2025/26 ACAC Men's Preview: What teams look to take it all.

I’m really looking forward to the start of the 2025/26 ACAC season, especially with the departure of many big-name players who have dominated the league for years. Last year, I not only followed the action closely but also had the chance to do online streaming color commentary at the ACAC championships in Caronport, SK. The league’s coaches have worked hard this offseason to bring the national championship back to the ACAC.

After winning two CCAA national championships—SAIT in 2022/23 and Keyano in 2023/24—both Keyano and Briercrest struggled at the 2024/25 championships. This year, teams will battle for two spots at the 2026 National Championships, hosted by Vancouver Island University (VIU) in Nanaimo, BC.

I’m grateful to the league’s coaches who shared their team outlooks for this season. I ranked the teams based on returning players, transfers, recruits, preseason games, and my own assessments. It wasn’t easy. The North Division plays 20 games, and the South Division plays 21, with each team facing opponents from the opposite division once and playing within their division twice. The playoffs will feature the top four teams from both divisions, with the first-place team in the North hosting at the end of January. The competition will be fierce, and just one unexpected loss could cause teams to drop in the standings and potentially miss the playoffs.

South Division Outlook

1. SAIT Trojans

Coach Matt Daley is gearing up for another shot at a national championship banner, building on his success this summer with the Alberta U17 boys squad. While the departures of Will Tong and Jadon Matthews leave significant gaps, a healthy Marcus Masters (5th year; Kitchener, ON) returns for his final season to provide leadership and skill.

As noted in last year's preview, SAIT has a proven track record of attracting strong transfers, and this year is no different. They’ll count on the talents of Marc Gabriel (5th; Montreal, QC) from CEGEP Thetford, Cameron Carter (3rd; Baltimore, MD) from CBC, and D'On Duncan (4th; Calgary, AB) from Ontario Tech to complete their roster and push SAIT back to the top.

I’m confident SAIT will dominate the South and proudly represent the ACAC in Nanaimo. Having seen this team practice, they are extremely deep with long, rangy athletes that will defend multiple positions and get out on the break.

2. St Mary's Lightning

The 2025/26 season will mark a fresh chapter for the Lightning, as they move forward without long-time stars and ACAC's greatest scoring duo, Brock Dewsberry and Caleb Jibb. Replacing them is no small feat, but Coach Nathan Ruff is confident his team has what it takes to stay competitive.

With returning starters Pelumi Ajayi (5th; Calgary, AB), Riley Folensbee (5th; Moose Jaw, SK), and CJ Peters (2nd; Calgary, AB), the team aims to strengthen its defensive game. The addition of transfer Ben Gilbert (4th; Calgary, AB) from MRU, along with freshmen Kamari Breary (1st; Langley, BC), Brendan Nightengale (1st; White Rock, BC), and Cache Perrett (1st; Okotoks, AB), should provide depth.

This team looked good in the scrimmage I saw them play, but they have been up and down throughout exhibition games. They will need to gel and find roles, especially how they will score early, to prevent the teams from looking to creep up and grab a better seeding.

3. Lethbridge Kodiaks

This was by far the hardest team in the South for me to project, as Coach Heggie always finds himself a squad down in southern Alberta. Last season, he was super young but still made the playoffs and gave Keyano a tough first-round game. He will return ACAC all-star Coleston Lake (5th; Eagle, MT) and the breakout player from the playoff tournament, Levi Balderson (2nd; Welling, AB). This will be the top backcourt in the league this year.

He also returns Treydon Barton (4th; Raymond, AB), Rhett Lewis (3rd; Cardston, AB), and Jackson Wright (3rd; Claresholm, AB), along with once again recruiting Southern Alberta to keep bringing in kids that play the exact style Coach loves.

This team could finish top 2 with their spectacular backcourt or slide out of the playoffs with their youth. What we do know is they will play hard and compete every night, and if they do finish in 3rd, as I predict, no one will want to be 2nd in the North and have them as their first round match-up.

4. Medicine Hat Rattlers

Last season saw the Rattlers fall just short of the playoffs despite another all-star performance from Cooper Ward, and now they move forward without him. They will bring back a strong core of Jordan Bigger (5th; Toowoomba, AUS), Colby Anderson (3rd; Camrose, AB), David Hamilton (4th; Regina, SK) and Trey Watson (2nd; Medicine Hat, AB), who are joined by a returning Keiran Isnor (3rd; Calgary, AB) , who led the team in scoring in 2023/24 season before a foot injury saw him miss last season.

Coach Humphrey's has landed solid transfers in Wol Wol (2nd; Edmonton, AB)from SAIT and Josh Dirks (1st; Strathmore, AB) from Cape Breton. Along with freshmen Oyama Crouch (1st; Nainamo, BC) and Lincoln Kolinski (1st; Camrose, AB), they will be poised to grab that elusive playoff spot this season.

5. Briercrest Clippers

Last year was a dream for Briercrest as they won their first-ever ACAC Championship in front of their home fans, but this year will be a test. Their championship was built on the development of players long term, and the losses of 4 players' graduation (Jude Shepperd-Hillis, Francis Dogani, Riley Seaborn, and Zach Martens), along with all-star Oroma Bongomin moving on to USport, will really show us what coach Shane Sowden has built.

