CALDWELL, Idaho – After another 20-win season and a roster loaded with returning talent, The College of Idaho men's basketball team has been selected to finish first in the 2026-27 Cascade Collegiate Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Yotes garnered 111 points and three first-place votes to claim the top spot in what projects to be one of the NAIA's most competitive races.
Defending regular-season co-champion Eastern Oregon was picked second with 105 points and four first-place votes, followed closely by the other defending co-champion Lewis-Clark State with 103 points and two first-place selections. Oregon Tech received the remaining first-place vote and was tabbed fourth. Rounding out the poll were Corban, Southern Oregon, Bushnell, Northwest, Warner Pacific, Evergreen and Walla Walla.
The preseason recognition comes as head coach
Colby Blaine enters his ninth season at the helm of The College of Idaho program. Blaine has guided the Yotes to a remarkable 227-40 record in eight seasons, continuing a tradition that includes 32 conference championships, 28 NAIA Tournament appearances and three national titles.
The Yotes return 10 letterwinners from last year's squad that finished 21-11 overall and advanced to the NAIA National Tournament. While The College of Idaho finished fifth in the CCC standings a season ago, the roster's experience and continuity have positioned the program as the conference favorite entering the new campaign.
Leading the returning core is sophomore forward
Rey Johnston, the reigning CCC Freshman of the Year. Johnston averaged 12.8 points and a team-best 5.4 rebounds per game while recording 24 blocks during his standout debut season. The versatile forward posted a season-high 28 points and 10 rebounds and is expected to take on an even larger role in 2026-27.
Senior guard
Dougie Peoples returns after leading the Yotes in scoring at 14.6 points per game while knocking down 45 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. Peoples, a CSC Academic All-District selection, owns a career-high 29-point performance and gives Blaine one of the conference's most dangerous perimeter threats.
At point guard, junior
Utrillo Morris brings experience and star power after earning First Team All-CCC honors. Morris led the conference in assists last season and enters the year with 255 career assists, 84 steals and more than 500 career points. His playmaking ability was instrumental in helping the Yotes average over 80 points per game last season.
The Yotes also strengthened their roster through the transfer portal.
Kareem Barnett, a transfer from College of the Sequoias, arrives after earning first-team all-conference and all-defensive honors, while
Kairi Shepherd joins from Fullerton College as a two-time conference champion and all-conference performer. Freshman center
Ty Read, a 6-foot-10 post from nearby Owyhee High School, adds size and potential to the frontcourt.
The combination of proven veterans, emerging stars and impactful newcomers gives The College of Idaho one of the deepest rosters in the conference. The Yotes were among the CCC's top offensive teams last season, averaging 80.2 points per game while ranking among the league leaders in assists, steals and turnovers forced.
The 2026-27 season tips off Oct. 30 when the Yotes travel to Montana Tech to open up the new season. The Yotes will face University of Providence (Mont.) in their home opener on November 6
th\. With a conference title chase expected to feature multiple nationally competitive teams, the road to the Cascade Collegiate Conference championship once again runs through Caldwell.
