Murauskas, Shaw, Innocenti representing Men's Basketball with Coach Bennett at Big 12 Media Day

Better call Paul-ius

• Unanimously regarded as one of the premier transfer prospects in the 2026 portal class
• No. 10 overall transfer prospect (No. 4 power forward) according to 247 Sports
• No. 9 overall transfer prospect (No. 6 forward) according to ESPN
• No. 8 overall transfer prospect (No. 2 power forward) according to Rivals ON3
• No. 10 overall transfer prospect (No. 6 forward) according to CBS Sports
• NABC First Team All-District (2025-26); NABC Second Team All-District (2024-25)
• Two-time First Team All-WCC selection (2024-25, 2025-26)
• Teamed up with new Sun Devil Head Coach Randy Bennett to finish a combined 56-12 (82.4%) with two NCAA Tournament appearances over the past two seasons
• WCC Newcomer of the Year (2024-25)
• Lute Olson National Player of the Week (Jan. 27, 2025)
• USBWA Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week (Jan. 6, 2026)
• Four-time WCC Player of the Week recipient (Dec. 9, 2024, Dec. 1, 2025, Jan. 5, 2026, Jan. 26, 2026)
• Sixth-most points scored in a Single Season in Program History (606 in 2025-26)
• Third-most made free throws in a Single Season in Program History (168 in 2025-26)
• Appeared in every game for the Gaels in 2025-26, starting 32 of the 33
• Team’s leading scorer, averaging 18.4 PPG and second leading rebounder at 7.6 RPG
• Shot 48.2% from the field and 84% from the stripe in 2025-26
• Scored in double-figures 30 times for the year
• Reached 1,000 career points thanks to a career-best 32-point/15-rebound performance at Pacific (Feb. 14, 2026)
• Recorded seven double-doubles in 2025-26, bringing his career tally to 20
• Started and appeared in every game in 2024-25, finishing second on the team in scoring (12.1 PPG) and rebounding (7.7 RPG)
• Led the WCC with 13 double-doubles in 2024-25
• 2024-25 Lou Henson Mid-Major All-American
  

→ Paulius Murauskas profile ←

D-Shaw

• • Highly sought-after transfer prospect thanks to an outstanding freshman campaign under Coach Bennett at Saint Mary’s
  • No. 102 overall transfer prospect (No. 17 small forward) according to 247 Sports
  • No. 114 overall transfer prospect (No. 15 small forward) according to Rivals ON3
  • No. 5 off-ball wing transfer prospect nationally, according to CBS Sports
  • 2025-26 WCC All-Freshman Team selection
  • Appeared in every game during his true freshman campaign for the Gaels, starting each of the final 22
  • Averaged 7.5 PPG and 5.4 RPG while shooting 41.6% from three-point range
  • Made his first collegiate start against FAU (Dec. 19), starting a stretch of 22 consecutive starts for the Gaels
  • Earned WCC Freshman of the Week honors after dropping 18 points at LMU (12/28/25)
  • Reached double-figures 10 times, including a career-high 20 points and six assists against Seattle U (1/4/26)
  • Became the first Saint Mary’s true freshman since Omar Samhan in 2006 to record a double-double, going for 14 points and 10 boards against San Diego (2/4/26)
  • Put together his second double-double of the season, this time against future NCAA Tournament participant Santa Clara (2/25/26), scoring 11 points and collecting a career-high 14 rebounds
  • 16 games with five or more rebounds, including each of his last four
  • Averaged 9.3 rebounds/game over the final four contests
  • Accounted for the 14th-most rebounds in the WCC (11th-most in conference play)
  • Finished in the Top-20 among WCC players in blocked shots (20) and three-point field goals made (52), one of only two players in the league who could make that claim
  • Played 32.3 minutes per game in WCC play, the 13th-highest total in league contests
  • 89th-ranked player in the high school class of 2025 according to 247Sports, and the 10th-ranked player from the state of California, making him the highest-rated (according to 247) high school signee to Saint Mary’s in program history
  • Nephew of Sun Devil Men’s Basketball player Mike Batiste, who played at Arizona State for three seasons from 1997-99
    

→ Dillan Shaw profile ←

E-Man

• Experienced two-way impact transfer from Gonzaga
• No. 198 overall transfer prospect (No. 30 small forward) according to 247 Sports
• Played in all 35 games as a junior at Gonzaga
• The Bulldogs went 31-4, including a 16-2 record in the WCC, with Innocenti starting 29 games
• Gonzaga earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the second round
• Recorded two steals and added seven points in Gonzaga's opening-round NCAA Tournament win over Kennesaw State
• Averaged 6.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists over 24.2 minutes per game in 2025-26
• Finished the season with 36 steals and 9 blocks
• Reached double figures in scoring six times in 2025-26
• Collected five or more rebounds in 12 contests
• Produced nine multi-steal performances
• Made a season-high five 3-pointers in the win over Maryland (Nov. 25, 2025), thanks to a 5-for-7 effort from beyond the arc
• Dished out a season-high six assists at Kentucky (Dec. 5, 2025)
• Scored a season-high 16 points at Santa Clara (Feb. 14, 2026), going 6-for-11 from the field and 4-for-5 at the line while grabbing a season-high 5 offensive rebounds
• Played in 31 games during the 2024-25 season, his first at Gonzaga
• Started his career at Tarleton State, where he was one of five Texans to appear in all 35 games (33 starts) during his lone season
• 2023-24 All-WAC Defensive Team
• 2023-24 All-WAC Freshman Team
• Among all freshman in the nation in 2023-24, Innocenti ranked fourth in defensive rebounds per game (5.37), eighth in steals (1.69) and ninth in rebounds (6.37)

