Bridger Hanis

Men's Hoops Blends Newcomers & Returners in Push to Return to NWC Tourney

By Mark Albanese, Director of Sports Communication

The Pacific Lutheran University men’s basketball team has plenty of new faces this winter but still returns a core group of players from last year’s team include a trio of College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District selections.

The Lutes got off to a hot start in 2025-2026, opening the year with a 7-3 record but injuries caught up with the squad late in the season, dropping five of the final six games of the season and ending with an 11-14 overall record and a 5-11 mark in Northwest Conference play, snapping the program’s streak of six consecutive winning seasons under Head Coach Chad Murray who begins his 10th season in Luteville.

I don’t know if we have any expectations this year. We just want our guys to maximize their capabilities as a group. We just want our guys to feel like they got the most out of themselves and each other once we finish the season.

Head Coach Chad Murray

2026-2027 Roster

The Lutes reloaded over the offseason have 19 on the roster this winter, including seven returners, six true freshmen, and six transfers.

Anchoring the returners is four Lutes that saw heavy action last winter in Charlie Kapranos, Henry Smith, Cam Rice, and Caleb Berry.

The thing that I love that they bring right now is their leadership. They’re phenomenal and they know a lot about the way we want to do things and the way our system’s run, team chemistry, and team culture. They’re an open book in terms of information and they share that information to the new guys all the time.

Kapranos started in all 17 games he played last year, missing the end of the season with an injury. The Portland native led the team in rebounding (8.3 per game) and assists (74), while sitting second on the squad in points per game at 13.8.

“Charlie has taken a step every year and has become more vocal. Guys respect him, respect his game, and respect the information coming out of his mouth.”

Smith is another capable scorer, averaging 11.0 ppg last winter, finishing second on the team in threes after hitting 54 during the 2025-2026 campaign and boasted a shooting percentage of 39.4 from beyond the arc. The Hillsboro, Oregon native played in all 25 games last season, making 10 starts.

I hear Henry in huddles where I never heard him as a freshman or sophomore. He’s really embraced being a senior leader.

We're looking for huge things from both those guys. From an expectations standpoint the expectation for those two is to lead and elevate. Elevate themselves, elevate each other, and elevate their teammates.

Caleb Berry played in every game last season and started all but two. Playing point guard, Berry averaged 6.0 ppg but looks to have an even bigger scoring role this season moving to shooting guard. The Houston, Texas native along with Kapranos and Smith were all tabbed CSC Academic All-District selections last March and hope to play well enough to earn even more hardware this season.

“We’re going to slide him off the ball. That’s best for him and that’s best for us. He performed valiantly last year (at point guard), but he’s a scorer and I want him to focus on that and take another step forward.”

Phoenix, Arizona native Cam Rice saw significant minutes as a first year last winter, playing in 24 games and starting the final seven of the season after Kapranos’ injury. Rice averaged 6.1 ppg and 3.5 rpg while making his presence felt in the paint with 10 blocks.

“Cam now has a year under his belt. He came back this year stronger. So he really worked hard in the weight room in the spring and summer to come back with a little more physicality. He’s a good pick and pop threat, but he can also bang inside and I think he showed that when we really needed him to last year.

I’m really looking forward to seeing him take the next step this year. I think he’s more confident now that he’s been through the ringer last year.”

Also returning for the Lutes is Lake Tapps, Washington senior Shaun Burton who played in 20 games last year, Gibralter senior Jamie McGrail who was featured in 13 games, and Chandler, Arizona native Logan Lucero who suited up seven games as a true freshman last winter.

Jamie is battling it out at the point guard position and he’s got some savviness to him and that international flair to his game. He’s a pest when he’s guarding the ball and I just want him to do those things and get us into our offense, and get the ball to the right guys.

Shaun had a really good preseason and has been a really awesome leader for our ‘ready group.’ He sets the tone from an energy standpoint. He’s playing really well, shooting really well. He’s been a tremendous asset for our program just in terms of teaching the young guys the culture and how we do things here.

Logan is another one who is going to take another step. He’s gotten a lot stronger and he is battling. He’s a tremendous teammate, guys love him. He brings a practice ethic that rivals Henry in terms of how hard he practices.

