Winter is coming, and the Hillsdale College men's basketball team is ready to get back on the court.

The latest milestone on the march to the start of the 2025-26 campaign arrived Wednesday afternoon with the release of the G-MAC Preseason Coaches Poll. Hillsdale, coming off a 20-10 campaign that saw the Chargers take third in the regular season, was picked by the coaches to finish fifth out of 12 teams.

Defending regular season champion Findlay was picked to repeat, with eight first-place votes, while Ashland ranked second and Thomas More third, each with two first-place votes. Cedarville was just ahead of Hillsdale in fourth place.

The Chargers have never finished lower than third in the final conference standings in eight seasons in the G-MAC but must reload quickly to keep that streak intact after seeing four of five starters depart from last year's squad.

That said, the lone returning starter is exactly who you'd want to get back to lead an inexperienced squad in point guard and floor general Ashton Janowski, now in his third season as a starter. Janowski averaged 10.3 points per game and set a career high in assists in 2024-25, and will be leaned on heavily to be a leader for the Chargers this season.

With major minutes open, new roles and increased playing time are up for grabs for the returners. Junior Mikey McCollum, a potent sixth man for Hillsdale in his first two seasons, should move into the starting lineup and is the Chargers' leading returning scorer, averaging 12.1 points per game in 2024-25 on 39% shooting from 3-point range.

Two more players who averaged double-digit minutes off the bench last season and played important roles return and should fight for starting spots. Center CJ Yarian is a strong rebounder and deft passer from the post who will get a chance to showcase his scoring ability more this season, while sharpshooting guard Cole McWhinnie, who shot 46.5% from 3-point range last year, also figures to play a larger role.

Hillsdale should be well-stocked in the post with veterans Caleb Glaser, Garrett Bolte and Connor Stonebraker all fighting for bigger roles, while guard Michael App also returns with an eye on more playing time.

The Chargers have several players who did not see the court last season who could earn major roles this year. Redshirt freshman Tommy Morgan put on muscle in a developmental season in 2024-25 and could be a rotation player to help replace what Hillsdale lost on the wing, while the Chargers have several strong freshman. In particular, two sharpshooting guards with playmaking ability, Paxton Giertz and Braylon Morris, are pushing hard for rotation spots, while forward Matt Buckman also has potential as a scorer. John Morris and Israel Gentry both have a shot to factor in as well this year.

The Chargers open the season on Nov. 14 at Saginaw Valley State, then face the Cardinals in an immediate rematch in Hillsdale's home opener two days later, on Nov. 16. The first home conference contest for Hillsdale is on Dec. 6 against Lake Erie. You can find the full schedule here.
 
2025-26 Men's Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll
1. Findlay- 126 points (8 first place votes) 
2. Ashland - 117 points (2 first place votes)
3. Thomas More- 112 points (2 first place votes) 
4. Cedarville- 105 points
5. Hillsdale- 81 points
6. Kentucky Wesleyan- 80 points 
7. Walsh - 73 points
t8. Lake Erie- 61 points
t8. Ohio Dominican- 61 points
10. Malone- 49 points
11. Northwood- 48 points
12. Tiffin- 22 points