KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Oregon Tech men's basketball coach Justin Parnell has announced the signing of nine student-athletes to Cascade Conference Letters of Intent for the upcoming 2026-27 season.
 
The class features four transfers from the community college ranks, a Division I transfer and four true freshmen – all looking to help the Hustlin' Owls to a fourth-straight NAIA Tournament appearance. The newcomers will join eight returning players – with six of the players underclassmen.
 
"Nine players are a lot more than we have ever had to sign in a single class, and it might be a sign of the times," said Parnell. "However, we are really excited about what we have coming back. We have eight returners who are all expected to contribute, and a few guys who have been biding their time and have put in a lot of work to improve the craft. All eight of the returners are 'Oregon Tech Guys', and there are a few really special leaders in the group.
 
Athleticism and length are key among the new players, with the athletes ranging from 6-foot to 6-foot-7 in height – all playing at a high level either in high school or in their collegiate careers.
 
"This is, without a doubt, the most skilled and athletic roster we've had in the last 11 years," Parnell said of his 2026-27 club. "We will have five guys on the floor at all times who can shoot it and defend at a really high level."
 
Three of the transfers are from Washington – guard Trayce Atkins and wings Caleb Bowden and Trey Arland.
 
Atkins earned All-NWAC East Division honors two seasons ago at Walla Walla CC, where he led his club to the East Division title. The 6-foot guard averaged 11 points and five assists per game, while converting 52% of field goal attempts. The 2022 Ferris High grad was a 2-time All-Greater Spokane League pick in high school.
 
Bowden had a stellar 2025-26 season at South Puget Sound CC, as the 6-foot-5 wing averaged 13 points and four rebounds per game, earning All-NWAC West Division honors. The 2024 Auburn Mountainview grad earned All-North Puget Sound League honors as a senior, averaging 15 points and seven rebounds.
 
Arland, a 6-foot-7 wing, returns to the court after sitting out the season at Idaho State. A teammate of Atkins at Walla Walla CC, he averaged 21 points, six rebounds and five assists a game as a sophomore, while knocking down 39% of 3-point chances – earning All-NWAC East Division honors. In 2022-23, he was selected to the NWAC East All-Defensive Team. The 2022 Kamiakin High grad was a 2-time Mid-Columbia Conference pick.
 
Shooting guard Noah Salmon heads to Tech from Lane CC, where he knocked down 43% of his 3-point attempts over two seasons. He averaged 10 points and three rebounds per game during the 2025-26 season, while the 6-foot-4 product of Davis High in California averaged 18 points a game to earn All-Delta League honors as a senior in 2023.
 
Rounding out the transfers is guard Chance White from Lower Columbia CC – who reunites with current OIT guard, Owen Nathan, as the duo were the backcourt tandem at Roosevelt High in Portland – leading the club to the 2024 state title game. White, the 2-time All-Portland Interscholastic League pick and all-time leading scorer at RHS, began his college career at Lamar CC, earning NJCAA All-Region IX honors after averaging 19 points a game and averaged nine points a night last season at LCC.
 
Four true freshmen from four different states round out the class – all recording high accolades during their prep careers.
 
The Owls continue two pipelines – Dekker Van de Graaf from Zillah High in Washington and Brody Rygh from Sherwood High in Oregon.
 
Van de Graaf follows in the footsteps of former OIT standouts Joel Yellow Owl and Scotty Burge from ZHS – with the 6-foot-5 wing heading to the Basin after a monster prep career. The 2026 1A Player of the Year was a 4-time All-South Central Athletic Conference selection, a 2-time SCAC Player of the Year and 3-time 1A All-State pick – leading his club to the 2024 state crown and a runner-up finish last winter.
 
Rygh joins current Tech guard Jared Sucher as former SHS players on the roster – as were former Owl all-stars Jamison Guerra and Blake Jensen. The 6-foot-5 wing was the 2025 Pacific Conference Player of the Year, while earning 6A All-State honors as a senior, leading his team to consecutive league titles. Last winter, Rygh averaged 26 points per game during the 6A tourney, helping SHS claim the fourth-place trophy.
 
Guard Sheldon Jacobson heads to OIT after a banner career at Fernley High in Nevada. The 6-foot-2 Jacobson follows his sister, Willow, who was a 3-year starter for the Tech volleyball team. The 3-time NIAA 3A North Region pick averaged 18 points, six rebounds and four assists as a senior, earning Region MVP honors, helping FHS to the 3A state title game.
 
Closing out the class is Mason Pearcy, a 6-foot-4 wing from Casa Roble High in California. Pearcy helped CRHS to the 2025 CIF Division IV Sac-Joaquin Section title, while earning back-to-back All-Golden Empire League honors. As a senior, Pearcy averaged 17 points and nine rebounds per game.
 
"We are really happy with how this class turned out," Parnell remarked. "We obviously had to replace some really good players across multiple positions, and we did so. We certainly aren't big on the interior, but we will have really good size and shooting at every other position. This will be a fun team not only to watch, but to coach. We have a lot of talented guys and different skill sets, and the roster will allow us to get back to playing fast in transition."
 
The Hustlin' Owls are set to open the season with an exhibition game vs. the Seattle Mountaineers on October 24, before heading to Arizona for games the following weekend against OUAZ and Embry-Riddle.