Leavenworth, Kan.— The final buzzer has closed on the 2025-26 Spire men's basketball season. From pre-season as soon as the athletes step on campus, to the first tip-off in October to the intensity of conference play and the pressure of postseason battles, the Spire men's team grew with every possession, challenge, and hard-earned win. It was a season defined not just by the wins and losses, but by resilience and a commitment to something bigger than themselves. Through highs that electrified and moments that tested their resolve, this group built a foundation that will carry forward for seasons to come.

Head coach Troy Brown has wrapped up his eleventh year alongside assistants Jamison Carmichael (year 8), Demarius Houston, and graduate assistant Tysen Brennan. Coach Brown has been a central figure in the resurgence of the USM men's basketball program, serving as the head coach of the Spires since he was first named interim head coach in November 2014. After guiding the team to an impressive 22–9 record and a second-place finish in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) during that initial season, he was named the permanent head coach in March 2015. Coach Brown has a strong history of commitment to the sport in mentoring his athletes on and off the court as he continues to grow and uphold the expectations of his teams.

The Spires turned in a final record of 19-10 overall with a KCAC tally of 13-9. USM kick-started their season with an impressive 5-0 beginning, with notable wins in a tourney rematch against Langston University—who would go on to be the runners-up in the NAIA Men's Basketball Finals—and a victory over the Georgia Gwinnett Grizzlies who would see themselves in the NAIA Championships as well.

A hot start was met with some adversity for the reigning conference champions come the beginning of KCAC play as the Spires would drop four of the first five conference match ups. The KCAC consistently had multiple men's basketball teams in the top five and top ten national rankings throughout the year, making each night an absolute battle for the fourteen conference institutions. KCAC men's basketball is no small-college conference, but an intensely competitive NAIA league with immense amounts of depth and quality of play.

In the final nail-biting game of the Spires 2025-26 season would be a back-and-forth battle against the Friends Falcons who went into post-season play 18-4 in KCAC play and No. 2 in the conference standings. The Spires pushed Friends to the final horn, but saw their season end in dramatic fashion after a late free throw for the Falcons with five seconds remaining turned out to be the final nail in the Spires season in a 94-95 loss in the opening round of the KCAC Championship Tournament. The same tournament that the USM men were the champions of just one year prior. The Spires awaited their fate at the NAIA National Tournament, holding onto hopes for an at-large bid to prove that the height of their potential was still blooming, but they would unfortunately not get the nod to post-season.

The Spires were led throughout the year by a group of key returners and energy-boosting newcomers. Junior guard from Topeka, Kansas Kaeden Bonner made his presence known again this season and earned himself the honor of Second Team All-KCAC. Bonner led the Spires in many impressive categories this year, leading the team in scoring averaging just over 17 points per game. Kaeden shot a team high 42% from deep this year, 85% from the line, and 45% from the field. He added to his impressive resume in the last game of the season at Friends where he eclipsed 1,000 points scored in his career, the second Spire this season to reach such a staggering milestone.

He was active on both sides of the ball, leading the Spires in steals this year with a staggering 43 recorded takeaways, and 45 total assists on the year. Kaeden would also etch his name in the Spire history books, adding his name to the list of Spire single game scoring leaders when he scored 40 points on February 14^th on his home floor versus the Tabor College Bluejays.

Teammate Jordan Brown was the second Spire to earn All-KCAC honors. Brown earned himself a spot on the All-KCAC Honorable Mention Team for his unwavering efforts this year. The Lawrence native was the second leading scorer on the USM squad, averaging 14 points per game to go along with 40 steals and 54 assists dished out to his team. Jordan has been a pivotal part of this Spire offense the last three seasons and added another achievement to his resume this season by surpassing 1,000 career points, a phenomenal accomplishment.

USM would also be led by Cam Edwards who averaged 13 points per contest in his junior campaign. Damare Smith and Terrius Walker would be clutch for the Spires this season, both averaging just over 9 points per contest but making a huge impact on both sides of the ball. Smith would record a team high 73 assists this season, directing the Spire offense with ease. Walker would also add 26 steals and 13 blocks to his personal stat line. Jason Parson II would make his 28 minutes per game matter, playing an absolutely pivotal role for USM in ways a stat sheet can never reflect. Jason would rack up a team high 17 blocks this season to go along with 45 assists and 42 steals for the junior from Raytown.

Freshman phenom, Tyler Holmes, would make his name known this year, averaging 12 minute per game. Every night his teammates and coaches could count on him to add the spark off the bench that his squad needed, adding electrifying dunks to steal the momentum and energy of the gym to shift completely in his team's favor. Joe Clark would add his name to the list of key Spires this year. Joe would offer a steady presence on the floor in his average of 17 minutes on the floor, giving his team full effort and intensity each time his name was called.

The University of Saint Mary is remarkably proud of the Spire men's basketball team and staff, especially our senior leaders Damare Smith, Javon Calmese, Mason Belcher, Jha-Mel Spencer, and Terique Suwareh for everything they mean to USM basketball. The USM family anxiously awaits what's in store next season!