Gainesville, FL

After a 2024-25 campaign that saw the Saints Men's Basketball program post a record of 11-20 in year one under John Ritzdorf, the script flipped in 2025-26 as the team went 19-10. With plenty of young and ascending talent, Men's Basketball was able to earn their first winning season since 2022-23 and their best record since 2021-22. 

At the base of the season was a clear motivation: improve scoring and continue to do damage from the 3-point arc. The results ended up making Santa Fe history; the team recorded 334 made 3-pointers, the most in a season in school history. As a result, the team saw notable improvements in points per game (from 72.8 to 82.2) as well as in three-point percentage (from 33.7% to 34.8%). 

Helping to lead the charge behind the arc were a pair of local guards; Tre Dubois, from Orlando, FL, and Palmer Walton, a local native of Gainesville, FL. 

Dubois' success right off the bat helped gear the Saints for success. Dubois, selected to First Team All Citrus-Conference, led the team with 403 points and 64 made three-pointers. In his first three collegiate games, Dubois recorded at least 18 points, peaking in-season at 38 against Tallahassee State College.

Walton, second on the team with 62 made threes and fourth with 263 points, provided a sharp shot as well: Walton recorded six games with a perfect 100% percentage, and did not miss a 3-pointer with 10 attempts in four games between Dec. 16 and Jan. 10.

A trio of Saints' first year players came in to engineer the percentage improvement, each with at least 40% 3-point shooting. Cornelius White, with a late-season ascension, led the team with 47.2%, with Joel Harrison (44.3%) and Palmer Walton (40.5%) trailing just behind. 

The successful season also came with the effort of Moses Horne, who earned Second Team All-Citrus Conference for performances throughout the year. The sophomore guard transferring from Mississippi Valley State recorded 338 points on 37.1% field goal shooting with 180 rebounds on the season.

Key performances secured many of the Saints' 19 wins on the season, with contributions from Guy Twitty (20 pts vs Hillsborough), Alex Nokes (9pts 7reb vs North Florida Prep), Harvey Wilson (18pts 6reb vs Polk), Alex Pierre-Louis (12 games with 14+ pts) and Jahari Simmons (7pts 10ast vs Tallahassee).

Overall, the 2025-26 season provided the groundwork for a bright future within Santa Fe Men's Basketball. With the early ascension of the roster's freshmen, the team will regroup under Ritzdorf with newfound success and a focus on the future. All seven first year players will be returning to Ritzdorf's team for 2026-27 in hopes of returning to postseason play in the Citrus Conference.

The Saints have two players commit to a four-year school to continue their careers.

Alex Nokes – Radford University - Story

Harvey Wilson - Mississippi Valley State - Story

The 2025-26 Men's Basketball team took home awards, both athletic and academic! In the classroom, 15 Saints were recognized with All-Saints Academic Team honors, while 5 were named with FCSAA Academic All-State honors! 

Additionally, Alex Pierre-Louis and Kendall Lawrence were individually recognized for their character and classroom performances at the 2026 Players Choice Awards. Pierre-Louis was awarded the Shanice Clark Sunshine Award, presented in memory of Shanice Clark for the student-athlete known most for friendliness and positivity. Meanwhile, Lawrence was Men's Basketball's winner of the Dr. Portia Taylor Academic Award, recognizing his stellar academic performance during the year.