MOUNT VERNON – The Mount Vernon Nazarene University men’s basketball team is set to begin its 2025-26 campaign on Wednesday, October 29 in Ariel Arena against Kent State Tuscarawas at 11:00 a.m. for Champions of Character Day.
Entering the 2025-26 season, MVNU was picked eighth in the Crossroads League preseason standings. Coach Ronai’s team returns nine players from last year’s roster and is looking to continue to grow in the competitive Crossroads League that sent six teams to the NAIA National Tournament.
MVNU returns Trent Koning, who is MVNU’s leading returning scorer. The senior from Cedarville, Ohio earned All-Crossroads League Honorable Mention last season. He shot 41.3% from the field and 35.5% from beyond the arc on his way to 15.1 points per game. Defensively, he averaged 1.7 steals per game, ranking second in the league.
Peyton Heiss also returns after a strong freshman season in which he averaged 8.6 points per game. The Plain City, Ohio native shot 42.3% from the field and 33.9% from three. Isaiah Brown is also looking to build off a solid freshman season. The forward from Olentangy, Ohio averaged 7.7 points while shooting 55.1% from the floor and 38.3% from deep.
Coach Ronai added five talented freshmen to the roster for the upcoming season. Bryce Snell (G / Cincinnati, Ohio), Isaac Burns (F / Troy, Ohio), Abib Abib (F/G / Mason, Ohio), Reed Platfoot (F / Jackson Center, Ohio), and Kieran Granville Britten (C / Cincinnati, Ohio) each add lots of skill and talent to the men’s basketball program.
Crossroads League play for MVNU will begin on November 19 in Ariel Arena against the University of Saint Francis.
Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private, four-year, intentionally Christian teaching university for traditional age students, graduate students, and working adults. With a 327-acre main campus in Mount Vernon, Ohio, MVNU emphasizes academic excellence, spiritual growth, and service to community and church. MVNU offers an affordable education both in-seat and online to nearly 2,200 students from 36 states, one U.S. commonwealth and 41 foreign countries.