UTEP Basketball to Open Season Against Northern Kentucky
The Miners begin their first Mountain West campaign after a 14-player roster overhaul following an 11-20 season.
Updated on Oct. 31, 2026 in Basketball
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The UTEP men's basketball team opens its 2026-27 season against Northern Kentucky on November 2, 2026, with a largely new roster. The Miners are entering their first season in the Mountain West conference.
Why it matters
The roster rebuild follows an 11-20 campaign in 2025-26 and reflects a coaching staff effort to address funding and size limitations. Early results will indicate whether the reconstructed lineup can compete in a new conference.
The roster includes four seniors, two juniors, three sophomores, six freshmen and five international players, and the Miners won three preseason scrimmages against Division I opponents. Projections place the team ninth in the 10-team conference, and it remains unclear how the new lineup will fare in league play.
The players
Leif Moeller
A 6-foot-7 forward who transferred from Evansville, where he averaged 10.8 points per game as a freshman.
Youssouf Traore
A Mali international who averaged 12.8 points and 16.2 rebounds during the 2024 U18 AfroBasket tournament.
The details
UTEP recruited 14 new players to replace most of its 2025-26 roster and shifted its offense toward player movement and court spacing. Newcomers include Evansville transfer Leif Moeller, who averaged 10.8 points, 4.0 assists and 3.8 rebounds as a freshman, and Mali international Youssouf Traore.
Timeline
2025-26: UTEP finishes the season with an 11-20 record.
2024: Youssouf Traore leads Mali to the U18 AfroBasket title.
November 2, 2026: UTEP opens its season against Northern Kentucky in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Season Trajectory
Following an 11-20 finish in 2025-26, UTEP is attempting a full roster reconstruction as it enters the Mountain West for the first time. The team's projected ninth-place finish in the 10-team league places it near the bottom of the conference standings heading into the season.
Fans tracking the Miners will have their first look at the new roster on November 2 against Northern Kentucky. Fantasy and betting interest in newcomers such as Moeller and Traore will depend on how quickly the rotation settles.
The takeaway
Roster turnover of this scale makes early-season results a limited guide to where the team will finish, so readers should watch the first several games for rotation and chemistry trends. The conference slate will provide a clearer measure than preseason scrimmages.
What happens next
UTEP opens its 2026-27 season against Northern Kentucky on November 2, 2026, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Further reading
Explore more Basketball coverage for context on teams across the region.
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