PUEBLO, Colo. – A new era of Colorado State University Pueblo men's basketball begins this weekend as head coach Zach Ruebesam and the ThunderWolves open the 2025-26 season with games at Cameron and Midwestern State as part of the South Central Regional Challenge.

The 2025-26 season opener is slated for Friday, Nov. 14, in Lawton, Okla., as the Pack will face Cameron University at 6:30 p.m. MT, and less than 24 hours later, the Pack will play in Wichita Falls, Texas, against Midwestern State. Tip-off for the MSU game is scheduled for 3 p.m. MT. This marks the fifth consecutive and sixth time in the last seven seasons that the Pack is opening its campaign against Cameron and Midwestern State. Last season, the Pack opened the season with an 83-64 home win over Cameron on Nov. 8 and collected an 80-60 home win on Nov. 10 against Midwestern State.

Ruebesam, who was named the eighth head men's basketball coach since becoming a four-year school in 1962, welcomes back eight returners and eight newcomers, including four transfers, from last season's 12-16 team that finished tied for 10th in the RMAC standings with a 7-13 record.

"We've had a really good preseason setting our standards and how we're going to play and how we're going to guard," said Ruebesam, who came to CSU Pueblo after spending the past four seasons working on Tad Boyle's staff at the University of Colorado. "The first thing about this group is I love the way they let me coach them. We come to the gym and compete every day. They let me coach them hard, and they know I care about them both on and off the court."

Ruebesam's first Pack team returns one starter and three lettermen from last season's team. The lone returning starter is junior guard Jaden Kennis (Windsor, Colo./MSU Denver), who averaged 6.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game and shot 37 percent from the field and was third on the team with 24 made 3-pointers.

In addition to Kennis, the other top returners are senior guard Sam Howery (Colorado Springs, Colo./St. Mary's), sophomore guard/forward Jordan Blair (Keller, Texas/Keller Central), and senior guard Landen Dvorsky (Colorado Springs, Colo./Liberty).

Along with those three returners, the Pack also returns two players who sat out last season as redshirts after suffering season-ending injuries. Those two are redshirt sophomore forward Ty Adam (Severance, Colo./Severance) and redshirt sophomore guard/forward Corbin Garver (Colorado Springs, Colo./Air Academy). Adam suffered a foot injury before the start of the 2024-25 season, while Garver suffered a knee injury in practice before the Pack's home game with Texas A&M-Kingsville. Before the injury, Garver was averaging 10.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game on the season.

"We have eight guys that were here last year and eight guys that we brought in, but in essence, we have 16 new guys that are all coming into this thing together," the Pack coach said. "All our returning players have been awesome, and I can't ask for any better kids. Change is hard for everybody, but they've bought into what we're trying to sell from the very start, and that has helped us cultivate our culture of how we're going to play and how we'll do things off the court and also what it means to be a good teammate and to be a member of the Pack Basketball program."

Ruebesam has been impressed with the way the returning players have been unselfish and welcomed everyone with open arms.

"The way our returning players have been unselfish and welcoming has allowed us to expedite the culture-building process. These guys seem to like each other and interact well with one another," Ruebesam stated.  

Ruebesam's first Pack team welcomes back just 19.4 percent of its scoring, 25.2 percent of its rebounding, 26.7 percent of its assists, and 27.1 percent of its minutes played from last season's team. The Pack welcomes back 400 points, 246 rebounds, 110 assists, and 1,415 minutes played from 2024-25.

Two traits of Ruebesam's Pack teams will be defense and rebounding and judging by the preseason, those two things have been focused on almost daily in practices.

"It always starts with defense and rebounding for us. We want to dictate defensively and end every possession with a two-handed rebound. We are going to have game goals every game, and two of the most important are – hold teams to under 40 percent field goal percentage and outrebound a team by eight boards. These are the two things we have constantly talked about and emphasized every day in practice," said Ruebesam. "If you come watch our practices, it's a lot of defense and rebounding. It's holding guys accountable to where they need to be because we believe our defense will fuel our offense."

