LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference today announced its 2025-26 Men's Basketball Preseason Poll. The Gannon men's basketball team was selected the preseason favorite in the Western Division.
Gannon is in search of its third straight PSAC championship and is the prohibitive favorite in the preseason poll. The Golden Knights received six of eight first place votes, with coaches unable to vote for their own team. Indiana (Pa.) and California (Pa.) each received one first-place vote and were second and third, respectively.
Easton Bazzoli enters his second season at the helm of the Golden Knights and third with the program. After serving as Jordan Fee's top assistant in 2023-24 when Gannon reached the Elite Eight and finished at 32-3, Bazzoli guided the Golden Knights to a 27-7 finish a year. They ran off 11 straight wins to end the season before dropping a 101-90 decision to West Liberty in the Atlantic Regional championship game.
Earlier this week the NABC Division II Preseason Poll came out with Gannon rankled 22nd.
PROSSER, DESMOND RETURNING STARTERS
Unlike a year ago when just three reserves returned from the 2023-24 Elite Eight team, the cupboard isn't bare. True, Bazzoli must replace
Ernest Shelton (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) (Merrimack) and
Tasman Goodrick (Sydney, Australia/St. Joseph's College) (Siena) who shuffled off to Division I.
But six players return, including
Pace Prosser (Berlin, Pa./Berlin Brothersvalley), a multi-talented guard, and underrated
Victor Desmond (Onalaska, Wisc./Onalaska). Prosser, a 6-foot-2 sophomore, earned second team All-PSAC West honors and was the MVP of the PSAC Tournament. He finished as the third-leading scorer (14.3 ppg.) and led the team in assists () and steals (65) along with grabbing 5.6 rpg., second on the team. He also made 73-of-xx 3-pointers.
Desmond, a 6-foot-7 senior, is a strong defender who averaged 7.6 ppg. and 4.1 rpg. in his first season at Gannon.
GOLDEN KNIGHTS DEBUT ON NOVEMBER 14
The 2025-26 season gets underway with the Golden Knights competing in the Bowie State Tip-Off Classic on Nov. 14-15. They play Bowie State the first night followed by a meeting with Fayetteville State on Saturday.
2025-26 PSAC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll (# of first place votes in parentheses)
WESTERN DIVISION
1. GANNON (6) – 27-7, 17-3
2. Indiana (Pa.) (1) – 14-16, 8-12
3. California (Pa.) (1) – 18-12, 12-8
4. Slippery Rock – 15-14, 11-9
5. Seton Hill – 16-14, 8-12
6. Edinboro – 15-13, 11-9
7. Pitt-Johnstown – 11-16, 7-13
8. Clarion – 12-14, 7-13
EASTERN DIVISION
1. West Chester (8) – 23-7, 18-3
2. East Stroudsburg (1) – 21-9, 15-6
3. Millersville – 19-12, 13-8
4. Shepherd – 21-11, 14-7
5. Shippensburg – 10-19, 7-14
6. Lock Haven – 15-13, 12-9
7. Mansfield – 8-19, 5-16
8. Kutztown – 8-20, 4-17
9. Bloomsburg – 6-22, 5-16
