Pioneers Picked 3rd in 2025 SAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Wayland Baptist Pioneers Men's Basketball team have been selected to finish 3^rd in the Sooner Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll, per the SAC offices.

Head Coach Clint Galyean's squad is loaded with experience despite plenty of new faces arriving in Plainview this season. The Pioneers have a handful of returners including 2024-25 SAC Freshman of the Year Julian Perez, All-SAC Honorable Mention recipient Brett Leach, a 2023 SAC All-Defensive Team honoree Dylan McDougal, and redshirt freshman Grady Galyean.

The team has added multiple transfers who have played high-level basketball in the past few seasons including senior Jamari Lawrence (Missouri Southern), junior Rico Yarbrough (Sauk Valley CC), senior Damonze Woods (Angelo State), and junior Chuks Ejifore (UT-Permian Basin).

The Pioneers have also added senior Colton Spencer (Rocky Mountain), senior Marcus Green, junior Makhi Dorsey (Trinity Valley CC), junior Jordan Logan, and a pair of Frenchmen in sophomore Niels Guinchard (East Central CC) and junior Daryl Bod (South Georgia Tech).

The Pioneers were picked 3^rd after finishing last season 17-13 and 16-8 in SAC play, which was tied for 4^th in the standings.
 
2025 SAC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll

1. Nelson – 113 (6)

1. Langston – 113 (5)

3. Wayland Baptist – 96
4. Mid-America Christian – 90
5. John Brown – 85 (1)
6. Texas Wesleyan – 74
7. Central Christian – 66
8. Science & Arts – 38
9. Oklahoma City – 36

9. Panhandle State – 36

11. College of the Ozarks – 33
12. Southwestern Christian – 12

The Pioneers will tip of their season on Friday, October 31^st where they will travel to Tabor, Kansas to participate in the Tabor Classic. They will take on Mount Marty University first with the game scheduled to begin at 4:00 PM.