Another thing Ruebesam likes about this team is their versatility, and that versatility will help the team on both ends of the floor.

"We talk about versatility. This team could be great in transition and can attack the paint. So, if we can get stops, finish them with two-handed rebounds and run, I like our chances of getting in the paint, spraying the ball out for open threes, getting to the foul line, but that doesn't happen, unless we guard night in and night out," the Pack coach stressed. "This is a very talented league offensively, but defense is going to travel for us. So, if we get stops and run the floor, I think we'll have a good chance of being successful."

One player, Ruebesam is excited to get back at full speed as soon as this weekend is Garver, who sat out most of last season after suffering an ACL injury during practice just two weeks into the regular season. As a freshman in 2023-24, Garver, who scored a season-high 27 points in the Pack's 2024 RMAC Tournament quarterfinal game against Fort Lewis and was named to the Colorado Collegiate All-Freshman Team, averaged 7.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game and shot 46 percent from the field and 38 percent from the 3-point line.

"I have been really pleased with Corbin and his mentality that he's tried to bring back after an ACL injury. Rehabbing from an ACL is a long process, and it's been hard for him, especially having that trust factor with your body, but he's kind of mounted and climbed that hill and is still trying to figure out the speed of the game after being out for a year," Ruebesam added when asked about Garver. "He is a high-IQ kid who plays the right way. He understands what we are trying to do, and as he continues to get up to speed, he's going to be an integral part of what we're doing. Just the shooting ability, the talent, the feel is great, and we hope to have him back at full speed this weekend."

Two players that Ruebesam expects to be major cogs in the engine this season for the Pack are Kennis and Blair. Those two players combined to score 326 points and pull down 188 rebounds a season ago.

"When you talk about Jaden and Jordan, I mean, no one's more important than anybody else, but those two guys have jumped off the page for me coming into my first year," the Pack coach said.

"Jordan (Blair) is a sophomore who played a bit last year, but he is a beast. This kid has the highest ceiling of anyone that we have on our team. He can get into the paint whenever he wants and has a jumper that's going to keep you honest. I love his mentality on offense of attacking, getting paint touches, and then defensively on the ball, he's really good and is also one of the team's best rebounders. He is still a young guy, and we have to teach him to play harder for longer as he gets more minutes."

"The kid I'm probably most proud of is Jaden (Kennis). He is playing for his third head coach and is at his second school, and has battled injuries throughout his career, but it seems like he is starting to come into his own. He is one hundred percent bought into what we're trying to do, and I think there's a trust factor there, and Jaden is really talented. He averaged 10 points as a freshman at Metro State a couple of years ago," said Ruebesam about Kennis. "So, it is there inside of him, but we've tried to simplify and continue to stress what's important. But the biggest thing for Jaden is that he is our dog. He's our biggest competitor and has a little bit of attitude to him, which is good for our team. Everyone needs a little bit of that, and he just competes his butt off daily."

The Pack brought in some size this season, as their front-court players this season are all 6-foot-7 or taller, including 6-foot-10 senior center Kaleb Mitchell (Fountain, Colo./Northern State), who is a transfer from Northern State and began his career at Adams State. The other front-court players are junior 6-foot-7 junior forward Kyren Allen (Commerce City, Colo./Trinidad State), 6-foot-7 freshman forward/center Ari Harpring (Broomfield, Colo./Legacy), and Adam, who is the lone returning front-court player who has played for the Pack.

In his lone season at Northern State in 2024-25, Mitchell averaged 8.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game and tallied double figures in scoring 12 times and had three double-doubles, while Allen averaged 6.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game and shot 63 percent from the field and helped lead Trinidad State College to two consecutive Region 9 Championships and Harpring, who is expected to redshirt this season, averaged 14.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game and scored over 600 points in his two-and-half full seasons playing basketball at Legacy High School.

