Another Year, Another New Roster
Another year of UND basketball is upon us, and once again, there are a ton of new faces. At this point, that’s nothing new, and it’s likely going to be the norm moving forward. It’s not just a UND or Paul Sather issue, either. Everyone is dealing with the same challenges.
The good news is that UND does have two returning starters in senior guard Zach Kraft and senior center Josh Jones. There are also some rumors about Garrett Anderson potentially returning for a fifth year. More on that later.
Beyond those three, sophomore forward Karson Ouse is the only other returning player.
Before we get into the new roster, let’s take a quick look back at last season.
Looking Back at 2025-26
UND finished 18-17 overall and 10-6 in Summit League play, making it all the way to the Summit League Championship game before falling to NDSU, 70-62.
It was a memorable run for the Hawks, led by Greyson Uelmen. Unfortunately, Uelmen hit the transfer portal and landed at Northern Iowa.
He wasn’t the only one moving on. Here’s a rundown of the departures:
- Greyson Uelmen: Transferred to Northern Iowa
- Eli King: Graduated
- Garrett Anderson: Graduated, at least for now
- Reggie Thomas: Graduated
- Marley Curtis: Transferred to James Madison
- Micah Curtis: Transferred to Wyoming
- Anthony Smith: Transferred to Winthrop
- George Natsvlishvili: Transferred to Winthrop
- Matthew Bothun: Transferred to Kentucky Wesleyan
- Ryan Erikson: Transferred to Minot State
- Wylee Delorme: Transferred to Jamestown
- Anthony Doppler: Left the team; I’m not sure where he ended up
Smith and Natsvlishvili are worth keeping an eye on, as UND will face Winthrop on the road November 7.
The coaching staff also took a hit. Newly hired assistant coach Ty Danielson landed a head coaching job at Northwestern Oklahoma State. If you don’t remember, Danielson brought in an entirely new defensive scheme last season that helped pave the way for UND’s late-season success.
So, once again, Paul Sather is tasked with putting together an almost entirely new roster while also filling an assistant coaching vacancy. No pressure!
The New Faces: Transfers
UND brought in seven players through the transfer portal or from international programs. Let’s go through them in numerical order.
#5 Tyler Wagner | Guard | 6’6″
Hometown: Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
Previous School: Austin Peay
Wagner is an interesting addition because UND’s staff made a strong recruiting push for him coming out of high school, but he ultimately chose Austin Peay.
Last season, he appeared in 23 games and averaged just seven minutes per contest. Despite the limited playing time, he shot 38.6% from three-point range and averaged 2.6 points per game.
His best performance came in the second-to-last game of the season against Bellarmine. Wagner played 25 minutes, went 7-for-11 from the field and 6-for-10 from three, finishing with 20 points and five rebounds.
There’s some potential shooting upside here if he can earn a bigger role.
#8 Jayden Thomas | Forward | 6’7″
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Previous School: Lee College (JUCO)
Thomas put together a productive season at Lee College, averaging 9.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 1.0 assists and 0.7 blocks per game across 33 games, including 27 starts.
He shot an impressive 62.0% from the field, which ranked first in NJCAA Region XIV. He finished the season 116-for-187 from the field and also shot 44.2% from three-point range.
Thomas should bring some athleticism to the frontcourt, and he looks like someone who could provide plenty of entertainment throwing down dunks.
#12 Samuel Hincapie | Guard | 6’6″
Hometown: Medellín, Colombia
Previous School: Le Moyne
Hincapie is another player UND pursued last season but couldn’t land. This time around, the Hawks got their guy.
At Le Moyne, he averaged 4.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 30 games, playing 15.5 minutes per contest. He shot 43.5% from the field.
He scored in double figures eight times, including a season-high 18 points in a win over Saint Francis. In that game, he went 8-for-12 from the field and added five rebounds and four assists.
It will be interesting to see what he can do with a bigger opportunity in Grand Forks.
#14 Luke Winkel | Guard | 6’0″
Hometown: Ankeny, Iowa
Previous School: St. Cloud State
Winkel might be one of the most intriguing additions to this roster. He was a two-time First Team All-NSIC selection at St. Cloud State and is coming off a season in which he averaged 18.7 points, 4.0 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.
