Wheeling, W. Va. - Over the last four years, the Wheeling University Men's Basketball team has been building the foundation of a winning culture. In 2025-2026, that hard work paid of, with the team finishing with their best season since the 2017-18 campaign. The Cardinals finished as the #3 seed in the Mountain East Conference (MEC) with a veteran team that has been through the ups and downs leading the charge.
After starting the year with an exhibition against West Virginia University, the Cardinals headed up the hilltop to face the WLU Classic. The Cardinals would go 1-1, picking up a win against CAL-U, and finished the non-conference schedule with an even record at 2-2. They would keep the momentum rolling into their conference schedule, earning an MEC opening win over Point Park. They took on West Virginia State, Charleston, and Davis & Elkins to round out the first half conference schedule and, after non-conference wins over Franciscan and Salem, the Cardinals sat at 7-3 heading to the Christmas break. They opened 2026 strong with a win against West Virginia Wesleyan, but ended up dropping two of the next four to sit at 9-5. They remained in the top four of the conference, and entered the final month of the season sitting on the fringe at 11-7.
The turning point came in a 106-92 win over West Virginia State, and the Cardinals hit the final month running. They went on a three-game win streak that helped them climb the ladder and won eight of their final nine games to claim the #3 seed. They put a bow on the regular season with a come from behind 93-91 home win over West Liberty, officially clinching the #3 seed in the MEC Tournament field. They would earn the their first First-Round bye since the 2019-2020 season, and would earn a first round match-up with #6 seeded Concord. However, the Mountain Lions came out fast and hard, and the Cardinals would have to battle the rest of the night. Wheeling would score the final 14 points of the game, but the damage had already been done as Wheeling fell 96-71 to end their MEC Tournament run.
As a result of their team success, the Cardinals would have two All-MEC honorees for the first time since the 2021-2022 season. Leading the way was redshirt freshman Ayden Goll, who not only earned First Team All-MEC honors, but was also named the conference's Freshman of the Year. He finished the 2025-26 season as the fourth leading scorer in the conference, averaging 18.1 points per game, while sitting top 10 in the conference in assists (129) and steals (45). Goll ended the season on a hot streak, scoring in double figures in 12 straight games dating back to January 24th, ending the season with a bang against Concord. He would finish with 19 points against Concord, shooting 38.9% (7-18) from the floor. He was a key part of the Cardinal's offensive success throughout the year and helped them get back to the tournament field.
Wheeling's other All-MEC honoree was senior Caleb Murray, who had a breakout year at guard for the Cardinals. Murray was the team's second leading scorer, averaging 15.8 points per game, while finishing as the top deep threat for the Cardinals throughout the season. He shot a team-best 36% (81-225) from beyond the arc. He was one of two double digit scorers for the Cardinals against Concord, putting up 14 points in the battle with Concord. The other top scorer for the Cardinals during the year was junior Tee Harris Jr. He finished as the team's third leading scorer, averaging a career-best 14.4 points per game, while leading the team with 6.4 rebounds per game. He led the Cardinals with five double-doubles during the season, and played a big role under the net.
Leading the Cardinals was a veteran team, including a class of six seniors throughout the 2025-2026 season. Murray, Alex Smith, and Trevor Beresford have been there for four years, taking the program from six wins to the 19-win team this season. Along the way, Elijah Edwards, Jerry Saunders Jr., and Curtis Harrison IV joined in and helped round out a competitive Cardinal team. Together, they helped the program earn the most wins since the 2017-18 season, while also earning the highest tournament seeding since that same season. Leading the way was Head Coach Chris Richardson, who earned the MEC Coach of the Year award for the first time in his career. Behind the senior class are a group of young players ready to keep the winning tradition going.
The Wheeling University Men's Basketball team now heads into the off-season as they prepare to keep their winning ways going in 2026-27 and beyond.