"Ty is Mister Consistent. He's been awesome. You know exactly what you're going to get out of him every day. He comes in, he's steady and plays his tail off and gives everything he's got," Ruebesam added. "Kaleb (Mitchell) has had a unique journey. He's on his third school and fourth head coach. He has all the talent in the world. He is 6-foot-10. He's an All-Airport Team guy. He just has to continue playing harder for longer, and all we're asking him is to play consistently and help contribute to winning. Kyren (Allen) is a kid who plays his tail off. He's our most athletic dude and is also a great rebounder, a great rim-runner, and brings a ton of energy every time he comes into the game.

"We will have at least one of those big guys on the floor all the time, as we have the luxury of having three talented big guys, and we are going to play whoever has the hot hand on a particular night. We are not asking any of them to go out and give us 20 or 15 points every night."

While the Pack has focused a lot of its preseason on defense, Ruebesam says when it comes to offense, he wants his team to get stops on defense and run on offense.

"We want to get stops and run. That's what it all comes down to for us," the Pack coach stressed. "We need to get stops and get out in transition and run. I also want us to share the ball, move it, and be a concept-based team on offense. We want to play off-ball movement, getting the ball side-to-side, and finishing it with various actions, including using ball screens, playing inside-out, and attacking long closeouts and shooting open shots."

The new Pack coach expects his team this season to be able to shoot the ball from the perimeter, which is something the Pack struggled with last season, as they shot just 31.7 percent from the 3-point line and averaged just 5.9 made treys per game.

Among the players Ruebesam expects to be strong shooters from the perimeter this season are sophomore guard Mac Terry (Castle Pines, Colo./South Dakota Mines). Terry played last season in the RMAC as a freshman at South Dakota Mines. During the 2024-25 season, Terry played in 28 games and made 21 starts and averaged 6.0 points, 1.9 rebounds, and shot 41 percent from the field and 40 percent (36-for-90) from the 3-point line. He made 36 treys, which was second-most on the Hardrockers.

"Mac is kind of like Ty Adam, mister steady. He is a sophomore who played last season at South Dakota Mines and has played big minutes in the RMAC. I think that experience playing as a freshman in the league will serve him well this year," added Ruebesam. "We've had him playing on and off the ball, and he is a very smart, high-IQ kid that plays within himself. He's not going to come in and wow you with his athleticism, but he's solid, makes open shots, and always seems to make the right play. I'm really excited about his ceiling and how he'll grow with us."

In addition to Terry, other guards Ruebesam expects to be strong shooters this season from the perimeter for the Pack are junior guard Dylan Sanders (Aurora, Colo./Pearl River CC), freshman guard Bryce Riehl (Colorado Springs, Colo./Mesa Ridge), and junior guard Cash Callaway (Pasco, Wash./South Mountain CC).

Sanders averaged 10.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.8 steals per game and nailed a team-best 68 treys and shot 35.9 percent from long distance last season at Pearl River Community College, while Riehl was a three-time All-State selection at Mesa Ridge High School and averaged 17.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 3.5 steals per game and Callaway averaged 18.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists and shot 42 percent from the 3-point line and tallied 29 double-digit scoring games last season at South Mountain Community College.

"Dylan might be our talented dude. He is athletic, can guard the ball, and has become a really good shooter. He could be a three-and-D type of guy for us. He can really shoot the basketball and will be able to stretch the floor," added the Pack coach. "Bryce (Riehl) has been a pleasant addition to our program. He was coached by Joel Babbitt at Mesa Ridge, and they are about all the same things we are about. He knows how to defend, rebound, and was one of the best shooters in the state last year. He can really stretch the floor and is not afraid to shoot it as a freshman. Cash (Callaway) is a sniper. He can come in the game, and if you don't close out on him, he can hit threes, bang, bang, bang right in a row. We're trying to get him up to speed with everything, the pace of the game, the new environment, but he is instant offense when it steps on the floor."

