Preview: Position Battles to Watch as Seattle Travels to Oregon for Season-Opening Exhibition
Trying to take another step forward after a 21-win season and NIT trip, the Redhawks will have a lot of new faces battling for significant roles as they open the season with an exhibition match in Eugene.
The Oregon Ducks will host the Seattle Redhawks in an exhibition Thursday at 7 PM PT. This marks the beginning of the 2026-2027 season, Seattle's second back in the West Coast Conference, but it also serves as glimpse into what the Redhawks will look like before their November 2 season opener at Hawaii.
Here are the positional battles to watch for in the exhibition and before their matchup with the Rainbow Warriors to kick off the new season:
New Look Backcourt
Brayden Maldonado, Jojo Murphy, and John Christofilis all graduated and left a massive void in the Redhawks' backcourt. The only guards remaining from last year's 21-win team are Maleek Arington and Jeremiah Harshman.
Arington graduated with the other three departed members, but is listed on Seattle's roster. He's eligible through a state case with the NCAA. But if the NCAA wins an appeal on the case, he will become ineligible. As for Harshman, he remains on the roster after redshirting his freshman season.
Portal additions include:
- Tyler Boston, junior, Holy Cross
- Mason Williams, senior, Iowa State
- Kaden Hansen, redshirt senior, Saint Martins
Non-transfers include:
- Jaden Bailes, freshman, San Diego, Calif.
- Shaun Stinson, freshman, West Covina, Calif.
- Amare Larane, freshman, Palmdale, Calif.
- JT White, walk on senior, Issaquah, Wash.
Assuming Arington keeps his eligibility, he will most likely be one of the starting guards.
Mason Williams is a name to watch at the shooting guard spot. He comes from a quality program in Iowa State, but did not play any games for the Cyclones after transferring from Eastern Washington. Williams redshirted his junior season due to a pre-existing injury.
