By: Nash Loibl, Director of Strategic Communications and Internal Operations

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Fresh off a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference men’s basketball title, Black Hills State University has been tabbed as the favorite to defend its crown in 2026-27, claiming the No. 1 spot in the RMAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll released Tuesday.
 

Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference 2026-27 Preseason Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Poll
PL	Team	1sts	2nds	3rds	Points
1.	Black Hills State	12	1		192
2.	CSU Pueblo	1	9	3	178
3.	Colorado School of Mines	1	3	7	153
4.	Fort Lewis College		2	1	138
5.	MSU Denver			2	125
6.	Colorado Mesa	1			116
7.	Colorado Christian				111
	UCCS				111
9.	Adams State				94
10.	New Mexico Highlands			1	90
11.	South Dakota Mines			1	85
12.	Westminster				65
13.	Western Colorado				52
14.	Chadron State				36
15.	Regis				29
Notes: Head coaches were not permitted to vote for their team. 14 points for a 1st-place vote, 13 for 2nd, etc. 196 points maximum in men’s basketball.

The league also announced its 2026-27 Preseason All-RMAC Men’s Basketball Team with eight student-athletes earning recognition. Again this season, the RMAC’s preseason teams are determined by placing returning players in order of head coaches’ voting from the league’s 2025 All-RMAC Teams.

Black Hills State earns the top spot in the 2026-27 RMAC Preseason Poll, collecting 192 points from 12 first-place votes and one second-place vote. The Yellow Jackets are coming off a wildly successful 2025-26 campaign, which saw them win the RMAC regular-season title, the RMAC Championship, and advance to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship. This year, Jaeton Hackley leads the Yellow Jackets on the court, returning from last season’s First Team All-RMAC roster. In 35 games last season, Hackley averaged 12.5 points and 4.4 assists per game, leading BHSU in total assists. On the sideline, Black Hills State is once again led by reigning RMAC Coach of the Year Ryan Thompson, who captured his third Coach of the Year title last season. 

Colorado State University Pueblo comes in at No. 2 in the preseason poll, with the ThunderWolves earning one first-place vote, nine seconds, and three thirds, for 178 total points. Last season, CSU Pueblo finished the regular season with a 21-7 overall record, securing the No. 3 seed in the 2026 RMAC Men’s Basketball Championship. By the end of their season, CSU Pueblo was 22-8, with the 22 wins being the most by a CSUP squad since the 1997-98 team, which also posted 22 wins. Head coach Zach Ruebesam enters his second year at the helm of the CSU Pueblo program. Two student-athletes represent the ThunderWolves on the Preseason All-RMAC roster.

Colorado School of Mines ranks No. 3 in the Coaches’ Poll with one first-place vote, three seconds, and seven thirds, earning 153 points. The Orediggers went 16-16 last season, with their 2025-26 campaign coming to an end in the first round of the RMAC Championship. Pryor Orser continues to lead the Orediggers from the sideline, as he enters his 26th season in Golden. Alex Romack and Jonathan Moore guide Colorado School of Mines on the court, with Romack earning First Team All-RMAC honors last season and Moore earning Second Team honors.

Fort Lewis College and Metropolitan State University of Denver check in at No. 4 and No. 5 in the Coaches’ Poll, respectively. The Skyhawks secured 138 points via two second-place votes and one third, while the Roadrunners earned 125 points with one third.
Colorado Mesa University comes in at No. 6, claiming the last first-place vote and 116 total points. Colorado Christian University and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs are tied at No. 7, each with 111 points. Adams State University and New Mexico Highlands University round out the top ten, with Adams State at 94 points and New Mexico Highlands at 90.

South Dakota Mines (85), Westminster University (65), Western Colorado University (52), Chadron State College (36), and Regis University (29) close out the 2026-27 RMAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll, earning the No. 11-15 spots, respectively.

The nine-member preseason team includes two returners from the 2025-26 First Team All-RMAC roster, with Hackley and Romack leading the charge. Three Second-Team All-RMAC honorees also highlight the preseason team, with Marzouq Abdur-Razaaq (CSU Pueblo), Jason Lee (South Dakota Mines), and Moore (Colorado School of Mines).

All RMAC men’s basketball matches broadcast by its member institutions will air on the RMAC Network, with annual, monthly, and single-game passes available for purchase.
The RMAC Network “Peak Pricing” sale is available until October 31. During the sale, fans can purchase an All-Access Pass for $120 by using the code RMACELEVATE26 at checkout. In addition, fans can purchase a $25 Monthly Pass that provides the same access as the All-Access Pass. Single-game passes are available for $12.50 and grant access to a single game or event for 24 hours.

Additionally, a discounted annual subscription price will be available to students, faculty, and staff of each member institution throughout the year. Those fans can use their institutional email address with the code Y27-RMACEDU at any time during the 2026-27 season.
 

2026-27 Preseason All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference: Men’s Basketball
Pos.	Player	School	Yr.	Hometown
F	Marzouq Abdur-Razaaq (2)	CSU Pueblo	Sr.	Aurora, Colo.
G	Jaeton Hackley (1)	Black Hills State	Sr.	Colorado Springs, Colo.
F	Alex Romack (1)	Colorado School of Mines	Sr.	Westfield, Ind.
G	Jason Lee II (2)	South Dakota Mines	Sr.	Los Angeles, Calif.
F	Jonathan Moore (2)	Colorado School of Mines	Sr.	Lithia, Fla.
G	Jaxon Smith	Black Hills State	Sr.	Bountiful, Utah
G	Jaden Kennis	CSU Pueblo	5th	Windsor, Colo.
F	Brody Hull	UCCS	So.	Melbourne, Australia
G	Ben Henderson	Black Hills State	Sr.	Ames, Iowa
G	Ryan Sweeney	South Dakota Mines	5th	Green Bay, Wis.
Symbols in parentheses are 2025 All-RMAC Recognitions: 1 -was a First Team All-RMAC selection; 2 - was a Second Team All-RMAC selection.

About the RMAC
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, headquartered in Colorado Springs, is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 institutions located in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah. The RMAC currently competes in 22 NCAA Division II sports and has earned 71 national championships since 1992. Founded in 1909, the RMAC is the most historic athletic conference in the western United States and Division II.