The Racers are returning one of the best freshmen in the country in Roman Domon. The France native has long-term NBA potential, so don’t be shocked if you see him on some NBA Draft Boards this season. After recent news came out about their NIL budget, it’s no surprise that the Racers were able to not just retain key players, but build upon the roster to advance their potential for this season.

Now we sit just two weeks away from opening day, so let’s dive into how their roster has shaped up and why we believe this could be a special team for the 2026-2027 season.

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Roster Turnover

• J.J. Traynor (Ineligible)

  • 7.4 points, 3.5 rebounds

• Mason Miller (Ineligible)

  • 5.9 points, 3.8 rebounds

• Fred King (Senior) ~ Creighton

  • 13.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.1 blocks

• Javon Jackson (Ineligible)

  • 16.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.2 steals

• Dylan Anderson (Senior) ~ Northern Arizona

  • 1.5 points, 1.7 rebounds

• Tristian Ford (Sophomore) ~ Dayton

  • DNP

• Layne Taylor (Junior) ~ Arkansas State

  • 8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists

• Brock Vice (Junior) ~ Kansas State

  • 2 points, 1.8 rebounds

• K.J. Tenner (Junior) ~ UT San Antonio

  • 6 points, 1.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists

There is no doubt that the Murray State Racers have lost some talent. Javon Jackson was a huge piece of their lineup last season, along with Fred King and Layne Taylor. Taylor was their point guard, but after transferring in from Central Arkansas, he’s returning to the state at Arkansas State. King is heading back to Creighton after proving how effective of a big man he can be when giving a starting opportunity. Jackson ran out of eligibility despite seeking an additional year like many others.

While the turnover seems high on paper, they were able to retain key players, including their star forward while building onto their roster through the transfer portal and international recruiting trail.

Returning Players

• Ben Shtolzberg (Senior)

  • DNP ~ Injury

• Brayden Shorter (Senior)

  • 5.7 points, 1.8 rebounds

• Roman Domon (Sophomore)

  • 14.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals

• Mathis Courbon (Sophomore)

  • 4.6 points, 2 rebounds, 1.2 assists

• Lachlan Crate (Redshirt Freshman)

  • DNP

• Dillon Butler (Redshirt Freshman)

  • DNP ~ Walk-on

Roman Domon (6’9)

You are not going to find many players that put together as strong a freshman season as Roman Domon did last year for the Racers. The 6’9 freshman out of France finished with a line of 14.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 47.6% overall from the floor and 36.8% from three-point. He had some stellar games, including 29 points against Northern Iowa, and 20 points with eight rebounds, two assists, and three steals against Evansville.

His metrics speak for themselves. He finished the season with a 119.6 offensive rating that jumped to 124.8 in the MVC, a 24.5% possession usage, 55% effective field goal percentage, 62.2% true shooting percentage (121st overall), 18.3% defensive rebounding percentage, 11.9 assist rate, and an 81.5 free throw rate (9th overall). In nearly every category, he improved as the season went on and he’s poised to follow that up again this season.

At 6’9, Domon has NBA potential. Murray State has been crushing it with fundraising money for the Men’s Basketball program, and there’s no doubt that is how they managed to retain Domon. He started to put himself on the map last season, but this year he’ll have the chance to see his name on Draft boards.

Ben Shtolzberg (6’4)

Ben Shtolzberg started his career out at Creighton during the 2022-2023 season. He then spent two seasons with UC Santa Barbara where he served as a back-up guard off the bench. Ultimately, he redshirted last season with Murray State.

In his final year at UC Santa Barbara, he shot 50% from the floor on 2.5 attempts per game and 20% from beyond the arc. He’s not a three-point threat as on his career he is shooting just 23.2% despite 35.6% of his shot attempts being three-pointers. Keep in mind, he averaged just 13.5 minutes per game.

He can handle the ball well as he featured a 1.5 to 0.6 assist-to-turnover ratio and he’s virtually automatic from the free throw line. He shot 95.2% from the line, missing just two in his last full season. On his career, he’s shooting 89.6%.

Shtolzberg isn’t going to play heavily in the rotation, but his efficiency in limited minutes will earn him to a role in the rotation. He provides veteran experience, and he’ll help distribute the ball when called upon.

Brayden Shorter (6’5)

Shorter made the jump to Division I from Washburn where he finished his last season averaging 15.5 points per game. He faced what many players that make the jump to the highest level do, some adversity after dominating at a lower level. He finished the season averaging 5.7 points and 1.8 rebounds per game while shooting 33.9% overall and 28.4% from three-point on 4.7 attempts per game. He appeared in 33 games, starting in one, and averaged 14.6 minutes per game. As a three-point specialist, nearly 90% of his shots on the court were from beyond the arc. There is no doubt his best game came against Valparaiso after he drained five three-pointers and finished with 17 points in a narrow six-point win.

Looking at his metrics, he posted strong numbers even with some room to grow in efficiency. He finished the season with a 107.9 offensive rating, 18.2% possession usage, 47.1% effective field goal percentage, 50.7% true shooting percentage, and a 10.5% defensive rebounding percentage. Although he only took 19 shots from inside the arc, he did finish 15 of those to shoot a strong 78.9%.

Last year, Shorter was focused on getting acclimated to playing at the highest level. In year two with the Racers, he is going to have his eyes set on making an even larger impact. They lost Javon Jackson and K.J. Tenner, who were two of their better three-point shooters. Now, he’ll have the opportunity to solidify a larger role through his three-point capabilities. In their 93-87 exhibition win over Wichita State, Shorter finished with 16 points while shooting 4-7 from three-point in just 17 minutes of action. In their additional exhibition game against FIU, he played in 23 minutes, so it’s evident he’ll have a slightly larger role this year, but that’ll be dependent on how well he shoots.

Mathis Courbon (6’6)

Alongside Domon, Mathis Courbon was another freshman from France who had a solid debut with Murray State. Across 32 games, he averaged 4.6 points, two rebounds, and 1.2 assists while shooting 44.1% overall and 40.8% from three-point. He showed some strong glimpses of his potential, including putting up 16 points, seven rebounds, and one assist in their dominating win over Bradley last year.

He featured a 113.3 offensive rating, 53.9% effective field goal percentage, 59.3% true shooting percentage, 12.1% defensive rebounding percentage, and a 47.2% shooting percentage from inside the arc.

He hasn’t dominated in their three exhibition games, finishing with four points against FIU, six points against Wichita State, and zero points on 0-5 shooting against Incarnate Word. It’s not worth looking into exhibition performances too much, but it looks like he’ll play in a similar role to what he did last year. He averaged 15.8 minutes last year, and through these three games he’s averaging around 19. He’s an efficiency scorer and that’s what’s going to get him time on the court.

Lachlan Crate (6’8)

Crate had just one other Division I offer, from Green Bay, but he ultimately committed to the Racers. He ended up redshirting last season given the depth they had on the roster. While many players take a developmental year with a small role after redshirting, it looks like that might not be the case according to their exhibition games thus far.

Against Incarnate Word, he finished with 15 points, four rebounds, and one assist in 21 minutes. Against Wichita State he had six points with two rebounds in 23 minutes, and then he finished with two points and two rebounds against FIU in 17 minutes. I don’t love using exhibition games as a representation of what could be, but it’s evident that Coach Miller was seeing what he could get out of Crate this season, especially with some injuries on the roster.

The 6’8 forward fits into the rotation well as a four. They aren’t overloaded at this position either. They do have Brigham Rogers, Shon Tupuola, and obviously Roman Domon, but Tupuola appears to be behind him in the rotation according to the three exhibition games. He seems to rebound well, and if he can finish the season averaging 5-6 points with 4-5 rebounds, that’s a very successful first season in Division I college basketball.

Dillon Butler (6’3)

Butler is a walk-on, so you should expect him to play a minimal role for the Racers this season.

Roster Additions

• Brigham Rogers (Senior) ~ Belmont

  • 7.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists

• Shon Tupuola (Senior) ~ Valparaiso

  • 6.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.3 blocks

• Christian Jones (Junior) ~ George Washington

  • 10 points, 3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.1 steals

• Kaden Magwood (Sophomore) ~ Auburn

  • 3.6 points, 1 rebound, 1.8 assists

• Navon Shabazz (Freshman)

• Mark Padjen (Freshman)

• Talis Soulhac (Freshman)

• Pavle Nikolic (Freshman)

• Jonas Boulefaa (Freshman)

Guards

Christian Jones (6’4)

Jones spent his first two seasons in collegiate basketball with the George Washington Revolutionaries. He appeared in 68 games, starting in 21 throughout both years. Last year, he averaged ten points, three rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 45.4% overall from the floor and 36.4% from three-point. He clearly caught Coach Miller’s eyes with his 14-point performance in Murray State’s one-point win over George Washington. However, his most notable performance was against #21 Saint Louis when he poured in 15 points with five rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

Rafael Castro was the go-to guy for George Washington, but Christian Jones was right there with him. He finished the season with a 106.7 offensive rating, 21.1% possession usage, 54.5% true shooting percentage, 21.3 assist rate, and a 2.4% steal percentage.

With Javon Jackson gone, he has a chance to nearly completely replace him in the lineup. Jackson was an offensive-minded guard who could also facilitate alongside Layne Taylor. Roman Domon will take over the offense, so he probably isn’t going to average 16 points a game like Jackson, but 9-10 points with 3+ assists per game is very realistic, while adding some strong on-ball defense. In the exhibitions, he finished with eight points, four assists, and three rebounds against Incarnate Word, 14 points with four rebounds, three assists, and two steals against Wichita State, and nine points with three rebounds and two assists against FIU.

Kaden Magwood (6’2)

I’m placing my bet that Kaden Magwood has a breakout season for the Racers this year. Coming out of high school, he was listed as a top-60, four-star recruit. Magwood spent his freshman season with Auburn where he appeared in 20 games, started in two, and averaged 3.6 points with one rebound, and 1.8 assists. He shot 38.6% overall and 27.8% from three-point. He appeared in all five games in their NIT Championship run, finished with 14 points against South Alabama in the opening round, but he was held to just eight points throughout the last four games.

I wouldn’t look too much into his metrics given the fact he didn’t have a ton of playing time and missed some games, but he featured some solid numbers. He finished with a 108.5 offensive rating, 20.5% possession usage, 48.1% true shooting percentage, and a very strong 29.1 assist rate.

Magwood has been coming off the bench in the three exhibition games thus far, but don’t be shocked if he ends up in the starting lineup. I’d like to see him distribute the ball more, but the Racers don’t prioritize assists in their offensive schemes. His offensive capabilities are going to earn him minutes though. He finished with nine points against Wichita State, ten points against FIU, and seven points against Incarnate Word. Turnovers have been high, but chalk that up to preseason games. Regardless, Magwood is going to be a huge asset for this team and I’d be stunned if he doesn’t end up starting.

Navon Shabazz (6’3)

Coming out of high school, Shabazz was listed as the 325th best recruit in his class and a three-star. He played at Iowa United Prep where he was named a McDonald’s All-American Nominee earlier this season. He also played with Arafan Diane who was listed as the 25th best player in their class, and Diane will be playing with the Houston Cougars this season.

Looking at his highlights, he has a natural knack to create offense for himself. At 6’3, he fits as a combo guard and his athleticism is going to allow him to be a threat on both ends of the court. This season will most likely be a developmental season for him, which is confirmed by the fact he played just once in their three exhibition games for three minutes against Incarnate Word. However, he has long-term potential that will allow him to take on an expanded role in the 2027-2028 season if he sticks around with the Racers.

Shabazz held offers from Iowa, Bryant, Wake Forest, Southern Mississippi, and Siena.

Mark Padjen (6’6)

Coach Miller and his staff has been hitting the international recruiting trail hard. Padjen is another European recruit heading to Murray, Kentucky, out of Slovenia. He played with a few teams last season, including for Slovenia in the FIBA U20 EuroBasket where he averaged 15.7 points with 5.6 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.7 steals across seven games. He shot 50.8% overall and 33.3% from three-point. He also played for Ilirija of the ABA League last year. He averaged 11.2 points with 3.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and nearly one steal throughout 20 games. He shot 40.5% overall and 30.6% from beyond the arc.

Padjen played just six seconds throughout the three exhibition games, but he’s battling a knee injury so he’s going to be out most likely for the start of the season. However, he’s someone that you should absolutely keep an eye on for the Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman team. While Domon is going to be the face of the team, Padjen could quickly get his name on the front of a lot of college basketball media. At 6’6, he functions as a combo guard more than a traditional wing. He can facilitate offense for himself and others, all while being crafty on offense when he forces his way inside. I recommend watching these highlights below from the FIBA U20 EuroBasket because he’s going to blow you away.

Talis Soulhac (6’2)

Soulhac is another France native joining the Racers’ roster this season. He appeared in 33 games last season for Blois in the France-ELITE 2 league. He finished the season averaging 12.2 points with 2.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and one steal per game in just 22.7 minutes per game. He shot 42% from the floor and 25.8% from three-point on 97 attempts. He also appeared for France in four games of the European Championships U20 where he averaged five points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists.

He’s appeared in the starting lineup for all three of the exhibition games for Murray State. He finished with seven points and two rebounds against FIU while fouling out, and 12 points with six rebounds against Wichita State. Despite operating as a point guard last year, he had just one assist in those three games. While watching his highlights, it’s hard to deny his offensive ability. There is no doubt he has some work to do with his three-point shooting, but inside the paint he looks like a well-polished veteran guard already. Some of the shots he hit in these highlights below are ridiculous.

Forwards

Brigham Rogers (6’9)

Transferring to another team in the same conference is always an interesting move, but when you transfer from an archrival school it makes for a great story. Brigham Rogers has spent his first three seasons with Belmont where he served as a slightly undersized big man at 6’9. Last year, he averaged 7.1 points with 3.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting 72.5% from the floor.

When you look at his metrics, it’s important to remember that Belmont is a high volume three-point shooting team. They were 1st in the country in three-point shooting percentage and 52nd in three-point attempts vs field goal attempts. With Rogers playing a traditional center role, he didn’t have to score as many points as he probably would have on other teams. He featured a remarkable 127.8 offensive rating (81st overall), 72.2% effective field goal percentage, 9.2% offensive rebounding percentage (330th overall), 14.4% defensive rebounding percentage, 16.4 assist rate, 4.2% block percentage, and he was 15th overall in the country with his 72.2% shooting percentage from inside the arc.

Rogers should produce very similar, if not better numbers with the Racers this season. He’ll be in the starting lineup as their main center, but what’s important is his ability to not only to clean up the glass but also to help distribute the ball. As I highlighted earlier, assists aren’t a focal point for the Racers. However, when you have someone like Rogers that is as efficient as he is in the paint, he’ll draw pressure. He has the ability to move it for a big man, so that opens up an opportunity to send the ball back outside to someone like Christian Jones, Brayden Shorter, or Domon.

Pavle Nikolic (6’8)

It should be no shock here, but Nikolic is another international recruit that’s had some dominating experience already overseas. The 6’8 Serbian appeared in 29 games last year for Borac CA in the ABA League where he averaged 15.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.3 steals. The forward shot 54% overall from the floor and 35.4% from three-point on 82 attempts.

He didn’t appear in any of the exhibition games because the Racers are waiting on the NCAA to clear him, but Coach Miller told Logan Whaley of WPSD Local that he didn’t anticipate any long-term issues with his eligibility. This is another player on the team (one of three in my opinion) that has genuine NBA potential. He has incredible size already, but what stands out to me the most is his ability to move on the court. At 6’8, he has the ability to flex outside and knock down a three-point shot, but he can clean up the glass and his footwork is going to make him a problem for other teams in the paint.

Jonas Boulefaa (6’10)

Alongside Soulhac, Boulefaa is another player joining Murray State from France. He appeared in 40 games last season for Blois (same as Soulhac) where he averaged 6.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per game in 19.5 minutes. He shot 42.6% overall from the floor and 28.4% from three-point on 102 attempts.

He’s played a smaller role thus far in the exhibition games, but he’s looked efficient. He finished with ten points and four rebounds against Incarnate Word in nine minutes, and four points with one rebound in seven minutes against FIU. He’s more of a raw talent than other freshmen on the roster, but he should still see the floor this year as he continues to develop. He’s a force in the paint and has the long-term potential to be a strong center for the Racers.

Centers

Shon Tupuola (6’10)

Tupuola spent his first two seasons in college basketball at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods where he put together some strong seasons at the NAIA level. That drew attention from Division I programs, leading him to transfer to Valparaiso last season. He ended up starting in all 33 games last season, while averaging 6.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. The 6’10 big man shot 58% overall from the floor. He put together some solid performances last year, especially at the beginning of the season. He finished with 14 points and eleven rebounds against Bryant, and 21 points with seven rebounds and three blocks against Cleveland State.

His efficiency last year was well represented by his metrics. He finished with a 118.4 offensive rating, 59.2% true shooting percentage (289th overall), 10.4% offensive rebounding percentage (218th overall), 16.7% defensive rebounding percentage, 6% block percentage (124th overall), and a 40.6 free throw rate.

With Rogers as the main big man on the roster, Tupuola will most likely take on a backup role. Through the exhibition games thus far, he’s actually played very little. This is a bit of a surprise to me because he has Missouri Valley experience, and he’s a strong defender inside the paint. He did play in 13 minutes against Incarnate Word, so perhaps this is just part of the preseason to let everyone see some playing time. Regardless, he’ll provide a consistent and efficient role off the bench to help defend the paint when Rogers is off the court.

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Expectations

Matt Norlander released a list of the top NIL spenders outside of the power conference ranks, and it was no shock that Murray State was one of the top spenders. Other programs included Saint Mary’s, San Diego State, and Dayton. The talent on this roster is represented by the work they’ve done to raise funds to build what they believe is a roster that can not just win the Missouri Valley Conference, but one that could make some noise in the NCAA Tournament. Let’s look at what their starting lineup could look like:

• Talis Soulhac

• Brayden Shorter / Christian Jones

• Roman Domon / Mark Padjen

• Roman Domon / Lachlan Crate / Pavle Nikolic

• Brigham Rogers

In this starting lineup, I’m anticipating what it’ll look like on opening day and what it could look like long-term. With Mark Padjen most likely missing the opening week, though that’s not a given, Roman Domon will play alongside Lachlan Crate or Pavle Nikolic (pending he is cleared by the NCAA in time). When Padjen comes back, Crate will most likely swap to the bench as Padjen slides into the three-spot and Domon comes back at the four. Honestly, this team has so many players that could start, it makes projecting the lineup a bit difficult.

The guards are easier to anticipate. Talis Soulhac started in all three of the exhibition games, and he’s arguably the best point guard on the roster even in his first year of collegiate basketball. He has a tremendous ability to create offense for himself, and although we didn’t see much of his playmaking in those preseason games, he has the talent. Kaden Magwood will most likely be backing up Soulhac off the bench, although with his pedigree he could take over as the starting guard at some point this season depending on how they both start out the season.

The two spot is a toss-up between Brayden Shorter and Christian Jones in my opinion. Shorter has looked really good throughout the preseason and he’s a tremendous three-point shooter. However, Christian Jones has the experience starting on one of the better teams in the Atlantic 10. Either way, whichever one ends up securing the long-term starting role, the other will be a strong backup for the starter.

Roman Domon is a lock; that’s not even a question. At 6’9, he has the ability to fit as a four or a tall three. I spoke a lot on Domon earlier in this article, so I won’t just reiterate what’s already been written. However, I will say that he looked even better than last season in the preseason, so his presence in this lineup elevates their potential to the highest level.

Brigham Rogers is another lock at the center position. He has plenty of experience in the Missouri Valley, and he’s one of the most efficient big men not just in the conference, but in the country. He isn’t going to give you 12-14 points per game because he doesn’t have to. That’s why you have someone like Domon and Padjen once he enters the lineup.

The last spot in the starting lineup is where it gets interesting. Lachlan Crate has been starting in the preseason because Padjen is injured and Nikolic hasn’t been cleared. When both are able to enter the rotation, Padjen should most certainly lock in as a starter. However, Nikolic has tremendous potential as well. If Nikolic is cleared, but Padjen isn’t available yet, he could slide in over Crate. It’s worth noting though that Crate has looked excellent in the preseason, so which ever two players miss out on the starting lineup are going to have plenty of opportunities off the bench throughout the season.

