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Weber State guard Jace Whiting, left, hauls in a rebound during a drill with Edwin Suarez Jr. (0) and Trevor Hennig (6) on Oct. 8, 2025, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden.

Robert Casey, WSU Athletics

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Weber State forward Edwin Suarez Jr. rises above a crowd to shoot a basket during practice Sept. 22, 2025, at Swenson Gym in Ogden.

Robert Casey, WSU Athletics

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Weber State men's basketball head coach Eric Duft, center, demonstrates to players, from left, Trevor Hennig, Malek Gomma and Edwin Suarez Jr., on Oct. 8, 2025, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden.

Robert Casey, WSU Athletics

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Weber State forward David Hansen, center, dives on the floor to grab the ball while Edwin Suarez Jr., right, reaches in during practice Sept. 22, 2025, at Swenson Gym in Ogden.

Robert Casey, WSU Athletics

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Weber State guard Brady Smith, right, drives the ball during a drill against Jace Whiting on Oct. 8, 2025, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden.

Robert Casey, WSU Athletics

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Weber State center Bourgeois Tshilobo, center right, rises to shoot against a challenge from David Hansen (33) during practice Sept. 22, 2025, at Swenson Gym in Ogden.

Robert Casey, WSU Athletics

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Weber State men's basketball head coach Eric Duft gestures while he speaks to the team during a practice Oct. 8, 2025, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden.

Robert Casey, WSU Athletics

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Weber State center Declan Cutler jumps for a push shot against Bourgeois Thsilobo (17) during practice Sept. 22, 2025, at Swenson Gym in Ogden.

Robert Casey, WSU Athletics

❮ ❯

OGDEN — There’s no sugar-coating what Weber State men’s basketball is trying to bounce back from.

In sum, 2024-25 brought a program-worst finish (ninth) and winning percentage (.278) in Big Sky Conference play. Among a litany of factors, it didn’t help that two veteran starters were laden with serious health concerns and/or injuries.

“You’re going to have years where you have adversity, you’re going to have years where things don’t go your way, and then you’re going to have people that support you and you’re going to have people that are against you,” Duft said in March. “And what our guys do is they buy into what we do here because we’re going to do things the right way. We’re going to have high-character guys.”

The page turns to the 2025-26 season. Weber State moves forward with eight new scholarship players and new general manager Damian Lillard for head coach Eric Duft’s fourth season in charge.

Duft says the team’s roster focus this season was less about prototypes and more about skill, toughness and finding “ballers.”

“We’ve got to have high-energy, highly competitive guys who love to play and love to compete,” Duft said. “We have eight new guys; all those guys fit that model. We’ve got some hoopers, guys who really love to play and know how to play. … Those transfers all come in with an understanding of what it means to compete every day, and bring energy to the gym.”

The net result is a roster that looks much different than in recent years. WSU has no players 6-foot-10 or taller and, after several years of size at point guard (Koby McEwen, Dillon Jones, Blaise Threatt), Duft and staff focused most on players with a competitive drive meant to lift the team.

“We had to have way more athleticism and more skill at every position; if we had to sacrifice some height at certain spots, that’s what we sacrifice,” Duft said. “But I think we’re still physical.”

Sophomore guard Trevor Hennig said he’s not worried about height issues, as long as everyone gets after it on the glass. Aside from rebounding, he said the goal is to “be tough to guard — get up and down, play fast; we’ve got fives and fours who can pass the ball and score it.”

After a slowed-down exhibition game, Duft said he’d be able to show his team on film the ways they gave up opportunities to push the tempo and get that plan back on track.

Hennig said there’s less spread in age among this year’s team, which helps it feel more tight-knit. He also said that whether it’s the small group of returners or incoming players, most of them have something to prove.

“That hunger, it comes from our competitiveness,” Hennig said. “Just how hard we work, how competitive it is in practice — credit to our coaches, that atmosphere that they create.”

INCOMING TRANSFERS

Weber State went to the Division II ranks for its next point guard and grabbed 5-foot-10 Tijan Saine Jr. from Western Washington. As a sophomore, he averaged 17.3 points, 4.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 46.5% overall, 39.6% from 3 on 101 attempts, and 89.8% at the foul line. Portal Report ranked him the No. 6 best Division II player in the transfer portal.

Saine says he’s noticed there are no “hard-headed people with egos and pride” at Weber State, which has led to togetherness and accountability.

“If you want to be great, you’ve got to set that stuff aside,” Saine said. “Coach Duft’s done a great job holding us all to that standard, especially me, being one of the older guys, a transfer. I’ve got to be a key piece to this team.”

Based on his play last season and what he shows in practice, Saine appears to have what it takes to be the guy when needed most. However that looks, Saine successfully captaining the offense will be crucial for the team’s success.

In the post, WSU brought in Seattle U transfer Malek Gomma, who will start at center after spending two seasons in a backup role behind seniors. The 6-foot-8 junior isn’t as tall as centers in recent past but, even in one exhibition game, was clearly recruited for a smoother offensive game and for his rebounding feel on both ends. He totaled nine points and 14 rebounds (seven offensive, seven defensive) in 26 minutes.

Two more juniors should, if things hold to plan, provide the “glue-guy” element to the new-look club. One is 6-foot-3 guard Jace Whiting, who spent two seasons at Boise State and one at UNLV before transferring “home” (having grown up in Syracuse until high school). The other is 6-foot-6 forward Edwin Suarez Jr., a junior college transfer who was his conference MVP last season.

