Jamestown, N.D. – The University of Jamestown men's basketball team, under third year head coach Casey Bruggeman, is set to begin their 2026-27 season down in the Sooner State against Southern Nazarene University on November 13.
 
This upcoming campaign marks UJ's second year in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) and the first as full NCAA Division-II members. In addition to being eligible for various awards, the Jimmies can also qualify for NSIC postseason play as well as NCAA Tournament competition.
 
The Team
 
UJ will have to fill some big holes from last season's team that finished with a 14-14 overall record and went 12-10 in the NSIC.
 
One key piece back, however, is sophomore guard Ford Okehi. Okehi played in all 28 games and started in all 10, posting 9.9 points per game, 3.4 rebounds per game, and 3 assists per game in 2025-26.
 
Looking to take on a much larger role this year, the 6-2 Brooklyn, N.Y native was named the Jamestown Player to Watch ahead of the 2026-27 season and it is very apparent why. After only putting up 13 total points in his first three games, Okehi then rattled off seven straight contests scoring in double figures. This included a huge 25-point performance in a double overtime win against the University of Mary (12/6/25) where he went 3-for-4 from the arc and added seven rebounds and four assists as well. 
 
Okehi continued to shine as the season went along with his minutes increasing as he was inserted into the starting lineup for 10 of the final 12 games of the season. He finished his year with at least 10 points in four of his last five games, including 13 points and a career-high eight assists in the season finale against UMary (2/21).
 
An additional key piece coming back for his fifth season is Carson Woodford who brings experience and size to the table. The 6-7 forward from Redwood Falls, Minnesota started 20 times last season with an average of 4.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. He shot 65% from the floor and dished out 24 assists as well.
 
Woodford played a big role in the first-ever win as a D-II school when the Jimmies played Northwestern Oklahoma State University (11/15). In that 68-66 victory, he provided 11 points on 4-for-4 shooting. Woodford's season-high came on the road at Minnesota State University (1/24) where he put in 12 points and grabbed five rebounds as well.
 
Henry Meyer and Zeke Austin also make their way back to Jamestown with both these two playing in all 28 games last season. Meyer chipped in an average of four points and two rebounds per game while Austin averaged 3.7 points while shooting 38% (24-64) from beyond the arc.
 
More returners include Spencer Barr, Turo Moni, Malek Wieker, Matas Gaidukevicius, Ryan Hirst, Trey Skoglund, and Matt Angelo with these seven looking to push the Jimmies towards the top of the NSIC.
 
A plethora of newcomers join the roster as well, featuring a diverse class of transfers as well as several freshmen with tremendous success at the high school level.
 
The five first-year players will be Ezra Cunningham (St. Paul, Minn.), Tristan Hanson (Lino Lakes, Minn.), Reggie Parker (Rochester, Minn.), Colton Reinke (Fargo, N.D.), and Pablo Rodriguez (Chicago, Ill.).
 
Transferring in is Lincoln Cantrall (3 PPG, 2 RPG at Colorado Christian University), Wylee Delorme (1.9 PPG, 1.1 RPG at the University of North Dakota), Brandon Hymes (13.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.2 APG at Dawson Community College), and Marcus Lawson (11.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG at the University of Providence).
 
The Staff
 
Bruggeman returns for his third year on the bench for Jamestown. After a playing career at nearby Concordia College (Minn.) in Moorhead where he earned his bachelor's in 2016, Bruggeman moved into an assistant coaching role at UMary where he also got his master's in physical education and athletic administration in 2018.
 
The Pelican Rapids, Minn. native also had stops at the University of Minnesota Duluth and the University of South Dakota before coming to Jamestown ahead of the 2024-25 season. During his first season at the helm, Bruggeman led the Jimmies to a 17-11 overall record and second-place finish with an 11-4 record in the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA). The Jimmies got to the NSAA Championship game where they lost 67-62 to Dickinson State University.
 
