Kennesaw State men's basketball is chasing another title. Last season the Owls went 21-14, reached the NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history and won their first Conference USA Tournament championship. They were the only team in the country to beat three top-four seeds in their conference tournament, knocking off Western Kentucky, Sam Houston State and Louisiana Tech in three days.
The Returning Core
Returning starters Trey Simpson and Amir Taylor both made the Preseason All-CUSA team. Simpson is the top returning scorer, after averaging 9.0 points and 4.9 rebounds as a freshman. Taylor averaged 7.5 points and shot 56% from the field and 41% from three. Kaden Rickard is back too, after tying his career high with 14 points against Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament.
"This year I have a different role," Simpson said, per Kennesaw State Athletics.
New Faces
Five transfers and six freshmen join the program. Jacoby Hill (Jacksonville State) and Avery Thomas II (Louisiana Tech) bring CUSA experience, and Thomas started against KSU in last season's title game. Freshman forward Kyler Theophile, a top-50 Florida recruit, is expected to contribute right away. As a group, the roster returns 4,269 minutes of conference play from 2025-26, the most in the league.
Outlook
Head coach Antoine Pettway won the 2026 Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year award. He opens his fourth season tonight against Midway at 7 p.m. ET at VyStar Arena on ESPN+. Read our Midway game preview. After four straight home games, the Owls visit Alabama on Nov. 17 and play in the Cancun Challenge. CUSA play opens New Year's Eve against Western Kentucky. See the full 2026 Kennesaw State schedule.
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Source: Kennesaw State Athletics, Championship Core Leads Owls into New Season