. Newman – 14 points
[#] - First Place Votes
MEN'S PRESEASON MEDIA POLL
1. Washburn [30] – 392 points
2. Rogers State – 326 points
3. Central Missouri – 322 points
4. Missouri Western – 293 points
5. Fort Hays State – 253 points
6. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 252 points
7. Missouri Southern – 241 points
8. Pittsburg State – 206 points
9. Central Oklahoma – 193 points
10. Northwest Missouri – 155 points
11. Nebraska Kearney – 101 points
12. Northeastern State – 86 points
13. Emporia State – 79 points
14. Newman – 41 points
[#] - First Place Votes