He shot 41.1% from the field and 33.2% from three-point range.
Winkel ranked sixth in the NSIC in both scoring and assists while helping lead the Huskies to a 20-2 conference record and their first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2018-19 season.
UND has a proven scorer and playmaker coming in, and I would expect him to have a major role right away.
#15 Andrija Radojevic | Forward | 6’8″
Hometown: Kruševac, Serbia
Previous Team: Mladost SP
Radojevic averaged 10.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 57.4% from the field, 27.8% from three-point range and 84.5% from the free-throw line.
He appeared in 29 games and averaged 20.4 minutes per contest, scoring in double figures 18 times. He also reached 20 points twice, most recently on December 28, 2025, against Sloven, when he went 8-for-11 from the field and grabbed eight rebounds.
He gives UND another option in the frontcourt, and his efficiency around the basket should be something to watch.
#23 Zack Parks | Guard | 6’6″
Hometown: Lake Orion, Michigan
Previous School: Mid-Michigan College (JUCO)
Parks led the Lakers in scoring last season, averaging 19.3 points per game. He also contributed 7.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals per contest.
He shot 50.6% from the field, 35.2% from three-point range and 75.4% from the free-throw line across 33 games, including nine starts.
Those are some impressive numbers, and Parks looks like another player who could provide a scoring punch. The question is how that production translates to the Division I level and what kind of role he earns in a crowded backcourt.
#52 Daemon Ely | Forward | 6’8″
Hometown: Taos, New Mexico
Previous School: Angelina College (JUCO)
Ely averaged 7.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.7 blocks and 0.5 steals per game while shooting 59.1% from the field. He started 28 of 32 games during the 2025-26 season.
He was also a key part of an Angelina College defense that ranked second in all of NJCAA Division I in scoring defense, allowing just 58.1 points per game.
With UND needing frontcourt depth, Ely could be an important addition on the glass and defensively.
That’s a lot of new faces, but we’re not done yet.
The Freshmen
UND also brings in four freshmen, and there are a few intriguing names in this group.
#0 Carter Evanson | Guard | 6’3″
Hometown: Horace, North Dakota
Evanson is one of the more talented guards to come out of North Dakota in recent memory. He’ll look to make an impact on the program similar to what Treysen Eaglestaff and Zach Kraft did before him.
During his senior season at Horace, Evanson averaged 25.2 points, 5.0 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 54% from the field and 35% from three-point range.
It will be interesting to see how quickly he adjusts to the college game and how much of an opportunity he gets as a freshman.
#2 Jayden Moore | Guard | 6’0″
Hometown: Hopkins, Minnesota
By some accounts, Moore is the most highly rated recruit UND has ever landed. Anyone remember Jal Bijek?
Moore was a three- or four-star prospect who at one point held offers from schools such as Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas State and West Virginia.
He’s a true point guard who is more of a facilitator than a pure scorer, and he’s also a talented football player. In fact, football may be his better sport.
Moore is Hopkins’ all-time leader in assists, points, rebounds and steals. He was also teammates with former Hawk Anthony Smith and played AAU basketball alongside the Curtis twins and Uelmen.
There is plenty of pedigree here. The question is how quickly that talent translates to the college level.
#4 DeAngelo Dungey | Guard | 6’4″
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota
My understanding is that Dungey comes in as a preferred walk-on. He’s a young player who appears to be a bit of a late bloomer, with offers from Northeastern and several NSIC schools.
A year in the weight room and some time developing could do wonders for him. Of course, redshirting isn’t as straightforward as it used to be, so the staff could look to get him some minutes here and there if the opportunity presents itself.
#32 Sage Hanson | Forward | 6’9″
Hometown: Towner, North Dakota
Hanson is an extremely interesting prospect. He has the ability to stretch the floor and, in my opinion, a high ceiling.
The challenge is evaluating him against the competition he faced in high school, particularly after transferring back from prep school. It’s difficult to know exactly what UND has in him at this point.
