LAS VEGAS – The Mountain West released its 2026-27 Preseason Men’s Basketball All-Conference team and preseason award winners Wednesday morning in conjunction with the start of Old Trapper Mountain West Basketball Media Day.
As voted on by selected media members, the preseason team is made up of five seniors, one junior and five sophomores.
New Mexico sophomore
Jake Hall was selected as the Mountain West Preseason Player of the Year, while Grand Canyon senior
Dylan Darling was named the MW Preseason Newcomer of the Year. UNLV rookie
Jackson Kiss was voted the MW Preseason Freshman of the Year.
The 2026 Mountain West Freshman of the Year, Hall enters his sophomore campaign at New Mexico. Last season, he averaged 16.4 points and 3.2 rebounds as a starter in all 37 games. Hall became just the third freshman to earn All-Mountain West First Team honors after setting the MW freshman scoring record (605) and the New Mexico school record with 117 triples made.
A Spokane, Washington, native, Darling joins Grand Canyon for his final collegiate season after playing one season at St. John’s, one season at Idaho State and two seasons at Washington State. He helped St. John’s to the NCAA Sweet 16 last season, averaging 6.9 points, 2.6 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game.
Kiss, a product of Auckland, New Zealand, enters his first season with the Runnin’ Rebels. The four-star recruit averaged 9.4 points, six rebounds and four assists per game in 14 games during the Nike EYBL Scholastic League. Kiss also played in the FIBA U17 World Cup, helping New Zealand to a fourth-place finish.
Entering its 28th year, the Mountain West officially begins a new era, welcoming three new men’s basketball programs alongside seven returning members. MW men’s basketball members for 2026-27 include, Air Force, Grand Canyon, Hawai’i, Nevada, New Mexico, San José State, UC Davis, UNLV, UTEP and Wyoming.
The new-look Mountain West men's basketball builds upon a strong foundation. The Conference has sent four or more teams to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship in five of the last six seasons, including a league record six in 2024.
