Sacramento State Basketball 2025–2026 Season Preview: Projected starting lineup, impact players and rotation

With Mike Bibby as the coach and Shaquille O'Neal as the general manager, Sacramento State basketball is in a new era. Which is a good thing, because the 7-25 record of a season ago wasn't anything worth remembering. The Hornets have to get up to speed in a hurry.

There's literally not a returning player listed on the Sacramento State roster. Bibby's head coaching skills are about to be put to a very immediate test. The identity of his team will be a mystery heading into the season.

Sacramento State Season Preview

Shaqir O'Neal, shown here on defense, could help the Hornets of Sacramento State this year. (Photo Credit: IMAGN)

Who knows? This program presents a first-time coach taking over a 7-25 team full of transfers and freshmen. By any measure, the new players don't have much to do to overtake the previous squad. But how far Bibby can lead them is very much an open question.

Starters

Guard: Mikey Williams

A 6-foot-3 guard from Central Florida, Williams averaged 5.1 points and 1.9 rebounds per game there a season ago. He figures to get every opportunity to earn a starting job and even a starring role with the Hornets.

Guard: Jayden Teat

A 6-foot-1 guard from Utah, Teat sat out this past season, but did draw some relevant experience with the Utes in 2023-24. Teat is a competent wing scorer who will probably need some time to shake off the rust. The good news is that Bibby's expertise and the lack of depth on this team should give him time.

Guard: Jahni Summers

A 6-foot-6 guard from Evansville, Summers showed promise in his prior D1 action. He averaged 5.7 points per game last season at Indiana State, making 39% of his 3-point attempts. Summers will benefit from the opportunity to carve out a significant role with the Hornets.

Forward: Jeremiah Cherry

A 6-foot-11 transfer from UNLV, Cherry's size alone would assure him of a role. But he averaged 9.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game last year with the Rebels, so his game is solid. A 63% shooter on the year, Cherry is also a solid shot-blocker. He figures to see plenty of minutes.

Forward: Shaqir O'Neal

A 6-foot-7 forward, O'Neal's game is both less dominating and more versatile than his famous father's. He averaged 6.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game last year at Florida A&M. That said, he was a 38% 3-point shooter, a figure that Shaq could never even aim at, much less claim.

Rotation Players

With only ten players currently listed on the roster, everyone is a rotation player. The remaining players include a couple of high school recruits, JUCO transfer Zach Anderson and South Florida transfer Taj Glover, who didn't play any game action there. The only remaining player with Division I experience is USC transfer Brandon Gardner. He played four minutes in one game with USC.

Impact Players

Frankly, any players are impact players. Cherry's size and prior production makes him the most likely suspect here.

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