• DMACC is ranked seventh in the NJCAA Division II preseason poll
• Sophomore Rylan Smith is the only sophomore returnee from last season
• Bears will rely on depth and quickness

The DMACC men's basketball team will begin the 2025-26 season with a home game against the Wiliam Penn University Junior Varsity (WPUJV) Oct. 31 inside the DMACC gymnasium.

Head coach Blake Sandquist, beginning his fourth season as the Bears head coach, returns just one veteran from last season in sophomore Ryan Smith of Lincoln, Neb. Smith played in all 34 games in 2024-25, including three starts. He averaged just more than eight points a game.

Sandquist led the Bears to a 29-5 record last season and they won their second consecutive Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) title with a 17-1 record. Sandquist's last two DMACC teams have qualified for the NJCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship and his 2023-24 team earned a fifth-place finish in the tournament. This year Sandquist has an almost entirely new roster with a lot of new names.

"We're definitely behind where we were last year because last year, we had seven returners between starters and guys who redshirted," Sandquist said. "We do have more depth and we may be more talented this year but I don't know that we'll hit our peak until late in the season."

DMACC begins the season ranked seventh in NJCAA Division II which says something about the respect the program receives.

"That has a lot to do with the guys who came before this team and coaches who were here before, but the expectations are there every single year," Sandquist said. "We're going to do our best to live up to (the ranking) and hopefully surpass it."

Sandquist said Smith has the inside track to starting at point guard.

"He's taken the main leadership role on our team," Sandquist said. "He's an incredible kid and a vocal leader. He's shooting the cover off the basketball and really playing well. We're super excited to have him."

Other candidates for point guard include freshmen Kiki Deng of West Des Moines and Brent Taylor of Flossmoor, Ill. Deng, who stands 6-feet-5, was part of three state championship teams at West Des Moines Valley and is still learning the point guard position. He is one of the best defenders Sandquist said he has ever coached.

"(Taylor) is super talented and very elusive with the basketball," Sandquist said. "He makes some really tough plays that a lot of guys can't do and will be battling for a starting spot."

Candidates for the wing positions include freshman Landen Norris of Knoxville, freshman Shelton Colwell, Jr., of Newark, N.J., the son of former DMACC All-American Shelton Colwell, freshman Malcolm Bragg of Newark, N.J., the son of former NBA player Marquess Bragg, and sophomore transfer Jayden Jones of Katy, Texas.

Sandquist said Norris has been a pleasant surprise this fall, works hard and is one of the most coachable players he's ever had.

"Colwell looks like a senor in college and has really gotten better this fall," Sandquist said. "Bragg is very strong and looks like he should be playing linebacker. He's a dynamic driver and he's a really good defender.

"Jayden Jones has been banged up all fall but he is super talented and learning how to play our way. Once it clicks for him, he'll have a chance to be one of the better guards in the league."

Candidates at forward include sophomore transfer Kaden Tate of Pearland, Texas, and freshman Kayon Phillips of Davenport.

"Tate is a relentless rebounder and a great defender. He's one of those kids who makes nonstop winning plays and he's going to get a lot of plays called for him," Sandquist said. "Phillips is a left-handed shooter who is improving on the defensive end. We're looking for him to contribute this season."

Freshmen Solomon Mosley of Chicago, redshirt freshman Brennon Clemmons, Jr., of Lincoln, Neb., and freshman Hunter Gawron of Skokie, Ill., are the candidates at center.

"Mosley had shoulder surgery a year ago and has come a long way," Sandquist said. "We're looking for him to start but he'll have some serious competition from Clemmons and Gawron. Clemmons redshirted for us last year, really knows our system and has been playing well this fall. Gawron can shoot the three, post smaller forwards and is just very reliable and solid."

Sandquist said his 2025-26 team probably has more depth than any of his previous teams at DMACC but has a lot of newness and is still learning to play basketball the right way.

"We may not click until January or February but that may not be a bad thing," Sandquist said. "Last year we got killed by the injury bug at the end of the season and I think this group, if we do happen to lose some guys to injuries, has guys who can step right in."

Sandquist said he is super excited about his team's depth and athleticism and not really bothered by its size. Only two players on the 17-man roster stand smaller than 6-foot-2.

"We have a ton of wings who stand 6-5, 6-6 so we have some serious positional size that makes us versatile and we can move those guys around to a lot of difference spots," Sandquist said.

Sandquist said his team's newness is something of a concern.

"The more returnees you can have in this day and age of college basketball the better but you play the hand you are dealt," Sandquist said. "These kids have all bought in and effort and competitiveness have never been a question mark for them. It's just connecting all the pieces. It's a work in progress and that's for the coaches to figure out."

Following its opener against WPUJV the DMACC men's basketball team will continue its home slate with a game against John Wood Community College (JWCC) on Nov. 4. The Bears will host the DMACC Classic on Nov. 7 and 8 and Nov. 14 and 15.