Grizzly Men's Basketball Picked to Finish 5th in KJCCC Preseason Poll

COLBY, Kan. – The Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Division 1 men's basketball preseason poll has been released, and the Grizzlies have been picked to finish fifth ahead of the 2025-26 season.

Butler was picked to finish fifth out of the 13-team conference. Coffeyville was picked to finish first, followed by the reigning Region 6 Champions Cowley, Barton picked third, and Hutchinson picked fourth to round out the top-five.

Last season, the Grizzlies finished in fifth place in the final Jayhawk Conference standings, putting up an impressive 22-11 record (15-9 in conference play) and a Region 6 Semifinal berth, before losing to eventual conference tournament champion Cowley in a 58-54 heartbreaker. 

Grizzlies head coach Eric Nitsche begins his second season as the head of the men's basketball program. Nitsche was a long time assistant under current Garden City head coach Tommy DeSalme, having had assistant coaching stints at Kansas City Kansas Community College, Cowley, and Hutchinson before landing the head job at Butler in May of 2024. 

The Grizzlies looked to reload their roster in the offseason, as they only bring back four returners from last season. KJCCC Defensive Player of the Year Emeka Opurum took his talents to the University of Auburn to play under first year head coach Steven Pearl. Butler's roster will consist of eight freshman and seven sophomores. 

Butler opens their regular season on the road to take on Ranger College on Nov. 3rd at 4 p.m.

Click here to read the full release from the KJCCC.

KJCCC D1 Men's Basketball Predicted Order of Finish (First Place Votes)

1) Coffeyville (6)

T2) Cowley (4)

T2) Barton (1)

4) Hutchinson

5) Butler

6) Dodge City (1)

7) Independence

8) Garden City

9) Cloud County (1)

10) Pratt

11) Colby

12) Seward County

13) Fort Hays Tech NW