The 2025-26 WashU Bears will begin the new season with a home game, Friday night at the WashU Field House. (Photo courtesy: WashU Athletics)
CLAYTON, MO — The Washington University men’s basketball team will open the 2025-26 season with a home game at the WashU Field House, Friday night against Carroll University.
The Bears, who went 23-7 and reached the NCAA Division III Final Four last season, were ranked the No. 5 team in the country by D3Hoops.com, in its preseason Top 25 poll. Then, last week, sophomore forward Connor May, who was named the 2024-25 UAA Rookie of the Year, was named to the D3Hoops.com 2025-26 Preseason All-American Team.
6-6 forward Connor May was the UAA Rookie of the Year, last year, and was named a preseason All-American by D3Hoops.com this year. (Photo: Primo Greenway)
Although the Bears graduated some key players, several impact players are returning from last year’s Final Four squad, in addition to a talented group of newcomers.
May finished third in scoring last year for the Bears with 11.9 points per game and is the highest-scoring returner this season. He also wrapped up the season with 5.8 rebounds per game, 31 steals, and 20 blocks.
Senior Will Grudzinski played and started in all but one game for the Bears a season ago, averaging 7.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. He finished the year with 52 assists and 12 steals. Junior Ryan Cohen played in all 30 games, making 20 starts and averaging 5.8 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. He had 22 assists on the year and 12 steals.
Senior Calvin Kapral played in all 30 games with 28 starts at center, averaging 5.1 points per game. Adding depth to the forward position is junior Jake Davis, who played in 22 games with one start, averaging 3.5 points per game.
Although he only played in 17 games last season due to an injury, senior Yogi Oliff returns as one of the Bears’ top ball handlers and defensive players. He averaged 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, dishing out 46 assists and recording 19 steals.
Graduate senior Kyle Beedon is back on the floor for the Bears after missing all of last season due to injury. In his junior year during 2023-24, he played in all 28 games with 13 starts, averaging 10.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per game, along with 29 assists, 16 steals, and 10 blocks, and finished 69-for-175 (.394) from 3-point range.
Power forward Will Grudzinski will be back to control the paint for WashU this season. (Photo: Primo Greenway)
Friday night’s season opener against Carroll will tip off at 6 p.m., and the game will be streamed live on FloSports.com.
2025-26 WASHU BEARS MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV | Tournament |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 7, 2025 (Friday) | 6 p.m. | Home | Carroll University | WashU Field House |  | |
| November 14, 2025 (Friday) | 5 p.m. | Home | Eureka College | WashU Field House | | 41st Annual Lopata Classic |
| November 15, 2025 (Saturday) | TBD | Home | Lopata Championship or 3rd Place Game | WashU Field House | | 41st Annual Lopata Classic |
| November 24, 2025 (Monday) | 5 p.m. | Home | Wabash | WashU Field House | | |
| November 29, 2025 (Saturday) | 3 p.m. | Home | Colorado College | WashU Field House | | All-Academic Classic |
| November 30, 2025 (Sunday) | 3 p.m. | Home | Rhodes | WashU Field House | | All-Academic Classic |
| December 6, 2025 (Saturday) | 3 p.m. | Home | Webster University | WashU Field House | | |
| December 9, 2025 (Tuesday) | 5:30 p.m. | Away | Rose-Hulman | Terre Haute, Ind. | ||
| December 18, 2025 (Thursday) | 2 p.m. | Home | Illinois Wesleyan | WashU Field House | | |
| January 2, 2026 (Friday) | 6 p.m. | Away | Hope College | Holland, Mich. | Glenn Van Wieren Classic | |
| January 3, 2026 (Saturday) | 11 a.m. | Neutral | Olivet | Holland, Mich. | Glenn Van Wieren Classic | |
| January 10, 2026 (Saturday) | 1 p.m. | Away | University of Chicago* | Chicago, Ill. | ||
| January 16, 2026 (Friday) | 4:30 p.m. | Away | Carnegie Mellon* | Pittsburgh, Pa. | ||
| January 18, 2026 (Sunday) | 1 p.m. | Away | Case Western Reserve* | Cleveland, Ohio | ||
| January 23, 2026 (Friday) | 5:30 p.m. | Home | New York University* | WashU Field House | | |
| January 25, 2026 (Sunday) | 2 p.m. | Home | Brandeis* | WashU Field House | | |
| January 30, 2026 (Friday) | 5:30 p.m. | Home | Emory* | WashU Field House | | |
| February 1, 2026 (Sunday) | 2 p.m. | Home | Rochester* | WashU Field House | | |
| February 6, 2026 (Friday) | 4:30 p.m. | Away | Emory* | Atlanta, Ga. | ||
| February 8, 2026 (Sunday) | 1 p.m. | Away | Rochester* | Rochester, N.Y. | ||
| February 13, 2026 (Friday) | 5:30 p.m. | Home | Carnegie Mellon* | WashU Field House | | |
| February 15, 2026 (Sunday) | 2 p.m. | Home | Case Western Reserve* | WashU Field House | | |
| February 20, 2026 (Friday) | 4:30 p.m. | Away | New York University* | New York, N.Y. | ||
| February 22, 2026 (Sunday) | 1 p.m. | Away | Brandeis* | Waltham, Mass. | ||
| February 28, 2026 (Saturday) | 1 p.m. | Home | University of Chicago* | WashU Field House | |