If I had to nitpick one area, it’d be their lack of true point guard play. The Racers finished just 260th last season in assists per field goal, so I will caveat by saying that it’s simply not part of the coaching staff’s plan. Talis Soulhac has the potential to fill this void, and Mark Padjen has shown at 6’6 that he can be a playmaker. However, the question is, will that even be a part of their offense? The past metrics say no, and the preseason games confirm that. Therefore, my one nit pick becomes a bit of a moot point.

There is a lot of hype around this Murray State team from college basketball media, and we are right there with them. This is a tremendously deep team with a ton of talent, and in particular, talent that has professional level long-term potential. The expectation for Racers’ fans should be to win the Missouri Valley Conference. If you’ve made it thus far, you are obviously a fan of college basketball so you know that nothing is ever a given in the MVC, which is one of the most enjoyable conferences to follow in the sport. However, this team has the potential to make noise all year long and all of the eyes are going to be on them to follow through. Buy stock right now in the Murray State Racers because they are back.

The Northeast is a thriving environment for mid-major college basketball, ranging from the small private schools in the NEC, the Ivy League, and the programs like St. Bonaventure in the Atlantic 10. There’s something special about these programs, so today we’re going to talk about Rhode Island, UMass, Boston University, Brown, and Harvard.

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Rhode Island

Returnees

• Jahmere Tripp

  • 12 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.3 steals

• Jonah Hinton

  • 12.6 points, 3 rebounds, 2.1 assists

• Steven Sherman

  • Redshirt

• Jalen Harper

  • 2.6 points, 1.8 rebounds

• Barrett Loer

  • 1.4 points, 0.6 rebounds

• Javon Perry

  • Redshirt

• Jaymien Aponte

  • DNP / Walk-on

• Miftah Ibiyemi

  • DNP / Walk-on

• Mouhamed Sow

  • 6.4 points, 5.6 rebounds (5 games / 19.8 minutes)

Newcomers

• Dylan Williamson (Senior) ~ Towson

  • 14.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists

• Jason Fontenet II (Senior) ~ UC Santa Barbara

  • 6.6 points, 5 rebounds, 1.6 assists

• Matas Deiusas (Sophomore) ~ UT Martin

  • 12.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists

• Nedas Raupelis (Sophomore) ~ International

• Jaen Chatman (Freshman)

• Tim Martin, Jr. (Freshman)

• Dashiell Mabilon (Freshman)

Rhode Island was making some people turn their heads after starting off 13-8 overall and 4-4 in the A-10. Throughout the non-conference slate of their schedule, they took down Yale for their most notable win, but did fall to McNeese, Providence, Towson, and Tulsa, all respectable programs. However, they fell to Loyola Chicago to open up their play in the Atlantic 10, which made the rebound to 4-4 impressive. They went on to struggle to find consistency, finishing 16-16 overall and just 7-11 in conference.

Looking at their metrics, it was clear they needed to upgrade their offense. They finished just 226th overall in Offensive Adjusted Efficiency, compared to 67th on the defensive end. They ranked 329th in turnover percentage, 317th in three-point shooting percentage, and just 352nd in steal percentage.

They were able to retain Jahmere Tripp and Jonah Hinton, who were two of their top scorers from last season. Hinton shot 36.1% overall and 31.9% from three-point, while Tripp shot 45.9% overall and 41% from three-point. Through bringing in Dylan Williamson and Matas Deiusas, the Rams get some much needed juice on the offensive end. Williamson shot 38.6% overall and 34% from beyond the arc with Towson, while Deiusas shot 42.5% overall and 33.6% from three-point with UT Martin.

KenPom has the Rams projected at 17-14 overall and 8-10 in the Atlantic 10, while going 9-3 in the non-conference with losses to Providence, Tulane, and UAB. They took a dip on the defensive end, but with the upgrades on offense, I believe they should be able to find some more consistency this season to finish in the middle of the conference.

UMass

Returnees

• Danny Carbuccia

  • 6.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1 steal

• Dwayne Wimbley Jr.

  • 2.3 points, 2.2 rebounds

• Josh Engel

  • Redshirt

• Jayden Ndigue

  • 6.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.2 steals

• Luka Damjanac

  • 2.4 points, 2.5 rebounds

• Dimitri Clerc

  • 3.2 points, 2.7 rebounds

• Rolli Castineyra

  • 0 points, 0 rebounds (4 games / 4.5 minutes)

Newcomers

• Junjie Wang (Senior) ~ San Francisco

  • 8.5 points, 3 rebounds

• Jordan Clayton (Senior) ~ Northwestern

  • 3.9 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists

• Abdullah Ahmed (Junior) ~ BYU

  • 1.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.4 blocks

• Cam Hailey (Freshman)

• Noa Zemljic (Freshman)

• Heimir Helgason (Freshman)

• Cheick Sylla (Freshman)

UMass was a bit of a surprise throughout the first three months of the season as they entered the beginning of February with a 15-9 record overall and a 6-6 record within the MAC. Most of their losses at that point had been close and competitive, including losing by six points to Marshall, four points to Charleston, four points to Green Bay, and even a near upset over Miami Ohio on the road where the Minutemen fell by just two points. Things came crashing down as they finished the regular season just 1-6 over their last seven games, with three overtime losses during that stretch.

There was a lot of momentum built last season, and they are looking to keep that rolling. However, they have had a lot of turnover. They lost their top four scorers from last season, but they were able to retain some important rotational players.

Overall, the Minutemen are placing some bets with Jordan Clayton and Abdullah Ahmed. Both players are coming from power conference programs where they saw limited playing time, but both have the potential to take some massive leaps in their careers at this level. Last season, the Minutemen were just 219th in defensive adjusted efficiency, so adding in Ahmed is an immediate boost as someone who was a remarkable shot blocker in his limited time on the court. Don’t forget Junjie Wang either as he turned himself into a valuable player at San Francisco last season with the Dons. He should see an uptick in his numbers as he makes the jump to the MAC.

The MAC is going to be a tough conference again this season, with Miami Ohio, Akron, and Kent State all projecting to be in the top three of the conference. UMass though should be able to finish in the middle of the conference once again. I don’t think they have the firepower to make a push for the top of the league, but if they can keep things rolling, they should be able to get some real momentum going with the basketball program.

Boston University

Returnees

• Matai Baptiste

  • DNP / Injury

• Kyrone Alexander

  • 1 point, 2 rebounds (1 game / 11 minutes)

• Sam Hughes

  • 9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists

• Azmar Abdullah

  • 8.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists

• Petter Carr

  • 0.4 points, 0.4 rebounds

• Andrew Bhesania

  • 7.7 points, 2.3 rebounds (3 games / 10.3 minutes)

• Donte Tisinger Jr.

  • 6.4 points, 2 rebounds, 1.8 assists

• Quinn Nielsen

  • 1.3 points, 2.5 rebounds

Newcomers

• Alex Zakheim (Junior) ~ Brandeis (D-III)

  • 18.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.3 steals

• Michelangelo Oberti (Junior) ~ Penn

  • 1.8 points, 1.7 rebounds

• Jaxson Terry (Freshman)

• Jelani Easter (Freshman)

• Joost Dalgaard (Freshman)

• Darnell Lloyd IV (Freshman)

• E.J. Vernon (Freshman)

It’s been an average last five years for the Boston University Terriers since they finished 22-13 overall in the 2021-2022 season. Last season, they finished .500 again at 17-17 overall and 10-8 in the Patriot League. They went on a little run in the conference tournament, taking down American and ending Navy’s chances to reach the NCAA Tournament after a fantastic season.

As a team, they ranked 125th overall in offensive adjusted efficiency, but just 348th on the defensive side. They run a methodical offense, ranking 355th in tempo, 11th in effective field goal percentage, 5th in three-point shooting percentage, and 31st in two-point shooting percentage. However, they lost their top three scorers from last season.

The Terriers weren’t able to go out in the portal and secure a ton of talent, so they focused on bringing in five freshman, and placing a bet that Alex Zakheim is going to be able to make the jump from Division III to Division I. He was tremendous last season at Brandeis, and after finding some footage of him, I don’t think there is a doubt that he’ll end up replacing one of those top three scorers from last year.

We’ve talked a lot this offseason about how NIL has opened up the opportunity for smaller programs to compete for freshmen that they never would have been able to a few years ago. Jaxon Terry is listed as a three-star top-300 recruit in his class. He originally was going to play at Loyola Chicago before decommitting and heading to Boston U. While others on the team who are returning are going to step up, I think you should keep an eye on Terry as he will have the opportunity to make an impact in year one.

Joost Dalgaard is another incoming freshman to watch for as he already has experience overseas. The 6’6 guard averaged 16 points with 3.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game with Denmark last year in the U18 European Championships. He’ll have the opportunity to make a huge splash in his first season in the NCAA.

Overall, I think Boston U is set up for another average season. One where they finish around .500, or even a little below. It’s hard to overlook the losses that they suffered at the top of their starting lineup. KenPom has them finishing 13-17 overall and 8-9 in the Patriot League, while ranking 326th overall. While I can see them finishing a bit better than that if some of the freshman step up, I don’t think that’s unrealistic.

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Harvard

Returnees

• Kenan Parrish

  • 2.2 points, 1.2 rebounds

• Xavier Nesbitt

  • 0.6 points, 0.6 rebounds

• Robert Hinton

  • 16.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.4 steals

• Ben Eisendrath

  • 5.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.6 steals

• Austin Hunt

  • 6.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1 assist

• Tey Barbour

  • 13.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists

• Frankie Mannino

  • 1.8 points, 1.3 rebounds

• Alex Touomou

  • DNP / Injury

• Dutch Dowdell

  • 0.9 points, 0.4 rebounds

• Thomas Batties II

  • 12.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 blocks

• Joseph Quartey

  • 0 points, 0.1 rebounds

• Payton Pitts

  • 0 points, 0.3 rebounds

• Ryan Sullivan

  • 1.3 points, 2 rebounds

• Luca Ace-Nasteski

  • 1.2 points, 1 rebound

• Avner Dror

  • 0 points, 0.5 rebounds

Newcomers

• Jason Singleton (Freshman)

• Brandon Burrell (Freshman)

• Preston Merrick (Freshman)

• Kabir Narasimhan (Freshman)

• Julian Adigun (Freshman)

Harvard put together a strong season last year as the Crimson finished 17-12 overall and 10-4 in the Ivy League. In conference play, they were narrowly taken down by Yale in overtime, Penn, Cornell, and Dartmouth. The best part is that they were able to retain a lot of their key talent as the Ivy League has been able to avoid getting killed in the portal since at the end of the day, it is the Ivy League.

When you look at the production that Coach Amaker received from the top of the lineup offensively last year, it’s hard to believe that they ranked just 221st in offensive adjusted efficiency. Meanwhile on the defensive side, they ranked 102nd. Among those top offensive performers, they retained three of their top four scorers, along with some of their important bench pieces. However, it’s important to note that they ran a six-man lineup. Six players averaged 22 minutes or more, with the next closest player averaging just 7.5 minutes per game.

Like I noted with Boston U, mid-major programs are competing for top-tier freshmen. Jason Singleton is a four-star, top-150 recruit in the country. He was a McDonald’s All-American nominee three times, and he was one of the best high school players in the state of Ohio. While I wasn’t able to confirm whether he is the best freshman to commit to Harvard, he has to be toward the top of the all-time list. There is no doubt that he’ll receive plenty of playing time in year one for the Crimson.

I’m a believer that Harvard could win the Ivy League this season. They were fantastic last season and they’ve returned the majority of their production, while bringing in some talented freshmen. KenPom has they projected at 18-10 overall, 9-5 in the Ivy League, and ranked 133rd in the preseason. In conference, they are slated at the top, tied with both Yale and Penn.

Brown

Returnees

• Isaiah Langham

  • 8.4 points, 2.4 rebounds

• Jeremiah Jenkins

  • 8.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.9 steals

• Jonah Drezner

  • 2.2 points, 0.4 rebounds (5 games / 5.6 minutes)

• Adrian Uchidiuno

  • 9.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1 steal

• Wyatt DeGraaf

  • 2.2 points, 1.5 rebounds

• Jerrell Barron Jr.

  • DNP / Injury

• Malcolm Wrisby-Jefferson

  • 4.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists

• Luke Paragon

  • 7.1 points, 1.5 rebounds

• David Rochester

  • 6.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists

• Brady Loughlin

  • 6.5 points, 2 rebounds

• Charlie O’Sullivan

  • 4.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1 assist

• N’famara Dabo

  • 7.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1.4 blocks

Newcomers

• Ray Cuevas (Junior) ~ Bowdoin (D-III)

  • 22.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists

• Rykan Woo (Freshman)

• KJ Francis (Freshman)

• Logan Jones (Freshman)

• Timmy Bollin (Freshman)

• Emmanuel Jamgbadi (Freshman)

The Brown Bears were quite the opposite of Harvard last season. The Bears finished 9-18 overall, 3-11 in conference, and 342nd in defensive adjusted efficiency. Two of their nine wins came against non-Division I programs. They had ten players that played consistently in the rotation, but just one player averaged double-digit points and he is no longer on the roster. However, they were able to retain other key rotational players, including their next five top scorers on the team.

They struggled mightily on offense last year, ranking 299th in effective field goal percentage, 338th in three-point shooting percentage, 243rd in two-point shooting percentage, and 295th in non-steal turnover percentage. They are going to hope that Ray Cuevas can replicate 75% of what he did in Division III at Bowdoin. Cuevas put together about as good a season as you are going to see, averaging 22.2 points per game. With the loss of Landon Lewis and his 16.6 points per game, Cuevas is going to be the guy they hope can help replace those minutes.

While none of the freshmen have the pedigree that Singleton does for Harvard, they are all still impactful long-term players for the Bears. Overall, it should be a better season for Brown. KenPom has them projected at 16-13 overall, 6-8 in the Ivy League, and 217th overall in the country. I think that’s reasonable, considering they were able to return the majority of their roster. Using the assumption that those players that averaged 7-9 points per game are able to step up and do even just a little bit more, coupled with Ray Cuevas, and I think the offense has to be better. While I don’t think any of the freshmen are going to be immediate stars, they do have the ability to make an immediate impact.

The Broncos put together a fantastic season. They finished 19th overall in adjusted offensive efficiency, while sending a player to the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the NBA draft. Now, with Gonzaga gone, there is no doubt that they have their eyes on returning to the Big Dance once again this season.

While there was some turnover on the roster, they were able to retain some key players, and built upon the roster with some fantastic pickups in the portal, and one of the better freshman classes you are going to see outside of the power conference ranks. Let’s take a look at how their roster is shaping up for the 2026-2027 season.

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Roster Turnover

• Brenton Knapper (Ineligible)

  • 7.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.3 steals

• Juan Reyna (Ineligible)

  • 0 points, 2 rebounds (Walk-on / 1 game)

• Elijah Mahi (Senior) ~ TBD

  • 14.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.4 steals

• Brendan Yarusso (Senior) ~ TBD

  • 2 points, 0.3 rebounds (8 games / 1.3 minutes)

• Malachi Douyon (Senior) ~ TBD

  • DNP

• Gehrig Normand (Junior) ~ SMU

  • DNP

• Bukky Oboye (Junior) ~ Auburn

  • 7.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.2 blocks

• Allen Graves (Sophomore) ~ NBA (Toronto Raptors)

  • 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.9 steals

• Christian Hammond (Junior) ~ NC State

  • 15.6 points, 3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals

When you end up finishing the season in the top-40 of KenPom, helping the WCC achieve three bids in the NCAA Tournament, and compete with Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s for the conference title, it was to be expected that there would be some turnover.

You knew that you were losing Elijah Mahi (however, he was just granted eligibility a couple of weeks ago, but I haven’t heard anything else about it), Brenton Knapper, and others. Allen Graves ended up starring in the combine, where he was selected with the 19th overall pick in the NBA draft by the Toronto Raptors. It’s not a shock that Christian Hammond went out to seek jumping to a power conference, in which he did with NC state.

Overall, despite the losses, they did a great job at retaining some key rotational pieces that are ready for their opportunity to step up in a larger role.

Returning Players

• Jake Ensminger (Senior)

  • 6.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1 steal

• Thierry Darlan (Senior)

  • 6.1 points, 3.6 rebounds

• Chris Tadjo (Junior)

  • DNP

• Sash Gavalyugov (Junior)

  • 9 points, 1.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists

• Noah Badibanga (Sophomore)

  • DNP

• KJ Cochran (Sophomore)

  • 4.7 points, 1.4 rebounds

• Brad Longcor III (Sophomore)

  • DNP

• Francis Chukwudebelu (Sophomore)

  • 1.4 points, 1.3 rebounds

Jake Ensminger (6’9)

Ensminger is entering year four with the Broncos after putting together his best season of his career thus far. He started and appeared in 32 games last season while averaging 6.5 points with 5.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and one steal per game. The 6’9 forward shot 54.1% overall and 39.8% from three-point on 2.8 attempts per game.

You aren’t going to find much of a better glue guy for a roster. In many games, he’d stuff the stat sheet in various aspects. He finished with double-digit rebounds in five games throughout the regular season and eight games with five or more assists. He finished the season with the fourth-best offensive rating in the country at 139.2 due to his extreme efficiency. His 66.8% true shooting percentage was 18th overall, while his 66.1% effective field goal percentage was 19th. His 41.2% three-point shooting percentage against Division I opponents was 118th overall, and to round out his contributions he finished with a 7.9% offensive rebounding percentage, 14.8% defensive rebounding percentage, and a 1.9% steal percentage.

Across the board, he proved to be consistent and there is no doubt that he’ll take another step forward this season with some of the turnover on the roster.

Thierry Darlan (6’8)

You might remember some controversy around Darlan regarding his eligibility last season. It was technically his first season in college basketball after playing two seasons professionally with the NBA G-League Ignite after receiving offers from some of the top programs in the country. He battled some injuries, but he ultimately ended up getting drafted in the G League draft with Rip City (the Trail Blazers affiliate). He was traded to the Delaware Blue Coats (the 76ers affiliate) where he had some fantastic games. He averaged eleven points, six rebounds, two assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game.

After passing through his eligibility battle, he appeared in 35 games with the Broncos last season while averaging 6.1 points with 3.6 rebounds while shooting 38.7% overall and 33.9% from three-point. The 6’8 senior is going to have an opportunity to earn a larger role this season, which should give him an opportunity to show if he can replicate and grow upon the numbers he had during his last season within the G-League.

His metrics show his improvement as the season went on. Across the board, he took a massive leap in his WCC metrics. In conference, he finished with a 109.6 offensive rating, 60.5% true shooting percentage, 19.8 defensive rebounding percentage (11th-best), 9.1 assist rate, and he shot 50% from inside on 26 attempts and 38.5% from outside on 65 attempts. Overall on the season, he had a 3.7% block percentage which was 311th best in the country.

Darlan could be in line for a breakout season with Santa Clara.

Sash Gavalyugov (6’3)

After appearing in four games with Villanova in the year prior, Gavalyugov was able to retain his freshman season of eligibility. Last year, he appeared in 35 games, starting two, while averaging nine points with 1.9 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. The 6’3 guard from Bulgaria shot 39.9% overall on 8.2 attempts per game and 35.8% from three-point on 5.3 attempts on average. He had some massive contributions in games throughout the season, but none better than his ridiculous 37 points with five rebounds on 14-20 shooting against Loyola Marymount. He finished a perfect 8-8 from inside the arc while draining six three-pointers in that one.

Looking at his metrics, they show a blossoming guard that is going to have the potential to leap into some serious conversations this season. He featured a 112 offensive rating, 53% true shooting percentage, 23.1 assist rate (275th overall), and a 1.5% steal percentage. In the WCC, his offensive rating jumped to 116.3, and he shot 51% from inside the arc, while draining 40% of his attempts from three-point.

With Christian Hammond gone, Gavalyugov should be sliding into an even larger role in the rotation while giving himself the opportunity to breakout and put himself on the map.

KJ Cochran (6’5)

Cochran put up a solid freshman season last year, appearing in 34 games off the bench and averaging 11.8 minutes. He finished the season averaging 4.7 points and 1.4 rebounds while shooting 43.3% from the floor and 27.1% from three-point. While his playing time was a bit sporadic, he showed some huge potential at times. He finished with ten points in their win against Minnesota, 14 points against Loyola Marymount, eleven points against San Francisco, and 15 points, four rebounds, and two assists in their second game against Loyola Marymount.