During the 2025-26 season, the Jimmies were selected to finish 14^th in the NSIC Coaches' Preseason Poll, but drastically outperformed expectations to finish seventh overall and one game out of first place in the North Division with their overall record at 14-14 and 12-10 in the conference. Through two seasons, Bruggeman has coached three All-Conference selections, include Anthony Walters who just last season earned NSIC North Player of the Year as well First Team All-Central Region.
 
Bruggeman's two assistants will be back on the bench in Tath Dak and Nate Symens. Dak was a four-year player at the University of Minnesota Morris, then spent a couple of years as a graduate assistant at Southwest Minnesota State University, working under Brad Bigler with one of the most successful programs in the NSIC. Like Bruggeman, Dak is in his third year as an assistant at UJ.
 
Symens was hired at Jamestown midway through the 2025-26 season after spending the 2024-25 season as an assistant coach for UMary. A newcomer to the staff will be Student Assistant Coach Navonn Fields.  
 
The Schedule
 
The Jimmies will play 28 regular-season games during the 2026-27 campaign, including 13 home contests and 22 NSIC matchups.
 
For the second consecutive season, Jamestown will open their schedule in the Oklahoma City area, competing in the GAC/NSIC Challenge hosted by Southern Nazarene University. The Jimmies will begin their season against host Southern Nazarene (11/13) before facing Southeastern Oklahoma State University in a neutral site contest the following day (11/14).
 
UJ will be in Harold Newman Arena for their first home games of the season the following week, hosting Oak Hills Christian College (11/17) and NSIC team Winona State University (11/21) in a nonconference matchup.
 
The Jimmies will begin NSIC action shortly before Thanksgiving when they welcome travel partner Northern State University to Jamestown (11/24). Following the holiday, UJ will travel to Moorhead, Minn., for the MSU Moorhead Thanksgiving Classic. Jamestown will face a pair of NSIC South opponents in neutral-site nonconference games, taking on Concordia University St. Paul (11/28) and SMSU (11/29).
 
December begins with a home contest against UMary (12/3) before the Jimmies travel to Minot State University (12/5).
 
The following weekend begins with a trip to Northern Minnesota, where Jamestown will visit Bemidji State University (12/10) and the University of Minnesota Duluth (12/12).
 
UJ will close out the 2026 calendar year with two home games at Harold Newman Arena, hosting the University of Minnesota Crookston (12/17) and Minnesota State University Moorhead (12/19).
 
After the holiday break, Jamestown will return to action with a trip to South Dakota for its second meeting of the season against Northern State (1/2).
 
The Jimmies will then begin an eight-game against NSIC South Division opponents, starting with a pair of home contests against Wayne State College (1/8) and Augustana University (1/9).
 
A four-game road trip follows, beginning with visits to Winona State (1/15) and Concordia St. Paul (1/16). UJ will remain on the road the following weekend, facing the University of Sioux Falls (1/22) and Southwest Minnesota State (1/23).
 
Jamestown will wrap up its matchups against the NSIC South Division with a return to Harold Newman Arena to host Minnesota State (1/29) and St. Cloud State University (1/30).
 
Only six regular-season games remain on the schedule in February, evenly split between home and road contests. The month begins with a trip to Northwestern Minnesota, where UJ will take on MSU Moorhead (2/4) and then Minnesota Crookston (2/6).
 
The Jimmies will return home for their second-to-last weekend of the regular season, hosting Minnesota Duluth (2/11) and Bemidji State (2/13).
 
The 2026-27 regular season concludes with two in-state matchups, beginning with a road contest against UMary in Bismarck (2/18). Jamestown will then host Minot State (2/20) for their regular-season finale.
 
With the University of Jamestown earning full NCAA Division II membership over the summer, the Jimmies are now eligible to compete in the NSIC Tournament if they finish among the top 12 teams in the overall conference standings.
 
The opening round of the NSIC Tournament is scheduled for Wednesday, February 24, at campus sites. The quarterfinals, semifinals and championship will take place from February 27 through March 2 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.
 
For the latest game previews, recaps and updates throughout the 2026-27 season, visit jimmiepride.com to stay up to date with everything related to Jamestown men's basketball.