Those seven returners have set the standard and the expectations for the 12 newcomers.

“I cannot say enough about the returners and how they’ve interacted with new guys but then also the new guys and how they’ve gelled with the older guys.”

Of PLU’s six transfers, four come having played at least a season of college sports, including a duo from Bellevue College.

Democratic Republic of Congo native Daniel Kabamba joins the Lutes after a successful stint with the Bulldogs where the center led the 37-member Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) in field goal percentage, shooting 73.7 percent from the floor while also averaging 6.8 ppg and 4.3 rpg last winter.

“Daniel’s a true back to the basket center but could guard probably any position on the floor. He’s super long. He’s really strong, a great rebounder, and is an inside presence.”

A native Floridian, Shawn Etheridge also makes his way to Luteville via Bellevue College. A junior, Etheridge started 56 games for the Bulldogs over the last two seasons, averaging 5.5 points per game last year.

We would love for him to help solidify our point guard position. He’s been fantastic just being who he is. He’s a facilitator, he’s a pest on the ball, and can knock down an open shot.

An Indianapolis, Indiana native, Noah Gathings joins the Lutes after stints at both Division II Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois and at Division III Earlham College in his home state. Last year, Gathings played in 18 games and made six starts for the Quakers, averaging 6.5 points per game.

“Noah’s a tremendously athletic wing that can shoot it, can get to the basket, and he’s a good long defender. He’s vibed really well with the guys. Couldn’t ask for a better person, and we’re just trying to move him along slowly so he can integrate with our guys and provide something we didn’t have last year.”

Also transferring in for the Lutes is Eastern Oregon University transfer Paul Hobson. The Bkaer City, Oregon native was an All-State selection on the hardwood in high school but spent the past two years on the EOU football team as a quarterback.

Coming in with freshman eligibility are transfers Jordan Lee from Laguna Hills, California and Ryan Fraser from Portland.

“Jordan’s a sparkplug out there. He plays extremely hard. He’s flying around and he doesn’t care if he gets knocked to the ground. He’ll just bounce right back up.

Ryan’s an elite shooter and somebody that if teams play zone against us, I could see him being a zone-buster.”

In addition to the six transfers, the Lutes add six true freshmen to the roster, including four in-state recruits.

We’re really excited about all of them. All of them have something about them that make them different and can help our program.

A 6’ 1” guard, Justin Vinson joins the Lutes from Snohomish, Washington and Glacier Peak High School.

“Justin’s a tremendous defender, he’s really well put together for a freshman. He played at Glacier Peak, a perennial contender, so he knows how to win.”

A 6’ 4” forward, Nate Moore comes to Tacoma from Richland High School and Connell High School. He helped the Bombers finish fourth at the WIAA 4A Championships in 2025 and was All-State last winter.

A 6’ 5” forward, Christian Thomas stays local after playing for area powerhouse Puyallup High School who made it to the WIAA 4A Championship Game in 2025.

Dylan Gesner and Hunter Frates are the two out of state first-years, hailing from Arizona and California, respectively. Gersner is a 6’ 2” guard from Mesa, Arizona where he was the leading scorer at Eastmark High School while Frates is a 6’ 3” guard coming from San Clemente, California and Jserra Catholic High School.

Cooper Fallon rounds out the first years, a 6’ 5” center/forward from Toledo, Washington.

“Cooper’s just a big unmovable object out there. He’s a guy we’re going to develop over time and he’s a sponge, constantly asking questions about how we do things. He’s going to be great for our post depth.”

The Lutes open the season this weekend, hosting a pair of tough opponents in Azusa Pacific University and Augsburg University. PLU’s first opponent, APU, is its first year transitioning from Division II to Division III while the Auggies are coming off a 17-10 season in which they advanced to the semifinals of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament.

“The first weekend is always tough, because there’s always not a lot of film. These are program games. We just want our guys to continue to grow together and do our stuff as hard as possible and show what makes us different than other programs and that’s our chemistry, culture, and how connected we are as a group.”

2026-2027 Schedule