HACKENSACK, N.J. – FDU men's basketball is set to begin their 2025-26 campaign at no. 16 Iowa State on Monday night. It will be the Knights' first trip to Ames, Iowa in program history.

 

The Basics

• Date: November 3
• Time: 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT
• Where: Hilton Coliseum (Ames, Iowa.)
• TV: ESPN+
• Live Stats: Stat Broadcast

 

Preseason Outlook

•  FDU is picked fifth in the NEC Preseason Coaches Poll
• Iowa State is ranked no. 16 in the AP Top 25 and No. 18 in the USA Today Coaches Poll
• The Cyclones were picked fifth by the Big 12 coaches and Tamin Lipsey was selected to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team

 

It's Not How You Start

•  Jack Castleberry is 1-1 in season openers as the head coach at FDU. Castleberry won his first-ever game at the helm in 2023, before falling at Miami to begin 2024
• T.J. Otzelberger has won all four season openers as head coach of the Cyclones

 

A Clean Slate

•  12 members of the Burgundy and Blue will don the FDU uniform for the first time on Monday.
• Arthur Cox and Joey Niesman will play their first Division I games after a combined 110 games at the Division II level
• Five FDU freshmen will suit up for their first collegiate game; it will be Sebastian Haubro's and David Jevtic's first competitive basketball game in the United States
• FDU returns just four players from last year's team that finished 8-8 in the NEC

 

Talking T.J. and the Cyclones

•  T.J. Otzelberger has won five NCAA tournament games and racked up 12 AP Top 25 victories as head coach of Iowa State
• Otzelberger is 95-45 as head coach
• The Cyclones climbed as high as no. 2 in the nation last season
• Iowa State has been ranked in the AP Top 25 for 32 consecutive weeks

 
After FDU takes on Iowa State, they will return to Jersey for a clash with Saint Peter's on Saturday, November 8, in Jersey City.