CARROLLTON, Ga. - It has been 245 days since the last West Georgia men's basketball game, but the wait is finally over. Grab your foam finger, purchase your season tickets and get pumped up because Wolves basketball officially tips off the 2025-26 campaign next Monday (Nov. 3), taking on the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska. The 8 p.m. Monday night matchup will be streaming on Big Ten+ with a link to live video and stats tagged above.

Following its first-ever season competing at the Division I level, UWG (0-0) has its sights set on starting the season off with a bang, as they are set to take on Nebraska (0-0) on the road in its first of its four Power Four competitions this year.

"Nebraska opening night will be a great environment and a top-notch facility in the Big Ten," described head coach Dave Moore. "They'll be really good, they'll be really well coached. But again, it's an opportunity for our guys to test themselves in the non-conference season against some of the best in the country. And they are excited about it."

Looking at this year's Pack, one proven playmaker fans should already be familiar with is forward Shelton Williams-Dryden. Starting in 30 of last year's 31 games, Williams-Dryden solidified himself as one of the strongest inside the arc scorers in the ASUN, finishing third in the league in points per game average (17.6), third in field goals made (223), fourth in field goal percentage (55 percent) and sixth in rebounds per game (7.5). Going through the senior's 2024-25 game log, Williams-Dryden scored double digits 27 times, knocked down 20 or more points 14 times and recorded six double-doubles. These excellent figures earned him a spot on the Preseason All-ASUN Team, marking the first time a UWG men's basketball player earned these honors. 

Williams-Dryden is not the only returner. This year's 16-man squad is made up of five returning lettermen, four players who redshirted for UWG last season, six college transfers and one true freshman. 

Another Wolf making their return to The Coliseum this season is senior wing Kolten Griffin. Selected as a captain for the second consecutive season, Griffin averaged 9.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and totaled 60 assists and 15 blocks in his 30 starts last year. Remarkably, the St. Joseph, Missouri native has appeared in 94 games and tallied 93 starts through his three seasons with the Wolves. Not only does this mean he is quickly approaching the 100-game mark, he is also closing in on the all-time record for most career starts at UWG (116). 

A new addition to this year's squad that fans will quickly come to know is junior guard Josh Smith. Transferring in from North Carolina Central, Smith averaged 6.6 points and 1.4 rebounds per game while totaling 37 assists, 20 steals and three blocks over two seasons with NCCU. One of his best performances with Eagles came against Gardner Webb last season (Nov. 8, 2024), in which he finished with a career-high 21 points while going 5-for-10 (50 percent) from the field and 3-for-5 (60 percent) from three and 8-for-8 (100 percent) from the line in addition to tallying five assists, three steals and a rebound. Watching Smith in the exhibition against Kennesaw State, the shifty guard looked very comfortable with the ball in his hands. Be on the lookout for no. 10 adorning the red and blue this year. 

One Cornhusker to watch out for on Monday is no. 51 Rienk Mast. The 6-foot-10 forward is a rim protector who has the ability to take over on offense. Last season, Mast averaged 12.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and three assists per game while totaling 16 blocks and 13 steals. The Netherlands native achieved this scoring average while shooting 43 percent from the field and 34 percent from three. These numbers earned Mast Third Team All-Big Ten honors in his first season at Nebraska. In the Cornhuskers' 90-89 exhibition win over BYU about two weeks ago (Oct. 18), Mast led Nerbaksa with 31 points while going 11-for-15 (73 percent) from the field, 7-for-8 (88 percent) from three and 2-for-3 (66 percent) from the line.

Another Cornhusker who did very well in the exhibition was senior guard Connor Essegian, who finished with 20 points while shooting 7-for-13 (54 percent) from the field, 5-for-10 (50 percent) from three and 1-for-2 (50 percent) from the charity stripe. Kicking off his career at Wisconsin, Essegian averaged a career-best 11.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while totaling 26 assists, 19 steals and a block, earning the guard Big Ten All-Freshman honors in the 2022-23 season. Through his three-year collegiate career, Essegian has played in 103 games, averaging 8.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and .7 assists per game. 

Of the 16-man Nebraska roster, eight Cornhuskers make their return after posting a 21-14, 7-13 Big Ten record last season, six players transferred in from four-year colleges and the remaining two are freshmen. 

Monday's matchup is a great opportunity for the Wolves to play against one of the most recognizable collegiate brands from one of the toughest and most historic college basketball leagues. The season opener is streaming live on Big Ten+, with a link to live video and stats tagged above. 

Following Monday's game, UWG returns home to face Huntingdon College next Friday (Nov. 7). Be sure not to miss out on any of the action this season by purchasing your season tickets here.