STOCKTON, Calif. – University of the Pacific men's basketball team (0-0) begins the 2026-27 season at home, when it hosts Bethesda (0-0) at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, at the Alex G. Spanos Center. The Tigers are set to open the season in Stockton for the fourth consecutive year.
 
GAME 1 INFORMATION:
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026
Time: 7:00 p.m. PT
Opponent: Bethesda
Location: Stockton, Calif./Alex G. Spanos Center
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Fox Sports AM 1280
Live Stats: SIDEARM
Tickets: Purchase Here
 
Pacific enters the new campaign following a successful 2025-26 season, finishing with an 18-15 overall record and tied for fifth place in the West Coast Conference standings at 8-10. The Tigers also earned a conference tournament win, Head Coach Dave Smart's first at the helm, with a narrow 61-58 victory over Seattle U in the third round of the 2026 Credit Union 1 WCC Championship.
 
In just his second season as head coach, Dave Smart began his turnaround by doubling Pacific's win total from nine in 2024-25 to 18 last season. The Tigers' 18-15 overall record also marked the program's first winning season since Damon Stoudamire led the program to a 23-10 record during the 2019-20 season.
 
Jaion Pitt, the team's lone returner who saw action last season, returns for his sophomore season after averaging 4.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.4 assists in 18.0 minutes per game in 2025-26. The 6-8 forward from Canada totaled two double-digit scoring performances, highlighted by a season-best 16 points in the program's 85-73 win at Cal State Fullerton on November 15, 2025. Pitt was also efficient from the floor during his freshman campaign, ranking second on the team with a .667 field goal percentage.
 
Along with Pitt and fellow returner Noah Budu, Pacific welcomes 14 new players to the roster for 2026-27. Nine players enter the season with Division I experience, including Jaden Winston (Manhattan), CJ Jones (UIC/Kansas State), Dominick Harris (Gonzaga/LMU/UCLA/Loyola Chicago), Gavin Ripp (San Diego), Jacob McFarland (Houston), Adriel Nyorha (South Florida), Jaylen Thompson (Stanford), Connor Amundsen (Dartmouth), and Ivan Matlekovic (High Point/North Carolina).
 
Damarion Vann-Kelly joins the team as a community college transfer, and Nishayne Sharpe, Vincent Osazee, Andrej Mitrevski, and Jorge Carot begin their collegiate basketball careers as freshmen.
 
Pacific has faced off against Bethesda one time in program history, earning a dominating 88-30 win on January 16, 2016, at the Alex G. Spanos Center.
 
FOLLOW US:
For updates and more information on the Pacific men's basketball program, follow the Tigers on X (@pacificmensbb), Instagram (@pacificmensbb), and the Facebook page (Pacific Men's Basketball).
 
TICKETS:
Tickets for upcoming events can be purchased through the PacificTigers.com tickets tab or by calling the Box Office at 209-946-2474.