Last season, the Fort Lewis College men’s basketball team outperformed preseason expectations and the Skyhawks hope to do the same for the 2025-2026 season.
There were a lot of unknowns for the FLC men’s basketball program at the start of the 2024-2025 season. Jordan Mast took over as head coach from Bob Pietrack. Mast had a new roster and it was his first time as a head coach at the Division II level.
So it wasn’t a surprise when FLC was picked ninth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference preseason poll in 2024. But Mast and his coaching staff showed their coaching abilities and the Skyhawks finished the season sixth in the RMAC at 19-12 overall and 12-8 in the RMAC.
This season, FLC was picked fifth in the RMAC preseason poll. Mast looks to outperform preseason expectations again by hosting a regional in the NCAA tournament with a great mix of returners, transfers and freshmen who will take the Bob Hofman Court in Whalen Gymnasium this season.
“We are very excited for this year's team, and think we have a really good group, both on and off the court,” Mast said.
FLC did lose its leading scorer (16.3 points per game) to graduation in guard Biko Johnson. The Skyhawks also lost their third-leading scorer (12.5 PPG) to graduation and top passer (3.27 assists per game) in guard Tru Allen.
The Skyhawks return a strong nucleus, led by fifth-year forward Chuol Deng. The 6-foot-7-inch forward had opportunities to go to the Division I level, but decided to return to FLC after he was Second Team All-RMAC after averaging 13.4 PPG and a team-high 7.9 rebounds per game.
Deng is an ideal power forward in the modern game, who can shoot from 3-point range, the mid-range and can finish around the rim. He can handle the ball, create his own shot and rebound the ball on both ends.
“His shot selection and picking his spots,” Mast said about where Deng’s improved. “Knowing when to be ultra-aggressive, knowing what shots we want him shooting, knowing how to take advantage of mismatches the way that we want … His skills are sharper. His ability to finish around the rim has gotten better. He's attacking off the dribble better. His decision-making is better.”
Deng worked even harder in the offseason after his stellar first year as a Skyhawk, according to Mast. He thinks Deng has elevated from an All-RMAC-type player to a player who could win RMAC Player of the Year and could average 20 points and 10 rebounds a game.
Another major returner is redshirt sophomore Stewart Erhart. As a redshirt freshman last season, Erhart stepped on the floor and immediately impacted winning with his stellar defense in FLC’s trapping and full-court pressing scheme. He led the team with 2.5 steals per game and was fourth on the team with 8.0 PPG.
Erhart showed an ability to score and shoot at times last year, but Mast said Erhart has taken a big jump on the offensive end and should be more of a scorer this year.
FLC also returns key role players who have gotten better in senior forwards Keither Florence and Cassius Carmichael and redshirt sophomore guard Nathan Penney.
Despite being undersized, Florence was a great finisher inside and a good rebounder in limited minutes. Carmichael was a little more diverse on the offensive end as he showed his 3-point shooting more at the end of the year, but like Florence, he mixed it up inside. Penney didn’t see a lot of time last season, but was an athletic guard who showed finishing and shooting ability.
All of the returners will be helped by the addition of transfer senior forward Massal Diouf. Originally from Gouda, Netherlands, Diouf played at Division I Western Illinois University last season, making 12 starts in 22 games. He averaged 12.1 minutes per game, 3.1 PPG and 2.8 RPG.
At 6-foot-9-inches and 245 pounds, Diouf is nearly 40 pounds heavier than any player in last season’s rotation.
“He’s a huge presence, especially down low … and what I'm impressed with is we didn't sacrifice our mobility,” Mast said. “He's not just a back-to-the-basket big that can't move. He can get out on the press. He moves very well.”
“The thing I'm most excited about is he is the ultimate leader,” Mast continued. “Fans are going to hear him from tip off until the end of the game. He is relentless on his talking ability and how he leads. This is his fourth year playing at a high level, so he just kind of gets it.”
Size was one of the priorities for Mast in the offseason and he got it with Diouf. Last season, all of the FLC forwards and even some guards were guarding out of position because the Skyhawks didn’t have a true center.
With Diouf, Deng can guard power forwards instead of centers and doesn’t have to be around the rim as much on offense. Carmichael can play at small forward instead of power forward and center, Florence can play at power forward instead of center. Even Erhart can stick to defending guards instead of sliding down to guard forwards like he did last season. Diouf’s size should help FLC improve on its fourth-worst rebounding margin in the RMAC last season.
Another transfer that will help with FLC’s size is junior guard Donald Bangham Jr. The 6-foot-5-inch, 195-pound transfer from the junior college level at Chipola College is an elite athlete with great size on the wing that will fit into FLC’s defense perfectly. Skyhawks fans will enjoy seeing him get out in transition.
After adding size, Mast wanted to add scoring. FLC was 14th out of 15 schools in the RMAC last season in field goal percentage. One reason Mast thinks the team will be more efficient because the returners know what’s expected on offense. Another reason is the additions of transfer guards Jude Tapia, Jaxon Smith and Yorgio Golesis.
Tapia, a senior guard from Albuquerque, played at Adams State and led the RMAC in scoring with 17.4 PPG. His sister, Abila, is a key member of the FLC women’s soccer team.
Unfortunately for Tapia and Skyhawks fans, Tapia tore his meniscus in the offseason and won’t be ready to play until the new year. Once he’s healthy, Mast thinks Tapia will be more efficient than he was at Adams State because of all the weapons he has around him at FLC.
Smith, a redshirt sophomore from Bountiful, Utah, spent the last two seasons at Division I Utah State. He’s known as an elite shooter.
Golesis, a junior guard from Salt Lake City, spent his first two years at NAIA Oklahoma City University. Mast thinks he’ll start at point guard and thinks he’s an elite floor general who can move the ball and make winning plays.
Mast and his staff have brought in four freshmen, but two of the most promising ones are injured. Guard Daniel Steverson tore his ACL and is out for the year and forward Garrett Barger broke his collarbone and could miss the rest of the year, depending on how the break heals.
Even with the injuries, Mast expects to run a nine-man rotation at the start of the year. When Tapia returns, Mast thinks the rotation will go 10 deep.
Like last season, FLC will start the regular season on the road. Last year it was in Florida, this season it will be in Portales, New Mexico, playing Eastern New Mexico on Friday and Western New Mexico on Saturday.
Mast is excited about his nonconference schedule, with FLC playing top Lone Star Conference teams like No. 25 Lubbock Christian University in Durango on Nov. 22, West Texas A&M on the road on Nov. 29 and St. Mary’s University in Texas on Dec. 17.
Once FLC gets into RMAC play, Mast is excited to face RMAC preseason favorite, No. 17 Black Hills State, No. 10 Colorado School of Mines and postseason rival from the past few seasons, Colorado Mesa.
All of these tough games will be crucial for Mast and his team to achieve their goal of hosting a regional. The top team in each region hosts the regional in the Division II NCAA tournament, which consists of the first three rounds.
“We expect to compete not only for an RMAC championship, but for a regional championship and compete nationally,” Mast said. “We had those expectations Year 1, where a lot of people thought we were crazy. Obviously we felt short. But I am a big believer in expecting and setting a standard of excellence and we have that same standard this year.”
bkelly@durangoherald.com
