UC Davis Projected Sixth in Big West Preseason Coaches’ Poll

UC Davis men’s basketball has been picked to finish sixth in the 2025-26 Big West Preseason Coaches’ Poll, as announced by the conference last week. The Aggies earned 58 points in the voting.

UC Davis is coming off a 2024-25 season in which it finished 15-17 overall and 9-11 in Big West play.

The Aggies return five players from last year’s roster, including Nils Cooper, Niko Rocak, Isaiah Chappell, Carl Daughtery Jr., and Connor Sevilla. UC Davis also welcomes nine newcomers for the 2025-26 season: Brayden Fagbemi, Chase Rawlins, Jonathan Noudjihidi, Jalen Stokes, Marcus Wilson, CJ Franklin Jr., Abdullah Amzil, Ylan Esso-Essis, and Omer Suljanovic.

Season loading… 🎯#GoAgs pic.twitter.com/VinH5ZWwDc

— UC Davis Men’s Basketball (@ucdavismbb) October 15, 2025

The 2025-26 campaign marks UC Davis’ final season in the Big West before joining the Mountain West next year. Head coach Jim Les enters his 15th season leading the Aggies, having guided the program to Big West regular-season titles in 2014-15 and 2017-18, and a Big West Tournament championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2016-17.

The full 2025-26 Big West Preseason Coaches’ Poll and Team can be found below:

2025-26 Big West Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll

Rank Institution Points
1. UC Irvine 98 (8)
2. UC Santa Barbara 93 (3)
3. Hawai’i 76
4. UC San Diego 69
5. CSUN 63
6. UC Davis 58
7. Cal Poly 54
8. Long Beach State 31
9. UC Riverside 26
10. Cal State Bakersfield 20
11. Cal State Fullerton 17

First-place votes in parentheses

2025-26 All-Big West Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Team

Student-Athlete Year Position Institution Hometown
Jurian Dixon R-So. Guard UC Irvine San Diego, Calif.
Mahmoud Fofana Sr. Forward CSUN San Jose, Calif.
Jason Fontenet II Jr. Guard UC Santa Barbara Phoenix, Ariz.
Andre Henry Gr. Guard UC Irvine La Cañada Flintridge, Calif.
Aidan Mahaney Sr. Guard UC Santa Barbara Lafayette, Calif.
Gytis Nemeikša Sr. Forward Hawai’i Kaunas, Lithuania

More UC Davis content from Sactown Sports

With just under one month from opening tip, UC Davis basketball season tickets are now on sale, allowing Aggie fans to catch the action in the University Credit Union Center all winter long.

Fans can lock up their tickets by heading here for men’s tickets and here for women’s tickets.

Men’s basketball tickets start as low as $175, and on the women’s side, tickets start at $75. Fans from the ages of 3 to 13 can secure season tickets to women’s games at just $50 and men’s season tickets for $125.

Aggie fans looking for men’s tickets in sections 109-111, 209, 211, 221, and 225 will be required to make contributions of up to $500 per seat to the Champion Aggies Club.

Under the tutelage of Jim Les, the men enter 2025-26 with a whole new look, adding nine new players through recruitment and the transfer portal. The returners include guys such as Carl Daughtery Jr., Connor Sevilla, and Nils Cooper.

Coming off a 21-win season and Big West Finals appearance a year ago, women’s basketball is set to go for year 15 under head coach Jennifer Gross. The squad is backed by a number of familiar faces, such as All-Big West players Megan Norris, Nya Epps, and Ryann Bennett.

Both teams open their season with a doubleheader at the University Credit Union Center on Monday, Nov. 3. The men’s team will take on Menlo at 5:00 p.m. PT before the women face off against William Jessup at 7:30 p.m. PT.

UC Davis basketball season tickets are on sale now!

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