Looking at his metrics, he finished with a 112.6 offensive rating, 52.7% true shooting percentage, 7.9 assist rate, 2.2% steal percentage, and a ridiculous 67.9% shooting percentage from inside the arc.

Last season was a developmental year, and he showed that he has the potential to become a legitimate player for the Broncos. With some of the turnover on the roster, he’ll have a chance to grow into a larger role in the rotation and continue to build up his career. Cochran should be an impact player this season, so keep an eye on him.

Francis Chukwudebelu (6’10)

Chukwudebelu played a minimal role last year as a freshman, appearing in 24 games and averaging just 6.8 minutes. In that limited time, he finished the season with a line of 1.4 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.7 assists while shooting 48% overall and knocking down two of his five three-point attempts. Most of his production came earlier in the season either in garbage time or as a quick breather for others higher up in the rotation. He did finish with six points and three rebounds against Utah Tech in their 10-point win, and three points with four rebounds, one assist, and one block against Minnesota in 23 minutes.

We’re not going to look too much into his metrics because he had the limited playing time. However, he should have an opportunity to earn a larger role this season. At 6’10, he’s the third-tallest player on the roster behind two newcomers. They don’t have a lot of depth with height, especially depth with experience. He could end up averaging 15-20 minutes a game this season.

Noah Badibanga (6’8)

The forward out of France redshirted as a freshman last season as the coaching staff knew he wouldn’t have an opportunity to see time on the floor. He’s a bit of a raw talent, but one that has played with plenty of other players that have great pedigree. He played in the French U21 League, where, the season before he joined Santa Clara, he averaged 13.1 points with 5.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. He’s not going to jump into the starting rotation, but he should provide a depth role as he continues to develop in his first opportunity to join the rotation.

Brad Longcor III (6’4)

Coming out of high school, Longcor III had plenty of offers from some strong mid majors. As an alumnus of Quincy High School in Quincy, Illinois, many offers were from Missouri Valley Conference teams, including Northern Iowa, Illinois state, and Southern Illinois. He ended up redshirting last season for the Broncos as the roster was loaded with guards. The Broncos still have plenty of guards, but Longcor should be able to see an opportunity for some time on the court. It won’t be 15+ minutes per game, but look for him to continue to develop and position himself well for the following season.

Chris Tadjo (6’7)

Tadjo has had a bumpy journey in college basketball. He redshirted his first season, then played in just eleven games at Iowa, and then had to take a medical redshirt last season. He’s a former four-star recruit, and he has had quite the experience developing so far. He attended the NBA Academy Latin America where he reached the rank of 55th best overall prospect in the class of 2024. He obviously hasn’t had a ton of experience yet, but the raw potential is still there and that’s what Santa Clara is betting on.

Roster Additions

• Fedor Zugic (Senior) ~ Creighton

  • 5.2 points, 2 rebounds

• David Castillo (Junior) ~ Kansas State

  • 10.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists

• Sidi Gueye (Sophomore) ~ Arizona

  • 1.3 points, 0.8 rebounds

• Eli Jolin (Freshman)

• Brayde Kuykendall (Freshman)

• Alexander Ensor (Freshman)

Guards

Fedor Zugic (6’6)

After spending two seasons at Creighton, the 6’6 wing is heading to Santa Clara. He’s had a long playing career already, technically dating back to the 2017-2018 season. Born in Montenegro, Zugic bounced around the European ranks, including putting up 10.3 points with 1.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists for BG Gottingen in the Germany I league in the season prior to joining the Blue Jays. Last year, he averaged 5.2 points with two rebounds while shooting 38.8% overall and 30.5% from beyond the arc on 2.8 attempts per game. Arguably his best game of the season came in their 91-84 win over #5 UConn as he finished with 14 points and five rebounds in 31 minutes of action.

In his first season, he missed 12 games as the system was trying to figure out if he was eligible or not. Last year was his first true full season, and it showed growth. As I mentioned, his best game came against UConn, but he had some other strong performances in the Big East. His metrics show that too as he finished with a 109.8 offensive rating, 61.8% true shooting percentage, 10.9% defensive rebounding percentage, 55.9% shooting percentage from inside the arc, and a 40% three-point shooting percentage in conference play.

Zugic will slot into the starting lineup this season, and he should have a huge year. He has the talent, and now he has the opportunity.

David Castillo (6’1)

Kansas State was a bit of a disaster last year, but David Castillo was a bright spot. In his second season with the Wildcats, he averaged 10.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 40% overall and 35.2% from three-point. While his production fell off in conference play, he had some big games against good competition. He finished with 16 points against California, 12 against Tulsa, 19 with three assists against Creighton, 13 against #10 BYU, and 20 against Utah. It’s going to be a tremendous help for him transferring down conferences just a shade while having a more well-rounded team surrounding him.

He featured a 103.4 offensive rating, 52.4% true shooting percentage, 10.6 assist rate, all while shooting 45.8% from inside the arc. Castillo has the potential to be a tremendous offensive weapon for the Broncos. He took a whopping 159 three-pointers vs 131 shots from inside the arc, so with more talent on the roster in a league that isn’t playing some of the top programs in the country, Castillo should be in line for a monster season.

Eli Jolin (6’7)

Coming out of high school, Jolin had one other offer from Arizona State. He played high school at Fort Erie International Academy, which is one of the best programs in Canada. He’s a tremendous offensive prospect, and while there is room for improvement on the defensive end, his offense will get him opportunities quickly.

With the others on the roster, there is a reasonable chance that Jolin effectively takes a small role at first, but he has the potential to break into the rotation as a freshman. I recommend that you check out ’s breakdown of him from earlier this year as it’ll get you thinking that he might be the next Allen Graves on this roster…

Brayde Kuykendall (6’5)

Coming out of California High School in San Ramon, the 6’5 guard averaged 19.3 points with 6.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists as a senior. He’s a tremendous scorer, but more importantly, he has experience as both an off-ball and on-ball playmaker. Off-ball, he has a beautiful shot that will play so well on the catch-and-shoot. On-ball, he can lead the team while his ability to shoot draws defenders, allowing him to dish it out to a teammate.

With Zugic and Cochran most likely ahead of him in the rotation, this should be considered a developmental year for Kuykendall. That being said, I love the potential of this kid. I think he could be huge for the Broncos.

Centers

Sidi Gueye (6’11)

When you are a freshman on one of the top three teams in the country, it’s going to be difficult for you to earn a spot in the rotation unless you are a consensus first-round NBA draft pick. Sidi Gueye hails from Senegal where he was snagged by Arizona last season. He appeared in 26 games while averaging 3.4 minutes. He finished the season with a line of 1.3 points and 0.8 rebounds per game while knocking down 13-18 shots from the floor.

There is no sense looking too deep into his advanced metrics given the minimal playing time, but what’s important is his raw potential. The Broncos don’t have a lot of depth down low and Gueye could become a key piece for Santa Clara this season. He was a four-star recruit that earned a spot on Real Madrid with former NBA players like Mario Hezonja, Serge Ibaka, and Facundo Campazzo. He has the potential to not just be a star for Santa Clara, but one that can reach the next level. He has the size and the natural ability to finish at the rim, defend the paint, and rack up the boards.

Alexander Ensor (7’1)

The 7’1 center spent his senior season at AZ Compass Prep in Arizona where he competed within the Nike EYBL Scholastic. He was tremendous on the Nike EYCL circuit, finishing with a 59% shooting percentage and 29 blocks which was in the top-five of his peers. With Sidi Gueye on the roster, Ensor won’t see as much playing time as he would otherwise, but at 7’1 with a 7’4 wingspan, he’ll be seeing the court. He’s yet another, very talented freshman on this roster.

Ensor held offers from San Jose State and Boston U.

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Expectations

With the change in conference alignment, the Broncos are going to have the opportunity to compete not just at the top of the WCC, but potentially for a regular season conference title. With the turnover, they did a great job at replacing and retaining their growing talent from last season’s roster. Let’s look at what their starting lineup could look like:

• Sash Gavalyugov

• David Castillo / Jake Ensminger

• Fedor Zugic / Jake Ensminger

• Thierry Darlan / Jake Ensminger

• Francis Chukwudebelu / Sidi Gueye

At the guard positions, there is a clearer picture than elsewhere. Jake Ensminger started in all of the games he appeared in last season and featured a 14.6% assist rate at 6’9. However, Sash Gavalyugov produced some fantastic numbers as just a freshman, giving him the nod at the point guard position. While producing more than Ensminger offensively, he also bested him with a 23.1% assist rate. While Ensminger has the play making ability, slotting him in as a wing that can make some noise is an ideal asset for this team. With his height and body, he can play the two, three, and four, so consider him as a lock in the starting lineup.

Fedor Zugic has experience overseas and at Creighton where he wasn’t just at the back of the bench. He has the perfect frame for a wing that can make an impact on both sides of the court. He took a huge step forward on his three-point shooting during his play in the Big East last season, and he’s poised to continue growing in the upcoming season. Look for KJ Cochran to come off the bench in an expanded role as Zugic’s backup. Cochran put together a strong freshman season, and he’ll see more playing time this season. I want him to step up and improve on his shooting from beyond the arc, but there is no doubt that Broncos’ fans are going to want him to develop into what could be a starting role for the following season.

Looking at the traditional power forward position, Thierry Darlan makes the most sense. He is 6’8, and he was able to gain some important experience last year in a role off the bench. He has a ton of room to grow offensively, in which, if he isn’t able to prove that he has that ability then he could slide out of the rotation. If someone like Chris Tadjo starts off well in a bench role, with his pedigree he could easily take over as the starter for the Broncos this season. You could also move Ensminger to this spot since he has the versatile ability to both rebound and create offense for others. However, it’s worth noting that Darlan ended up leading the team with 19 points in their 78-73 loss to San Jose State in an exhibition game. Unfortunately, it was a closed exhibition, and that was the only leaked information that I could find at the time of publishing this article.

My biggest concern is their depth at Center. They are going to have to rely on Sidi Gueye and Francis Chukwudebelu who don’t have much experience at the Division I level, let alone in an expanded role. Alexander Ensor will likely see some minutes as well as a freshman, adding to the lack of depth with experience at this position. However, with their tempo, they don’t have to have a traditional big man clogging the paint like other teams. In theory, you could run a fast lineup that has Darlan and Ensminger at the four and five, which would be a blast to watch.

Last season, the Broncos ran a quick offense with a focus on scoring from inside the arc. With the makeup of the roster, I see no difference in how Coach Sendek will want to run his team this season. While the turnover was steep, this team looks dangerous on paper. If somehow Elijah Mahi ends up coming back as he was just granted eligibility, it bumps the ceiling of this team even higher.

While they did suffer some losses on the roster, they were able to retain some key players including their starting shooting guard. With some incoming offensive weapons from the portal and freshmen class, the Mean Green have worked on addressing the question marks around their effectiveness on offense.

On paper, this is a team that should win 20+ games during the 2026-2027 season and compete within a top-heavy American conference. Let’s dive into how their roster is shaping up!

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Roster Turnover

• Demarion Watson (Ineligible)

  • 2.4 points, 2.3 rebounds

• Josiah Shackleford (Ineligible)

  • 6 points, 2.5 rebounds

• Dylan Arnett (Ineligible)

  • 7.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists

• Will McClendon (Senior) ~ Pepperdine

  • 13 points, 4 rebounds, 2.5 assists (4 games)

• Buddy Hammer, Jr. (Senior) ~ Akron

  • 4.1 points, 2.8 rebounds

• David Terrell, Jr. (Senior) ~ SMU

  • 13.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.7 steals

• Curtis Stinson, Jr. (Sophomore) ~ Cleveland State

  • 1.4 points, 0.9 rebounds

• Cahmai Crosby (Senior) ~ Omaha

  • 2.7 points, 1 rebound

With all things considered, they came out of the offseason looking solid on the roster turnover side of things. They knew they were going to lose Demarion Watson, Josiah Shackleford, and Dylan Arnett, although some were trying to gain an extra year of eligibility. I haven’t seen Arnett’s name tossed around on any of the recent eligibility charts, but he did enter the portal to try. The Mean Green have a couple of spots on the roster available, so you never know with how all of these lawsuits are ongoing every week.

David Terrell, Jr. is the largest loss in the portal as he’ll be headed to SMU where I’m sure he secured a solid NIL package. He stepped up last season, growing into not just a strong playmaker, but an offensive weapon as well. He jumped up from averaging 8.3 points with 3.9 assists to 13.5 points with 4.8 assists vs just 2.1 turnovers per game. However, Coach Robinson was able to find a playmaker in the portal to fill that void.

Returning Players

• Cole Franklin (Senior)

  • 6.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.3 steals

• Je’Shawn Stevenson (Junior)

  • 17.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals

• Reece Robinson (Junior)

  • 7.5 points, 4.5 rebounds

• Ousmane Ndour (Sophomore)

  • Redshirted

• EJ Horton (Sophomore)

  • 2.9 points, 1.2 rebounds

Cole Franklin (6’4)

Franklin followed his coach over to North Texas after appearing in 25 games as a freshman at Cleveland State. Last season, his role stepped up as he averaged 6.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while starting in 23 of the 33 games he appeared in. The 6’4 guard shot 41.1% overall and 26.2% from beyond the arc on 1.8 attempts per game. He had some nice games, including 21 points with seven rebounds against UT San Antonio and 15 points with five rebounds and four steals against Tulsa in an electric triple overtime game in the American Conference Tournament. He’s not going to light it up on the offensive end, but he’s an ideal glue guy who plays solid defense and will stuff the stat sheet.

His metrics tell a similar story as he finished with a 101.1 offensive rating, 48.1% true shooting percentage, 13.3% defensive rebounding percentage, 2.4% block percentage, and a 3.1% steal percentage (185th overall). While his overall offensive statistics aren’t mind blowing, they did improve as the season went on. In the American, he finished with a 105.5 offensive rating and he shot 54.8% from inside the arc, which was the 21st best in the conference.

Je’Shawn Stevenson (6’2)

We’ve talked about some impact players returning to their non-power conference teams, but Je’Shawn Stevenson ranks alongside someone like Jake Hall returning to New Mexico. Stevenson is a next-level type player that immediately helps solidify the Mean Green as a potential competitor in the American next season. The 6’2 guard averaged 17.3 points with 3.5 rebounds, two assists, and two steals per game while shooting 38.4% overall and 30.3% from three-point.

Looking at his metrics, the star guard finished with a 27% possession usage (180th in the nation), 51.2% true shooting percentage, 14.2% assist rate, 3.5% steal percentage (94th in the nation), all while committing just 1.6 fouls per game (46th in the nation). There could be some improvement on his three-point shooting as he took a whopping 231 attempts against Division I opponents, but he is strong at the free throw line. He shot 84.3% on 159 attempts while drawing 4.6 fouls per game.

After announcing that he’d return, North Texas fans had to rejoice. Stevenson is a high-impact player that elevates the potential that this team could have in the coming season.

Reece Robinson (6’8)

It’s no shocker that Head Coach Daniyal Robinson’s son is sticking around for another season with the Mean Green. While sometimes a coach’s son might play a significant depth role on a team, Reece is a strong rotational player. As a sophomore last year, he averaged 7.5 points with 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting 50.3% overall and 34% from deep. He thrived in against opponents in the non-conference slate; however, he put up some solid games in the American as well, including 13 points with nine rebounds against Tulane and 23 points with four rebounds against Charlotte.

Robinson looks like he could be setting himself up for a breakout season if you look at his metrics from last year. He finished with a 115.5 offensive rating, which jumped to 117.4 in conference play, a 10.7% offensive rebounding percentage which was 194th best in the country, 12.9% defensive rebounding percentage, and a 3.5% block percentage which was 336th best overall. Across the board, his metrics increased in the American where he turned himself into a consistent contributor on all ends of the court.

Ousmane Ndour (6’10)

Ndour is one of only two players on the roster at 6’10, and with other forwards last season, that could help guard the paint it made sense for the international prospect to take a developmental season as a redshirt. Prior to joining North Texas, he played for Maderas Sorli where he appeared in eleven games and averaged 10.2 points with 5.1 rebounds. He’s still a raw prospect, but I expect to see him earn some minutes this season as he gains experience. Look for him to average 10-ish minutes a game this season.

EJ Horton (6’3)

Horton appeared in 30 games as a freshman last year while averaging a shade over 10 minutes per game. The 6’3 guard averaged 2.9 points with 1.2 rebounds per game while shooting 43.2% overall and 25.7% from three-point on 1.2 attempts per game. While two of his best games came against non-Division I opponents, he showed some flashes of strong potential in other appearances. Against Saint Mary’s, he finished with seven points, two rebounds, two steals, and two blocks despite shooting just 1-6 from the floor Against Temple, he racked up 12 points, with four rebounds, and five steals in what proved to be a huge factor in their narrow 65-62 win.

There is no doubt he has some improvements to make on the offensive end as eluded to with some of his averages. He finished with just an 81.2 offensive rating, which did improve slightly to 83.0 in conference play. In other areas, his potential was represented well as he finished with an 11.0% defensive rebounding percentage, 3.4% block percentage, and a 3.9% steal percentage.

Roster Additions

• Cash Chavis (Junior) ~ UT Arlington

  • 10.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals

• Amar Amkou (Junior) ~ FAU

  • 5.5 points, 2.2 rebounds

• Mitchell Holmes (Junior) ~ SMU

  • 1.7 points, 0.9 rebounds

• Braylon Barnes (Sophomore) ~ Jones College (JUCO)

  • 16.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 steals

• Marcus Zelee (Freshman)

• Aeneas Alexander (Freshman)

• T.J. Crumble (Freshman)

Guards

Cash Chavis (6’2)

After starting his career at Arkansas, Chavis transferred to UT Arlington last season where he was able to give himself a larger opportunity. He started and appeared in 32 games for the Mavericks where he averaged 10.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. The 6’2 guard shot 38.5% overall and 28% from beyond the arc on just 50 attempts total for the season.

He’s more of a true point guard, and one that serves as a facilitator and disrupter on the defensive end. Through the first five games of the season, he was averaging seven assists per game. However, he did improve on the offensive end towards the end of the season. Over the final seven games, he averaged 13.9 points while shooting 47.4% overall and 54.5% from three-point.

His metrics line up well with this as he finished with a 96.1 offensive rating overall vs a 98.6 rating in conference play. He was 376th overall in possession usage at 24.9%, and he took 24.9% of the team’s shots when he was on the court. Notably, he featured a 26.4 assist rate (163rd in the nation), 2.5% steal percentage (455th in the nation), all while shooting 79% from the line as he drew 4.5 fouls on average.

As the demand on his offense shrinks as he joins someone like Je’Shawn Stevenson, you should expect that his effectiveness on the offensive end will increase significantly. He doesn’t have the be the go-to guy that creates offense for himself on North Texas, rather he can focus on taking the right shot when needed while leading the offense as a floor general.

Braylon Barnes (6’4)

Barnes could not have put a better freshman season together in the JUCO ranks. The 6’4 guard averaged a whopping 16.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while averaging 42.3% and 35% from three-point. He also racked up 186 free throw attempts while converting at an 81.7% clip.

As his stats elude to, he had some monster games last year. With any JUCO player, you don’t know how exactly his skills will translate to the next level in the first year. He is offensively too good to not be Division I level talent; however, this roster is loaded with guards. He’ll most likely come off the bench this season to provide a scoring option when Stevenson isn’t on the court.

Marcus Zelee (6’3)

Coming out of high school, Zelee was listed as a three-star player. He was a bit of a late bloomer as he started to get more looks and offers from late in 2025. He played at Austin Prep where he put up some fantastic numbers, averaging 13.5 points, 5.2 assists, and three steals per game. Zelee held offers from Iowa State, Arizona State, Mississippi State, Drake, and others.

I have no doubt that you’ll be seeing plenty of Marcus Zelee this season. He’s a tremendous two-way player with a ton of potential. He already has great size and vision on the court. He’s not going to start, but he will be coming off the bench in what will be a developmental season. If all goes well, he’ll be a star player for North Texas down the road.

