MONTEVALLO, Ala. – Montevallo men's basketball is set to open the 2025-26 season on Friday, Nov. 14 with a trip to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. for the GSC/SSC Crossover Classic.
 
The Falcons open the season against Barry on Nov. 14 before facing preseason No. 1 Nova Southeastern on Saturday, Nov. 15. Montevallo then faces off with Georgia Southwestern, Fisk and Spring Hill to close nonconference play on Nov. 26 before facing Lee on Dec. 4 to open the Gulf South Conference schedule. The Falcons then head to Trevecca Nazarene on Dec. 6 before returning home for games against Delta State and Mississippi College on Dec. 11 and 13, respectively. Montevallo then takes on Christian Brothers and Union on the road before closing the 2025 calendar year against Point on Dec. 31. Montevallo will then host Auburn Montgomery on Jan. 4 to open 2026 before hosting Alabama Huntsville and West Alabama. The Falcons head out on the road on Jan. 15^th and 17^th to take on Valdosta State and West Florida. The schedule then flips as Montevallo takes on Trevecca Nazarene and Lee at home on Jan. 22 and 24^th, respectively. Montevallo closes January with a trip to Mississippi to take on Mississippi College and Delta State before returning home for games against Union and Christian Brothers. The Falcons then head out on a three-game road trip at AUM, UWA and UAH before closing the season with two games at home against West Florida and Valdosta State on Feb. 25^th and 27^th respectively.
 
The Falcons head into the 2025-26 season after being voting first in the GSC Preseason Coaches' Poll, the Falcons' highest selection under head coach Anthony Komara's tutelage. Alongside the preseason ranking, Montevallo saw a pair of Preseason All-Conference selections in Brandon Fussell and Jaylen Curry while sophomore transfer Sam Duskin was named to the GSC Newcomer Watchlist after spending his freshman season at the Air Force Academy.
 
"The message to our team when the rankings came out was No. 1, it's awesome… to be voted No. 1 is an honor first and foremost… It's a sign of respect and one that I appreciate.  That being said, it means nothing. I want to be No. 1 on that poll at the end," said Komara.
 
"I'd rather have the post-season awards," said Fussell when asked about his Preseason All-Conference selection.
 
With Komara's incoming class of 2025 recruits, the Falcons added a total of seven fresh faces with six true freshman joining Montevallo's squad. The 2025 class features transfer Sam Duskin while adding freshmen in Adam Barskdale, Devon McKinnon, Miller Moody, Ty Odom, Bryant James and Tyler Cone.
 
"One thing that stands out to me, they ask questions. They want to learn. They want to learn why things work the way they do in college basketball… When you buy into the program and you want to learn, you want to get better every day, its kind of special," said senior Derek Moore.
 
With the addition of the 2025 recruiting class, Montevallo returns four of five starters from a season ago and sees a total of nine returners from last season. The Falcons' 2025 returners are highlighted by Fussell who was named All-GSC and GSC All-Tournament team after a season that saw the sophomore score a team high 18.1 points per game on 47.4-percent shooting and 39.1-percent from deep. Jaylen Curry also returns as an All-GSC selection from a season ago where the senior averaged 16.4 points per game and 6.0 rebounds per game in his 31 appearances. Derek Moore also returns as one of Montevallo's top performers in 2024-25 with an average of 14.6 points per game with a team-leading 6.3 rebounds per game that ranked 10^th in the GSC.
 
The Falcons open the season after the most successful campaign in Komara's tenure in 2024-25. A season ago, Montevallo posted a 20-11 overall record and a 15-7 mark in conference play. The 2024-25 Falcons finished the season as the No. 3 seed in the Gulf South Conference tournament and made an appearance in the league's semifinals. Montevallo was also selected to its first NCAA Tournament since the 2016-17 season while its No. 3 seed in the GSC tournament marked Montevallo's highest GSC finish since 2006.
 
"These guys should have ton of confidence [after last season] and that's a credit to them… But, what last year's team did, that was last year's team," said Komara. "We're 0-0. Period. When we play Barry on Friday, someone is going to be 1-0 and someone is going to be 0-1."