With a shared commitment to growth, chemistry and establishing a winning culture, the University of the Pacific men's and women's basketball programs enter the 2026-27 season focused on building stronger foundations for the future.

Led by men's basketball Head Coach Dave Smart and women's basketball Head Coach Bradley Davis, both programs have embraced the challenges of integrating new talent while developing the relationships necessary to compete in the West Coast Conference.

For Smart, the upcoming campaign presents an opportunity to build on a breakthrough 2025-26 season that saw the Tigers finish 18-15 overall and 8-10 in conference play. Pacific doubled its win total from the previous season and secured its first winning campaign since the 2019-20 season.

Despite the progress, Smart remains focused on daily improvements.

"We try not to set team goals or expectations," Smart said. "The goal is to try to get better every day and see where that can take us. So far, they are working hard."

With several new faces on the 2026-27 roster, building chemistry remains a priority.

"Guys are trying to come together as a group," Smart said. "In the world of the portal and RevShare money, it's always a challenge putting a new group together, and until you play some games, you never know how the culture will really look."

Jaion Pitt ’29, a business major, is optimistic about the team dynamic. 

“The team bonding was good,” Pitt said. “The more time we spend with each other, the better team bonding is going to be for a big part of our success this year.”

On the women's side, Davis enters his 12th season leading Pacific following an 11-19 campaign that included a 6-12 West Coast Conference record.

For Davis, combining returning experience with incoming talent represents an important step toward building consistency. 

"Honestly, our goals are to get better every day and every game," Davis said. "While we have a great core returning, we are a very new team and we're immersing ourselves in the process and trusting the results will take care of themselves."

Daria Nestorov ’28, a business major, is ready to show up for her teammates this coming year.

“I’m excited to see what we can do this season,” Nestorov said. “We have a lot of new people on the team, so I’m looking forward to getting closer and learning how to play together. This season, I want to help my teammates feel confident and know they can count on me. I want to bring positive energy and help us stay together when things get tough.”

For Pacific basketball, success extends beyond immediate results. Through recruiting, player development and team chemistry, Smart and Davis are laying the groundwork for a stronger future.

As the 2026-27 season approaches, both programs share one defining objective: getting better together. See the full Pacific Athletics schedule.