Forwards

Amar Amkou (6’8)

While Amkou is technically listed as a junior, he played his first season in collegiate basketball last season for the Florida Atlantic Owls after missing his official freshman season due to an injury. He appeared in 26 games for the Owls while averaging 12.5 minutes per game. Despite not playing a large amount of minutes, he finished the season with a line of 5.5 points and 2.2 rebounds per game while shooting 44.1% overall from the floor and 36.4% from beyond the arc on 44 attempts.

He had some strong flashes of what he could become throughout the season. Against St. Bonaventure he finished with twelve points and three rebounds, and late in conference play he racked up 14 points with four rebounds and two assists against Memphis, and 14 points against North Texas in their one point loss. It’s obvious that he caught Daniyal Robinson’s eye in that game because it was arguably his best considering that his Memphis performance was in garbage time.

While his metrics are a bit inflated due to the minimal playing time, they still shined. He finished with a 112.9 offensive rating, 58% true shooting percentage, 9.1% defensive rebounding percentage, 7.8% offensive rebounding percentage, and a 3.2% block percentage.

Mitchell Holmes (6’10)

The former three-star appeared in 26 games for SMU last season while averaging 5.2 minutes per game. While most of his production of 1.7 points per game came in blowouts against much weaker opponents, he did rack up ten points in eleven minutes in the Mustangs’ 87-85 win over Butler.

With the limited playing time, his metrics are very skewed so we aren’t going to look too much into those. He brings in a strong frame with experience at a high level on a team that did reach the NCAA Tournament before falling to our mid-major darling Miami Ohio. He’ll see plenty of playing time this season in what will be his first opportunity with an expanded role.

Aeneas Alexander (6’7)

Alexander is another three-star freshman coming in for the Mean Green as he was ranked 325th overall in his class. He played at Pace Academy last year, as well as, Nike ProSkills U17, which finished in fourth at Peach Jam. He’s a true wing with a solid shot, but he probably needs to build out his frame a bit more. I don’t see him breaking into the rotation in a large way as a freshman, but he’s going to be a valuable player for the Mean Green in the long-run.

He held offers from UNLV, Tulsa, San Jose State, and other solid mid-majors.

T.J. Crumble (6’8)

Out of all the freshmen coming in, Crumble is the highest ranked at 294th in the incoming class. 247Sports has him listed as a three-star recruit while he held some tremendous offers, including Creighton, Dayton, Penn State, Stanford, Mississippi State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Iowa, Houston, and many more programs. Needless to say, he was highly sought after.

He’s going to become an incredible player one day. He’s got the mobility, the size, and the ability to flex as forward on both the offensive and defensive ends. Despite having just 12 players on the roster, this team is deep. However, I’d be shocked if we don’t see Crumble somewhere around eight to ten minutes per game. Keep him on your list to watch for the long-term.

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Expectations

When you have a team that is top-50 in the country in defense, but just 275th in offense, you have the map to success lined out pretty clearly. However, this team doesn’t need to light it up on offense. Last season, they were 306th in tempo and 302nd in average possession length. That isn’t going to change either, looking at the players coming in. Let’s look at what their starting lineup could look like:

• Cash Chavis

• Je’Shawn Stevenson

• Cole Franklin

• Reece Robinson

• Mitchell Holmes / Ousmane Ndour

I firmly believe that this starting lineup is pretty straightforward. With David Terrell, Jr. gone, Cash Chavis will step in as the starting point guard. He had to be one of the go-to guys on UT Arlington last season, so we should expect to see his efficiency improve more this season. He isn’t going to have to attempt 9.1 shots per game with someone like Je’Shawn Stevenson in the lineup. I will say, I’d like to see him boost the assist to turnover ratio as last season it was 3.5 vs 2.3, but this will be just his second season in control of an offense.

Rounding out the backcourt, Chavis will have Je’Shawn Stevenson. It’s hard to remember that he’s entering just his junior season after putting up 17.3 points last season. Despite the team ranking just 326th in three-point attempt rate, Stevenson attempted over seven shots from beyond the arc a game last year. He shot 38.4% overall and 30.3% from three-point, so there’s a reasonable chance that those averages improve even further this season. Keep in mind, he’s a star on the defensive end.

Looking at the small forward position, I listed Cole Franklin, but I could also see one of the newcomers like Amar Amkou sneaking in there as well. Franklin has been with Coach Robinson since he started his collegiate career at Cleveland State and he turned himself into a starter last season. He shot 41.1% overall and 26.2% from three-point, but like others on the roster he is defensive-minded.

Reece Robinson will be in the starting lineup this season once again. He started and appeared in all 33 games last year, and he’s one of the more efficient shooters on the roster at 50.3% overall. He’s strong on the boards and I’d love for him to step it up on defense and reach the one block or one steal per game average this season. Regardless, I think Robinson could have a breakout season in store for us this year.

The center position can go a few different ways. I think the competition will mainly be between Mitchell Holmes and Ousmane Ndour. Both players stand at 6’10 and possessexcellent frames. I lean towards Holmes because he’s coming in from SMU, so he has the experience on a team that ended up going to the NCAA Tournament, even if it was in a limited role. Ndour, on the other hand, is a raw talent, but one that could easily emerge as a threat depending on how practice goes over the next few weeks leading up to the season.

Looking at their bench, this is where I see the real improvement that I believe will help them take a step forward. Braylon Barnes is an immediate huge addition on the offensive end. When they lost McClendon last season after just four games, they lost an offensive spark. Barnes will help replace that and give them a lightning jolt off the bench. I like Amar Amkou in the rotation as he is still developing, but he flashed some strong signals last year at FAU that he’ll be able to contribute eight or more points per game in 20 minutes. Make sure you don’t sleep on the freshmen either, as Marcus Zelee, Aeneas Alexander, and T.J. Crumble are three players capable of playing in year one. I think you will mostly see Marcus Zelee just given the depth at the guard position, but Alexander and Crumble will also probably see some time here and there in their first developmental season.

At the end of the day, I’m still concerned about their production on offense. I’m banking on Stevenson stepping up to improve on efficiency, and Chavis to level out as he doesn’t have to do everything on this roster. Regardless, they are going to be just as good on the defensive end as they were last year, making me confident that they’ve improved enough to cross the 20-win threshold. Keep your eyes on the Mean Green this season.

Ultimately, the committee did the right thing and gave them the opportunity to prove themselves as an eleven-seed against SMU in Dayton. The RedHawks showed the world what they could do, lighting it up from deep and rolling past the Mustangs 89-79. They then fell to Tennessee in the next round 78-56 to end the historic season.

While in this era of college basketball, you’d look at this story and expect that the majority, if not entire roster would be hitting the transfer portal in search of lucrative opportunities. However, with nine players contributing significantly to their rotation, they lost just four players. A team that went 31-0 last season in the MAC is returning five key players while loading up on more talent in the portal.

This is a team that’s once again going to be a massive threat in the MAC. Let’s take a look at how their roster is shaping up, and see how they can follow up after a legendary season.

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Roster Turnover

• Peter Suder (Ineligible)

  • 14.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1.3 steals

• Eli Yofan (Ineligible)

  • 1.5 points (2 games / 7 minutes)

• Eian Elmer (Senior) ~ Wisconsin

  • 12.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.2 steals

• Trey Perry (Sophomore) ~ Coastal Carolina

  • 5.8 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists

• Brant Byers (Junior) ~ Penn State

  • 14.2 points, 4.1 rebounds

Given the season that the RedHawks had last season, it isn’t a surprise that they lost some key players to the power conferences. Out of the three transfers, Elmer and Byers are both headed to the Big Ten at Wisconsin and Penn State. Trey Perry also hit the portal in hopes of earning more minutes as he is headed to Coastal Carolina are putting up a solid line in just 13.1 minutes per game.

I have to take a moment and give kudos to Peter Suder after wrapping up a prolific collegiate career. After starting at Bellarmine in his first two seasons, he jumped to Miami Ohio where he he led the RedHawks to their historical season last year. After proving to be a star player in the mid-major ranks, he earned a spot in the Summer League where he initially signed a two-way contract with the Lakers. While he was waived, there is no doubt that he’ll find his way onto a G-League roster. Don’t be surprised if you see him on an NBA court in the near future.

Returning Players

• Antwone Woolfolk (Senior)

  • 9.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.4 steals

• Evan Ipsaro (Senior)

  • 13.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 steals

• Jackson Kotecki (Senior)

  • 1.2 points, 1.6 rebounds (5 games / 5.8 minutes)

• Almar Atlason (Senior)

  • 9.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists

• Ethan Wright (Senior)

  • 1.4 points, 0.8 rebounds (5 games / 2 minutes)

• Blake Anderson (Senior)

  • DNP

• Luke Skaljac (Junior)

  • 10.3 points, 3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.4 steals

• Justin Kirby (Sophomore)

  • 6.2 points, 3.2 rebounds

• Leshawn Stowers (Sophomore)

  • DNP

• Kyle Waltz (Sophomore)

  • 3 points, 1.3 rebounds)

• Tyler Robbins (Sophomore)

  • 3.1 points, 1.9 rebounds

Guards

Evan Ipsaro (6’0)

One of the key returners on the roster this season is Evan Ipsaro. He appeared in just 12 games before suffering a season-ending injury, one that many thought would end the historical run for Miami Ohio, which, obviously did not prove to be true. In those twelve games, he averaged 13.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 57.1% overall and 39.4% from beyond the arc. He dropped 27 points against UNC Asheville, 24 against Maine, and he racked up seven assists against Air Force.

While it was a small sample size, his metrics were off the charts. He featured a 132.9 offensive rating, 67.4% true shooting percentage, 21.4 assist rate, and 2.1% steal percentage. The year prior, he finished the season with a 125.5 offensive rating (87th best), and a 23.3 assist rate (263rd best), which is a sign that the high performance against lesser competition last season was not just a fluke.

Luke Skaljac (6’2)

Skaljac followed up a strong showing as a freshman by taking a huge step forward in year two. He started in 21 of the 32 games he appeared in as he stepped up to replace Ipsaro after his injury. He finished the season averaging 10.3 points with three rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 47.1% overall and 35.3% from three-point. He put together some magnificent performances, including 18 points with ten assists against Buffalo. From December 30th through the end of the regular season, he averaged 13.3 points, 5.1 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game.

If you look at the metrics, his increase in performance during conference play didn’t fully reflect in his splits. On the season, he finished with a 114.3 offensive rating, 56.3% true shooting percentage, 9.3% defensive rebounding percentage, 27.1 assist rate (142nd overall), and a 2.9% steal percentage (283rd overall).

He’s poised for a massive junior year this season.

Justin Kirby (6’4)

Despite missing the first half of the season, Kirby put together a solid freshman season. The 6’4 guard averaged 6.2 points with 3.2 rebounds while shooting 52.5% overall and a sharp 40.5% from three-point on two attempts per game. He had a couple of strong games, including 17 points with six rebounds against Central Michigan and 13 points with seven rebounds and three assists against UMass.

While his metrics are slightly skewed given his absence through the first half of the season, he finished with a remarkable 131.4 offensive rating. He also had a 67.1% true shooting percentage, 14.8% defensive rebounding percentage, 7.1% offensive rebounding percentage, and a 5.5 assist rate.

This roster is loaded once again, but Kirby is going to provide a valuable role in the rotation this season.

Leshawn Stowers (6’5)

Coming out of high school, Stowers had quite a few offers from other mid-major programs like Wyoming, Indiana State, Southern Illinois, Purdue Fort Wayne, and more. When Ipsaro went down with his injury, Kirby was ultimately the freshman that stepped up in the rotation, so Stowers remained off the radar as he redshirted last season.

From highlights from 2024, he looks like he can be absolutely electric on the offensive end (a perfect fit for the team). He can create shot opportunities for himself, while using his strong frame to fight through contact. With how talented the roster is, I don’t see him breaking through into 15 minutes per game this season, but we should see him some as he starts to gain experience on the court in his first collegiate season.

Blake Anderson (6’4)

Anderson is listed as a walk-on, so you should expect to see him deep in the depth chart.

Ethan Wright (6’5)

Wright is listed as a walk-on, so you should expect to see him deep in the depth chart.

Forwards

Antwone Woolfolk (6’9)

After spending his first two seasons with Rutgers, Woolfolk has turned into a valuable player for Miami Ohio. Last season, he averaged 9.8 points with 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals in just 23.4 minutes on average. The big man shot 62.9% overall from the floor and 32.4% from beyond the arc on 37 attempts. He racked up two double-doubles on the season, while dropping 21 points in their win over Toledo.

He featured a 115.7 offensive rating which jumped to 122.3 in conference play, a 64.3% true shooting percentage, 19.3% defensive rebounding percentage (234th overall), 7.2% offensive rebounding percentage, 3.3% block percentage (382nd overall), 3.1% steal percentage (184th overall), all while finishing 29th in the country in two-point shooting percentage. Across the board, his metrics grew in conference-play, making him statistically one of the more valuable players in the MAC.

While he isn’t going to light it up from three-point on 100 attempts in a season, he’s quick and versatile enough to bolster the RedHawks rotation. With four seasons under his belt, he should produce similar, if not better numbers in his final season of eligibility.

Almar Atlason (6’8)

Atlason transferred into Miami Ohio last season from Bradley and he immediately put up career high numbers across the board. The 6’8 forward finished the season averaging 9.9 points with 2.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in just 18.8 minutes per game off the bench. He shot 45.1% overall and 36.4% from three-point on 4.9 attempts per game. He served as a three-point specialist, and when he got hot he was impossible to stop.

His metrics speak for themselves as he finished with a 116.4 offensive rating, 59.5% true shooting percentage, 11.8% defensive rebounding percentage, and an 8.1 assist rate. He also shot 64.2% from inside the arc against Division I opponents, which was the 118th best in the country.

With him returning this season, Coach Steele retains an important offensive cog in the phenomenal offensive machine of the RedHawks.

Jackson Kotecki (6’9)

Kotecki has spent all three seasons of his career with the RedHawks while appearing in 43 games off the bench. His playing time has diminished, going from 7.5 minutes per game as a freshman down to just 5.8 last year across five games. At this point, he operates similarly to the production of a walk-on, so I don’t expect his numbers to vary much from what he produced last season.

Kyle Waltz (6’7)

The 6’7 freshman appeared in 21 games last season, averaging three points with 1.3 rebounds per game. He shot 56.1% overall and 37.5% from three-point in 7.4 minutes on average. The majority of his production came in their three games against non-division I teams, including a 23 point performance. In other opportunities, he didn’t contribute much on the court. Waltz is still a raw talent, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him a little bit more this season as surely he developed some more over the past season.

Center

Tyler Robbins (6’10)

Robbins was another freshman on the squad last season that didn’t have a chance for a true expanded role in year one. The 6’10 center appeared in 27 games and averaged 5.8 minutes per contest. He finished with a line of 3.1 points with 1.9 rebounds while shooting 57.9% overall from the floor. He also knocked down four of his 15 attempts from deep.

Similarly to Waltz, the majority of his production came against their three non-Division I opponents where he finished with one double-double and nearly two more. However, he did see the court a bit more, especially in the non-conference slate of their schedule. He finished with eight points, two rebounds, and three blocks against Arkansas Pine Bluff, and six points against UNC Asheville.

I don’t see him taking a massive leap in year two, but he will most likely be playing some more in the rotation this season.

Roster Additions

• Rich Rolf (Senior) ~ Youngstown State

  • 9.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists

• Stevie Elam (Sophomore) ~ Milwaukee

  • 10.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1 steal

• Preston Copeland (Sophomore) ~ Ball State

  • 4.6 points, 4.4 rebounds

• Anthony Fresh (Freshman)

• Alan Horton (Freshman)

• Danny Kelly (Freshman)

Rich Rolf (6’7)

After starting off his career at Charlotte, Rich Rolf transferred into Youngstown State where he slid into the starting rotation last season. He emerged as an offensive threat, averaging 9.1 points while shooting 46.1% overall and 36.8% from three-point. He also provided to be a strong rebounder, averaging 4.5 rebounds total with 1.3 offensive rebounds per game.

Looking at his metrics, he fits the Miami Ohio mold. He featured a 122.0 offensive rating which was 265th overall. He had a 58.5% true shooting percentage (356th overall) and a 55.4% effective field goal percentage (331st overall). Rolf also finished with a 14.3% defensive rebounding percentage and a 5.2% offensive rebounding percentage.

Rolf isn’t a huge defensive threat, but he’s strong on offense and will provide rebounding where players like Peter Suder have left a hole on the roster.

Stevie Elam (6’3)

Coming out of high school, Stevie Elam was listed as a three-star recruit and the fifth best in the state of Michigan. He quickly proved why as he averaged 10.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and one steal per game as a freshman. Elam shot 38.5% overall and 35.4% from three-point. While he had some strong performances early on in the season, he fell short against strong opponents, finishing with zero points against Indiana and Texas Tech. However, he turned it on towards the end of the year. Over the final five games of the regular season, he averaged 15.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.

For a true freshman, his metrics shined. He finished the season with a 119.1 offensive rating, 53.9% true shooting percentage, 4.9% offensive rebounding percentage, 16.2% defensive rebounding percentage, 5.6% assist rate, microscopic 6.0 turnover rate (15th best in the country), and a 2.1% steal percentage. Against Division I talent, he took 144 three-pointers vs 74 attempts from inside the arc…a perfect fit for Travis Steele.

Preston Copeland (6’9)

Copeland might not have scored against the RedHawks in Ball State’s only matchup with them last season, but Coach Steele saw something that he liked. The 6’9 freshman fits the mold as a slightly undersized traditional big man. He averaged 4.6 points with 4.4 rebounds and a shade under one block per game while starting in 24 of the 30 games he appeared in.

Looking at his metrics, he finished the season with a 108.6 offensive rating, 61.2% effective field goal percentage, 11% offensive rebounding percentage (180th overall), 17.2% defensive rebounding percentage (426th overall), and a strong 4.7% block percentage (212th overall).

While there is plenty of room for him to grow on the offensive end, he had some strong performances last year. Against Le Moyne, he finished with ten points and 16 rebounds, while he racked up three blocks in three different games. While Miami Ohio runs of lights out offense, Copeland brings stability inside the paint with experience in the MAC.

Anthony Fresh (6’4)

Fresh is coming in from Indiana where he played for the Charleston Pirates while being named an Indiana All-Star following his senior season. He finished the year averaging 21 points with 5.4 rebounds, two assists, and 1.9 steals in his final season. He’s a walking bucket, someone that will have no problem fitting in the offensive scheme. Given the others on the roster, I don’t see Fresh seeing a ton of the court as a freshman, but he should be in the rotation to help develop his skills.

Fresh had two other offers from Bellarmine and Kentucky Wesleyan.

Alan Horton (6’9)

It was clear that Coach Steele wanted to address his depth in the paint this offseason. Horton is another slightly undersized traditional big man, similar to Copeland. He played high school at St. Francis de Sales in Toledo, Ohio, where he averaged 11.7 points with 9.8 rebounds as a junior. He set the school record for most blocks in a single season that year as well. He was even named a McDonald’s All-American nominee. With Copeland, Almar Atlason, Antwone Woolfolk, and Rich Rolf, I don’t think he’ll have a huge role in the rotation. Look for him to take a developmental year and gear up for an impactful sophomore campaign.

Horton held offers from Towson, Kent State, Toledo, and Youngstown State.

Danny Kelly (6’5)

Kelly is listed as a walk-on, so you should expect to see him deep in the depth chart.

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Expectations

This roster is loaded once again, and they shouldn’t be concerned about missing a few of the key pieces from last season. Coach Steele and his staff have done a fantastic job at retaining others, while bringing in some additional players to help fill the open roles. Let’s look at what their starting lineup could look like:

• Evan Ipsaro

• Luke Skaljac / Justin Kirby

• Justin Kirby / Rich Rolf

• Almar Atlason / Preston Copeland / Rich Rolf

• Antwone Woolfolk

Looking at the guards, Evan Ipsaro is a lock at point guard. He was one of the best in the mid-major ranks before going down with his season-ending injury, so there’s no doubt that he’s going to be vying for an outstanding performance this year.

