COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Black Hills State University paces the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in the 2025-26 RMAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll, the conference announced Tuesday, in conjunction with the Preseason All-RMAC Team.

Black Hills State’s Cam Lowe and Colorado Mesa’s Ty Allred headline the Preseason All-Conference Team, with Lowe entering the season as the reigning RMAC Freshman of the Year and both players earning First Team All-RMAC honors last season. The RMAC’s preseason team is determined by placing returning players in order of head coaches’ voting from the league’s 2024-25 All-RMAC Teams.
 

Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference 2025-26 Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
PL	Team	1sts	2nds	3rds	Points
1.	Black Hills State	10	2	1	183
2.	Colorado School of Mines	3	6	2	167
3.	Colorado Mesa	1	3	6	158
4.	UCCS	-	2	1	144
5.	Fort Lewis	-	-	2	143
6.	MSU Denver	-	1	2	137
7.	Chadron State	1	-	-	102
8.	Colorado Christian				90
9.	Adams State				86
10.	Westminster				80
11.	New Mexico Highlands				74
12.	CSU Pueblo				68
13.	Western Colorado	-	-	1	56
14.	Regis				46
15.	South Dakota Mines	-	1	-	41
Notes: Coaches were not permitted to vote for their team. 14 points for a 1st place vote, 13 for a 2nd, etc. 196 points maximum in men's wrestling.

The Yellow Jackets take home the title of preseason favorites after securing 183 points and 10 first-place votes in the Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Led by head coach Ryan Thompson, Black Hills State wrapped up the 2024-25 campaign with an 18-12 overall record, including a 13-7 record in conference play. Their strong regular-season performance secured them the No. 5 seed in the RMAC Men’s Basketball Tournament, where they made a run to the semifinals before falling to Colorado School of Mines. With a solid core of returners, the Yellow Jackets are poised to build on last year’s momentum.

Colorado School of Mines, the reigning RMAC champions, comes in second place in the Coaches’ Poll with 167 points and three first-place votes. Colorado Mesa University checks in at No. 3, securing 167 points and one first-place vote. The University of Colorado Colorado Springs and Fort Lewis College round out the top five, earning 144 and 143 points, respectively.

Metropolitan State University of Denver claims the No. 6 spot with 137 points, while Chadron State College earns the last first-place vote and 102 points. Colorado Christian University, Adams State University, and Westminster University secure the No. 8-10 spots, respectively. New Mexico Highlands University (11), Colorado State University Pueblo (12), Western Colorado University (13), Regis University (14), and South Dakota Mines (15) close out the Preseason Coaches’ Poll.

Last season, Lowe claimed the RMAC Freshman of the Year award after finishing the season ranked third in the conference in scoring, averaging 15.7 points per game on an efficient 49% shooting. The 6’6 guard also grabbed 7.9 rebounds per game, which was tied for the third-highest mark in the RMAC.

Allred returns for the Mavericks after seeing a massive scoring jump in the 2024-25 season. As a redshirt junior, Allred averaged 14.7 points per game and 6.4 rebounds, a jump from 3.1 points per game and 1.5 rebounds per game the season prior. His performance on the court helped Colorado Mesa reach the RMAC Men’s Basketball Tournament as the No. 3 seed.

The RMAC’s 15 men’s basketball teams are looking to finish the season at the 2026 NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship game on April 5 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. The NCAA Men’s Basketball Elite Eight begins on March 25 & 27 at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, before heading to Indianapolis for the championship game. Ticket information for the national championship will be available at NCAA.com at a later date.

All RMAC men’s basketball games broadcast by its 15 member institutions will only be available for purchase via a single-game pass or a monthly or annual subscription. Revenue generated by the network will be redistributed to the league’s membership to enhance their programs.

A discounted annual subscription price will be available to students, faculty, and staff of each member institution throughout the year. Purchasing options and pricing for individual RMAC Championships will be announced closer to each event.