KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Gannon men's basketball team will enter the 2025-26 season nationally-ranked for the second straight year. The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) released its 2025-26 NABC Division II Coaches Pre-Season Poll on Tuesday with Gannon ranked 22nd.

Easton Bazzoli begins his second year at the helm of the Golden Knights and third with the program. Incredible success has followed. Gannon was 32-3 and reached the Elite Eight in his one season as an assistant coach and last year guided the Golden Knights to a 27-7 finish in his first season as head coach. Gannon reached the Sweet 16 before falling to West Liberty in the Atlantic Regional championship game. They ended the year ranked 22nd.

Defending national champion Nova Southeastern (36-1) holds down the number one spot in the NABC preseason poll. Washburn is second with DBU, Texas third. Daemen and Fairmont State round out the top five.
Unlike a year ago when only three players returned, Bazzoli welcomes back six players. That includes a pair of starters, sophomore Pace Prosser (Berlin, Pa./Berlin Brothersvalley) and senior Victor Desmond (Onalaska, Wisc./Onalaska). 

Prosser enjoyed an incredible freshman campaign. The 6-foot-2 guard earned second team All-PSAC West honors while starting all 34 games. He finished as the third-leading scorer at 14.3 ppg. and was even second in rebounding at 5.6 per game. In addition, Prosser led the Golden Knights in assists (151) and steals (65) while making 73-of-178 3-pointers. Prosser was named the MVP of the PSAC Tournament.  

Desmond is a 6-foot-7 swingman who is a defensive stalwart while averaging 7.1 ppg. and 4.6 rpg.

Gannon opens the 2025-26 campaign on Friday, Nov. 14 competing in the Bowie State Tip-Off Classic. They open against host Bowie State then play Fayetteville State on Saturday. The schedule features two teams in the NABC preseason poll. Daemen is ranked fourth and Findlay is 23rd.