It’s those two who will be especially counted on to provide a timely shot, a tough rebound, a key offensive putback or a hustle play — things that separate good teams from everyone else.

Junior guards and transfers Brady Smith (Utah) and Tyler Christensen (Colorado Northwest College) are rostered walk-ons this season.

RETURNERS

The 2025-26 squad has just one senior, and that’s 6-foot-7 Nigel Burris. But his role will be much different from last season: most of Burris’s time will be spent as a backup center to Gomma. This should play to his strengths and give WSU a center who can pick and pop, something it hasn’t had before.

Given that, rebounding is, again, likely to make or break this team.

Viljami Vartiainen returns for his third season as a Wildcat. The 6-foot-6 guard is noticeably larger, physically, entering this season. That hopefully allows him better durability and fight to create open shots and defend. He’ll still be counted on to be a marksman; he shot 40.5% from 3 last season and posted a 30-point game in the first round of the conference tournament.

Hennig played all 34 games last season and, in 20 games against Big Sky foes, averaged 10.1 points and 2.3 rebounds per contest while shooting 33.3% from deep. His strength is dribble penetration, and WSU needs a steadier look from the 6-foot-4 guard, night to night, to rise above last season’s setbacks.

Inside, 6-foot-9 Declan Cutler returns for his second season as a more traditional post player. Duft said between the pairs Gomma and Burris, or Cutler and freshman Bourgeois Tshilobo, the Wildcats have interior players who can give the team options to match up with opponents or provide matchup problems to opponents.

And 6-foot-9 forward David Hansen will get on the floor after redshirting last year. The small-town Canadian is a true stretch-four whose best skill is 3-point shooting. In WSU’s exhibition, he was 1 of 2 from distance and plus-six in 14 minutes.

FRESHMEN

The not-so-hidden gem in ArDarius Grayson, a 6-foot point guard from Oakland, has an angle on playing backup point guard and showed why in the team’s exhibition game. Netting three points and three assists doesn’t pop off the stat sheet, but Grayson visibly appeared the most comfortable with the fewest nerves of nearly anybody on the court in the narrow win against Colorado Christian.

Most, including Duft, seemed unconcerned with the result and more concerned with not playing with the style and energy they wanted. But not about Grayson; he threw several high-vision passes and grabbed one key defensive rebound among trees in the second half. The words most often used around campus to describe Grayson are “baller” and “hooper.” He averaged 17.4 points, 7.3 assists and 5.7 rebounds as a senior, and led Oakland Tech to the state title as a junior.

The other three freshmen did not see the floor in the exhibition and it remains to be seen how they fit in the rotation.

Tshilobo, at 6-foot-8, provides a strong body, rebounding and perhaps a more traditional defensive big man if desired. He averaged 9.0 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game while shooting 62% as a high school senior in Mission Hills, California.

Duce Paschal (6-foot-5) could be an X-factor for this team. Duft said Paschal came to Ogden ready to play, can defend well and is strong on the glass. As a senior, he averaged 15 points, six rebounds, two assists and three steals per game in Portland, Oregon.

Anthony Moore (6-foot-5) averaged 17.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 50% from the field as a senior in Stockton, California, leading his team to a state runner-up finish. He sat the exhibition with concussion symptoms.

COACHING STAFF

With Duft, associate head coach Dan Russell and assistant Jorge Ruiz are also in their fourth years as coaches on the front bench; Ruiz is in his eighth year overall with the program.

The main change comes in the second assistant spot; veteran Shaun Vandiver comes to Weber State from Wyoming and with more than 20 years of coaching experience. At age 56, he’s described as a “tireless” recruiter and film analyst, and he’ll spend time coaching post players.

The other is in Lillard’s new role as general manager, providing roster input and financial and other support to the program. The details of how that plays out remain to be seen.

Director of operations Brady Antonopoulos is off to Gonzaga’s large staff. Video coordinator Luke Spring is promoted in his place. Former NBA 2K League professional Bobby Jones Jr. is in place as new video coordinator.

For the first time in at least seven years, WSU basketball has a sports performance/strength and conditioning coach returning for a second year in Tyler Harris.

NUMERICAL ROSTER

0 — Edwin Suarez Jr. (Jr.)

3 — Tijan Saine Jr. (Jr.)

4 — Anthony Moore (Fr.)

5 — Nigel Burris (Sr.)

6 — Trevor Hennig (So.)

7 — Malek Gomma (Jr.)

8 — Viljami Vartiainen (Jr.)

9 — Duce Paschal (Fr.)

11 – Brady Smith (Jr.)

12 — ArDarius Grayson (Fr.)

15 — Declan Cutler (So.)

17 — Bourgeois Tshilobo (Fr.)

22 — Tyler Christensen (Jr.)

24 — Jace Whiting (Jr.)

33 — David Hansen (R-Fr.)

SCHEDULE

Weber State plays at home seven times in the nonconference schedule, including five against Division I teams. That’s tied for the most home DI opponents in the last 20 years.

That includes the first WSU-hosted tournament since the early 1990s with the Junction City Jam, which brings UT-Arlington and Campbell to the Dee Events Center on the week before Thanksgiving.

Otherwise, Weber State stays relatively close to home before league play, with road games at Utah, Utah State and Utah Valley.