The Briar Cliff men's basketball team was selected 7^th in the GPAC Preseason Coaches' Poll early Monday morning. The Chargers posted a 13-15 record (10-10 GPAC) last season.

Concordia topped the poll with 96 points and 6 first-place votes, followed by Morningside with 91 points and three first place nods. Dordt and Dakota Wesleyan rounded out the top four with the Defenders receiving 84 points and two first place votes and the Tigers with 64 points.

Jaxson Wingert returns for the Chargers following an impressive sophomore campaign in which he earned Second-Team All-GPAC honors. Wingert averaged 17.4 points per game while shooting 50.8% from the field. He scored 20 or more points in 11 contests and added 4.6 rebounds per game, ranking second on the team in scoring.

Senior Colby Collison also returns to the lineup for the Cliff after earning All-GPAC honorable mention recognition. Collison averaged 9.0 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting 50.9% from the field and an impressive 46.2% from beyond the arc.

Sophomore Ryan Kleppe returns after appearing in all 28 games during his debut season, including 17 starts. Kleppe averaged 6.0 points and 3.2 rebounds per game while shooting 43.3% from the field. He recorded a career-high 16 points in the Chargers last game of the season againt Mount Marty.

The Chargers open their season on October 23, traveling to Cedar Rapids, IA to take on Mount Mercy. Tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m. GPAC play begins November 18 with the Chargers hosting the Waldorf Warriors. Tip-off is set for 7:45 p.m.
 

GPAC MEN'S BASKETBALL 2026-27
TEAM	POINTS	1ST PLACE VOTES
CONCORDIA	96	6
MORNINGSIDE	91	3
DORDT	84	2
DAKOTA WESLEYAN	64
MOUNT MARTY	62
NORTHWESTERN	57
BRIAR CLIFF	52
MIDLAND	34
DOANE	33
HASTINGS	21
WALDORF	11