Lindenwood men’s basketball enters its seventh year under the eyes of head coach Kyle Gerdeman, who is looking to build off a solid 2025 season that saw a seven-win improvement from the previous season.
Lindenwood finished 16-17 and 10-10 in Ohio Valley Conference play while also being dominant at home, finishing 11-3 inside Hyland Arena. The Lions took down Morehead State in the first round of the OVC tournament before falling to Tennessee State in the quarterfinals.
Lindenwood was picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll, with the Black and Gold also having two players who were named to the OVC preseason players to watch list in senior guard Anias Futrell and junior guard Mekhi Cooper.
“Pretty good,” Gerdeman said of their spot in the poll during OVC Media Day. “I think it shows some growth and shows we’ve built our program up a little bit in a few years. We’re excited about it.”
The Main Stays
The Lions bring back six players from last year’s squad in Clayton Jackson, Jaylon McDaniel, Jalen Bouknight, Jeremiah Talton, Jadis Jones, and Futrell.
Jones averaged 12.5 points per game in his freshman campaign, shooting 55.2% from the floor. He also grabbed an average of 5.8 rebounds per game and was named the OVC Freshman of the Week 12 different times last season, breaking the all-time conference record set in 2002, and was named to the All-OVC Second Team and was the OVC Freshman of the Year.
“When you play with Jadas, you have no choice but to play with confidence,” Futrell said at the OVC Media Day. “We already have chemistry from last year, and getting the guys ready for this year, I feel like we’re going to be very good.”
Futrell averaged a team-high 12.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. The native of St. Louis, Missouri, scored in double-figures 19 times last season and scored a season-high 26 points against UT Martin after shooting 6-13 from three on Jan. 11, 2025.
“I didn’t realize he was our leading rebounder until after the season,” Gerdeman said. “But having your leading returning scorer and rebounder says a lot. His ability to be even better is what’s exciting. He’s going to keep rebounding, he heard that here.”
McDaniel and Jackson were role players last year who will look to up their roles this year. McDaniel averaged 5.4 points and 2.4 rebounds a year ago while appearing in 18 games. Jackson averaged 4.6 points and shot 37% from the field and 30% from three. Bouknight shot 36% from three and 40% from the field en route to averaging 4.6 points in his 15 games off the bench.
Talton returns after all of last season with an injury.
Futrell also pointed to teammates who must elevate their roles, “Everybody,” he said, “But I’ll say Clayton Jackson has taken a great step so far this year. I’m excited to see what he brings.”
New Kids on the Block
Lindenwood brings in nine newcomers to the 2025-26 squad, including three freshmen and six transfer portal additions.
“I am very excited about this group of signees,” Gerdeman said, “The coaching staff did a great job of identifying players that not only could come in and fit our system and style of play, but are high character, hardworking young men. They all have an energy and passion for the game of basketball that really stood out during the recruiting process.”
Cooper is a transfer from Miami (OH), where he started 63 of 65 games played over his two years with the Redhawks. In 2024-25, he averaged 5.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game, starting all 34 games.
The Lions also bring in the WAC All-Freshman Selection, Dontrez Williams from Abilene Christian. Williams averaged 5.8 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, where he appeared in all 32 games for the Wildcats last season.
Kevin Anthony joins the Lindenwood men’s basketball program after spending his first two seasons at Wabash Valley College. He appeared in 29 games last season, averaging 5.9 points per game while shooting 62.0% from the floor and grabbing 4.2 rebounds a night.
Robert Lewis transferred to Lindenwood after spending the last three seasons at Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The St. Louis native played in 51 career games for the Lions, starting 28 of them. He averaged 19 minutes a night for APB, averaging 4.3 points per game and 3.5 rebounds.
Milos Nenadic is a grad transfer from Maine after spending the previous four years with the Black Bears, while Todd Bieg is the final addition from the portal, coming to Lindenwood from St. Louis Community College.
Three true freshmen find themselves on the roster this season for the Lions, including Tidiane d’Almeida from France, William Campbell from Los Angeles, California, and Daniel Kwon from Pullman, Washington. Campbell averaged 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game at Sunrise Christian Academy, while Kwon averaged 20.5 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game during his senior year at Pullman High School.
The Portal both Giveth and Taketh Away
Lindenwood lost quite a few key contributors from last year, including all-around player Markeith Browning II, who is now playing overseas and continuing his basketball career in Uppsala, Sweden, after signing with Sloga Uppsala.
Reggie Bass also hit the portal after averaging 12.2 points a season ago. Other players like Nathan Johnson Jr and Aly Tounkara also hit the portal and went to find homes elsewhere after a stop in St. Charles with Lindenwood.
Big Things Ahead This Season
Lindenwood has big goals in mind here in 2025-2026, as the university has completed its period of transition and is now eligible for postseason play at the NCAA level.
“We were trying to win the first year, whether we could go to the NCAA Tournament or not, that’s just how coaches are,” he said. “But now there’s nothing left you can hold against us. People can’t tell recruits we can’t play in the tournament anymore. Those days are over. We’re like everybody else now.”
“We’ve got something extra to play for,” Futrell said on the significance of having the opportunity to make an NCAA tournament.
Lindenwood opens up its season on the road against #10 Texas Tech on Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. before opening up at home, inside Hyland Arena, on Thursday, Nov. 6, against the University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy in St. Louis.
The Lions will also travel to Huntsville, Alabama, to be a part of the Bulldog Bash before opening up conference play on Saturday, Dec. 6, at Eastern Illinois in Charleston, Illinois, at 7 p.m.
Futrell summed up the team’s focus heading into the season, saying, “For me to have a great year, I just have to stay healthy. That’s the biggest thing. I’ve got the experience—it’s just about staying healthy.”