One position the Pack is trying to figure out heading into this year's season opener is the point guard position. The team returns one point guard from last season's team, Howery, while the other contenders for the point guard spot are Terry, Riehl, and freshman guard Kohlman Dutton (Houston, Texas/Bellaire). Last season, Howery played in 21 games and made five starts and averaged 2.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game and had a 2.8 assist/turnover ratio.

"We will use a point guard by committee approach this season. I wouldn't say we have that dude that's going to handle the ball for 40 minutes, but Sam, Mac, Bryce, and Kohlman will play integral roles at the point guard spot this season," said the Pack coach about his point guard position this season. "Mac (Terry) has taken on a big role with us with his high IQ and his ability to take care of the ball. Bryce (Riehl) will play some point guard to relieve Mac a little bit. Sam (Howery) is kind of a wild card piece. He is a senior who is a great program and culture guy who can step in and carry that load when we need him, while Kohlman is another freshman who is from Houston and is someone who has a really high ceiling. He has been working hard and getting better. He can handle the ball, and might be our most dynamic kid, and has a really, really bright future here."

Ruebesam's initial Pack team prepared for the 2025-26 season by playing three closed scrimmages against two Division II schools and one Division I school.

"I was really pleased with what I saw in our three scrimmages as our players were doing what we emphasized. We were able to outrebound every team we scrimmaged, and we were right around that field goal percentage defense number," Ruebesam said. "So that gives me hope going into the season that if we can guard consistently night in and night out, and our offense catches up to our defense, we're going to be poised for success as the season moves along. I've been pleased with the defensive awareness, the defensive execution, and our competitiveness."

Another area the first-year Pack coach likes about his team is their energy on the bench.

"I've told the guys that the one thing that we can control is our energy, and our bench energy has been great in the preseason. Now the challenge is, can we keep that energy up like that for 28 games during the regular season," Ruebesam said.

Entering this weekend's action, Ruebesam says his team needs to continue to get better at handling pressure and to also guard without fouling.

"I think every time at this time of year has to be getting better and handling pressure, and we're no different, but we definitely need to guard without fouling. We fouled way too much in our three scrimmages and gave our opponents easy points at the free throw line; that is something we need to do a better job of moving into the regular season this weekend," the Pack coach stressed.

One of the biggest changes that Ruebesam and his coaching staff have brought to the Pack program is an aura of enthusiasm and excitement for basketball, not only on campus but in the Pueblo community, and that is something that has been lacking in the program for the past several years.

"One of the most important things for our team is to be guardians of our culture. Enthusiasm is a big part of that. It's not a right to be here, but a privilege. For our guys, we've set these clear standards with energy, effort, and what we do off the floor and what the expectations are," added Ruebesam. "This team will compete their tails off night in and night out, defend and rebound."

In the Preseason RMAC Coaches' Poll, the Pack was tabbed to finish 12th by the league's head coaches, as they earned 68 points.

"I think we're going to surprise some people this season. I think the RMAC is wide open; to be honest with you, and I don't think there's a truly dominant team on paper like a Colorado Mesa with Trevor Baskin or a Black Hills State with Joel Scott or Fort Lewis a couple of years ago," the coach said. "There are some good teams, but from top to bottom, it's going to be wide open where someone can beat anybody on any given night, and there'll be a lot of close games this season. I think if we defend and rebound every single night, we will give ourselves our chance."

The Pack will open the 2025-26 season on the road for the first time since the 2023-24 season and one of the positive things about the preseason scrimmages is the Pack played one of those outside the state of Colorado and had to travel to the game and Ruebesam said that experience will help his team when they play two games this weekend on the road.

"It was a great experience for our team to play one of our scrimmages out of state. We were able to travel together, went to shoot the night before, had dinner afterwards, and then we got up the next day, had breakfast, watched film, had our pregame meal and went over for warm-ups, and played the game, and then came home," Ruebesam said. "I think that experience will benefit us as we play this weekend at Cameron and Midwestern State, as it's not going to be the first time we've done that as a team. Hopefully, that travel experience we had in the preseason will bring some comfort and some familiarity to our players."

