After an uncharacteristic 10-10 season, the Golden Bears might be on their way back to being a contender.
Will a new head coach be the deciding factor? Here's everything you need to know ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Coaching Staff
Geoff Pippus takes over as head coach from Barnaby Craddock, who coached the team for 13 years. Pippus is a former Golden Bear himself, playing for Alberta for two seasons and helping the team win the 2017 Canada West Championship. He also coached the Camosun Chargers for three seasons, leading the team to medals each year.
Roster Breakdown
1st Years: 2
2nd Years: 4
3rd Years: 2
4th Years: 5
5th Years: 0
Guards: 9
Forwards: 4
Strengths & Weaknesses of 2024-25
Scoring: The Golden Bears averaged 73.1 points per game, ranking 32nd in USPORTS. For a team that had just one player who was not a third-year or earlier, staying competitive in Canada West was an impressive achievement. Another year of experience will significantly improve the team's scoring.
Shooting: Alberta's shooting percentage also did not reflect how efficient this team was on offence. They shot 42.5 per cent from the field, ranking 17th in the country. That ranking rose to 15th in the country in three-point percentage. The Golden Bears connected on 32.9 per cent of their three-pointers last season, a remarkable statistic to build on heading into this year.
Defence: Alberta also defended well against their opponents. The team ranked 14th in fewest points allowed per game at 71.9, but opposing teams also had the fourth-highest three-point percentage against the Golden Bears.
Roster Analysis
This roster only got more experience when you consider the Golden Bears did not add a single player to their team in the offseason.
And given that the team last year had only one player in their third year or later, it's hard to see how this team could regress with five fourth-years now on the team.
Seven players recorded 100-plus points, topped by Isaac Simon's 365-point campaign that landed him on the Canada West Second Team All-Star.
All of them should be able to contribute as much as they did previously or even more, depending on how the new coach decides to utilize his players.
This team has all the pieces to contend for a conference title, not only this year, but next year as well. Last year may have just been the beginning for this group.
Position Battles
There may not be an intense fight for any position, considering every player except one is returning from last year. But, with a new coach, there are always question marks around where everyone slots in.
In the back court, Isaac Simon and Nate Semeniuk should lock down the starting spots as they did last year. Both have lined up as starters for the entire preseason.
Kyle Varner might slot in as a wing, although he is listed as a guard. He has also seen significant playing time in the starting lineup during the preseason. Fahad Yusuf and Nate Waldron should finish off the starting five.
Both have started in every preseason game and should get the nod come opening night. Waldron started 11 games last season, while Yusuf started all 20.
My Projected Starting Lineup
G - Nash Semeniuk
G - Isaac Simon
F - Kyle Varner
F - Fahad Yusuf
F - Nate Waldron
Schedule Overview
October: 1 Home Games (HG), 2 Away Games (AG)
November: 3 HG, 4 AG
December: 0 HG, 1 AG
January: 2 HG, 6 AG
February: 2 HG, 0 AG
Oct. 24 - @ Saskatchewan
Oct. 25 - @ Saskatchewan
Oct. 31 - vs. Winnipeg
Nov. 1 - vs. Winnipeg
Nov. 7 - vs. Thompson Rivers
Nov. 8 - vs. Thompson Rivers
Nov. 14 - @ Mount Royal
Nov. 15 - @ Mount Royal
Nov. 21 - @ Alberta
Nov. 22 - @ Alberta
Jan. 9 - @ Lethbridge
Jan. 10 - @ Lethbridge
Jan. 16 - vs. Calgary
Jan. 17 - vs. Calgary
Jan. 23 - @ Manitoba
Jan. 24 - @ Manitoba
Jan. 29 - @ Brandon
Jan. 31 - @ Brandon
Feb. 6 - vs. Regina
Feb. 7 - vs. Regina
Closing Thoughts
This team is poised to take the next step.
How will that go under a new head coach? It could throw a wrench into the team's progress, or it could be a move that helps them unlock their potential to contend for a championship.
Alberta has a solid core of players who have proven they can score at a high level, and with most of their starters returning, there is no reason this team shouldn't be playing deep into February.