Bulldog basketball season begins to ramp up for both teams
Both Bulldog women’s and men’s basketball teams have begun to kick off their respective 2026-27 seasons. The women’s team is coming off an exhibition stretch against two Division I schools, Creighton University and the University of Notre Dame. The men’s team opened their exhibition game against Missouri State University Nov. 6.
The women’s team tied for fifth in the GLVC coaches’ preseason poll and is returning 10 players from last year, as well as three freshmen and three transfers. Within the 10 returners are last year’s top six scorers, including First Team All-GLVC and GLVC All-Newcomer Team redshirt senior Emajin McCallop.
McCallop said some of the team goals for this season include winning the GLVC tournament and making a push for the national tournament.
“We have goals that we set in our team, so [we are] just trying to reach those goals,” McCallop said. “Obviously, we want to go to conference, but not just settling there, [also] winning conference. Like, okay, we’re gonna win conference and then go make a run in the [national] tournament and have those bigger goals for us as well… we have a lot of talent, so just playing to our full potential.”
McCallop said another big goal for this season is an undefeated record at home.
When it comes to the new playing style for this year’s team, women’s basketball head coach Theo Dean said that the team is focused on playing fast and aggressive and for each other.
“If you play for each other, your style of play is going to be up-tempo, moving the ball side to side, attacking hard, making the extra pass,” Dean said. “We preach that, so our style should be that… the goal is to play fast, shoot threes, take great shots. Hold teams to one shot per possession, defend hard, defend aggressively and have fun.”
On the other side of the court, the men’s team has rostered 11 newcomers, and is returning only four players from last year. Experience from the transfers range from Division I schools to junior colleges. The men’s team tied for eleventh in the preseason coaches’ poll.
Second-year men’s basketball head coach Mike Worley said the identity of this year’s team should come from the defensive end when it comes to playing style.
“I think the identity has got to be on the defensive end,” Worley said. “You know, we’re going to have to be gritty and physical and try to guard the bounce… Try to be efficient in the way we play defensively. Now, offensively, I think a lot of that starts with how you guard the other end. It’s a 94-foot game, right? So, if you can get a rebound quickly and cleanly, then you can probably play faster with an advantage on the other end. So, we’re more of a defensive minded team, we start with consciousness on that end first.”
Worley said the thing that he is the most excited for is seeing the development of the team as they have worked in the off-season. He also said he looks forward to seeing more of the student community at games this season.
When it comes to drawing the student community to games, returning junior Marquis Carver-Smith said this year’s team should be fun to watch.
“We’re pretty athletic, so there’ll be a lot of dunks,” Carver-Smith said. “Also, we’re a great shooting team, so a lot of dunks, a lot of threes and we play really fast, so it’s gonna be fun. Fun to watch, for sure.”
The men’s team went straight into their first regular season home game Nov. 9 against Delta State University. On the other side, the women’s team doesn’t host their first home game until Nov. 28, following a nine-game away stretch that kicked off Oct. 30.
