The Connors State College men's basketball team opens a new season on Monday November 3rd as a Top 5 Nationally Ranked Team.

The Cowboys will start the 2025-26 season at No. 5 in the NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Rankings, which were released on Monday by the NJCAA.

Perennial Texas power and Defending National Champion Trinity Valley Community College is the preseason No. 1 pick. South Plains is No. 2 and Daytona State College is No. 3. Vincennes University is at No. 4 and the Connors State College Cowboys check in at No. 5.

No other Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Confefence team is in the preseason rankings.

Connors State will return six letterwinners from last seasons Team that played for the schools second National Championship. The Cowboys posted a 32-4 record and advanced to the schools 17th trip to the 2025 NJCAA Tournament.

Head Coach Bill Muse will have four freshman and seven sophomores when the team begins its run for what could be the teams third straight trip back to the National Tournament and fourth time in the last five years.

The Cowboys return two of their top four leasding scorers off last season team in Sophomore Kevin Stubblefield Jr (6-foot-5, 193 pounds, Omaha, NE) averaged 13.9 points and 4.3 rebounds. Sophomore Guard Aric Walls (6-3, 160, Dallas, TX) averaged 10.9 points and 2.9 rebounds.

The Cowboys open the 2025-26 season at home against Allen Community College on Monday November 3rd at 7:00pm inside Melvin Self Fieldhouse.