Shooting guard gets a bit interesting. Luke Skaljac stepped up in a huge way without Ipsaro, so do you reward that and bring him in as the starting two? You’d have two outstanding playmakers that both are weapons on the offensive end. Otherwise, you’d bring him off the bench, and give him the same amount of minutes you would as a starter. Keep in mind, you also have Justin Kirby. He was tremendous as a freshman, and I just saw his name on a list on social media that had him as a mid-major player to watch for future NBA potential. While there’s still plenty of time for us to see if that’s true, there is no doubt that his performance last year has set him up for an expanded role. These three players are probably going to be rotating. When Ipsaro isn’t in the game, you can have Kirby and Skaljac together, and vice versa.

Moving onto the forwards, if Coach Steele ever wanted to run a small lineup, he could with Kirby at the three. He’s a strong rebounder, and one that could fill up the production needed from a traditional small forward. However, you do have a wing in Rich Rolf. At 6’7, he shot 36.8% from three-point last season. He makes the most sense to start at the three, in my opinion.

Power forward is a toss up on the surface. Almar Atlason primarily came off the bench last season, but he was incredibly efficient. He shot 45.1% overall and 36.4% from three-point while sitting at 6’8. The only issue is, he’s not really a defensive presence. He averaged just 2.5 rebounds, and he finished the season with just an 11.8% defensive rebounding percentage. Do you leave him out of the equation and bring him in as more of a small forward / wing? Preston Copeland fits more of the traditional four role. He has experience in the MAC and he’s a strong rebounder. While he didn’t show a ton of what he can do on the offensive end at Ball State last year, there would be plenty of other offensive weapons in the lineup. Plus, he did shoot 61.2% from inside the arc, so a quicker tempo with a focus on shots from beyond the arc could open up more opportunities for him on the inside.

Antwone Woolfolk has started in every game he’s appeared in as a RedHawk over the last two seasons, and that’s not going to change this year. He’s not going to light it up as a traditional center that finishes the season with a block or two a game, but he’s strong on the boards and efficient on offense. He finished the season with a 115.7 offensive rating and 19.3% defensive rebounding percentage. A traditional center doesn’t fit the scheme of Miami Ohio, but a versatile player like Woolfolk does.

Looking at the bench, we haven’t even talked about Stevie Elam. I don’t see him winning a starting spot in his first season with Miami Ohio, but he’ll have a huge role and should see 20+ minutes per game. He had a strong showing as a freshman and with some efficiency improvements on offense, which should be assisted by having more natural playmakers around him, he could have a true breakout season. Other players off the bench to watch are those that we’ve talked about here that would fall out of the starting rotation (players like Atlason or Copeland), and the freshman Anthony Fresh. They have a ton of guards but I can see Fresh earning 8-10 minutes per game and potentially earn more minutes like Kirby did last year if there’s an injury.

This team is loaded once again. I’d find it hard to believe if they don’t finish in the top-three of the MAC as they have the ceiling of winning the conference and reaching their second NCAA Tournament in a row. The program and university have a lot of momentum going with their success on the court, getting a new arena, and even other programs like football. There’s a reason they are looking at jumping to the American (although that looks like that won’t be happening any time soon). I’m all in on the RedHawks once again this season.

Now, they are looking to build upon their solid start in a new conference. With Gonzaga leaving, it opens up a void for other teams to take advantage. Even with Randy Bennett leaving Saint Mary’s for Arizona State, the Gaels will still be right at the top of the conference. San Francisco and Santa Clara are both strong programs as well, and Herb Sendek is going to be vying for the top after the Broncos had a tremendous season last year.

While Seattle U lost some of their top talent, they retained two of their most crucial players from last season. Through adding additional talent in the portal, addressing the gaps, and finding some diamonds in the rough, on paper this is a team that looks like it can compete as well. Let’s take a look at how their roster is shaping up.

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Roster Turnover

• Miles Amos (Senior) ~ TBD

  • 1.8 points, 1.6 rebounds

• Brayden Maldonado (Senior) ~ TBD

  • 14.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 steals

• Maleek Arington (Senior) ~ TBD

  • 4.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.3 steals

• JoJo Murphy (Senior) ~ TBD

  • 5.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists

• John Christoflis (Senior) ~ TBD

  • 6.5 points, 1.1 rebounds

• Houran Dan (Junior) ~ Hawaii

  • 5.7 points, 2.5 rebounds

• Stratos Papastavrou (Sophomore) ~ TBD

  • 0.5 points, 1.8 rebounds (4 games / 7.8 minutes)

• Brock Felder (Senior) ~ Weber St

  • 3.1 points, 2.3 rebounds

• Austin Maurer (Junior) ~ Stanford

  • 7.2 points, 4.7 rebounds

There is no doubt this is a lot of turnover, but it was expected. While many of the key players in the rotation were younger, a lot of the depth pieces were upperclassmen. Now, many of them technically entered the transfer portal seeking another year of eligibility. Given that the semester has already started, the chance of that is slim.

Brayden Maldonado wrapped up a successful two-year stint with the Redhawks, averaging 14.7 points with 3.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. Don’t be surprised to see him end up signing a contract overseas to join a professional team.

Among those that did transfer to another program, Austin Maurer showed a lot of promise. He took a solid step forward in his second year, jumping from one point per game to 7.2 with 4.7 rebounds and nearly one block. The 7’0 center will join Stanford, where I’m sure he got some decent NIL money and will look to further his career.

Returning Players

• Junseok Yeo (Senior)

  • 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1.6 assists

• Will Heimbrodt (Junior)

  • 12.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.3 steals, 2.6 blocks

• Jeremiah Harshman (Sophomore)

  • DNP

• Ray Adams (Junior)

  • 3.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.4 steals (5 games / 10.2 minutes)

• Yuto Kawashima (Junior)

  • 5 points, 2.8 rebounds (4 games / 8.3 minutes)

• JT White (Senior)

  • DNP

Junseok Yeo (6’8)

After spending two seasons with Gonzaga, Seattle was looking for Yeo to have a breakout season in his first full-year opportunity at the Division I level. He appeared in and started 34 games while averaging 12 points, four rebounds, and 1.6 assists while shooting 43.3% overall and 29.5% from three-point on 5.2 attempts per game. He had some monster games, including strong stat lines against top WCC opponents. He finished with 24 and 20 points against Saint Mary’s while posting 17 points with 12 rebounds against Santa Clara.

Looking at his metrics, there is definitely even further room for growth this season. He finished with a 97.0 offensive rating, 53.6% true shooting percentage, 12.3% defensive rebounding percentage, and 10.5 assist rate. He did shoot 59.1% from inside the arc. If he is able to continue to improve from an efficiency standpoint he could be poised for a true career-defining season with the Redhawks.

Will Heimbrodt (6’7)

Heimbrodt is a blossoming junior coming off a season where he took a huge step up from his first year. As a freshman, he averaged two points with two rebounds in 27 games. Last year, he started in 33 of the 34 games he appeared in while averaging 12.3 points with 5.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.6 blocks, and 1.3 steals and shooting 42.4% overall and 29.7% from three-point. He put up some ridiculous stat lines, including seven blocks against Stanford, 19 points with five rebounds, three assists, and five blocks against Saint Mary’s, and 24 points with four rebounds, five assists, five blocks, and four steals against Pepperdine.

His metrics line up with some of those stat lines. He finished with a 25.7% possession usage, 47% true shooting percentage, 16.2% defensive rebounding percentage, 15.7 assist rate, 9.8% block percentage (16th best in the country), 2.5% steal percentage, and a 37.4 free throw rate. Similarly, there is a lot of improvement to be had on the efficiency end. He featured just an 88.8 offensive rating and 44.3% effective field goal percentage.

He is already one of the most underrated players in college basketball, so retaining him immediately elevates Seattle’s potential this season. If he can improve from a shooting percentage standpoint, he’ll become one of the best players in the mid-major ranks.

Jeremiah Harshman (6’1)

The Seatac, Washington native redshirted during his freshman campaign. He had a dominant senior season at Annie Wright High School where he averaged 15.7 points with 8.1 assists, 7.5 rebounds, and three steals while leading the team to a state championship. Considering they loaded up on guards in the portal, it’ll be expected that Harshman plays a minimal role on the depth chart.

Ray Adams (6’8)

Another in-state resident of Washington, Ray Adams appeared in five games last season after redshirting during his first season in the 2024-2025 campaign. In five games, he finished with a line of 3.2 points with 2.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists. His statistics came from two games against non-division I opponents while he appeared in seven minutes total across his other three games.

Yuto Kawashima (6’9)

The Japanese native has nearly mirrored Adam’s journey with Seattle. He redshirted his original freshman season, then appeared in just a handful of games last year. In four games, he averaged five points with 2.8 rebounds with most of those statistics coming against their non-division I opponents. In his two other games, he finished with just two points and one rebound in five minutes.

JT White

White is a walk-on returning this season, so you can expect him to play a similar role on the roster this season.

Roster Additions

• Mason Williams (Senior) ~ Iowa State

  • DNP (Injury)

  • 13.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.2 steals (Eastern Washington)

• Kaden Hansen (Senior) ~ Saint Martin’s (D-II)

  • 18.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.4 steals

• Tyler Boston (Junior)

  • 14.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists

• Tomas Thrastarson (Junior) ~ Washington State

  • 8.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists

• Halvine Dzellat (Senior) ~ Cincinnati

  • 2.1 points, 2 rebounds

• Ladji Coulibaly (Sophomore) ~ New Mexico JUCO

  • 7.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 1.3 blocks

• Jaden Bailes (Freshman)

• Amare Larane (Freshman)

Guards

Mason Williams (6’5)

Williams spent his first two seasons in college basketball with Eastern Washington, where the Seattle native turned himself into a tremendous player. During his sophomore season, he appeared in 27 games and started 22 where he averaged 13.9 points with 3.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.2 steals while shooting 42.7% overall and 34.5% from beyond the arc. Following this strong sophomore season, he transferred to Iowa State, but he ultimately redshirted after a hip surgery held him out for the season.

During that successful season, Williams finished with a 97.6 offensive rating, 53.9% true shooting percentage, 13.2% defensive rebounding percentage, and a strong 82.6% free throw shooting percentage, which was 232nd overall. He was a focal part of Eastern Washington as he featured a 27.5% possession usage, which was 152nd best in the country.

As long as Williams is fully recovered from his injury, he’ll play a focal role for Seattle this coming season.

Kaden Hansen (6’2)

What a journey it has been for Hansen. He joined Saint Martin’s University in 2022 where he redshirted his first season, then put together a solid freshman campaign in the 2023-2024 season. He then missed the next season due to an injury, in which he followed it up last year with an outstanding performance that put him on the Division I map. He finished the season averaging 18.6 points, with 2.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. He shot 43.2% overall from the floor and 35.8% from three-point. He put up some monster offensive performances, including 37 points against Western Washington, and a stretch of three 30+ performances across four games.

He isn’t a point guard, which is why they brought in the next player on the list, but Hansen will provide a huge offensive boost on this team. He’ll help fill the void that Brayden Maldonado left as primarily a scoring weapon in the rotation.

Tyler Boston (6’0)

After spending the past two seasons with Holy Cross, Boston is making the jump to the WCC following a solid sophomore year. He appeared and started in 32 games last season while averaging 14.2 points with 3.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. The 6’0 guard shot 42.8% overall and 35.9% from three-point. He had some tremendous games against tough competition. Against Providence, he finished with 25 points, four rebounds, and six assists, in which he then had 12 points against #8 BYU, and nine points with five assists and five rebounds against Utah.

While Holy Cross was ranked just 330th in KenPom, Boston’s metrics shined. He featured a 110.8 offensive rating, 56.9% true shooting percentage, 13% defensive rebounding percentage, 25.2 assist rate (200th best in the country), and an 83.1% free throw shooting percentage (230th best in the nation).

With their turnover amongst the guards, Boston is going to emerge as the primary point guard for the Redhawks this season. While it can be skewed as you look at his stats because you can argue that he was a tremendous player on a bad team, you have to remember that he was able to prevail while being pressured even harder by opponents. He has the ability to serve as a floor general while creating his own offense. Expect him to be on the radar for a big year.

Tomas Thrastarson (6’7)

You don’t see many players come to college basketball from Iceland, but Thrastarson has had no problem thus far. He’s spent the last two seasons at Washington State where he’s appeared in 50 games and started 24. Last season, he averaged 8.8 points with 4.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists while shooting 43.9% overall and 28.8% from three-point in 22.9 minutes per game. Unfortunately, a stress fracture in his foot held him to just 19 games.

Despite the Cougars having their own set of problems, he was a bright spot on the roster. His freshman season, he finished with a 120.0 offensive rating, which did drop to a still respectable 105.7 last season. He also featured a 56.3% true shooting percentage, 17% defensive rebounding percentage, 1.8% block percentage, all while shooting 54.4% from inside the arc.

With his experience, he’ll slot into a high-impact role in the rotation this season for the Redhawks.

Jaden Bailes (6’2)

The three-star recruit out of San Juan Capistrano, California, was highly sought after from a lot of fellow mid-major programs. The 6’2 guard ranked 343rd overall in the class of 2026 and 27th in the state of California. The kid is electric on the court. I highlight with Boston that I believe he’ll be the primary point guard, but Bailes will be seeing time in the rotation as a freshman. They don’t have an insane amount of depth, plus they’ll be looking to develop Bailes for the coming season. He can knock it down from deep, create his own offense, and he already looks like he can serve as a facilitator.

Bailes held offers from San Francisco, California, Yale, UC San Diego, Cal Baptist, and more.

Amare Larane (6’3)

While he wasn’t as highly recruited as Bailes, that doesn’t mean that Larane is going to make any less of an impact. He played at Knight High School, the same as Paul George, where he ended up becoming the all-time leading scorer to pass George. He averaged 27.1 points with 6.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.8 steals per game as a senior. Larane is insanely athletic. He has a natural ability to score the ball, one that will translate into a solid career in college basketball. He can also throw down some electric dunks, making him a huge fast-break threat. While I don’t think he’ll play as much as Bailes this season, I’d be shocked if we don’t see him some in the rotation as he develops.

Larane held one other offer from UC Riverside.

Centers

Halvine Dzellat (6’10)

The 6’10 big man from France has spent the past two seasons with the Cincinnati Bearcats where he’s seen minimal action. Over two years, he’s appeared in 36 games off the bench. Last season, he appeared in 26 games while averaging 2.1 points and two rebounds in 8.3 minutes per contest. He does bring experience from overseas where he played with Blois for two seasons and Lille in the final year prior to making the journey to the NCAA. For Lille in the 2023-2024 season, he averaged 6.5 points and 4.4 rebounds, but he averaged 14.3 points with 7.4 rebounds in 34 games for Blois U21 the year prior.

The potential is there, and there is a lack of depth with height on this roster. In his minimal playing time last year, he featured a 111.9 offensive rating with a 59.1% true shooting percentage, 14.3% offensive rebounding percentage, and 11.9% defensive rebounding percentage. He’ll receive the opportunity to show what he can do in an expanded role this season.

Ladji Coulibaly (6’10)

After making the jump to the United States, Coulibaly spent last season with New Mexico Junior College where he averaged 7.9 points with 7.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game in just 17.3 minutes per game. He’s not a three-point threat, but he did shoot 56.5% overall from the floor. He’s a raw talent, one that has spent time in the AfroBasket U16, World Cup U17 & U19, and the NBA Global Academy.

Like I mentioned with Dzellat, they don’t have a ton of experience at the traditional center spot. Heimbrodt and Yeo will hold down the forward positions, so it was clear they wanted to solidify the five spot and they’ve picked up a couple of intriguing prospects. I feel like Dzellat will edge Coulibaly out, but you’ll still be seeing plenty of him in his first Division I season.

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Expectations

The WCC has a completely different look this year. With teams leaving, and new coaches joining the ranks, it has the potential to be a wide-open conference with Saint Mary’s and Santa Clara most likely being the favorites. However, if you want a dark horse, Seattle could be the team for you. Let’s take a look at what their starting lineup could look like:

• Tyler Boston

• Mason Williams / Tomas Thrastarson

• Will Heimbrodt

• Junseok Yeo

• Halvine Dzellat / Ladji Coulibaly

Will Heimbrodt and Junseok Yeo are both locks for the starting lineup once again this season. I highlighted throughout this review that if their shooting efficiencies could tick up, they could both be set to make an even larger impact this season. With Tyler Boston joining the roster, I think they will have that opportunity. Last year, the Redhawks had Maleek Arington as the main point guard, but he wasn’t much of an offensive threat. Boston is a much better offensive player, and he has the playmaking capabilities to help set up the rest of the team with better shot opportunities. Keep in mind, this team was just 291st in offensive adjusted efficiency last season.

The two-spot will most likely be a toss-up between Mason Williams & Tomas Thrastarson, with Thrastarson most likely having the edge over Williams. With his experience in the WCC already at Washington State, he’s proven that he can play in the conference at a high level. Williams is battling back from a season-long injury, but if he does slide to the bench, he is someone that will provide a massive offensive boost as a six man. He was tremendous at Eastern Washington, so don’t be surprised that if he is back at 100% that he swaps into the starting lineup over Thrastarson. Don’t forget, you also have Kaden Hansen who was lights out last season at Saint Martin’s. It’s hard to predict how he’ll jump to the Division I level; however, this is a team that could use improvement on the offensive end. Don’t be surprised if he could come off the bench and give you 8+ points per game.

My largest question is the center-position. They have two unknowns with Halvine Dzellat and Ladji Coulibaly. Dzellat has some experience in Division I, but it’s minimal. Coulibaly showed some tremendous upside on defense last season in JUCO, but will that translate in his first year in Division I college basketball? Hard to say. This will ultimately come down to who looks better in practice, but it’d be obvious to me that Dzellat has the first edge. At the very least, Coulibaly could be a valuable defensive asset to come off the bench when you bring in extra offensive firepower with the guards on the roster.

If you noticed a trend while reading this, you’ll note that last season there was a focus on the defensive end underneath Head Coach Chris Victor. The Redhawks ranked 21st in defensive adjusted efficiency, while allowing an opponent to score 90+ points just twice (Saint Mary’s and Auburn), and allowing 80+ just five times. Heimbrodt was a master with both blocks and steals, then you had three players that ranked nationally in steal percentage. Heimbrodt was 16th in blocking percentage, while Maleek Arington was 16th in steal percentage. I highlighted earlier that Tyler Boston was an offensive upgrade, but they still kept a focus on defense with other players. Mason Williams, Kaden Hansen, and Ladji Coulibaly all bring in defensive pressure to help relieve the void of Arington, Brayden Maldonado, and Austin Maurer.

Overall, they upgraded the offense, but there will be a slight slide on defense in my opinion. However, if you are able to jump to the 100s in offensive efficiency, while staying in the top-50 or top-60 of defensive efficiency, then the gains outweigh the losses. This is a team that should finish in the top half of the WCC this season.

Over the last year, it’s been known that the PAC-12 would be returning, and with it are many teams from the Mountain West. Utah State, San Diego State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and Boise State have all departed the formerly strong non-power conference to join the PAC-12, leaving Air Force, Nevada, UNLV, San Jose State, Wyoming, and the Lobos as the last remaining members. With them, Grand Canyon, UC Davis, Hawaii, and UTEP have joined the ranks.

Conference alignment aside, the Lobos have also had quite a bit of turnover on their roster. However, unlike many other programs we’ve written about of the last few months, they were able to return a star and multiple key players for their rotation. Their roster is shaping up to be one that can not only compete at the top of the Mountain West, but maybe one that can become a threat in the Big Dance.

Let’s take a look at how their roster has come together!

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Roster Turnover

• Luke Haupt (Ineligible)

  • 7.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.4 steals

• Dayton Albury (Ineligible)

  • 11.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.5 steals

• Tajavis Miller (Ineligible)

  • 5.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1 assist

• Milos Vicentic (Ineligible)

  • 3.1 points, 1.1 rebounds

• Antonio Chol (Senior) ~ UC Santa Barbara

  • 7.7 points, 2.9 rebounds

• Kevin Patton, Jr. (Senior) ~ Bethune-Cookman

  • 2.6 points, 2.2 rebounds

• JT Rock (Junior) ~ Kansas State

  • 6.2 points, 3.5 rebounds

• Tomislav Buljan (Sophomore) ~ Maryland

  • 13.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.1 steals

• Timeo Pons (Sophomore) ~ Abilene Christian

  • 2.6 points, 1 rebound

• Sir Marius Jones (Sophomore) ~ Weber State

  • DNP

• Kallai Patton (Sophomore) ~ TBD

  • DNP

While losing four of their players due to lack of eligibility, in the grand scheme of the rest of the roster they came out in a reasonable place. Tomislav Buljan is a star in the making, so it’s easy to see why he made the jump to the power conferences at Maryland. JT Rock also jumped up by heading to Kansas State, but that’s a team that Casey Alexander is going to have to dig in and rebuild after the recent disaster of performance.

