STORM LAKE, Iowa (Oct. 21, 2025) - The American Rivers Conference announced its 2025-26 Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll on Tuesday afternoon, and the Buena Vista men's basketball team generated 24 total points and landed seventh in the poll.

The Beavers are coming off a 12-13 campaign a season ago, which included a 7-9 mark in conference play, and missed out on the conference tournament by one game. Gone from that team to graduation are Second Team All-Conference players, Zane Neubaum and Gunner Reed.

Under first-year head coach Jeff Horner, the team does return a great deal of experience, including Honorable Mention All-Conference performer in junior Carter Sievers. Fellow junior Kyle Sternberg returns as well after starting over 20 games last season, while senior Jackson Jones was a top player off the bench. Those four look to mix well with the additional returners as well as a strong incoming first-year class.

"Our team is excited to play in such a tough conference," Horner said. "We bring back experienced players who have worked hard, and those guys mixed with our newcomers should be fun to watch."

The defending champions from the University of Dubuque have been tabbed as the preseason favorite to repeat this season. The Spartans received seven of the possible eight first-place votes and generated 63 points to finish ahead of Nebraska Wesleyan (54 points). Loras College landed the final two first-place votes and was picked third with 53 points.
 

Place	Team (first-place votes)	Points
1.	Univ. of Dubuque (7)	63
2.	Nebraska Wesleyan Univ.	54
3.	Loras College (2)	53
4.	Coe College	38
5.	Central College	35
6.	Wartburg College	30
7.	Buena Vista Univ.	24
8.	Simpson College	15
9.	Luther College	12

Buena Vista tips-off the 2025-26 at home on Nov. 14-15, hosting the Central Bank Classic. BVU will play the College of St. Scholastica at 7 p.m. on Nov. 14 and take on Minnesota-Morris on Nov. 15 at 4 p.m. Following an exhibition game at Drake University on Friday, Nov. 21, the team returns back to Siebens Fieldhouse on Saturday, Nov. 22 to host Bethel University.

The 16-game American Rivers Conference schedule begins for BVU on Wednesday, Dec. 3, at home against Coe College at 7:30 p.m. It continues on Saturday, Dec. 5, at Central College (4 p.m.) before the Beavers also host Simpson College prior to the holiday break on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 4 p.m.

The full 2025-26 BVU Men's Basketball schedule can be found HERE.