With the official start of the 2026-27 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) men's basketball season approaching, the conference office announced its preseason all-conference teams today, Wednesday, Oct. 28.
Davenport guard Curtis Jackson, the lone returning All-GLIAC honoree from last season, was voted the 2026-27 GLIAC Preseason Player of the Year by the conference coaches.
Curtis Jackson had a great first season at Davenport in 2025-26. He earned Second Team All-GLIAC and GLIAC All-Defensive Team honors and finished second on the team with 12.2 points and 30.6 minutes per game. He ranked third on the team with 5.5 rebounds and led the team with 149 assists and 53 steals. The assist total was fourth in a single season at Davenport, and he also led the GLIAC in assists per game during conference contests. Jackson scored in double figures 18 times and eclipsed 20-plus points five times. He also had 10-plus assists in a game four times, with a season high of 13 on Jan. 17 at Ferris State. In addition, he recorded the first triple-double in school history against Ferris State on Feb. 28 with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Accompanying Jackson on the All-GLIAC Preseason First Team is Grand Valley State junior forward Dylan Smith and graduate student forward Shamus Thompson, Michigan Tech junior guard/forward Gabe Smith and Ferris State junior forward Tae Boyd.
Dylan Smith, a Davenport transfer, appeared in 54 games with 43 starts as a Panther, averaging 10 points and 6.4 rebounds on 54% shooting from the field. Thompson played in all 33 games a year ago for the Lakers, helping them to 26 wins. He led the team in rebounding (6.5 rpg) and blocked shots (36).
Gabe Smith started all 36 games for the NCAA Midwest Regional champion Huskies in 2026-27, averaging 7.8 points and 6.8 rebounds while totaling a team-high 62 steals.
Boyd is a two-sport star at Ferris State, who currently leads the back-to-back Division II football national champions in receiving touchdowns with five. In 2025-26, Boyd scored 13.6 points per game in 17 contests.
Honored on the second team were Purdue Northwest sophomore guard Garrett Clark, Lake Superior State fourth-year forward Tyler Jamison and third-year guard/forward Harrison Sorrelle, Parkside redshirt senior guard Luka Mateski and Saginaw Valley State redshirt junior guard Triston Nichols.
The 2026-27 season gets underway with GLIAC preseason co-favorite No. 17 Grand Valley State and Northern Michigan in action at the Midwest Tip-Off Challenge in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. on Friday, Oct. 30. The Lakers play Harding while the Wildcats will face Central Oklahoma.
2026-27 GLIAC Men's Basketball Preseason Player of the Year
Curtis Jackson, Davenport
2026-27 Preseason First Team All-GLIAC
Tae Boyd, Ferris State
Curtis Jackson, Davenport
Dylan Smith, Grand Valley State
Gabe Smith, Michigan Tech
Shamus Thompson, Grand Valley State
2026-27 Preseason Second Team All-GLIAC
Garrett Clark, Purdue Northwest
Tyler Jamison, Lake Superior State
Luka Mateski, Parkside
Triston Nichols, Saginaw Valley State
Harrison Sorrelle, Lake Superior State