The remaining players had to lower mid-majors, but one to keep an eye on is Antonio Chol. UC Santa Barbara is looking like they are going to be competing towards the top of the Big West once again, and they’ll be extra hungry as it’s their last season before jumping to the WCC.

Returning Players

• Jake Hall (Sophomore)

  • 16.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists

• Uriah Tenette (Sophomore)

  • 10.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.4 steals

• Chris Howell (Senior)

  • 5.5 points, 3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.7 steals

Jake Hall (6’4)

Jake Hall not only put up one of the best seasons from a freshman last season, but one of the better overall seasons in the country. The 6’4 guard is a blossoming star that has next-level potential. In 37 games, he averaged 16.4 points with 3.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists while shooting 47.9% overall from the floor and 43.8% from three-point.

From the beginning of the season he showed strong potential, putting up 20 points against Nebraska, 24 points against VCU, and 18 points in his Mountain West debut. However, he turned into a monster over the back half of the season. Over the last 19 games of the regular season, he averaged 18.1 points with 3.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. He shot a ridiculous 50.9% overall during that stretch, and 49.6% from three-point. Across four games in the NIT, he averaged 19.3 points with 2.5 rebounds.

Hall is a walking bucket. He finished the season with a 125.5 offensive rating (136th overall), 63.2% true shooting percentage (96th overall), and 46th overall in three-point shooting percentage at 43.2% against Division I talent. As alluded to earlier, his stats got even better in the Mountain West as he finished in the top five of five different metric categories.

Retaining Hall for another season was one of the best stories after he initially entered the transfer portal. He isn’t alone in returning to the Lobos either…

Uriah Tenette (5’11)

The Lobos had one of the best freshmen duos in the country last season, with Uriah Tenette being the complementary guard to Jake Hall. The freshman averaged 10.6 points with 2.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. He shot 40.5% overall and 32.4% from beyond the arc. He isn’t as flashy on offense as Hall, but he makes up for it with his defense. He finished with three or more steals in six games and with a 2.9% steal percentage which was 279th best in the nation.

Diving deeper into his metrics, he finished with a 118.2 offensive rating, 53.7% true shooting percentage, 18.2 assist rate, 10.1 turnover rate, and a 37.7 free throw rate which led to a remarkable 81.8% clip from the free throw line. He stepped into a larger role as a facilitator towards the end of the season, finishing with seven assists against Utah State and nine against San Jose State while averaging 4.3 across four games in the NIT.

Returning both Hall and Tenette is a dream come true for Lobos fans. Tenette will continue to develop into a solid offensive player with the ability to be a facilitator and strong defender.

Chris Howell (6’6)

Howell spent his first two seasons at Saint Mary’s before transferring to UC San Diego where he started in all 35 games with that legendary team just two seasons ago. He followed head coach Eric Olen to New Mexico where he started in eleven games, but was limited to just eleven due to an injury. Through those first eleven games of the season, he was averaging 5.5 points with three rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. The year prior, he averaged 2.2 steals, so he’s a huge asset that can both distribute the ball and force turnovers, making up the fact that he isn’t going to drop ten points or more per game.

His metrics tell the story as across his eleven games, he finished with a 107 offensive rating, 10.3% defensive rebounding percentage, 3.9% steal percentage, and a 22.2 assist rate. Keep in mind, the year prior he finished with a 117.7 offensive rating which was 357th overall, and a remarkable 4.3% steal percentage which was 29th best in the country. While he might not light up the box score on offense, he is efficient.

Following his injury, he was able to retain a year of eligibility and he’ll provide a huge role for the Lobos. Hall is a star on offense, while Tenette stepped up in Howell’s absence from a distribution perspective. Howell is a perfect complementary player among the three returners.

Roster Additions

• Rytis Petraitis (Senior) ~ California

  • 5.3 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist

• Tunde Vahlberg Fasasi (Senior) ~ William & Mary

  • 11.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals

• A.J. Pierre-Jerome (Junior)

  • 6.9 points, 3.6 rebounds

• Hudson Mayes (Sophomore) ~ UC San Diego

  • 11.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1 steal

• Imran Suljanovic (Redshirt Freshman) ~ St. John’s

  • Redshirted (Injury)

• Benjamin Schuch (Freshman)

• Federico Grani (Freshman)

• Fynn Lastring (Freshman)

• Dax Hall (Freshman)

• Nate Muriithi (Freshman)

Guards

Hudson Mayes (6’5)

There is no doubt that Hudson Mayes was on Eric Olen’s radar when he was at UC San Diego. He had committed to the Tritons on April 13th, 2025, just one month after Olen was named the head coach of New Mexico. Mayes will now join Olen after a strong freshman campaign on a solid UC San Diego team. He finished the season averaging 11.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and one steal per game while shooting 54.5% overall and 35.5% from three-point.

Mayes started off the season averaging 15-20 minutes, but he finished with 30+ minutes in nine of their last twelve games. His metrics show why this is the case as he was in the top of the Big West in 14 different key metric categories. He finished 7th in the conference with a 118.1 offensive rating, 10th in true shooting percentage at 58.9%, 6th in defensive rebounding percentage at 20.5%, 18th in assist rate at 15.8, 13th in steal percentage at 2.4%, and 3rd in free throw shooting percentage at 88.9% which was coupled with a 43.4 free throw rate which was 15th best.

All of this is saying, Mayes is going to become a monster college basketball player. He has a strong frame, he’s physical, he’s electric inside the arc, and a force on the boards. Don’t be surprised if you see him in the starting lineup on opening day.

Dax Hall (6’1)

Yes, Dax is the younger brother of star Lobo Jake Hall. He committed just one day after Jake announced that he would be returning to New Mexico this season. He finished his senior season averaging 27 points with 7.5 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game at Santa Fe Christian.

He originally received an offer from UC San Diego back in 2024 when Eric Olen was head coach. He might not quite live up to Jake’s ceiling, but he’s an electric scorer. At his size, he fits more as a point guard that will provide some depth this season. He might not play a ton this season, but he’ll turn himself into a solid collegiate player.

Forwards

Tunde Vahlberg Fasasi (6’7)

After starting his career off at La Salle for the first two seasons, he transferred to William & Mary where he took a huge step forward. At La Salle, he started in 18 of the 33 games he appeared in as a freshman while averaging 6.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. His playing time took a step back his sophomore season, but he turned himself into a solid starter for the Tribe. He averaged 11.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 steals while shooting 46.1% overall and 35% from three-point.

He took off once he reached conference play last year. He ranked towards the top of the conference in 12 different key metric categories, including: 13th in offensive rating at 121.0, 9th in true shooting percentage at 60.4%, 25th in defensive rebounding percentage at 15%, 23rd in assist rate at 16.5, 6th in block percentage at 3.5%, 24th in steal percentage at 2%, 7th in free throw shooting percentage at 83.3%, and 14th in two-point shooting percentage at 58.8%.

Fasasi is the definition of a “glue guy”. He’s the type of player that’s going to fill up the box score on any given night, whether that’s through offense, play making, or on the defensive end. He should slot into the rotation with ease this season with the Lobos.

Imran Suljanovic (6’8)

Just a couple of weeks before the season started, Suljanovic dislocated his patella at a practice with St. John’s which forced him to undergo a surgery and miss the entire season with the Red Storm to recover. While it wasn’t the start he was looking for in his journey to college basketball in the US, the Austrian forward has a tremendous amount of potential.

As a member of the U18 Austria team in the 2024-2025 season, he averaged a massive 22.4 points with 5.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 2.1 steals while shooting 45.9% across seven games. He had a late growth spurt that pushed him to 6’8, which makes him invaluable. He has the ability to move like a guard, but has the height to make him a difference maker on the defensive end as well. There’s no doubt he’ll probably ease into a role in the rotation, but you’ll be seeing plenty of him this season and Lobos fans should look forward to watching him develop.

AJ Pierre-Jerome (6’9)

AJ Pierre-Jerome has been one of the more interesting transfers that I’ve written about over the last few months. The Florida native spent the last two seasons at Butler Community College where he appeared in 68 games and started 21. Last year, he averaged 6.9 points with 3.6 rebounds per game while shooting 52.7% overall. He isn’t a three point threat either as he knocked down five of his 17 attempts from beyond the arc. Minutes-wise, he averaged 17.8 per game last year.

Butler wasn’t one of the JUCOs that won 30+ games, but they did finish 25-10 overall and reached the NJCAA DI Men’s Basketball Championship Quarterfinals where they fell to Howard College by a whopping score of 134-128. Pierre-Jerome finished with just four points, one rebound, and one assist in 18 minutes before he fouled out of the game. For comparison, the star of the team, Tristan Hankins, committed to UT Arlington after averaging 18.5 points with 5.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game for Butler CC.

All of this being said, Pierre-Jerome just doesn’t pop out to me as someone that’s going to make an immediate impact this season. He definitely has potential as a defender with his height and the fact that he averaged nearly one block per game in his limited playing time. I’m not convinced he’ll have a huge role this season.

Rytis Petraitis (6’7)

The 6’7 senior started his career out at Air Force where he had two successful seasons. In his sophomore campaign, he finished the season averaging 15.7 points with 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. He made the jump to California where he started in 29 of the 33 games he appeared in while finishing the season with a stat line of 8.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. Notably, his three-point shooting diminished from 34.9% in his last season at Air Force to just 25.8%. Last year, he unfortunately appeared in just seven games before missing the rest of the season with an injury.

Looking at his metrics, he’s put together some strong numbers over the years. In his full season at California in 2024-2025, he finished with a 115.4 offensive rating, 52.7% true shooting percentage, 13.1% defensive rebounding percentage, 10.3% offensive rebounding percentage (228th in the country), 2.8% steal percentage (352nd in the country), and a 55.9 free throw rate (85th in the country).

If Petraitis has been able to fully recover from his injury, he’ll provide a tremendous amount of experience and energy on this team.

Benjamin Schuch (6’9)

Suljanovic isn’t the only Austrian joining New Mexico as Schuch has already put together some tremendous games in Europe. He played for Zentro Basket last year where he averaged 9.8 points with 4.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists, one block, and 1.3 steals per game. He also appeared in the World Cup, averaged 7.5 points with four rebounds, three assists, and two steals in two games.

With Zentro Basket, he put up some massive stat lines. Against Mensajero, he finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, two blocks, and three steals. He had three double-doubles with several narrow misses. On the season, he shot 62.5% from inside the arc, 27.5% from outside, and 43.9% overall. At 6’9, you wouldn’t think he’d take more shots from outside than inside, but he attempts 109 shots from beyond the arc and just 96 inside the arc.

I have no doubt that you’ll see Schuch on the floor this season as a freshman. He won’t play 20 minutes a game, but the Lobos don’t have a ton of height. He can fit in well as a stretch four and will become a strong prospect for the long-term.

Federico Grani (6’9)

We have another European on the team! Federico Grani hails from Italy where he played for Agrigento last season. Across 37 games, he averaged 7.9 points with 6.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. He shot 61.1% from inside the arc and knocked down just one of his eight attempts from three-point.

He finished the season with six double-doubles and some massive games on the defensive end including five blocks against Orlandina. Similar to Schuch, the Lobos don’t have a ton of experience with height. However, Grani is more of a traditional big man, while Schuch is a stretch four. Given that New Mexico has a lack of depth at this position, you should expect to see Grani on the court this season in the regular rotation.

Nate Muriithi (6’6)

Muriithi is arguably the most raw talent of the incoming freshman class for the Lobos. The Oklahoma City native is a defensive-first player that averaged just 10.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game as a senior. There is no doubt that his defensive capabilities are going to make him a solid Division I player, however, he lacks on the offensive end. He’s not a three-point threat and he needs some work at the free-throw line. At 6’6, he is going to have to become a stronger shooter to solidify himself as a small forward in a conference as strong as the Mountain West.

He’ll most likely play a depth role this season as he aligns as a longer-term prospect for the Lobos.

Centers

Fynn Lastring (6’10)

Lastring is another incoming international freshman for Eric Olen this season. The big man played on a few teams last season in Germany, including Artland, Vechta 2, and RASTA. For Artland, this is in Germany’s ProA league. He appeared in 31 games while averaging 5.3 points with 2.4 rebounds per game. He shot 54.7% from inside the arc, 41.8% from outside on 55 attempts, and 49.2% overall.

With Vechta, this is Germany’s ProB league. He appeared in 13 games while averaging 11.7 points with 5.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game. He shot 61.7% from inside the arc, 45.1% from three-point on 51 attempts, and 54% overall. While he is 6’10, he has the ability to flex outside and knock down a three pointer. This will complement Schuch and Grani well as Grani can serve as a traditional big, while Lastring serves as a flex on the court that can be a force down low or focus on offense which Schuch sits in the paint.

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Expectations

Unlike many teams that have to rebuild their starting lineups while retaining bench players, Eric Olen was the opposite. In retaining Hall, Tenette, and Howell, he’s bringing back three players that will be starters this season. Throw in the roster additions, it was evident that Olen wanted to address the front court. Let’s look at how that lineup is probably going to shape up:

• Uriah Tenette

• Jake Hall

• Chris Howell / Hudson Mayes

• Tunde Vahlberg Fasasi

• A.J. Pierre-Jerome / Federico Grani / Fynn Lastring

They are simply loaded at the guard position. Uriah Tenette showed a lot of potential when he had to step up into a larger role at point guard. He finished averaging 2.9 assists to just 0.9 turnovers while his turnover rate was the 175th best in the country. Remember the nine assist game I mentioned earlier? He had zero turnovers and racked up three steals to go with it. Over the final six games of the season, he averaged 4.7 assists to just 0.8 turnovers. If you take out the San Diego State game, those increase to 5.4 assists to 0.8 turnovers. All this being said, they have a blossoming point guard to go with their offensive star Jake Hall.

Looking at the small forward position, I can see them going with either Chris Howell or Hudson Mayes. Howell has history with Eric Olen and he’s started in every game he’s played underneath him. Mayes is coming off a stellar freshman season and provides more of an offensive upside than Howell. However, Howell is going to give you much more playmaking than Mayes. I can truly see this going either way, but I feel like Olen will lean towards Howell just based off experience. It might make sense to bring Mayes off the bench because he can help on offense when Jake Hall isn’t on the court, then vice versa with Tenette and Howell’s playmaking.

Looking at the front court, it gets a little more shaky in terms of obvious starters. They have a ton of freshmen here, and you never really know what you are going to get out of them in year one. Tunde Vahlberg Fasasi makes the most sense to me to start at the four spot. He brings in three years of experience at the Division I level, and he’s coming off a strong season at William & Mary. He’s not going to rack up six or eight rebounds a game, but he has strong on-ball defense, and he’s versatile with his ability to both score and dabble in some playmaking. As a reminder, he featured a 3.5% blocking percentage with a 2.4% steal percentage, and 12.5% defensive rebounding percentage all while being very efficient on the offensive end.

The center position is a toss-up to me. I really don’t know what direction Olen is going to go here because he has a ton of options. Ultimately, it’ll come down to who is looking the best in practice, and what does the rest of the lineup look like. Among their options, A.J. Pierre-Jerome, Federico Grani, and Fynn Lastring are the most likely candidates. Pierre-Jerome wasn’t a star JUCO player, but he’s strong on defense and he does have experience. Grani is a freshman, but a true traditional big-man. Lastring can be a flex-five with his ability to shoot from beyond the arc and his efficiency from inside the paint. With no knowledge about how the players are looking in practice thus far, I’d lean Grani because they are going to need someone that can lock down the paint, but someone like Lastring can lead to there being five players on the court that can knock down a shot from deep.

Coming off the bench, you are going to have Ben Schuch, whoever is the odd man out from the center battle, Imran Suljanovic, and Rytis Petraitis. Honestly, don’t be surprised if Petraitis gets the nod in the starting lineup at the four spot or even the three because he brings in a ton of experience, both in the Mountain West where he already proved himself and at Cal. This team is so deep that the secondary unit isn’t really a drop-off from the starting lineup. Suljanovic had a rough start to his collegiate career with the injury, so I see him getting eased into things, but he could easily solidify himself in the rotation by the end of the season as a back-up.

I love the makeup of this team. They are deep at all positions, even with several freshmen on the roster. The freshmen bring in important experience from the international ranks that gives them an edge over other newcomers we’ve written about this offseason. Looking at Jake Hall and Tenette, these are two sophomores that are going to be on true breakout watch this season. The pickup of Hudson Mayes, Tunde Vahlberg Fasasi, and Rytis Petraitis are all going to pay dividends. This is a team that could win the Mountain West this season and even potentially do damage in the early days of the NCAA Tournament.

Akron wasted no time announcing Dustin Ford as the next head coach of the Zips. He joined Groce at Akron in 2017 where he served as an associate head coach up until his promotion a few months ago. Prior to that, he’d been with Groce since Ohio in 2009 and Illinois when Groce was the head coach of the Illini. It was a no-brainer for the athletic department, and it was evident as they were able to retain some players from the roster this past season rather than starting over from scratch.

With Ford taking over, they were able to stabilize the roster this offseason while adding some crucial pieces. Let’s dive into what they roster is looking like heading into the 2026-2027 season.

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Roster Turnover

• Shammah Scott (Ineligible)

  • 12.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists

• Amani Lyles (Ineligible)

  • 14.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1 steal

• Tavari Johnson (Senior) ~ College of Charleston

  • 19.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5 assists, 1.2 steals

• Ognjen Stankovic (Sophomore) ~ Manhattan

  • 2.3 points, 1.7 rebounds

• Conner Groce (Senior) ~ College of Charleston

  • 0.8 points (13 games / 2.1 minutes)

• Bowen Hardman (Senior) ~ TBD

  • 7.6 points, 1.5 rebounds

• Rich Brisco (Sophomore) ~ Rider

  • 1 points, 0.7 rebounds (10 games / 2.4 minutes)

• Sharron Young (Junior) ~ Western Kentucky

  • 7.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals

• Eric Mahaffey (Sophomore) ~ Cincinnati

  • 7.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists

With John Groce heading to the College of Charleston, there was going to be some significant turnover, but the Zips did a solid job of not completely restarting.

They knew they were going to lose Shammah Scott and Amani Lyles who both wrapped up strong careers in college basketball. Lyles ended up playing in the NBA Summer League with the Philadelphia 76ers where he appeared in five games and averaged 9.6 points with 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.

Tavari Johnson jumped to Charleston to follow his head coach after a prolific career at Akron. Meanwhile, Eric Mahaffey jumped up to Cincinnati where my guess is he saw some nice NIL money come through. For Sharron Young, he made the move to Western Kentucky where he’ll slot into the starting lineup for the Hill Toppers.

Returning Players

• Cody Head (Senior)

  • DNP (Injury)

• Evan Mahaffey (Senior)

  • 10.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.7 steals

• Chabi Barre (Senior)

  • 3.1 points, 2 rebounds

• Marvin Musiime-Kamali (Sophomore)

  • 2 points, 2 rebounds

• Zach Halligan (Sophomore)

  • Walk-on

• Tai Perkins (Redshirt Freshman)

• Josh Henderson (Redshirt Freshman)

Evan Mahaffey (6’6)

Mahaffey made a huge impact in his first season with the Zips last year. After transferring in from Ohio State, he started in all 35 games he appeared in while averaging 10.2 points with 5.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. He shot 57.8% overall and 30.4% from three-point on 46 attempts. He’s the definition of a stat-sheet stuff, finished with lines like nine points, 16 rebounds, and four assists against Central Michigan, and eleven points with five rebounds, and seven assists against Evansville.

His metrics tell the true story:

• 125.0 offensive rating (152nd overall)

• 58.5% effective field goal percentage (166th overall)

• 8.3% offensive rebounding percentage (410th overall)

• 13.7% defensive rebounding percentage

• 18.9 assist rate

• 2.8% block percentage (457th overall)

• 3.3% steal percentage (128th overall)

• 62% 2pt shooting percentage (188th overall)

At 6’6, he functions as a strong bodied combo guard with the ability to facilitate an offense and lock down opposing players. He isn’t a three-point threat and he won’t be getting to the free throw line as he took just 62 shots from the charity stripe, but he provides you with the perfect combination of offense and defense. Him staying through the coaching change is a massive step forward for the Zips this season.

