The 2025-26 version of the MCC Pioneers will kick off their campaign on Halloween night at the MonDak Conference Tipoff Tournament at 4 Bears Casino and Event Center. The Pioneers will match up with United Tribes Technical College at 6:00 PM MDT.
Four players return from last years 15-17 season that ended in the semifinals of the Region XIII Playoffs. Returning starters include Azenio Cossa (6'3 Guard - Maputo, Mozambique) and Jace Hill (6'1 Guard - Columbia Falls, MT) along with significant contributors Donnie Haney (6'2 Guard - Baton Rouge, LA) and Randy Otieno (6'6 Forward - Calgary, Alberta). Cossa was the 2nd leading scorer on last year's team with nearly 16 points per game. He also averaged 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals per contest. Hill averaged 9 points and 4 assists per game while shooting 51% from the field and 85% from the free throw line. Haney averaged 7 points per game and shot 38% from the 3-point line in conference play. Otieno scored 5 points per contest.
There are a slew of newcomers to the Pioneer roster as the 2024-25 team had only 10 players. This season's roster features 14 players as there are 10 newcomers to Pioneer blue. The newcomers are a balance of true freshman and some transfers.
Transfers include Shad Boyce (6'8 Forward - Winifred, MT) as he comes in after a year off and a redshirt season at Rocky Mountain College in Billings. Another transfer is Uwami Chongo (6'8 Forward - Maputo, Mozambique) from Northeastern JC in Sterling, CO. Chongo averaged 6 points and 4 rebounds a game for the Plainsmen last season. Josh Gosar (6'1 Guard - Pinedale, WY) redshirted last season at Western Wyoming CC.
Incoming freshman include Owen McPartland (5'10 Guard - Butte, MT), Bony Shindani (6'7 Forward - Kinshasa, DR Congo), Dylan Swenson (6'3 Forward - Three Forks, MT), and Wyatt Wickens (6'3 Forward - Winifred, MT). Roderick Johnson (5'10 Guard - Las Vegas, NV) will redshirt this season after suffering a hip and back injury this past summer. Ryder Lee (6'5 Forward - Miles City, MT) is recovering from shoulder surgery and hoping to be cleard to participate at some point this season while Dylan Gundlach (6'3 Forward - Miles City, MT) will sit out the 1st semester after transferring from Dawson CC.
The Pioneers averaged 93 points per game last season and will look to continue with that pace this season. MCC is trying to improve as a team on the defensive end of the floor after giving up 90 points per game last season.