Connor May, named a fourth-team preseason All-American, will have a larger role in his sophomore year. (Ella Giere | Photo Editor)

Last year, the WashU men’s basketball team made it painfully close to their first national championship appearance since their repeat title in the 2008-09 season, but fell short in the Final Four to New York University. As the Bears prepare to kick off the 2025-26 season, WashU is once again in prime shape for a deep playoff run and to contend for the University Athletic Association (UAA) title. Ranked No. 5 in Division III, WashU has the team to make it happen.

Entering the season, the Bears’ most pressing task is to make up for the departures of Hayden Doyle and Drake Kindsvater, the Bears’ two leading scorers in the 2024-25 season. After the two graduated, the Bears are without not only their two best offensive players but their two most prominent leaders on the team. While head coach Pat Juckem conceded that no one can replace Doyle and Kindsvater on the court, he is confident that the team will use its depth to make up for their absence.

“We have a balanced group,” Juckem said. “We have depth all the way through … without question, Hayden and Drake were four-year stalwarts, and it is a change, but you feel them in terms of the legacy that they left behind. We’re excited for guys to have to evolve into and emerge in new roles.”

This season, the Bears are led by a group of upperclassmen that includes sophomore Connor May, a preseason Fourth Team All-American and the reigning UAA Rookie of the Year. In his first year with WashU, May came off the bench for most of the season. In 2025-26, the team will rely on May for greater offensive production in the starting lineup. Senior forward Will Grudzinski and centers senior Calvin Kapral and junior Jake Davis round out the Bears’ frontcourt, while guards senior Yogi Oliff and graduate student Kyle Beedon will make up the backcourt. 

Beedon, who missed the entire 2024-25 season with an ACL injury, returns for a fifth year this season. After serving as an unofficial assistant coach last year, the 3-point specialist is eager to return to the court and strengthen the Bears’ bid to return to the NCAA tournament. 

“Our culture this past season was just the best that I’ve ever seen,” Beedon said. “So I think going forward, we’re just trying to keep building on that, bringing positive energy. We don’t start playing basketball in March. … We just take practice one day at a time and really focus in on the moment and just try and try and build.”

Last year’s team culture prioritized a team-oriented, unselfish style of play that puts winning first. The Bears have a term for this: the Buddhist mantra “mudita.”

“We always emphasize this phrase of mudita, which is just happiness for one another, and regardless of who’s playing,” May said. “I think we all are very happy for each other and our successes, and as long as it’s team success, I think we are really good with that.”

The unselfish style of play is key to the Bears’ strategy. They get the ball in the hands of the right players, and it shows in the statsheet. Last year, WashU averaged over five full assists per game more than their opponents, leading to a heightened level of offensive efficiency.  This season should be no different.

“Last year, after we won that first [tournament] game, … it was not a huge sigh of relief; we really wanted to get over that hump and into the Final Four,” Oliff said. “Obviously, the ultimate goal is still to win it, and we came up short, so that still stings. … We have a high standard, and we’re going to do everything we can to put ourselves in that position again to accomplish the ultimate goal, which is to win a national championship.”

As a sophomore, Oliff led the team in rebounds from the guard position. However, last year, he was in and out of play, battling injuries and illnesses. With poor health behind him, the guard’s continued presence is vital to building consistency for this season’s team.

“It’s really hard to have injuries in the middle of the season,” Oliff said. “You’re losing your conditioning, but you’re also losing practice reps and basketball reps. … I’m going to do everything in my power to stay healthy.”

The return of Beedon’s shooting will add to what is already a strength for WashU. The Bears were strong from behind the arc last year, shooting 38% as a team. Transition offense is another key point of emphasis — the Bears will once again look to play tough defense, cause turnovers, rebound hard, and run off the break in transition. Strong rebounding from Oliff and other guards has historically allowed the Bears to get the ball in transition and push the pace — and this year appears to be no different. 

“We’ve got a really talented, really competitive roster of guys,” Juckem said. “We’ve got pretty athletic, strong, high-IQ players. We play more of a fast-paced but conceptual [game], reacting not only to what the defense is doing, but to each other’s abilities, and that takes some pretty quick processing ability.”

Last year’s tournament run was a complete team effort; however, it might not have been possible without May. As a first-year forward, May was named All-UAA Honorable Mention, played in all 30 games, and shot 47% from the field and 42% from behind the arc. While it’s clear that his talent and postseason experience are expected to propel the Bears’ performance, May points to his squad’s culture of trust and support as an indicator of success in the upcoming season.  

“I haven’t been a part of a team where, across the board, everyone is this good, and everyone could have a potential chance of playing,” May said. “And I think one of the things on the court is [that] there’s only five guys that can play, right? And even though we’re all really good, we’re all happy for one another. We’re all rooting for that team success.”

The team has not only seen development across the roster, but has also brought in four first-years to the squad: guards Josh Kim, Colby Smith, and Theo Rocca, as well as 6’8” forward Jack Cubbage. According to May, these first-years add to the team culture both on and off the court in terms of their poise, eagerness to improve, and dedication to team camaraderie.  

“Our team dynamic this year is really special,” May said. “Everyone is really close, from top to bottom, all ages. And I think it’s going to make this year really special for sure.”

The Bears will open the 2025-26 season in the Field House on Nov. 7 at 6:00 p.m. against Carroll University, kicking off a streak of seven straight home games for the Bears to begin the season. The Bears won’t face a ranked opponent until Dec. 18, when they host No. 16 Illinois Wesleyan University ahead of their always-challenging UAA schedule. To make it back to the tournament, WashU must defeat both ranked and UAA opponents — and exhibit mudita along the way.

“We understand what it takes,” Juckem said. “We’re willing to put in the hard work necessary to give ourselves a chance.”