When the Pack hits the floor on Friday night at Cameron, it will mark the first-ever game as a collegiate head coach for Ruebesam.

"I feel like I am prepared for what I'll experience on Friday night, and that is because of where I've come from and the mentorship I've gotten from Coach (Tad) Boyle at Colorado and Coach (Dan) Ficke at MSU Denver. They have helped prepare me for everything that's coming, but the biggest thing you don't now until you sit in this chair is all the stuff that comes across my desk every day, all the small fires that you put out behind the scenes, but basketball-wise, I'm well prepared for what we're trying to do and how we're going to execute," Ruebesam said. "It is my first time coaching, and it is most of our guys' first times playing together, so I think a good thing that I've tried to do is be vulnerable with our guys and tell them none of us are perfect. We are all in this together, we're going to make mistakes, but we're going to keep going and figure it out as we go."

Much like CSU Pueblo, the Pack's two opponents to open the season this weekend also feature first-year head coaches. Cameron is coached by Nathan Kennedy, who has 20 years' experience at the Division II level as a player and coach, and came to Cameron after spending the last five years as the associate head coach at Arkansas Tech University, while Midwestern State is coached by Jon Trilli, who played for the Mustangs from 2009-11 and returned to his alma mater during the offseason after serving as an assistant coach at Abilene Christian.

"This is an interesting part of college basketball, early-season games where you don't have any film on your opponents," Ruebesam said. "I know both teams will be well-coached and have been around the game of basketball. But mostly, these first two games will be about us and how we can play our brand of basketball for 80 minutes this weekend."

The Pack's first opponent this weekend is Cameron. The Aggies were tabbed to finish 12th out of 17 teams in the Preseason Lone Star Conference poll, as they earned 301 points. The Pack opened the 2024-25 season with an 83-64 home win over the Aggies.

Kennedy's first Cameron team will feature almost an entirely new roster as only three players return from last season's team that finished 12-16 overall and 9-13 in the LSC.

One of the key players for the Aggies is senior guard Jordan Mitchell, who was named to the LSC Player of Watch List this season. Mitchell comes to Cameron after stints at Southern University and Graceland University.

Friday's game with Cameron marks the eighth all-time meeting between the two schools, with the Pack holding a 5-2 all-time edge in the series.

Meanwhile, the second game for the Pack on the season-opening road trip will be against Midwestern State in Wichita Falls, Texas. The Mustangs, who advanced to the South Central Regional semifinals last season, were tabbed to finish eighth in the Preseason LSC poll as they earned 558 points. CSU Pueblo picked up an impressive 80-60 win over the Mustangs in Massari Arena last season.

Midwestern State, which went 23-8 overall and 17-5 in the LSC last season, returns five players from last season's squad, including fifth-year senior guard Jonathan Jackson, who was named the LSC's Preseason Player to Watch List. Last season, Jackson started 19 of 28 games and averaged 8.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, and recorded 17 steals.

Other key returners for the Mustangs are junior guard Antwan Taylor, senior guard Jordan Reed, and senior forward Vojin Mastilovic. Taylor played in 22 games and shot 56 percent from the field, while Reed hit all four of his 3-pointers and was 4-for-4 from the field with 11 points in MSU's first-round NCAA Tournament win over St. Edward's, and Mastilovic appeared in 20 games and shot 48.5 percent from the field and averaged 8.0 minutes per game.

Saturday's game with Midwestern State will mark the 13th all-time meeting between the two schools, with the series being tied 6-6. The Pack has won three of the last five games in the series, including tallying an 80-60 home win over the Mustangs.

Following this week's two road games as part of the South Central Regional Challenge, the Pack will open the home portion of its schedule with back-to-back games in Massari Arena on Friday, Nov. 21, at 7 p.m. against Kansas Christian and on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 7 p.m. against North American University.