I expect breakout seasons from returning players Carter Waind (5th; Kirkland, QC), Owen Shepperd-Hillis (3rd; Saskatoon, SK), and Markus Glasspell (2nd; Regina, SK). Along with transfers Gabe Vig (2nd; Abbotsford, BC) from TWU and Cole Koop (2nd; Kelowna, BC) from UBCO, and talented freshmen Daniel Kaak (1st; Abbotsford, BC) and Chase Seaborn (1st; Moose Jaw, SK), I think they will come up just short of playoffs, but maybe their young guns learned just enough last year to get them back.

6. Ambrose Lions

Coming off a tough 2-19 season that saw the Lions finish last in the South, their young roster got a lot of playing time, and Coach Nystrom is hoping the return of Jarom Watson (2nd; Calgary, AB), Paulo Cuestta (2nd; Cochrane, AB), James Censon (2nd; Calgary, AB) and Dylan Pearson (2nd; Calgary, AB) to step up and help Jackson Earle (5th; Sarnia, ON) and Ty Schenk (3rd; Lumsden, SK) provide a calmer more experienced team.

The additions of transfer Payton Green (2nd; Calgary, AB) from Red Deer will be welcome, as well as contributions from freshmen Jack Corrigan (1st; Calgary, AB) and Jeremy Proctor (1st; Saskatoon, SK). I think we will see growth and more than 2 wins for this squad.

7. Red Deer Kings

After a 2024/25 season that saw them finish 7-14 for 7th in the south, it looked like Coach Foster may be turning the corner and getting the Red Deer program back to the heights they had achieved in the not-too-distant past. However, his roster looks to have been rebooted again this season, with only 2 players returning: Lado Lado (3rd; Edmonton, AB) and Felix Webb (2nd; Edmonton, AB). They are joined by transfers Tong Akol (2nd; Edmonton, AB) from Olds and Noah Simon (2nd; Calgary, AB) from Okanagan College, but he will be dependent on freshmen to step up.

They have a lot of talented freshmen in William Tchekchine (1st; Toronto, ON), Corban Andres (1st; Regina, SK), Marvellous Adpoju (1st; Calgary, AB), and Isiah Capicio (1st; Red Deer, AB). How the bottom of the South will shake out will be fun to watch after the Christmas break, as all these teams have a lot of growth potential.

8. Olds Broncos

Olds took a huge step forward in 2024/2,5, winning 8 games, but that came at a cost as Head Coach David Kapinga was able to land the MacEwan men's job, cutting off some of their momentum. John Reece was on the coaching staff last year and will lead the team forward, but has 12 incoming freshmen and only 2 returning players, Kevin Mvemba (2nd; Calgary, AB) and Ethan Horb (3rd; Cochran, AB).

They have some talented freshmen in Nick McKoy (1st; Ajax, ON), Will Jacques (1st; Cochrane, AB), and Ryan Zemp (1st; Cardston, AB), but experience usually is a big factor, and this team will gain a lot this season.

North Division Outlook

1. NAIT Ooks

Coach McNeilly had a great first year, and his team impressed at the ACAC championships. Now that he has had a full summer to recruit and prepare, I fully expect his team to be in the hunt for a return to the national stage for the Ooks. They will return a very solid group from last year's squad in Patrick Fisher (4th; Wainwright, AB), Peter Kugba-Nyande (3rd; Edmonton, AB), Kohl Wedman (3rd; Edmonton, AB), Donovan Caldwell (2nd; Sherwood Park, AB), and Antonio Benjamin (5th; Dallas, TX), and add transfer Nathan Saldo (2nd; Edmonton, AB) from Brandon.

Last season, Coach made a seamless transition from his playing career to coaching, and I expect him to build upon that in year 2. He has a solid core that plays the way he likes and is ready to step back into the championship picture. Not only do I think NAIT will host the ACAC championships, but I expect them to pick up North Coach of the Year as well.

2. Keyano Huskies

Last year, they came up short defending their national title, but still qualified for nationals. That will be the expectation this year, despite Head Coach Jeremy Wielenga stepping down to assume full-time responsibilities as Athletics Director. In his place, they were able to hire Anthony Skepple, who has built the Brieircrest women's program into a perennial playoff team that secured its first ACAC medal, making three straight bronze medal games.

The return of ACAC North player of the year Keenan Miller (5th; Columbia, MO) and starter DJ Haynes (4th; Naples, FL) will lead Anthony. These key returns will provide them with the experience they can rely on. Add to them the transfer of Red Deer's leading scorer, DeAndre Rowe (3rd; Ottawa, ON), Sam Nkassa (2nd; Spring, TX) from the University of Regina, and Joyce Dumbu (1st, Ottawa, ON) from CEGEP Heritage. From what I have seen, this team has the potential to be very good, but it will have to keep growing as a team and moving the ball. I am also a very big fan of incoming freshman Wan Deng (1st; Calgary, AB), who will be a big piece for them come the playoffs once he has some experience against competition.

