- Weber State's men begin the Kaleb Canales era, with Damian Lillard listed as the program's general manager, at Oregon State on Nov. 2. Jenteal Jackson's women open Nov. 3 against Westminster at the Dee Events Center behind guard Hannah Robbins.
- Weber State Men's Basketball, Weber State Women's Basketball connect back to Weber State University and the wider basketball picture.
- The story is backed by 16 sources and a visible last-verified date.
October 17, 2026
October 17, 2026
4 min / 937 words
16 official links
Weber State basketball opens 2026-27 with big changes on the men's side. The men have a new head coach, a front office that lists Damian Lillard as general manager, and 12 new players. The women return a veteran core of seniors. The men open on Monday, November 2, at Oregon State at 7:30 p.m. MT; the women open on Tuesday, November 3, against Westminster at the Dee Events Center at 6 p.m. This preview covers Weber State men's basketball and Weber State women's basketball, from the official rosters, schedules and releases read on October 16.
Who coaches Weber State basketball in 2026-27?
Kaleb Canales coaches the men. Weber State named him head coach on April 3, 2026. His biography says he spent 2025-26 as associate head coach at Troy, which went 22-12, won the Sun Belt regular-season and tournament titles and reached the NCAA Tournament. Earlier, as Portland's interim head coach for 23 games in 2012, he became the first Hispanic head coach in NBA history.
The men's roster page also lists a support staff: Damian Lillard, whom ArDarius Grayson's Weber State biography calls a "Wildcat legend," as general manager; John Ross as assistant general manager; and Eric Duft as president of basketball operations and development.
Jenteal Jackson coaches the women. Weber State named her the seventh head coach in program history in April 2023.
Men: a new staff and a new roster
Weber State's men went 16-16 and 10-8 in the Big Sky last season, finishing 11-5 at home, and lost 84-79 to Eastern Washington in the Big Sky tournament in Boise on March 9. The program's October 15 preview says only two players return: sophomore guard ArDarius Grayson and junior center Declan Cutler. Grayson, from Oakland, California, played 31 games and hit a game-winning three-pointer against Idaho State that was voted the Weber State Play of the Year, per his biography, which also lists him as Big Sky Academic All-Conference.
The preview counts 12 new players, nine of them Division I transfers. The roster's previous-school column includes Rice, UNLV, New Mexico, Georgia Tech and New Mexico State, plus two players with Utah junior college roots: Alvin Jackson III, by way of SLCC and Utah, and Chamberlain Burgess from Snow College.
The schedule is built around the state. Weber State's September 10 release says the Wildcats play every NCAA school in Utah this season, counting an exhibition against Westminster, and the home opener on November 7 is against Utah Valley. Big Sky play now includes Southern Utah and Utah Tech, which joined the league on July 1. The Wildcats also play Tarleton State and CSUN at the Junction City Jam on November 24 and 25, and the Big Sky Championships run March 5 to 10 in Boise.
Women: Hannah Robbins and a senior core
Weber State's women went 11-22 and 4-14 in the Big Sky last season, then won a Big Sky tournament game, 76-53 over Portland State on March 7, before losing to top seed Idaho, per the official schedule.
Four seniors return with real minutes. Guard Hannah Robbins of Phoenix started all 33 games and averaged 10.6 points with 131 rebounds and 61 steals, third on the team in scoring, per the 2025-26 statistics. Guard Sydney White of Orem started 32 games and led the team with 121 assists. Forward Paris Lauro made 47 three-pointers and shot 89.5 percent from the line, and 6-foot-4 forward Nicole Willardson of Richfield, Utah, had 22 blocks.
The headline newcomer is 6-foot-5 center Favour Onoh, a transfer from Oklahoma State. Weber State's May 4 release says she was Rookie of the Year in the Philippines' UAAP Season 86 and set the league's single-game record with 30 rebounds. The roster also lists transfers from UTSA, Montana, Montana State and Grand Canyon.
Preseason dates and the opening stretch
As of Oct. 16, the men play three free exhibitions at the Dee Events Center: Colorado Christian on October 17 at 7 p.m., which the preview says will have no stream or radio broadcast; Westminster on October 24 at 4 p.m.; and Colorado Mesa on October 28 at 6 p.m.
The women list no exhibitions. After the Westminster opener they play Denver (November 7), Houston Christian (November 14) and Northern New Mexico (November 16), all at home, per the August 12 release. The official schedule then opens Big Sky play with two home games, Utah Tech on December 3 and Southern Utah on December 5. Westminster's own schedule lists the November 3 game as an exhibition in Logan; Weber State's schedule lists it as a home game in Ogden, and this preview follows Weber State's.
How to watch Weber State basketball
Big Sky games stream on ESPN+, and the official schedules link live stats and tickets for each game. The men's schedule release says many weekday games tip at 6 p.m. and Saturday games are set for 4 p.m., with others at varying times, so check each game on the official schedule. The Utah sports schedule lists every Wildcat game day.
Key facts:
- Men's opener: at Oregon State, Mon., Nov. 2, 7:30 p.m. MT; home opener vs. Utah Valley, Sat., Nov. 7
- Women's opener: vs. Westminster, Tue., Nov. 3, 6 p.m., Dee Events Center, Ogden
- Coaches: Kaleb Canales (men, first season, named April 3, 2026); Jenteal Jackson (women, named in April 2023)
- Front office: Damian Lillard listed as general manager of men's basketball
- Conference: Big Sky
- 2025-26 records: men 16-16 (10-8 Big Sky); women 11-22, one Big Sky tournament win
- Women's returners: Hannah Robbins (10.6 points a game), Sydney White (121 assists)
- Newcomer to know: Favour Onoh, 6-foot-5 center from Oklahoma State
