Montana State picked to win Big Sky men’s basketball; Northern Colorado’s Langston Reynolds tabbed Preseason MVP

FARMINGTON, Utah — Montana State enters the 2026-27 season as the team to beat in Big Sky Conference men’s basketball.

The Bobcats were picked first in both the league’s preseason coaches’ and media polls, released Wednesday, Oct. 14, by the Big Sky office. Montana State collected seven of 11 first-place votes from the coaches and 19 of 32 from the media. Northern Colorado’s Langston Reynolds was named Preseason Most Valuable Player.

Montana State brings back 11 players from a squad that went 18-14 overall and finished second in the Big Sky regular-season standings a year ago. The Bobcats will lean on Jed Miller, a First Team All-Big Sky selection in 2025-26 and Montana State’s lone representative on the seven-man Preseason All-Conference Team. Miller averaged 14.9 points, 5.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game last winter.

Northern Colorado slotted second in both polls on the strength of Reynolds’ return to Greeley. Reynolds played for the Bears from 2022-25, earning First Team All-Big Sky honors after averaging 16 points per game in 2024-25, before spending last season at Minnesota. In the Big Ten, he made 26 starts, averaged 11.6 points per game and led the Golden Gophers with 150 assists.

Eastern Washington was third in both polls and put two players on the preseason team. Andrew Cook is back in Cheney after an injury cost him the 2025-26 season; he averaged 16.1 points per game the year before. Alton Hamilton IV, a Second Team All-Big Sky pick and All-Tournament Team member last season, averaged 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

Montana was voted fourth by the media and tied with Portland State for fourth in the coaches’ poll. The Vikings, the reigning Big Sky regular-season champions, were fifth in the media poll. Portland State guard Koren Johnson, a transfer from Ole Miss and the 2023-24 Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year at Washington, made the preseason team.

Idaho, the defending Big Sky Tournament champion, was sixth in both polls.

The league grows to 11 full-time members this season with the arrival of Southern Utah and Utah Tech, and both newcomers landed a player on the preseason team. Utah Tech’s Ethan Potter was a First Team All-WAC selection and WAC All-Tournament pick last season after averaging 16.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Southern Utah’s Jaiden Feroah, a WAC All-Defensive Team honoree, averaged 13.5 points and 6.7 rebounds. Utah Tech was picked seventh in both polls and Southern Utah 10th.

The 2026-27 season officially tips off Monday, Nov. 2.

2026-27 Big Sky Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll

(First-place votes in parentheses)

1. Montana State (7) – 97
2. Northern Colorado – 81
3. Eastern Washington (3) – 79
4. T4. Montana – 73
5. T4. Portland State – 73
6. Idaho (1) – 56
7. Utah Tech – 50
8. Weber State – 29
9. Idaho State – 26
10. Southern Utah – 25
11. Northern Arizona – 16

2026-27 Big Sky Men’s Basketball Preseason Media Poll

1. Montana State (19) – 326
2. Northern Colorado (7) – 295
3. Eastern Washington (5) – 279
4. Montana (1) – 254
5. Portland State – 236
6. Idaho – 183
7. Utah Tech – 161
8. Weber State – 143
9. Idaho State – 93
10. Southern Utah – 85
11. Northern Arizona – 57

2026-27 Big Sky Men’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team

• Langston Reynolds, Northern Colorado (Preseason MVP)
• Jed Miller, Montana State
• Ethan Potter, Utah Tech
• Andrew Cook, Eastern Washington
• Alton Hamilton IV, Eastern Washington
• Jaiden Feroah, Southern Utah
• Koren Johnson, Portland State