I do think the losses of Omeechi Williams and others will be a lot to overcome and will drop them to second place going into the playoffs. However, I do not think the roster they play with first semester will not be the same second semester, and with the right additions, they could very well be hosting ACAC Championships.

3. Lakeland Rustlers

This is a very hard team to gauge in the pre-season, as they have lost some big scorers in Alaysa Bray, Chance Samuel, Riley Rathwell, and Naythyn Whitedeer. They will lean on Bahaeddin Salma (5th; Saskatoon, SK), David Dimaao (5th; Lloydminster, AB), and Matthew Bryant (4th; Saskatoon, SK) for leadership. They have some solid transfers in Jordon Horobetz-Simpson (4th; Winnipeg, MB) from Carleton, Taleh Wade (4th; North Little Rock, AR) of Algoma, and Seth Johnson (3rd; Toronto, ON) from Lakehead.

Expect Coach Sheray Thomas' team to be tough defenders who pick up full court as always. I'm not sure he has enough to crack the top 2 and will be in a fight to fend off teams looking to move up the standings

4. Concordia Thunder

For the second straight season, Concordia will see a coaching change as ACAC legend Robbie Valpreda has stepped away, and Daniela Stabile will step in to take the reins. This will be a first for the ACAC with a female coach in a men's program, but it has happened in the CCAA with some very good results.

The loss of Yaadvir Dhaliwal and O'Ryan Wallace will be a lot to overcome early, but they return a solid core with Evan Li (3rd; Edmonton, AB), Devon Weleschuk (2nd; Sherwood Park, AB), Roka Baker (4th; St Albert, AB), and Noah Julien (5th; Toronto, ON). Add Keella Gatwech (3rd; Fort McMurray, AB) and Abdishakur Jama (2nd; Surrey, BC), transferring from Keyano. Coach also used her deep Edmonton connections to sign freshmen Koen DeKlerk (1st; Rolly Viwe, AB), Tyron Okekel (1st; Edmonton, AB), Izaec Oppa (1st; Surrey, BC), Thiec Ruat (1st; Brooks, AB), and Karanveer Singh (1st; Edmonton, AB) to give her a lot of solid depth.

This team will be interesting to watch and see if they can challenge Lakeland to move up or struggle and allow some teams to grab the last playoff spot from them.

5. The King's Eagles

Coach Jay Ouellette has been building this program for several years and is hoping this is the year he cracks the playoffs. He returns most of his key players, including Brock Stupar (4th; Stony Plain, AB), Jonathan Barwegen (5th; Lethbridge, AB), and David Loki (2nd; Smithers, BC), all of whom are back. Logan Den Oudsten is their only major loss.

They also add transfers Keyon Wisdom (4th; Brampton, ON) from Fleming College and Carson Irwin (2nd; Beaver County, AB) from Breircrest. They have shown significant growth this preseason, and I'm sure will be a team that desperately wants to be in the playoffs, making them a very tough team.

6. Northwest Wolves

Coach Evan Lloyd went to work this summer and hopes to climb out of the basement of the ACAC North and find a way into the playoffs. He has lost his top 2 scorers from 2024/25 but brought back a solid core, including Mirza Torodovac (3rd; Banja Luka), Kaden Gavengard (3rd; Grande Prairie, AB), and Liam McCaffery (2nd; Grande Prairie, AB). He is a solid transfer from Holland College in Romaire Johnson (4th; Dartmouth, NS) and a very solid recruiting class of Martynas Petrauskas (1st; Kaunas), Sam Rosse (1st; Kitchener, ON), Trevon Arogie (1st; Surrey, BC), and Caleb Tengera (1st; Edmonton, AB).

They will need to grab some wins in the first semester against the South teams as they find their footing. If they can do this, we will be in for a great showdown in the second semester as that last playoff spot in the North is up for grabs.

7. Augustana Vikings

Coach Etienne Jacquet will look to continue building on the roster he established in his first year. He will return Jonathan Gomes (4th; Edmonton, AB), Brett Marlow (5th; The Pas, MB), and Cooper Nelson (5th; Strathmore, AB). The loss of Jack Smilski is tough, but they have a strong group of recruits in Jayden Rushma (1st; Edmonton, AB), Dru Swain (1st; Whitecap FN, SK), and Archer Jenkins (1st; Red Deer, AB) that should see the team continue to improve.

I can not wait for this season. The one thing that became apparent as I watched preseason games and compiled information from coaches is that this is a season where we will see some movement. A lot of players have left the league, both graduating and transferring, there is a lot of parity, and I could be very wrong with every one of these placings and I love it.

I also think when we get to the second semester, some of these teams I have predicted at the bottom with younger rosters and newer coaches will gain experience and confidence, which in turn will lead to 'upsets' that will have dramatic effects on playoff seeding. This is truly one of the great leagues in Canada, one that has led to players moving on to USports, NCAA, and even pro careers (there are 3 ACAC grads on one team in Europe as I write this).