DBU Basketball is ranked No. 5 in the country in the NABC preseason poll, released by the National Association of Basketball Coaches on Tuesday. The Patriots are in the top five in the preseason rankings for the third consecutive season.
 
DBU enters the 2026-2027 season after going 29-7 (18-2 LSC) in 2025-2026, a campaign in which they claimed both the Lone Star Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championship for the second straight year. The Patriots claimed the top seed in the NCAA South Central Region, claiming the right to host back-to-back regional tournaments. With their ninth NCAA Tournament berth in the last 11 years, they advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season.
 
DBU returns eight players from last year's roster, led by seniors Bishop Jones, who averaged 11.0 points per game in 2025-2026 and Cody Stevens, who averaged 21.0 minutes per game across all 36 contests. The returners are joined by a wealth of young talent, including six freshmen and junior transfer Tanner Berggren.
 
The Patriots begin their 2026-2027 journey in Colorado on November 13 when they take on Colorado Christian to open the South Central Region Challenge.

The full NABC preseason rankings are available at NCAA.com.