Like Dungey, a year in the weight room would do wonders. However, with UND’s lack of frontcourt depth, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Hanson get an opportunity sooner rather than later.
Projected Starting Lineup and Rotation
All right, I think I’ve covered everyone. Now let’s get into the fun part: what could the starting lineup and rotation look like?
My projected starting five
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| PG | Luke Winkel |
| SG | Zach Kraft |
| SF | Tyler Wagner |
| PF | Samuel Hincapie |
| C | Josh Jones |
Projected bench rotation: Jayden Moore, Jayden Thomas, Andrija Radojevic, Zack Parks and Daemon Ely.
If it were up to me, I might actually move Kraft into a sixth-man role. I think that could suit him as a shooter who can come off the bench and provide an immediate scoring punch.
I’d slide Wagner and Hincapie down a spot and insert either Thomas or Radojevic into the starting lineup.
Of course, that’s based on seeing very little of most of these players and trying to piece together what I know about their backgrounds and levels of play. The actual rotation could look quite a bit different once we see everyone on the floor together.
One thing is certain: there should be plenty of competition for minutes, particularly in the backcourt.
The Garrett Anderson Wild Card
One potential development that could completely change the outlook for this team is Garrett Anderson.
As things currently stand, Anderson is out of eligibility. The NCAA’s new five-years-to-play-five-
There are also numerous eligibility lawsuits working their way through the system. We’ve seen UND football players receive temporary restraining orders (TROs) that allowed them to play as fifth-year athletes this season.
I don’t believe Anderson has received a TRO, as my understanding is that he hasn’t been practicing. That could change, but for now, I wouldn’t count on him being available.
If he does find a way back onto the floor, though, that would be a significant addition to this roster.
What Do the Preseason Rankings Say?
The preseason outlook for UND has generally been somewhere in the middle to the bottom of the Summit League.
The Summit League’s preseason poll slotted the Hawks sixth, and UND didn’t have anyone selected to either the first or second All-Summit League team.
That’s not particularly surprising given the amount of roster turnover. Had Anderson been eligible, I think he would have had a good chance to land on the second team, at a minimum.
KenPom is even less optimistic, ranking UND No. 331 nationally and last in the Summit League.
I don’t expect the Hawks to finish there.
Since 2010, UND has finished below that ranking just twice, in 2010 and 2022. Last season, the Hawks opened at No. 314 and finished at No. 279.
That doesn’t guarantee a better season, especially with so many new players, but it does give some perspective on just how low the preseason expectations are.
A Look at the Schedule
For season-ticket holders, this probably isn’t the most exciting nonconference schedule on paper. I think there’s a reason for that, though.
UND opens the season on the road against Minnesota on November 2, the first of four buy games.
For a mid-major program like UND, these games are important. They help cover expenses and, increasingly, can provide financial resources that support a program’s NIL budget.
We’ve seen how much turnover UND has experienced, and a big part of that is the reality of today’s college basketball landscape. When a player shows an ounce of success, bigger programs can come calling with NIL offers that UND simply can’t match.
Those buy games won’t solve the problem, but they are one piece of the financial puzzle.
There are a few decent home nonconference games to look forward to, including Montana, SIUE (meh) and Green Bay.
Green Bay should be a familiar name to college basketball fans, as Doug Gottlieb is the head coach there.
The schedule might not generate a ton of excitement on paper, but it will give us an early look at how this new group comes together.
Final Thoughts
This should be an interesting season for UND basketball.
Sather and his staff once again have the difficult task of bringing together a roster full of new faces, establishing roles and figuring out how to get everyone playing together. That’s a tall order, particularly with so little returning production.
At the same time, this isn’t new territory for Sather. He’s had to rebuild this roster more than once, and last season showed what this team can do when things start clicking at the right time.
There are plenty of questions. Can Winkel provide the scoring and playmaking UND needs? Which transfers will emerge as key contributors? How quickly can the freshmen adjust? And can this group find the same kind of chemistry that fueled last year’s run?
I don’t know where the ceiling is for this team, but I have a hard time buying into the idea that UND is destined to finish last in the Summit League.
It should be fun to see how it all comes together. Looking forward to another season of UND basketball!