→ Emmanuel Innocenti profile ←

Bennett is back home

•  Joins Arizona State following an extremely successful tenure at Saint Mary’s.
• Spent the past 25 seasons at the helm of one of the nation’s most consistent programs.
• Built the Gaels into a force in the West Coast Conference, collecting a school-record 589 wins and earning seven WCC Coach of the Year honors.
• Saint Mary’s made 19 postseason appearances under Bennett, 12 in the NCAA Tournament and seven in the NIT. 
• The Gaels’ streak of 18 straight postseason appearances trails only Gonzaga, Michigan State, and Kansas nationally.
• The Gaels held the highest winning percentage (.774) and tied for the most NCAA Tournament appearances (seven) of any NCAA Division I men's basketball program in the state of California since the 2015-16 season.
• Saint Mary's boasted the fourth-best win percentage (.774) of any NCAA Division I team in the nation since 2015-16. 
• The past five seasons have arguably been his best, as he has shown the ability to adapt to college basketball’s ever-changing landscape.
• Compiled a 135-36 (.790) record and made the NCAA Tournament in each of those five campaigns. Saint Mary’s has also earned at least a share of four straight WCC regular-season titles, going a combined 62-6 (.912) in conference play during that span. 
• Proven he can win in any era of college basketball. 
• During the six-year span from 2008 to 2013, Saint Mary’s won 25 or more games, one of only four programs nationally (Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas) to achieve that feat. 
• University Credit Union Pavilion emerged as one of the toughest places to play during his tenure.
• Saint Mary’s was 319-62 (.837) over the past 23 seasons at home, including a 199-26 (.884) record in the last 13 years.
• Saint Mary’s has been to at least the semifinals of the WCC Tournament in 23 of its 25 seasons, which includes 14 WCC Tournament Final appearances. 
• He led the Gaels to the WCC Tournament Title in 2010, 2012, 2019, and 2024.
•  Had 51 players earn All-WCC recognition, with 42 First-Team and nine Honorable Mention selections.
• Guided six players to WCC Defensive Player of the Year awards.
• Has roots in Arizona, having grown up in Mesa and attended Westwood High School.
• His father, Tom, served as the Men’s Basketball Head Coach at Mesa Community College for 19 years and is a Mesa City Sports Hall of Famer. 

Event coverage
The 2026 event will feature several new enhancements alongside expansive national media coverage.

This year’s enhancements include:

• Unmatched media partner coverage: All five of the Conference’s television partners, ESPN, FOX, CBS, TNT and NBC, return on-site to provide unparalleled coverage of the league.
• Launch of The Rotation: Big 12 Digital Contributor Kendra Sheehan and former NCAA student-athletes Jaden Owens and Olivia Petnicki will provide behind-the-scenes coverage with the launch of The Rotation, a personality-driven original content series featuring authentic interviews with student-athletes, coaches and influential voices at the intersection of sports, culture and lifestyle. The Rotation will air live on the Big 12’s YouTube channel each day from 12 – 2 p.m. MST with additional interviews and short-form content available across social platforms.
• Monster Energy Lounge: The Monster Energy Lounge offers student-athletes and coaches a relaxed space to connect and recharge throughout the two-day event.
• SLAM Magazine: A leader in showcasing men’s and women’s basketball at all levels, SLAM will activate on-site in Kansas City, capturing content featuring all 32 Big 12 programs for use throughout the 2026-27 season.  
• New Era activation: New Era will provide official co-branded media gifts for attending media, including a hat customization bar where attendees can personalize their hats with embroidery and other details. 

Arizona State, Baylor, Cincinnati, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Texas Tech and Utah will take the stage on Tuesday, followed by Arizona, BYU, UCF, Houston, K-State, Oklahoma State, TCU and West Virginia on Wednesday.

Coverage from the main set will air on ESPNU from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. MST each day. Matt Schick, Brooke Weisbrod, King McClure, Sydney Jones and Alex Glover Jemison will help preview both the men’s and women’s seasons. Both days will also be simulcast on Big 12 Studios and BYUtv.

Commissioner Brett Yormark will speak on the main stage at 8 a.m. MST on Tuesday, Oct. 20. Former K-State guard and WNBA analyst Missy Heidrick returns to moderate the women’s Q and A sessions with head coaches and student-athletes, while BYUtv’s Spencer Linton will host the men’s sessions. A feed of all press conferences and interviews will be available on ESPN+.

TuneIn Radio will also be on-site at T-Mobile Center, recording interviews with coaches and student-athletes from all 32 programs that will air leading up to the season.

A League of its own
The Big 12 had eight teams selected to the 2026 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, matching the league record set in 2008. It marked the third consecutive season that the league has sent at least seven teams to March Madness. The Conference finished the regular season as one of just two leagues nationally to have 75% of its teams ranked within the top 60 of the NET and had the second-best regular-season record among Power Four leagues in games against other P4 teams. The league had five selections in the 2026 WNBA Draft, including TCU’s Olivia Miles selected with the No. 2 overall pick.

The men’s side also saw eight teams qualify for the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, with three schools appearing in the Sweet 16, and league champion Arizona advancing to the Final Four. The Conference then had a historic showing at the 2026 NBA Draft with a Conference-record 13 overall selections, a league-record nine first-round selections and the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks in BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, respectively.