A new season of DII men’s basketball is right around the corner. The defending national champion Nova Southeastern Sharks will look to win their third championship in four years, and star point guard Dallas Graziani will lead the attack.
Graziani is one of several guards that bring that fire to their respective teams. Whether they are scoring points or feeding their big men — or both — these guards should be on you radar for the 2025-26 DII men’s basketball season.
10 returning guards to watch in 2025-26
Dallas Graziani, Nova Southeastern
This is a no-brainer. Graziani is a two-time national champion and last year led DII in assists (340), assists per game (9.2) and assist/turnover ratio (5.23), all while posting the second-most steals in DII with 93 and scoring a career-high 12.9 points per game. The 5-foot-8 ball of energy rarely sits out a series, even in Nova Southeastern’s high-octane attack, which is quite impressive. Graziani is an All-American and should be a Bevo Francis Award favorite from opening tip.
Cam Edmonds, Georgian Court
It is easy to sleep on Edmonds. The Lions play in the CACC and aren’t a tournament regular by any stretch. That didn’t stop Edmonds from having one of the biggest breakouts of the 2024-25 season. The 6-foot-2 guard, who averaged 8.8 points per game over his freshman and sophomore seasons, dropped 23.8 points per game last year, a mark that was eighth-best in the division. He also added a career-high 5.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while recording a team-high 47 steals. If he takes another step forward, he’ll be one of the top scorers in DII once again.
Pace Prosser, Gannon
Gannon had lost so much experience, both on the court and in the coaching ranks, from its record-setting 2024 finish. The Golden Knights desperately needed fresh blood to step up, and Prosser, a 6-foot-2 guard, did just that. He had one of the better freshman seasons in all DII last year — and should only grow on that in 2025-26. Prosser scored 14.3 points per game to go with 5.6 rebounds per game and a team-high 151 assists and 65 steals. He doesn’t shy away from the pressure, either: Prosser was the PSAC tournament MVP and dropped 22 points in his DII men’s basketball championship debut.
Julian Dozier, Lenoir-Rhyne
The Bears were somewhat a surprise last year, winning the SAC tournament for the first time in 22 years and reaching the DII men’s Elite Eight for the first time in program history. Dozier, a 5-foot-10 point guard, was the engine that made the Bears go. In his first season with Lenoir-Rhyne, Dozier averaged 11.7 points per game, was second in the SAC with 172 assists and recorded 66 steals. This team returns three starters, so expectations will be through the roof. That means Dozier should have an even bigger season with a full year of experience under his belt.
Marcus Tomashek, Michigan Tech
In the transfer portal era, it is remarkable that the Huskies returned their scoring machine for one more year. In fact, this team returns all its starters and should be considered a contender for the Midwest Region from Day 1. Tomashek has been among the DII top 10 in scoring for the past two seasons. Last year, the 6-foot-6 guard scored a career-high 23.6 points per game with 4.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. He was an All-American, both the GLIAC and Midwest Region player of the year, and made it all the way to the top 25 Bevo Francis Award watchlist. Expect Tomashek to contend for the DII scoring title in 2025-26.
Tyce Paulsen, Point Loma
Point Loma is always a contender out West, and Paulsen’s continued growth will help keep it that way. Paulsen was the PacWest freshman of the year in 2023-24 — and followed it up with a better sophomore season. The 6-foot-3 guard moved into the starting rotation full time and posted 10.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. He’s a weapon behind the arc as well, hitting 73 3-pointers last year. Point Loma has the pieces in place to go far, and Paulsen will be a key piece in doing so.
Xavion Brown, DBU
DBU had a memorable 2025, making it all the way to the Elite Eight and into the national semifinals. Brown was a driving force, being named LSC defensive player of the year and the LSC tournament MVP among a slew of other honors. He set DBU single-season records with an LSC-best 86 steals to go with 45 blocked shots and 91 offensive rebounds. The 6-foot-3 guard also added a team-high 152 assists and 8 points per game on 60.8 percent shooting as one of the more well-rounded guards in the LSC. Along with Trevor Frank (10.5 points, 81 steals), DBU may have one of the best backcourts in DII.
AJ Wright Jr., Anderson (SC)
Wright Jr. has been a consistent presence for the Trojans. A year after finishing second in the SAC in assists per game, the 5-foot-8 point guard led the SAC with 6.3 assists per game. He also scored a career-high 11.3 points per game while shooting 40 percent from behind the arc. Wright Jr. also finished in the top 10 with 2.6 steals per game. He may not get a lot of recognition playing for the Trojans, but Wright Jr. is a gamer.
Jack Bachelor, Washburn
Washburn went all the way to the national semifinals behind a 30-win season with a very deep starting five. Bachelor was the one who fed the beast, leading the Ichabods in assists (188) while posting the second-most steals on the team with 58. The 6-foot-2 junior will step into a larger leadership role after the ‘Bods lost some veteran talent, and he should do just fine. He’s averaging 12.6 points on 46.3 percent shooting over the past two seasons.
Dante Spadafora, West Liberty
Head coach and long-time West Liberty fixture Ben Howlett parted for IU Indy — and with him went several of the high-scoring Hilltoppers. Enter head coach Michael Lamberti, who guided Coker to a season in which the Cobras averaged 100 points per game. The Hilltoppers’ offense should see no fallout in philosophy and continue to score in bunches in the high-paced MEC. Sure, Spadafora was the team’s sixth-leading scorer (9.8 points per game) but he is also the most experienced returner. If he meshes with the high-scoring trio Lamberti brings with him from Coker, this offense should be explosive as always.
