Crusaders Set Sights on Growth Entering 2026-27 Season
IRVING, Texas – A new season brings a changing landscape for the University of Dallas men's basketball program as the Crusaders prepare to enter the 2026-27 campaign with a reshaped roster, a blend of veteran leadership and emerging talent under head coach Matt Grahn.
Picked to finish sixth in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) preseason coaches' poll, UDallas enters the upcoming season looking to build upon last year's foundation while navigating several personnel changes.
The Crusaders finished the 2025-26 campaign 10-15 overall and 6-10 in conference play, averaging 70.6 points and 33.8 rebounds per contest. Offensively, UDallas demonstrated efficiency throughout the season, shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from beyond the arc while averaging 14.6 assists per game.
Despite those offensive strengths, the Crusaders faced challenges with ball security, averaging 14.2 turnovers per contest while surrendering 73.2 points per game. Improving defensive consistency and limiting possessions lost to turnovers will be important as the program looks to climb the conference standings.
While several familiar faces return, this year's roster introduces new opportunities and a changing dynamic within the program.
Of the 14 players listed on the 2026-27 roster, seven are freshmen or sophomores, while a returning core of experienced contributors provides continuity entering the season. With two seniors leading the group, UDallas will look to balance veteran experience with the development of its younger players.
Senior guard Thomas Fleming headlines the returning group following a standout 2025-26 campaign in which he led the Crusaders with 18.6 points per game. Fleming appeared in 21 contests, starting each, while shooting 45.4 percent from the field and an impressive 43.5 percent from three-point range. His 67 made three-pointers and 91.5 percent free-throw shooting established him as one of the team's most reliable offensive threats.
Joining Fleming in a leadership role is senior forward Terrence Bryant, who averaged 7.9 points and 4.7 rebounds across 24 appearances last season. Bryant made 21 starts and provides valuable experience to a frontcourt tasked with establishing greater consistency on both ends of the floor.
Junior guard Chandler Holmes also returns after averaging 8.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per contest. Holmes started all 21 games in which he appeared, finishing with 33 made three-pointers and 64 assists. His experience and ability to facilitate the offense will be important as the Crusaders develop chemistry within their new lineup.
Sophomore forward Kris Burgan enters the season following a productive campaign in which he averaged 9.6 points and a team-high 7.7 rebounds per game. Burgan shot 56.2 percent from the field while contributing 17 blocked shots, establishing himself as a reliable presence around the basket.
Sophomore guard Luke Paton returns after appearing in all 25 contests last season, averaging 6.4 points while shooting 58.3 percent from the field and 58.1 percent from three-point range. Paton also contributed 52 assists, giving UDallas another versatile option in the backcourt.
Fellow sophomore Finley Montoya looks to build upon a season in which he averaged 5.7 points across 11 appearances, connecting on 40.7 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.
The Crusaders also welcome back Gian Carlo, Mason Crable and Rory Coplin, each looking to expand their contributions within the rotation. Coplin appeared in 17 games last season, averaging 3.4 rebounds per contest, while Carlo and Crable provide additional depth as they continue their collegiate development.
While returning production provides a foundation, several new faces will look to establish themselves within Grahn's system.
Freshman guards Paul Coulombe (New Braunfels, Texas) and Matt Holland (Round Rock, Texas) join the program as 6-foot-3 additions to the backcourt. Their arrival provides additional size on the perimeter as the Crusaders look to develop their offensive rotation.
Sophomore forward Cayden Villescas, a 6-foot-5 product of Fort Worth, Texas, adds another option in the frontcourt, while juniors Gio Gutierrez (El Paso, Texas) and Aiden Schnurr (Richardson, Texas) round out the new additions to this year's roster.
The departure of several contributors from last season, including Johny Olmsted, who averaged 13.8 points and a team-high 3.1 assists per game, leaves opportunities for players to assume greater responsibilities. With Olmsted's production no longer in the lineup, the Crusaders will rely on a combination of returning experience and new talent to maintain their offensive efficiency.
For Grahn and graduate assistant Ekahelo Simpson, the challenge will be integrating the new additions while continuing to develop the program's returning core. Establishing chemistry, improving ball security and building defensive consistency will be important as UDallas prepares for another competitive SCAC schedule.
Although the preseason poll places the Crusaders sixth entering conference competition, the roster presents an opportunity to challenge those expectations. With Fleming and Bryant providing senior leadership, an experienced group of returning contributors and newcomers looking to establish their roles, UDallas enters the season with the pieces to develop a renewed identity.
The 2026-27 campaign represents an opportunity for the Crusaders to turn returning experience into progress while introducing a new generation of talent to the program.
For UDallas men's basketball, the focus will be on more than preseason projections. It will be on establishing the consistency, chemistry and competitive identity needed to move the program forward.
