College basketball has entered an era in which rosters are remade every year. Cal Poly enters the 2026-27 season with something few programs have: stability.
The Mustangs returned 13 guys from last year and added just two players to the roster. Cal Poly has lost only one player to the portal in the past 2 years, Peter Bandelj, making it the lowest tally among Division I programs. That continuity gives Head Coach Mike DeGeorge one of his most experienced and connected rosters as Cal Poly looks to build on last season’s 14-19 overall record and 10-10 Big West finish.
For DeGeorge, the lack of departures reflects a culture he has established since arriving in San Luis Obispo.
“The things that we value are the relationships with everybody in our organization,” DeGeorge said. “We want to build trust in relationships. We try to treat guys the right way and know that they can trust us. And I think that’s been a key in our retention.”
The Mustangs’ roster will be challenged in a tougher and reshaped Big West, as the conference added Cal Baptist, who made the NCAA tournament out of the WAC (Western Athletic Conference), Utah Valley, who appeared in the NIT after a 25-9 season in the WAC and Sacramento State, who finished with a 10-21 record in the Big Sky. With the reigning Big West leading scorer, another all-conference-caliber player, and a deeper, more experienced supporting cast returning, the question is whether Cal Poly has what it takes to contend for a Big West title.
The Stars Return
The biggest reason for optimism is the return of junior forward Hamad Mousa and junior guard Cayden Ward. Mousa averaged 20.4 points per game last season, leading the Big West and finishing 25th nationally in scoring. However, DeGeorge believes Mousa is going to take another step. The 6-foot-8 wing improved defensively as last season went on, and the coaching staff is looking for him to become a more consistent rebounder, defender and playmaker.
Junior guard Cayden Ward returns after averaging 14.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, earning All-Big West honorable mention. Ward scored in double figures 25 times last season and should be one of Cal Poly’s most important players again. DeGeorge thinks Ward’s next jump needs to come in efficiency.
“If Cayden has the exact same numbers he did last year, but his turnovers are down, and his assists are up, and the shooting percentage is a little bit better, it may not look on the surface like he’s made a huge jump, but he has,” DeGeorge said.
Together, Mousa and Ward combined for 34.9 points and 12.6 rebounds per game last year. If Mousa maintains last year’s scoring production while improving in other facets and Ward complements him by improving efficiency and cutting turnovers, Cal Poly might have the scariest one-two punch in the Big West.
Experience and Depth
The biggest win with continuity comes with the depth in role players. The Mustangs return several people who played a major part last season. Senior Jake Davis, junior Guzman Vasilic and sophomore Austin Goode all return after they each started at least 16 games and played consistent minutes.
Beyond the returning starters, Cal Poly’s experienced bench gives the Mustangs several players who can take on bigger roles this season. Sophomore Troy Plumtree showed flashes last year, going off for a 31-point game at Cal State Bakersfield, while Ali Assran returns after making five starts as a freshman and is a promising piece for this team. Sophomore Jason Scott returns after suffering an injury eight games into play and is looking to take a jump. Seniors Jackson Mosley and Kieran Elliott return after contributing off the bench last season.
However, the player to watch is sophomore forward Jess Esso Essis. He averaged 8.6 points in seven games last year. At 6 -foot-10, Essis is the roster’s tallest player while being a sniper, shooting 41% from three and 88.9% from the line last year, possessing the skills of a guard.
“Essis wasn’t healthy last year, and he is approaching being healthy,” DeGeorge said. “He’s the obvious pick to make the jump just because he’s healthy now, and we think he’s got a chance to be a very good player in the Big West.”
Newcomer to Watch
The Mustangs made one notable offseason addition in 6-foot-5 guard Anthony Moore, who redshirted at Weber State last season.
Moore said he joined the team because he was familiar with the staff from when they recruited him out of high school. DeGeorge said he fits the program’s preferred profile and has a chance to contribute this year.
“He’s just another long, versatile guy that can guard multiple positions and can make a three,” DeGeorge said. “We also love his versatility defensively.”
So far, Moore’s transition to San Luis Obispo has been smooth. After coming from Weber State in Utah, he has appreciated the Central Coast weather.
“It feels really good practicing in the warm again,” Moore said.
More importantly, he said he’s noticed the competitiveness and effort in Cal Poly’s program.
“Everybody works really hard out here, and everybody wants to win,” Moore said. “We compete every day in practice, and it’s a great winning culture.”
Addressing the Problem
Cal Poly had one glaring issue last year: rebounding. However, DeGeorge and the Mustangs are approaching the concern in a unique manner.
The Mustangs were outrebounded by an average of one rebound per game during conference play. These problems could show up against very physical teams like UC Irvine, which added 7-foot-9 Oliver Rioux in the portal and already led the Big West in rebounds last year with 40.3 per game.
Most teams would try to find a stereotypical big man to help them on the glass, but DeGeorge has built this roster around versatility, speed and the ability to shoot, as the Mustangs averaged 10.8 made threes per game, 10th best in the country. This style creates major advantages in some areas, like speed of play and their ability to score the ball at a high rate. It also means the Mustangs must be more disciplined and more physical when the ball comes off the basket.
“We’re never going to be a dominant offensive or defensive rebounding team,” DeGeorge said. “We’ve made a choice. We’re going to play these multipositional guys. We’re giving something up to gain something. So we just have to have what we gain be more valuable.”
The goal to fix this issue isn’t exactly to become a great rebounding team, but to be good enough where its spacing, shooting and versatility create bigger problems for opponents.
Can Cal Poly Take the Next Step?
With nearly everybody back, and Cal Poly recently landing its highest-ranking recruit ever in Archie Witherspoon V, Cal Poly enters this season with more pressure than it ever has had under DeGeorge.
The biggest question is whether the Mustangs can turn their talent and depth into consistent winning basketball. The Mustangs were one of the nation’s most dangerous offensive teams last season, averaging 82.1 points per game, second in the Big West. Much of that production came from beyond the arc, where Cal Poly made the 10th-most three-pointers in the country. The Mustangs also played at the fastest tempo in Division I, according to KenPom, using their pace and perimeter shooting to put constant pressure on opponents. However, after allowing a Division I high of 85 points per game and finishing with a negative 2.9 scoring margin last season, the Mustangs will need to improve defensively, rebound more consistently and play more efficiently to compete with the conference’s best.
Cal Poly opens the regular season Nov. 2 against Cal State San Marcos before traveling to No. 5 Arizona on Nov. 5. The matchup against an Arizona team that made the Final Four last season will provide a tough early test, but the season will be decided by whether the Mustangs can play their brand of ball in the Big West.