The Northwest Conference men’s basketball season is shaping up to be competitive, with Whitworth entering as the team to beat. The Pirates, last year’s regular season champions, earned eight of the nine first-place votes and a total of 64 points in the coaches’ preseason poll.
Whitman, coming off a strong season as a top contender, is picked second with 53 points and one first-place vote, signaling a potential battle at the top of the standings. Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran, tied for third with 44 points each, are also positioned as key challengers this season.
The rest of the conference shows considerable depth, with George Fox and Lewis & Clark tied for fifth with 32 points apiece. Last year, Lewis & Clark captured the NWC Tournament championship, adding intrigue as they look to build on that success. Pacific (27 points), Linfield (16 points), and Willamette (12 points) round out the poll, all aiming to climb the standings this season.
The NWC regular season tips off on Friday, January 2nd, as teams begin their journey toward the 2026 Northwest Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, scheduled for February 27-28, 2026, hosted by the regular season champion.
(Points awarded on an 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Coaches could not vote for their own teams; numbers in parentheses indicate first-place votes.)
2025-26 NWC Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll
| Team |
Pts. |
2024-25 NWC Finish |
| Whitworth (8) |
64 |
1st |
| Whitman (1) |
53 |
3rd |
| Pacific Lutheran |
44 |
2nd |
| Puget Sound |
44 |
5th |
| George Fox |
32 |
5th |
| Lewis & Clark |
32 |
4th |
| Pacific |
27 |
7th |
| Linfield |
16 |
8th |
| Willamette |
12 |
9th |