Cody Head (6’3)

Cody Head emerged as a solid freshman at Lipscomb during the 2023-2024 season where he averaged 8.1 points with 2.5 rebounds while shooting 53.2% overall and 35.2% from three-point. His playing time diminished at Arkansas State, appearing in just 19 games and averaging 6.2 minutes per game. He’s battled injuries and missed the entire season last year after transferring into Akron.

I was able to watch him as a freshman live, and I thought he had some strong potentially. He’s an efficient scorer, but he’s not a guard that’s going to distribute the ball at a high rate. Given he hasn’t played a full season in three years, I can see the Zips bringing him off the bench to prove himself as he works to earn a higher spot in the rotation.

Chabi Barre (6’10)

Barre appeared in 18 games in first first season with Akron, but averaged just 6.4 minutes. Prior to joining the Zips, he spent three years with the Duquesne Dukes, where he averaged 4.1 points with 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks as a junior. Last season, he averaged 3.1 points with two rebounds in his minimal playing time.

He had a nice stretch of games between November 29th against Milwaukee and through December 13th against Murray State. During those four games, he averaged 8.8 points with 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. He suffered a injury in the Murray State game and he saw minimal playing time after. He was out until January 30th, and he was deep on the depth chart as Coach Groce had his rotation locked heading into the stretch.

Throughout his career, Barre has battled injuries, but he’ll always be a remarkable defender. The year prior he finished with a 12.7% block percentage and last year he finished at 9.7%. He’ll have an opportunity to earn a large spot in the rotation this season, but his impact will be determined by whether or not he can string together a healthy season.

Marvin Musiime-Kamali (6’6)

Through two seasons with the Zips, Musiime-Kamali has appeared in 67 games and started in four. Last year, he averaged two points with two rebounds per game while shooting 70% overall on 40 attempts from the floor. To be transparent, his best games came against two non-Division I opponents.

With some of the additions coming in, I don’t see his role rapidly expanding. However, I could see 10-12 minutes per game on average.

Josh Henderson (6’5)

The 6’5 shooting guard out of Westerville, Ohio was highly sought after from other programs including: Marshall, Eastern Kentucky, Youngstown State, Xavier, Bowling Green, Ohio, and more. He was a prolific scorer, and you can check out some highlights on his Hudl account here. He led his team to their first district title since 2021 after dropping 35 points on 13-14 shooting.

He won’t jump up far in the rotation, but you can expect to see him eight minutes a game or so.

Tai Perkins (6’0)

Perkins was also from Westerville, Ohio, but he wasn’t as heavily recruited as Henderson. Akron was his only offer coming out of high school following his outstanding offensive campaign during his senior season. He finished with 35 points in their regional final, in which he had dropped 32 points the game prior.

Similar to Henderson, he isn’t going to jump straight into a large role in the rotation, but he should see the floor some this season to continue to develop.

Zach Halligan (6’5)

Halligan is a walk-on, so you should expect a minimal role in the coming season.

Roster Additions

• Tahj Staveskie (Redshirt Senior) ~ Incarnate Word

  • 17.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1 steal

• Ty Pence (Senior) ~ Illinois State

  • 9.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists

• Buddy Hammer, Jr. (Senior) ~ North Texas

  • 4.1 points, 2.8 rebounds

• Max Burton (Redshirt Senior) ~Western Michigan

  • 5.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists

• Colin White (Junior) ~ Ohio State

  • 0.9 points, 1 rebound

• Exavier Wilson (Redshirt Freshman) ~ Kansas State

• R.J. Jones (Freshman)

• Devan Christion (Freshman)

Guards

Tahj Staveskie (6’1)

The Sandusky, Ohio, native has bounced around between Canisius, Cleveland State, and Incarnate Word before committing to spend his senior season a little bit closer to home. He’s been a starter since stepping on the court for Canisius back in 2022, starting in 98 of the 99 games he’s appeared in. His second season was cut short, appearing in just two games, but he bounced back with Cleveland State the following season where he averaged 12.5 points. He put together his best season yet with the Cardinals last season, averaging 17.3 points with 3.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and one steal per game while shooting 43.6% overall and 37.3% from three-point.

Staveskie was one of the most underrated mid-major players in the country last season, teaming up with Davion Bailey on an Incarnate Word team that at times was flashy. He finished the season with a 108.4 offensive rating, 27.1% possession usage, 54.6% true shooting percentage, 10% defensive rebounding percentage, 24.5 assist rate (218th in the country), and a strong 80% shooting clip from the line against Division I talent.

The 6’1 guard is an ideal addition to try and replace the hole that Tavari Johnson left. He’ll team up with Mahaffey to dish out the ball, but he’ll also step up as a huge offensive threat. He’ll become a go-to player in the first season with Dustin Ford at the helm.

Ty Pence (6’6)

Ty Pence has spent the last three seasons with the Illinois State Redbirds where he turned himself into a reliable starter and player inside Coach Pedon’s rotation. Last season, he appeared in 36 games while starting 23 and averaging 23.5 minutes per game. He finished with a line of 9.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting a strong 53.7% overall from the floor and 36% from three-point on 2.1 attempts per game.

He’s the type of player that when he’s on, he can be one of the best players on the court. He finished with 20 points and ten rebounds against Furman, 21 points against Utah State, and 23 points in their huge 78-75 win over Wake Forest in the NIT. His offense is easy to show, as he finished with a 120.7 offensive rating which was 323rd best in the country. Joining that, he finished with a 60.8% true shooting percentage, 16.2% defensive rebounding percentage, 13.3 assist rate, all while shooting 61.2% from inside the arc which was 222nd in the nation.

At 6’6, 205 pounds, he’ll provide Akron with strong offense and a strong body. He can rack up the boards, all while pouring in what I’ll expect to be double-digit points per game this season. Zips fans are going to fall in love with him.

Exavier Wilson (6’1)

Before committing to Kansas State, Wilson was a three-star prospect out of Missouri. He ranked 328th best in this class and 11th overall in his state. Wilson had offers from others like West Virginia, Missouri State, and more. After redshirting his freshman season, and what I’m sure was a not ideal locker room situation with the Wildcats, he hit the portal and landed at Akron.

Coming out of high school, he was a touted offensive threat. He averaged 20.6 points with 6.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists as a senior at Father Tolton Catholic High School. He won’t start in year one with Akron, but he’ll definitely be seeing the floor in his first season of action. He’s a talented scorer with the ability to dish it out to his teammates.

R.J. Jones (6’5)

Jones wasn’t highly recruiting as he held just one other offer from Jacksonville. He has a nice frame at 6’5, and there is no doubt that he has some high energy. He can cut inside and finish around the rim with ease. You can check out some of his highlights here, but overall I see him fitting into a minimal role as a freshman.

Forwards

Buddy Hammer Jr. (6’7)

I wrote about Buddy Hammer Jr. last season when I previewed the North Texas Mean Green, and I had high hopes for the JUCO star, but he didn’t see a ton of playing time. He appeared in 29 games off the bench while averaging 14.2 minutes. He finished with a line of 4.1 points and 2.8 rebounds per game while shooting 47% overall and 31.6% on 19 attempts from three-point. Prior to North Texas, he was ranked as the 29th best JUCO recruit in the country as he averaged 12.3 points with ten rebounds per game at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.

Looking at his metrics, he finished with a 117.1 offensive rating, 60.3% true shooting percentage, 11.3% offensive and 11.9% defensive rebounding percentage, with a very strong 4.5% block percentage. He functions as a power forward, but one that is strong on offense. He shot 52.2% from inside the arc, but notably 76.6% from the free throw line on 64 attempts, which increased to 82.9% in conference play.

He’s looking for an opportunity to play and he’ll get it at Akron. He has a year of experience under his belt now, and he’ll complement others on this roster well. Look for a potential big year from him this season.

Max Burton (6’10)

Inter-conference transfers always mean more, and after four seasons with the Western Michigan Broncos, Max Burton landed in the transfer portal and committed to Akron. Burton became a reliable starter the last two seasons, starting in 60 of his 62 appearances. Last year, he averaged 5.9 points with 5.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists while shooting 47.9% overall from the floor.

You aren’t going to see him drop 20 points with 15 rebounds, but he’s consistent. He finished with a 105.1 offensive rating, 51.7% true shooting percentage, 7.4% offensive and 15.7% defensive rebounding percentage, and a 2.6% block percentage. He’s a true big man, one that isn’t fast, doesn’t take threes, but will fight down low and finish around the rim.

I’m not convinced he’ll be named the starting center, but regardless he’ll be playing plenty this season in the rotation.

Colin White (6’6)

Coming out of high school, Colin White was a top-150 three-star recruit. He landed at Ohio State after holding offers from Northwestern, TCU, Stanford, Nebraska, and many more strong programs. Throughout his first two season, he appeared in 48 games while starting one and averaging 8.4 minutes per game. Last year, he averaged 0.9 points with one rebound per game while shooting 39.3% overall.

We aren’t going to dive into his metrics as deep, given the lack of playing time. In his longer opportunities, he didn’t make a huge impact for the Buckeyes. In 25 minutes against #15 Michigan State, he finished with three points, four rebounds, one assist, and one steal with four fouls. Against Minnesota, he put up two points with two rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 19 minutes.

While he didn’t get his big break at Ohio State, he was a top-150 recruit and a former Ohio Mr. Basketball. During his senior season, he averaged 25.1 points with 8.4 rebounds, three assists, and 2.6 steals per game. This will be his first real opportunity and you should expect to see him play a strong role within the rotation.

Devan Christion (6’9)

Similar to RJ Jones, Christion wasn’t highly recruited as he held just one offer from Akron. He’ll be a long-term prospect for Akron, so don’t expect to see him a ton this season. However, it’s evident that he has Division I potential. He has great size, he is quick on his feet, and he’s a force down low in the paint. His hook shot is already well crafted as you can see from some of his highlights below.

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Expectations

With some solid returning pieces and important additions in the roster, this team has some strong options throughout their roster. Let’s look at what a potential starting lineup could look like:

• Tahj Staveskie

• Ty Pence

• Evan Mahaffey

• Buddy Hammer, Jr.

• Chabi Barre / Max Burton

This is a pretty stout starting lineup for year one of a new head coach. Retaining Evan Mahaffey was huge for Coach Ford, but adding in some experience in Ty Pence and Tahj Staveskie speaks volumes. Staveskie had no problem against better talent, dropping 27 points against Colorado State, 17 points with four rebounds and five assists against IU, and 19 points against High Point. He’ll do a fantastic job at trying to replace Tavari Johnson in the lineup. Ty Pence will attempt to replace Shammah Scott, who similarly was a strong complimentary guard at Illinois State. They produced nearly identical metrics:

• Offensive Rating: Pence ~ 120.7 vs Scott ~ 121.9

• True Shooting Percentage: Pence ~ 60.8% vs Scott ~ 59.1%

• Assist Rate: Pence ~ 13.3 vs Scott ~ 16.5

For the rest of the lineup, Evan Mahaffey is a lock, then I believe that Buddy Hammer, Jr. will provide a great option at the four spot. He was a star in JUCO and now he has Division I experience. The traditional five spot is the one where it could go either way between Chabi Barre and Max Burton, but we’ll discuss that more in depth in the coming section.

Looking at the bench, they’ll have Colin White, Cody Head, Marvin Musiime-Kamali, and either Chabi Barre or Max Burton as the first wave. Don’t be surprised though if you see someone like Exavier Wilson sneaking in there as well. Colin White has the pedigree to potentially slot into the starting lineup some, but between Pence and Mahaffey, I feel that’s locked in.

My largest concern is their at the five position. They have Chabi Barre, Max Burton, and Devan Christion as the main three options. Barre is tremendous on defense, but he’s never averaged more than 11.5 minutes per game and he’s injury prone. Burton has plenty of experience in the MAC, but he isn’t a highly impactful big man on offense and he isn’t a huge shot blocker. Christion is a freshman, and judging off the footage I found, he’s more likely a depth player this season. Together, Barre and Burton can be a strong combination, but there is no doubt they are going to significantly miss Amani Lyles in the starting lineup this season.

The MAC is going to look a little bit different this season. Northern Illinois is gone, John Groce is no longer at Akron, and Miami Ohio has seen some large movement throughout their roster. However, on paper, I fully believe that this is an Akron team that could win 20+ games in year one under Dustin Ford. What do you think? Can they keep up the momentum that Groce built?

MTSU fans are ready for a return to the NCAA Tournament, and on paper, this team could have the potential to make some noise in the Conference USA. With some strong players from lower conferences and outside of Division I, along with a key returning player, the makeup of this roster appears to be one that should be projected to outperform those last year.

Let’s dive into how the team is shaping up for the 2026-2027 season.

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Roster Turnover

• Tre Green (Ineligible)

  • 7.1 points, 2.1 rebounds

• Sean Smith (Ineligible)

  • 9.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.3 steals

• James Dent, Jr. (Ineligible)

  • 1.9 points, 1.7 rebounds

• Savon Wykle (Ineligible)

  • 10 points, 2 rebounds (1 game)

• Kamari Lands (Senior) ~ TBD

  • 13.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1 steal

• Charvez Ambrose (Senior)~ TBD

  • DNP

• Brandon Oloumou (Senior) ~ TBD

  • DNP

• Alec Oglesby (Senior) ~ Stetson

  • DNP

• Chris Loofe (Senior) ~ Tulsa

  • 7.3 points, 6.3 rebounds

• Torey Alston (Junior) ~ VCU

  • 13.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists

While Middle Tennessee was able to return five players, they still lost two of their top three scorers. Torey Alston is heading to VCU and Kamari Lands ran out of eligibility. However, in the grand scheme of the offseason, they’ve done a solid job improving their roster overall. Among those that left, three didn’t play and one appeared in just one game against a non-division I opponent.

Returning Players

• Jahvin Carter (Junior)

  • 10.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists

• Marcus Whitlock, Jr. (Redshirt Junior)

  • 3.9 points, 1.1 rebounds

• Jarred Hall (Senior)

  • 2.3 points, 1.3 rebounds

• Luka Jovanovic (Sophomore)

  • 2.2 points, 3 rebounds

• Jax Howard (Redshirt Freshman)

  • DNP

Jahvin Carter (6’3)

Retaining Carter was some of the best news for Middle Tennessee this offseason. The 6’3 point guard was a former three-star recruit that was one of the best in his class in the state of Tennessee. He started his career out at Penn State where he appeared in 26 games off the bench and averaged 2.1 points with 0.7 rebounds as a freshman. He then transferred to Middle Tennessee last year where he immediately took off. In 32 games, he started 19 while averaging 10.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. He shot 40.5% overall and 33.6% from three-point.

He had some massive games, but his 18 points with four rebounds against #7 Michigan may be his personal favorite. His best game overall came against New Mexico State with 27 points, seven assists, three rebounds, and two steals. Carter finished with a 104.6 offensive rating, 49.2% true shooting percentage, and a 11.9% defensive rebounding percentage. While there are some efficiency gains that could help him, he already put up solid numbers in his first full season in the rotation. He’ll be slated for a true breakout season this year.

Luka Jovanovic (6’11)

The 6’11 Serbian appeared in 31 games as a freshman, averaging 2.2 points with three rebounds in 13.6 minutes per game. He shot 69.8% overall and knocked down his one attempt from beyond the arc. While he isn’t an offensive threat quite yet, he was remarkable on the boards. He finished with ten rebounds against Belmont, a 9.9% offensive rebounding percentage, and a 14.6% defensive rebounding percentage. In what offensive impact he did make, he finished with a 124.2 offensive rating.

The Blue Raiders don’t have a ton of depth with height, so you should expect to see Jovanovic with an opportunity to significantly bump his impact upward this season.

Jarred Hall (6’9)

Hall started his freshman season with Tulsa where he appeared in 24 games. In search of more playing time, the Lebanon, Tennessee native headed close to home with Middle Tennessee. He appeared in just three games in his first season, then just twelve last season. He averaged 2.3 points with 1.3 rebounds in 7.7 minutes. Granted, he missed the majority of his sophomore season with an injury. Head Coach McDevitt was looking for a big season from him last year, but he never really got the opportunity.

Hall will most likely continue to fill a depth role on the bench.

Marcus Whitlock, Jr. (6’3)

After the 6’3 guard redshirted as a freshman at Kennesaw State, he transferred to Cowley where he took off in his first full season. Across 35 games, he averaged 16 points with 3.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while shooting 47.3% overall and 42.3% from beyond the arc. Following his successful season, he headed to MTSU last year. He appeared in 21 games while averaging 11.6 minutes while posting a line of 3.9 points with 1.1 rebounds. He shot 41.8% overall and 35.8% from three-point.

His best game of his career thus far came against FIU where he stepped up with 25 points on 7-11 shooting from three-point. 79% of his shots came from beyond the arc, making him a true three-point specialist for the Blue Raiders. His metrics backed it up as he featured a 131.3 offensive rating with a 64.5% true shooting percentage.

While they’ve added some additional offensive weapons, I believe that Whitlock, Jr. should see an increase in minutes this season to provide a spark in the rotation.

Jax Howard (6’0)

Howard hails from Shelbyville, Tennessee, which is just south of Murfreesboro. MTSU was his only Division I offer coming out of high school where he took his team to the Elite Eight in the state tournament. He redshirt as a freshman, but I don’t expect him to see a ton of time on the court this season for the Blue Raiders.

Roster Additions

• Kevin de Kovachich (Junior) ~ North Alabama

  • 11.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.5 steals

• Quintero Barnett (Junior) ~ Walsh University (D-II)

  • 14.6 points, 4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.6 steals

• Eli Rice (Junior) ~ Penn State

  • 6.7 points, 1.7 rebounds

• Ofri Naveh (Junior) ~ Oral Roberts

  • 11.2 points, 6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals

• Kaleb Siler (Junior) ~ Gaston College

  • 18.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.2 blocks

• Landyn Colyer (Freshman)

• Aiden Bolden (Freshman)

• Garrison White (Freshman)

• Braylin Davis (Freshman)

Guards

Kevin de Kovachich (6’4)

The 6’4 guard has spent the last two seasons with the North Alabama Lions where he turned himself into a quality starter during his sophomore campaign. He started in 30 games while averaging 11.8 points with 2.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.5 steals. He shot 41.3% overall and 33.7% from three-point. Over the final seven games of the season, he was electric as he averaged 15.1 points with 3.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and one steal per game down the stretch.

Looking at his metrics, he featured a 101.4 offensive rating, 51.8% true shooting percentage, 13.3% assist rate, and a 2.9% steal percentage which was the 249th best in the country. He also proved that he has a knack for getting to the free throw line as he drew 3.8 fouls per game with a 38.1 free throw rate.

There is no doubt that de Kovachich will be looking to take another step forward with the Blue Raiders this season, so look for him to serve on a committee at the point guard position.

Quintero Barnett (6’4)

Barnett followed up a strong freshman season at Walsh University with an even better sophomore campaign. He started in 33 games while averaging 14.6 points with 2.3 assists, four rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game. the 6’4 guard shot 52.5% overall and 41.4% from three-point on 111 attempts. While he wasn’t a primary point guard, he had some nice games where he finished with seven assists against Ashland and six assists against Cedarville.

While you never know how someone will adapt to transitioning up to Division I from a lower-level, Walsh University was one of the strongest teams in Division II last season. The Cavaliers finished with a 29-4 overall record, received a #1 Seed in the D-II NCAA Tournament, and reached the Sweet 16 where they fell to Michigan Tech. You should expect to see plenty of him this season for the Blue Raiders.

Eli Rice (6’7)

The Gallatin, Tennessee native started his career out at Nebraska where he appeared in 17 games as a freshman and averaged 4.2 points with 1.6 rebounds. He hit the transfer portal and headed to Penn State where he redshirt as a sophomore after appearing in just one game. Last season, he appeared in 29 games while starting in 18 games and averaging 6.7 points with 1.7 rebounds per game. The 6’7 guard shot 38.5% overall and 39% from three-point where he took 67% of his shots.

