Westcliff’s Men’s Basketball Picked As Cal Pac Preseason Favorites
Posted: Oct 22, 2025

Westcliff’s Men’s Basketball Picked As Cal Pac Preseason Favorites

This will be a historic season in men's basketball and a new conference champion will be crowned for the first time in Cal Pac history as none of the current members own a regular season title.

The Westcliff men's program has been tabbed as the preseason favorites heading into the 2025-26 season. The Warriors (14-9; 7-3 Cal Pac) finished second in the regular season standings before defeating UC Merced in last year's conference tournament finals to advance to the NAIA nationals. Jeremiah Paulino, a sophomore guard from Fitzburg, MA, returns to run the offense and was fourth on the team in scoring (9.5 ppg) in his freshman season. Also back is senior combo guard Lorenzo Marsh from Long Beach, CA, who redshirted last season. 

Simpson (11-16; 3-7 Cal Pac) who finished just outside of earning a spot in last year's conference championships is picked #2 and returns junior Timothy Parker. The guard from Riverside, CA, led the team in scoring last year at 13 points per night and earned Cal Pac First Team honors. Also returning are junior guards Kellen Torrey (San Ramon, CA) and Jack Jillson (San Marcos, CA) as well as senior center Drew Nelson (Redding, CA) who will provide valuable leadership and experience to the team.

The newest addition to the Cal Pac Conference is Northern New Mexico (9-21; 3-1) and are picked #3 and returns Jesus Mendoza. The junior guard from El Paso, TX, was fourth on the team in scoring (7.3 ppg). The Eagles also added four junior college transfers to help bolster the team on the offensive and defensive side. 

Cal Maritime (9-16; 4-6 Cal Pac) is in the fourth spot this season and was the 4th seed in last year's conference tournament. The Keelhaulers return 2024-25 Cal Pac Freshman of the Year Nick Stone. The sophomore guard from Sacramento, CA, averaged 6 points last season, played all 25 games and had a season high of 15 points against Northern Arizona. Also back is  2024-25 Cal Pac Second Team selection Lawrence Long. Long, a sophomore forward from Long Beach, CA, led the league in points per minute (22.0) and ranked 10th in blocks (9). They also boosted their roster by adding four JUCO players to add depth to their lineup.

Pacific Union (3-18; 2-8 Cal Pac) is picked #5 and edged out Stanton (3-14; 0-2) who is also in its inaugural season in the Cal Pac.

The season opener begins tomorrow, October 23, 2025, as Pacific Union hosts Nelson University (AZ) at 8:00pm PST in Angwin, CA.


2025-26 CAL PAC MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON COACHES' POLL

  1. Westcliff (6)

  2. Simpson 

  3. Northern New Mexico 

  4. Cal Maritime

  5. Pacific Union

  6. Stanton

#therightwaytoplay