BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The University of Sioux Falls Men's Basketball team has been selected to finish 11th overall and seventh in the South Division in the 2026-27 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Preseason Coaches' Poll, earning 95 overall points and 16 divisional points. The Cougars enter the upcoming season with an experienced returning roster, highlighted by standout guard Taylen Ashley, who has been named USF's NSIC Player to Watch.

Minnesota State was selected as the overall preseason favorite with 216 points and eight first-place votes, narrowly edging St. Cloud State, which received 211 points and six first-place votes. Minnesota Duluth followed in third with 195 points and one first-place vote, while Southwest Minnesota State rounded out the top four with 170 points. In the South Division, Minnesota State and St. Cloud State shared the top spot with 45 points each, while Sioux Falls was picked seventh with 16 points.

Despite their preseason placement, the Cougars enter the 2026-27 campaign with optimism surrounding a roster that returns eight starters and rotation players from last season. Under the direction of head coach Chris Johnson, Sioux Falls looks to capitalize on the momentum generated during the second half of the 2025-26 season, leaning on continuity, experience and improved depth as the program prepares for another competitive NSIC schedule.

"I am excited about this year's team for many reasons, continuity, depth, and experience being the main reasons. We return eight starters/rotation players from last season. We played our best basketball last year in the second half and think we can build on that because of our continuity and experience. We also believe that we have really nice depth this season."

-Head Coach, Chris Johnson

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Ashley Named NSIC Player to Watch

Highlighting the Cougars' returning talent is Ashley, a redshirt junior guard who has developed into one of the conference's most productive offensive players. The Sioux Falls, South Dakota, native and Jefferson High School product enters the 2026-27 season with 793 career points, averaging 14.4 points per game through his first two collegiate seasons on the court.

Ashley has appeared in 55 career games with 53 starts, averaging 31.5 minutes per contest while shooting 42.4 percent from the field and 36.2 percent from three-point range. Beyond his scoring production, he has accumulated 194 rebounds, 170 assists and 32 steals, providing the Cougars with a versatile presence capable of impacting multiple areas of the game.

"Taylen has been an important part of our team since he walked on campus. He's a great leader, has a great work ethic and his teammates love him. He's tough and can play multiple positions for us. I believe he's the leading returning scorer in the league or at least one of the top 2-3 at worst. We will count on Taylen to take another step this year, which I have no doubt he will. We believe he's one of the best players in the NSIC."

-Head Coach, Chris Johnson

During his redshirt sophomore campaign in 2025-26, Ashley led Sioux Falls with 16.0 points per game, totaling a team-best 415 points across 26 appearances and 24 starts. He shot 43.3 percent from the field, connected on 51 three-pointers and averaged 3.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest while logging nearly 32 minutes per game.

Ashley reached the 20-point mark on seven occasions throughout the season, highlighted by a career-high 36-point performance against crosstown rival Augustana. In that contest, he knocked down seven three-pointers, delivering one of the Cougars' most impressive individual scoring performances of the year.

His offensive production also included a pair of 30-point outings against Wayne State, while his playmaking ability was on display with a season-high eight assists in a road matchup at Augustana. Ashley's standout performances earned him NSIC Athlete of the Week recognition, along with Dave & Buster's USF Athlete of the Week honors.

The sophomore campaign built upon a productive debut season in 2024-25, when Ashley started all 29 games and averaged 13.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per contest. He finished his first season on the floor with 378 points, shooting 37.5 percent from beyond the arc while connecting on 57 three-pointers. His freshman campaign featured a pair of 24-point performances against Chadron State and Concordia-St. Paul.

With two seasons of starting experience and continued growth as both a scorer and facilitator, Ashley enters the upcoming campaign as a key piece of the Cougars' offensive attack. His leadership and versatility will be central to Sioux Falls' efforts to build upon last season's late-season momentum.

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SINGLE GAME & SEASON TICKET

Single game tickets are now available for the 2026-27 season. Upon purchase, fans will receive an order confirmation via email. Tickets will be accessible through their online account, and fans are encouraged to download and save tickets to their Apple Wallet or Google Wallet for the most efficient entry on gameday.

Fans can purchase tickets at USFCougars.com/Tickets.

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