THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – After finishing 8-8 in conference play and 13-12 overall, Cal Lutheran men's basketball has secured the No. 5 seed in the 2026 SCIAC Tournament and will travel to Eagle Rock for a win-or-go-home rematch with No. 4 seed Occidental College on Wednesday night.

The tournament begins Wednesday, February 25 with first-round action, followed by semifinals on Friday, February 28 and the championship game on Sunday, March 1. The highest remaining seed will host the final.

THE KINGSMEN
The 2025-26 season has required nothing but resilience from Cal Lutheran, which battled through an up-and-down conference slate before clinching its postseason berth on the final day of the regular season. While help from around the league secured the final piece, the Kingsmen earned their opportunity by staying in contention down the stretch.

This marks CLU's 12th SCIAC Tournament appearance in program history and its fifth consecutive trip. A year ago, the Purple & Gold claimed a share of the regular-season title, earned the No. 1 seed and a semifinal bye, defeated Whittier, and advanced to the championship game before falling to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The Kingsmen still secured an at-large berth to the 2025 NCAA Tournament, traveling to Texas where they were defeated by Hardin-Simmons University in the first round.

This season's postseason picture looks different, with a whole new starting five and key contributions throughout the bench unit. Entering the tournament, Cal Lutheran ranks fifth in the SCIAC in scoring at 75.1 points per game and third defensively, allowing 74.7 per contest.

Jaden Young leads the Kingsmen at 12.5 points per game, ranking 15th in the conference, and sits seventh in three-pointers made per game (2.2). Ryder Mjoen follows closely at 1.9 threes per game. Ze'ev Remer tops the SCIAC with a 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio, while Andrew Pipersburgh averages 6.2 rebounds per game, ranking ninth in the conference.

THE FIELD
#4 Occidental
The postseason opens with a familiar opponent, as the Kingsmen face Occidental just days after their Senior Day matchup.

Oxy (18-7, 11-5 SCIAC) earned the No. 4 seed and home-court advantage after splitting the regular-season series with Cal Lutheran. The Tigers enter the tournament 6-4 in their last 10 games and are coming off an 86-82 victory over the Kingsmen.

Perimeter shooting proved decisive in the most recent meeting, as Oxy knocked down 10 first-half three-pointers and shot nearly 69 percent before halftime. Cal Lu will look to tighten up defensively while replicating the second-half efficiency that fueled its comeback attempt.

The Tigers rank second in the SCIAC in scoring at 84.1 points per game, led by Alex McCleery Brown's 19.2 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. Nasir Luna and Nicky Clotfelter also rank among the conference's top 10 scorers.

#1 Redlands
Redlands (21-4, 13-3 SCIAC) claimed the top seed after finishing tied atop the standings and holding the necessary tiebreakers. Currently ranked No. 14 in the D3hoops.com national poll, the Bulldogs outscore opponents by more than 16 points per game.

Redlands leads the SCIAC offensively at 94.6 points per game and features five players averaging at least 11.5 points. Lucas Gordon paces the group at 14.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, while Jake Hlywiak ranks second in the conference in three-pointers per game (2.7).

Despite its resume, Redlands has shown vulnerability, suffering four losses this season — including double-digit defeats to both Cal Lutheran and Chapman. The Bulldogs will host the winner of Wednesday's first-round matchup on Friday night.

#2 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
The Stags (22-3, 13-3 SCIAC) enter postseason play with the conference's best overall winning percentage and a No. 15 national ranking. CMS has been especially dominant defensively, allowing a conference-low 1,682 total points this season.

Will Householter leads the Stags with 19.3 points per game, second in the SCIAC, and tops the conference with a .614 field-goal percentage.

CMS will host No. 3 seed Chapman in Friday's semifinal, with the winner advancing to Sunday's championship game.

#3 Chapman University
Chapman (17-8, 11-5 SCIAC) enters the tournament riding a six-game winning streak, sparked by an upset victory over CMS on January 31. The Panthers have been one of the hottest teams in the league over the final weeks and present a dangerous matchup on the opposite side of the bracket.

Chapman ranks second in the SCIAC in points allowed and leads the conference in team three-point percentage (.362). Jake Heberle leads the way with 18.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.

Cal Lutheran split the regular-season series with Chapman, edging the Panthers by one point at home before falling 67-55 in Orange two weeks later.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Wednesday, Feb. 25 – First Round
#4 Occidental vs. #5 Cal Lutheran – 7 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 28 – Semifinals
#1 Redlands vs. First Round Winner – 7 p.m.
#2 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps vs. #3 Chapman – 7 p.m.

Sunday, March 1 – Final
Highest remaining seeds – 2 p.m.

Tickets are $10 for advance online purchase (plus fees) or $10 on-site. SCIAC students, faculty and staff with institutional ID and children under 12 are admitted free.