Quick Facts
LOCK HAVEN, Pa.- Following its first outright PSAC East Regular Season title since 2006, the West Chester University men's basketball team heads into the 2025-26 as the preseason favorite to repeat atop the East as voted upon by the coaches around the PSAC in the Preseason Coaches' Poll. The preseason poll, which featured Gannon as the PSAC West favorite, was released on Thursday morning as part of PSAC Basketball Virtual Media Day.
West Chester matched its single-season win record of 23 a year ago and punched its ticket back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 after finishing PSAC play atop the Eastern Division with a record of 18-3. West Chester closed the regular season on a four-game winning streak and as winners of seven of eight in February to capture the outright crown after earning a share of the East in 2023.
West Chester led the poll as the unanimous favorite, followed by East Stroudsburg, Millersville, Shepherd, and Shippensburg to round out the top five. Lock Haven, Mansfield, Kutztown, and Bloomsburg rounded out the Easter Division. This marks the first time since 2018-19 and the third time under head coach
Damien Blair that West Chester has entered the season as the preseason favorite to win the East.
Gannon, who was ranked 22
nd in the NABC Preseason Coaches' poll as the lone PSAC team in the top-25, received six first-place votes to top the Western Division preseason rankings, followed by Indiana (Pa.), California (Pa.), Slippery Rock, and Seton Hill. Edinboro, Pitt-Johnstown, and Clarion rounded out the Western Division.
West Chester returns three of its five starters, led by All-PSAC selection
Davante Dennis (Baltimore, Md./Red Lion), who averaged 10.4 points per game on 51.9 % shooting in his first year as a Golden Ram a year ago. West Chester also returns
Dylan Blair (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) and
Anthony McCall (Philadelphia, Pa./ANC), who were also fixtures in the starting five last season, averaging 10.1 and 8.9 points per game, respectively. The return of these three, along with six other players, who were key reserves for the Golden Rams a season ago.
Head coach
Damien Blair's charges scored 2,335 points last season, averaging 77.8 points per game, and just over 50% (1,190) of those points return in 2025, thanks in large part to the return of Dennis and Blair. West Chester's calling card, last season and for many years now, has been its defense, which ranked third in the PSAC, limiting opponents to 72.5 points per game on 42.6% shooting, second best in the league. The Golden Rams also led the PSAC for the second straight year in rebounding margin (+7.7), averaging 41.9 rebounds per game while limiting opponents to 34.3 per contest.
While Blair and Golden Ram nation have good reason to be excited about the returning core, West Chester also welcomes in a host of new talent, including true freshmen
Jaysean Williams (Bloomfield, Ct./The Patrick School) and
Donovan Fromhartz (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) along with transfers
Ruben Rodriguez Jr. (Reading, Pa./Reading/Rider), Dinari Boykin (Baltimore, Md./Archbishop Curley/Mars Hill), Gabe Moss (Pottstown, Pa./The Hill School/Delaware), Joe Sedora (York, Pa./Red Lion/Penn State), Xavier Vann (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid/Cuyahoga Community College), and Jake Warren (Downingtown, Pa./Calvary Christian/FDU).
West Chester will open its season in Maryland at the PSAC/CIAA Challenge alongside No. 22 Gannon at Bowie State. West Chester will open its weekend against Fayetteville State on Friday evening at 5 p.m. before facing host Bowie State on Saturday at 3 p.m. The Golden Rams, who are 60-15 at home since the start of the 2019-20 season, including a mark of 14-1 in Hollinger last year, will open their home slate on November 19 against Caldwell at 7 p.m. before opening league play against Pitt-Johnstown at 3 p.m. on December 6.
