KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Oregon Tech men's basketball coach Justin Parnell has announced the signing of five freshmen student-athletes for the 2025-26 season.
 
"This is as talented of a recruiting class as we have had in my 10 years at Oregon Tech," Parnell said. "There is no way we can replace the seniors we lost, but I am excited for the future – this group has length, athleticism and can score the basketball."
 
The Hustlin' Owls must replace six seniors – including three All-Cascade Conference picks – that helped the squad to three NAIA National Tournament appearances in the past four years.
 
Four of the players are from the Portland metro – guard Owen Nathan, along with wings Gylan Payne, James Kefgen and Mason Bierbrauer – with Tech adding wing Kyle Bittle from Crater High in Central Point.
 
Nathan was among the top guards in the state, leading the 6A ranks in assists per game (7.2) – helping Roosevelt High complete an unbeaten season in the Portland Interscholastic League. The 6-foot-2 player averaged 13.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.9 steals per game, earning PIL Player of the Year and 6A All-State honors as a senior.
 
"Owen is one of those guys everyone wants to play with," Parnell said. "He is super talented, unselfish and does whatever it takes to win games."
 
Payne is a dynamic, 6-foot-5 wing from Oregon City High – earning Three Rivers League Player of the Year and was a 6A first-team All-State selection. As a senior, Payne averaged 19.7 points per game, adding 8.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.1 blocks per game – scoring over 1,000 points in his prep career.
 
"Gylan is an exceptional talent," Parnell said. "He can play four positions and at 6-foot-5, he will be a tough matchup for opposing teams in the Cascade Conference."
 
Kefgen looks to make an impact as a shooter, setting a Westview High single-season record with 83 made 3-point field goals. The 6-foot-3 wing earned first-team All-Metro League and second-team 6A All-State honors as a senior, averaging 15.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game (scoring over 1,000 points for his prep career), helping his squad win the Metro title and place fifth at the 6A state tournament.
 
"James is one of the best high school shooters we have ever seen," Parnell said. "He is an absolute weapon."
 
Bierbrauer was a catalyst on a Barlow High team that won both the Mount Hood League title and the 6A state crown. The 6-foot-6 wing earned All-MHL and 6A All-State honors as a senior, averaging 15.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game – while topping the 1,000-point mark during his high school career.
 
"Mason is a flat-out winner," Parnell said. "He's a highly unselfish player who impacts winning on both ends of the floor."
 
Bittle was off to a great senior year at Crater High, averaging 20 points and seven rebounds per game, before an injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year. The 6-foot-6 wing was a 2-time All-Midwestern League pick and a 5A All-State selection as a junior. He is an OIT legacy player – as his father (Ryan) was an All-Cascade Conference player for Danny Miles in the mid-1990s, while his brother (Nate) was an All-Big 10 pick this season at the University of Oregon.
 
"Kyle is one of the most underrated players in Oregon," Parnell said. "At 6-foot-6, he can move like a guard and finish around the rim with the best of them."
 
The Hustlin' Owls are coming off a 23-8 season, advancing to the second-round of the NAIA National Tournament.