While Penn State had a tough season overall, Rice’s metrics were a solid highlight. He finished with a 106.5 offensive rating, 55.1% true shooting percentage, and a 1.9% steal percentage. He was 287th in the nation in three-point shooting. His playing time wasn’t as consistent over the back-half of the season in Big Ten play, however, he put up 20 points against Ohio State, eleven against #5 Purdue, and eleven points with four rebounds against #20 Illinois.

Rice brings in valuable experience at the highest level of college basketball. He’ll provide the Blue Raiders with some strong three-point shooting, which is an area that they have been average or below average over the last few seasons.

Landyn Colyer (6’6)

The Florida native is listed as a three-star recruit and top 220 recruit in his class. He played with the IMG Academy where he averaged 17.2 points with 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. The kid is a force on the court and has the potential to become a solid player for the Blue Raiders. At 6’6, he is an excellent combo guard that can slash to the paint and flush a dunk or step outside and knock down a shot from beyond the arc. He’ll be in the rotation plenty as a freshman for Middle Tennessee this season.

Colyer held offers from Seton Hall, Virginia Tech, DePaul, Northwestern, Ole Miss, High Point, Washington, and more.

Garrison White (6’0)

White is a 6’0 point guard out of Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he graduated from McCallie School. He went under the radar with no other Division I offers that I could find, but he helped lead his team to win the Tennessee Division II-AA State Tournament in a thrilling win over Brentwood Academy. Brentwood Academy is a premier program in the state of Tennessee, one that’s produced several stars including Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner. In the championship game, he finished with 17 points.

There isn’t much video of him out there, and normally I’d say he’d be a redshirt candidate. However, with the new eligibility rules it’ll make more sense to let him sit deep in the rotation as a developmental season.

Braylin Davis (6’2)

Braylin Davis, similarly to Garrison White, was unknown coming out of high school. He was a monster on offense though for the University School of Nashville. He averaged 33 points per game and scored an absurd 58 points in one game during his senior season. Davis didn’t have any other Division I offers coming out of high school, but you can check out some of his highlights here. The kid can flat out score. I don’t think he’ll play a ton as a freshman, but I do believe he’s Division I talent. Look for him to be a longer-term prospect for MTSU.

Forwards

Ofri Naveh (6’7)

The 6’7 forward out of Israel started out his collegiate career at West Virginia where he appeared in 24 games and started seven. He averaged 2.6 points with 2.5 rebounds while shooting 29.1% from the floor. He jumped to Oral Roberts where he gained his footing. He started and appeared in 32 games last season while averaging 11.2 points, six rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He shot 46.8% overall and 29.1% from three-point on 1.7 attempts per game.

Naveh had some strong games last year including 17 points with 12 rebounds against St. Thomas, 22 points with 13 rebounds against Omaha, and 25 points with seven rebounds against Montana State. He finished the season with a 100.7 offensive rating, 53% true shooting percentage, 18.3% defensive rebounding percentage, 12.6% assist rate, 2.5% steal percentage, and a 51.2 free throw rate.

Aiden Bolden (6’6)

Aiden Bolden was listed as a three-star recruit and he ranked 286th in the country. I believe that Bolden could turn into a massive player for the Blue Raiders. He’s already well built, he has the ability to put up some monster dunks, and he is not afraid of some contact. He’d been playing with Cayden Daughtry, who’s listed as a five-star recruit and is bound for one of the top programs in the country. Bolden’s an underrated pickup here that will absolutely be playing in his first season on the court.

Bolden held offers from California, UIC, Jacksonville, and more.

Centers

Kaleb Siler (6’10)

Siler is another non-Division I player that had a dominant season joining Middle Tennessee. The 6’10 center averaged 18.7 points with 9.9 rebounds and 1.2 blockers per game while shooting 64.5%. Similarly to Barnett, he wasn’t just an outstanding player on a bad team. Gaston finished the season 28-4 and narrowly missed appearing in the NJCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.

He’s a traditional big man that’s going to lock down the paint and rarely miss a shot around the rim. Siler finished with some monster games, including 20 double-digit rebound games and two 16-rebound games. With Torey Alston hitting the transfer portal, the Blue Raiders needed to find a solid replacement.

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Expectations

They’ve brought in some talent from all levels, with a power conference transfer, some lower level transfers, non-Division I transfers, and talented freshmen. The lineup is going to look very different this season, so here’s my projection for how the starting lineup could shape out:

• Jahvin Carter

• Kevin de Kovachich / Quintero Barnett

• Eli Rice / Ofri Naveh

• Ofri Naveh

• Kaleb Siler / Luka Jovanovic

Jahvin Carter is the number one guarantee for the starting lineup. He led the team in assists last season while adding nearly eleven points per game on average. Then at the secondary guard position, McDevitt will be able to go with either Kevin de Kovachich or Quintero Barnett. I lean towards Kovachich with his Division I experience, but like I mentioned with Barnett, he was the leading scorer on one of the best Division II teams in the country, so he could easily beat out someone with Division I experience. Either way, they are going to have a great secondary option off the bench when the other isn’t in the lineup.

At the center position, Kaleb Siler holds the edge because he was a monster in JUCO. Now, granted, you don’t always know what you are going to get when someone transfers from JUCO. Luka Jovanovic showed some strong signs as a freshman last year, so he’ll have ample opportunities to make a jump this season. Looking at the power forward position though…I’m honestly unsure. I listed Ofri Naveh, but I feel like he fits more of a traditional small forward role. Eli Rice is a three-point threat, and he’s not really a strong rebounder so even being at 6’7/6’8 I don’t think he fits the true four position well. My guess is, they’ll just run a smaller lineup with more offensive options while Siler and Jovanovic lock down the paint and Jarred Hall provides some backup minutes.

Their bench is going to have a plethora of options. Looking at both Aiden Bolden and Landyn Colyer, they will both be playing 12+ minutes a game as freshmen, if not more in backup guard roles. You also still have Marcus Whitlock, Jr., who already has experience with the team as well.

Overall, I like the makeup of this team. As I alluded to, my largest concern is the lack of depth with height. You have the two centers, but it gets questionable after that. I love their guard play though. I have high optimism for the freshmen, and I think that Kovachich and Barnett both are going to be great players for the Blue Raiders.

What do you think? Can MTSU take a step forward this season?

Northern Iowa named Kyle Green as their official head coach for the 2026 season. He’s been a long-time assistant, including three separate stints with the Panthers underneath Jacobson. He was the Associate Head Coach from 2017 to 2021 before spending the last five years with Iowa State as an assistant. He brings a ton of experience and notable ties to the surrounding region.

The Panthers weren’t a deep team last year, but the coaching change made roster turnover even harder. Head Coach Green was able to retain a couple of players and incoming freshman recruits, but he, like many others around college basketball, had to resort to using the transfer portal to put together his team for the upcoming season. Let’s take a look at how their roster is shaping up for the 2026-2027 season!

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Roster Turnover

• Max Weisbrod (Senior) ~ TBD

  • 6.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists

• Ben Schwieger (Senior) ~ TBD

  • 9.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.5, 1.1 steals

• Ismael Diouf (Senior) ~ TBD

  • 3 points, 1.2 rebounds, 1 assist

• Trey Campbell (Senior) ~ Utah

  • 13.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.7 steals

• Leon Bond III (Senior) ~ Iowa State

  • 11.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists

• Will Hornseth (Junior) ~ Utah State

  • 11.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists

• Marino Dubravcic (Junior) ~ Hawaii Pacific (D-II)

  • DNP

• R.J. Taylor (Junior) ~ Oakland

  • 2.6 points, 1 rebound, 1.1 assists

With Ben Jacobson heading to Utah State, Northern Iowa fans knew that they were going to be in for some turnover. Trey Campbell and Leon Bond III are both heading to the power conference ranks, while Will Hornseth followed his head coach where he’ll play in Utah State’s inaugural season within the newly reformed Pac-12.

For the rest of their players, they didn’t run a deep bench last season. Just six players averaged more than 12 minutes per game. Keep in mind, this was a team that finished 6th in the Missouri Valley before going on a run and defeating UIC in the Championship game of Arch Madness. With that being said, they didn’t lose a ton of talent that was going to obviously step up in the coming year aside from their graduating seniors. Though at this point, who knows whose eligibility is truly expired.

Returning Players

• Kyle Pock (Senior)

  • 3.7 points, 1 rebound

• Levi Valdo (Sophomore)

  • DNP

• Geon Hutchins (Sophomore)

  • 1.5 points, 1.2 rebounds

• Jalen Wilson (Sophomore)

  • DNP

• Cade Courbat (Sophomore)

  • 0.9 points, 0.5 rebounds

• Redek Born (Walk-on)

  • DNP

Kyle Pock (6’6)

Pock has spent the last three seasons with the Northern Iowa Panthers, bringing in the most experience on the returning list. He’s appeared in 99 games and averaged 3.2 points with 0.8 rebounds over that stretch of time. Last year, he shot 38.9% overall and 34.5% from three-point across 34 games.

He didn’t average a ton, but he had some nice games in expanded opportunities. He went on a three-game stretch while playing UC Irvine, Loyola Chicago, and Tulsa during the non-conference where he averaged 13.7 points, one rebound, and one assist. On the season, he finished with a 105.8 offensive rating and 53% true shooting percentage.

He isn’t going to take a leap into double-digit points per game this season, but he provides valuable experience and he’ll have an impactful role off the bench.

Levi Valdo (6’4)

Levi Valdo redshirted last season for the Panthers, but this was just his first season in college basketball after playing for Fidenza in the Itally-B professional league. Across 41 games, he averaged 16.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 2.3 steals while shooting 39.8% from the floor. He shot just 28.3% from beyond the arc, while finishing 45.2% of his shots from inside the arc.

At 6’4, he fits well into more of a complimentary off-ball guard rather than a point guard. He isn’t a playmaker, but he can be a strong rebounder and there is no doubt about his ability to score. He took a developmental season last year as a redshirt, so you should expect to see him have an opportunity to earn some minutes in the rotation this season with a new head coach.

Geon Hutchins (6’4)

After committing to Northern Iowa over Western Michigan, Robert Morris, Oakland, and Central Michigan, Geon Hutchins averaged 1.5 points and 1.2 rebounds while shooting 36% from the floor across 35 games. The majority of his production came against a non-division one opponent where he was just one rebound shy of a double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds.

There was a stretch of six games where he saw the court for at least ten minutes, but he shot just 3-11 from the floor in those opportunities. You shouldn’t expect to see him take a huge step forward this season, but don’t be surprised if you see more of him on the court for Northern Iowa.

Jalen Wilson (6’8)

Wilson was another freshman that redshirted last season after committing to the Panthers over Nebraska, Kansas City, and Bryant. Per 247 Sports, he was a three-star recruit and ranked 313th in his class. During his senior season of high school, he was a monster at Benilde-St. Mary’s. He finished as the program’s all-time leading scorer while averaging over 22 points per game.

It’s great to see that Wilson stuck around after the head coaching switch. He won’t start in his first season, but you should see him on the floor in what will be a developmental season for the forward.

Cade Courbat (6’8)

Courbat is technically entering year three with Northern Iowa, but he redshirted as a freshman then missed the entire season last year due to an injury. He is one of several players on the roster that played at Cedar Falls High School where he averaged 10.8 points with 5.7 rebounds and two assists.

Redek Born (6’3)

Born is a walk-on, so you should expect to see a minimal contribution this season.

Roster Additions

• Tate McCubbin (Junior) ~ Austin Peay

  • 9.7 points, 4.8 rebounds 1.4 assists, 1.3 steals

• Isaiah Johnson-Arigu (Junior) ~ St. Thomas

  • 10.5 points, 4 rebounds, 1.1 assists

• Ian Smikle (Junior) ~ Tulsa

  • 3.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1 assist

• Greyson Uelmen (Sophomore) ~ North Dakota

  • 16.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals

• Carson Vis (Sophomore) ~ Western Michigan

  • 5.8 points, 2.2 rebounds

• Jaydon Kimbrough (Freshman)

• Jules Isebaert (Sophomore)

• Will lGerdes (Freshman)

Guards

Greyson Uelmen (6’2)

It was tough to find a better player over the second half of last season, let alone as a freshman in the mid-major ranks. Uelmen had a standout season overall, averaging 16.8 points with 2.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting 49.7% overall and 33.9% from beyond the arc. From January 17th through the end of the season, he was phenomenal. The 6’2 guard averaged 22.4 points with three rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. It was no coincidence the Fighting Hawks went 7-4 to end the regular season and went on a run to the Summit League Tournament where they battled to the end against North Dakota State as they fell 70-62.

Looking at his metrics, he finished with a 29.5% possession usage which was 72nd best in the country and a 60.4% true shooting percentage which was 251st. He also featured an 18.6 assist rate, 2.2% steal percentage, 57.7 free throw rate which was 102nd overall and a strong 56.2% shooting percentage from inside the arc.

While there is still plenty of room for him to grow as both a playmaker and from beyond the arc, Uelmen will immediately be one of the best offensive players in the rotation for the Panthers this season.

Carson Vis (6’3)

Carson Vis had several mid-major offers coming out of high school from Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Toledo, and Eastern Michigan, but he opted to committed to the Broncos at Western Michigan. As a freshman, he appeared in 31 games while averaging 14.8 minutes per game. He finished with a line of 5.8 points and 2.2 rebounds while shooting 43.5% overall and 30.6% from three-point.

As with any freshman, he had some up-and-down games throughout the season, but he was a consistent scorer in larger opportunities. Over the final four games of the year, he averaged 11.3 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting a strong 53.8% from the floor. Vis featured a 104.9 offensive rating, 51.4% true shooting percentage, 12.6% defensive rebounding percentage, and a 2% steal percentage.

We should see plenty of him this season as he looks to take a large step forward as a sophomore with the Panthers.

Jaydon Kimbrough (6’3)

The Iowa native only had two other Division I offers from Vermont and North Florida, but he is very underrated in my opinion. The 6’3 guard was dominant at Cedar Falls High School where he averaged 19 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. He led his team to an undefeated state championship season, solidifying himself as one of the stronger prospects in the state.

Kimbrough has a remarkable ability to score the ball, one that will absolutely translate to the next level. After originally committing to Winona State, he decommitted after garnering more attention from Division I programs. I don’t think he’ll be starting as a freshman given others at the position. They lack depth at the point guard position, so he’ll have a good opportunity to see some minutes as a back-up in year one.

Forwards

Tate McCubbin (6’8)

After spending the last two seasons with Austin Peay, the 6’8 forward hit the transfer portal and landed with the Northern Iowa Panthers. McCubbin immediately made a splash as a freshman, starting in 22 out of 31 games and averaging 10.6 points with 4.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals. As a sophomore, he averaged 9.7 points with 4.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.3 steals while starting in all 31 games. It’s worth noting with Collin Parker, Rashaud Marshall, and Zyree Collins, it was to be expected that his offensive production slightly decreased. However, he still shot 37.5% overall and 34.6% from three-point.

He finished the season with a 108.3 offensive rating, 52.3% true shooting percentage, 15.6% defensive rebounding percentage, and 2.4% steal percentage. These metrics were down a bit from his freshman season. For example, he featured a 56.8% true shooting percentage, 56% effective field goal percentage which was 257th overall, and a 115.3 offensive rating the year prior.

The Panthers are getting a reliable forward in McCubbin, one that if he can regain what he did as a freshman then he’ll make a nice slash this season.

Isaiah Johnson-Arigu (6’7)

The former three-star was a top-150 recruit before he committed to Miami heading into his freshman season. He appeared in just eight games as a freshman, so he entered the transfer portal and landed with St. Thomas last season. He appeared in 33 games off the bench while averaging 21.4 minutes per game. The sophomore had a strong season as he averaged 10.5 points with four rebounds, and 1.1 assists while shooting 54.3% overall and 32.5% from three-point.

The 6’7 forward finished with a 113.1 offensive rating, 63% true shooting percentage, 17.8% defensive rebounding percentage, 2.9% block percentage, all while shooting 67.4% from inside the arc which was the 58th best overall in the country. In the Summit League, he metrics improved across the board. He had a 115.7 offensive rating, and he shot an absurd 69.9% from inside which was the third best in the country. He also knocked down 13-38 attempts from three-point within conference play.

Ian Smikle (6’8)

Tulsa was a fantastic story to follow last year, including a run to the NIT Finals. Ian Smikle spent the past two years with the Golden Hurricane where he went from starting in nearly every game as a freshman to coming off the bench while averaging 13.8 minutes last season. He averaged 3.1 points with 3.6 rebounds and one assist per game while shooting 53.3% overall. He serves as more of a smaller traditional big man as he has yet to attempt a shot from beyond the arc.

It was interesting when diving into his metrics. Across the board they were nearly the same with some improvements. He jumped up to a 107.8 offensive rating, 54.5% effective field goal percentage, 11.8 assist rate, and an 11.3% offensive rebounding percentage which were all improvements. Smikle also featured a 17.4% defensive rebounding percentage, 2.3% block percentage, and 1.4% steal percentage.

At 6’8, he’ll provide the Panthers with some solid minutes at the traditional center position. He’s strong at cleaning up the boards, but he’s a liability at the free throw line as he shot just 37% against Division I opponents. It’ll be interesting to see what he can do in an expanded role.

Jules Isebaert (6’5)

Isebaert is another international prospect on the Panthers’ roster this season. He spent the last three seasons in Belgium where he played for Kortrijk. Last season, he averaged 3.2 points with 1.6 rebounds across 31 games while shooting 46.3% overall and 36.7% from three-point. As a part of team Belgium, he appeared in four games throughout the FIBA U20 EuroBasket tournament where he averaged 3.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game.

The 6’5 wing has more development to do, but he has the potential to blossom into a reliable player for Northern Iowa. He already has a strong shot and his rebounding could turn him into a solid wing at this level. He’ll be a bit of a longer term developmental player, but he’s someone to keep a watch on this season.

Will Gerdes (6’8)

Gerdes is another incoming freshman that was a bit underrated. The 6’8 guard also played at Cedar Falls high School with Jaydon Kimbrough as they went undefeated on the season. At 6’8, he plays more like a traditional big man with a remarkable ability to lock down the paint. Gerdes is also proficient from inside the arc where he shot 70% on the season during his junior campaign.

With Ian Smikle being the other more traditional center, though similarly undersized at 6’8, you should expect to see Gerdes coming off the bench in the rotation as a freshman.

Gerdes held offers from South Dakota, Bryant, and Nebraska.

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Expectations

This roster is one of the more interesting ones that I’ve written about thus far because there are a lot of unknowns. Greyson Uelmen was a major splash in the portal, but they added a couple of players that weren’t the star of the show at their own mid-major programs. The players that stayed are going to have a similarly equal opportunity as the incoming freshmen to compete for minutes as there won’t be a single true senior on the roster, pending any late additions.

Let’s look at what a potential starting lineup could look like for the Panthers:

• Greyson Uelmen

• Carson Vis

• Tate McCubbin

• Isaiah Johnson-Arigu

• Ian Smikle

Overall, this is a solid offensive starting lineup. Uelmen is prolific on the offensive end, Vis showed signs as a freshman and he’ll certainly take a step forward, and Tate McCubbin has been consistent over the last couple of seasons. Johnson-Arigu is also poised to take a step up this season in an expanded role, similar to Vis, and then Smikle will be looking to take advantage of sliding into a starting lineup.

This is going to be a fairly physical team, one that poses a majority threat from inside the arc. They will be able to knock down some threes, but that’s most likely not going to be their strong suit. If the season were to start today, I’d expect to watch a slower offense with a focus on isolating defenders to create opportunities for themselves.

I have two areas of concern for the Panthers: lack of point guard depth and lack of height. I wouldn’t consider Uelmen a floor general, but he very well could turn himself into one. If so, paired with his offensive capabilities, he’d be putting himself on the map. However, outside of Uelmen, they only have Jaydon Kimbrough as a freshman that was a bit of a late bloomer. Levi Valdo is more of a shooting guard, so if something happened to Uelmen, it could get wild at the point.

On the other side of the court, they have Ian Smikle and Will Gerdes who are 6’8 and can be smaller traditional centers. The other is Cade Courbat who is 6’8, but has no experience due to missing two seasons. They are going to fall flat when it comes to playing some of the true big men both in the non-conference part of their schedule and the Missouri Valley Conference.

There is still time for them to add a last minute addition to their roster as there have been several new transfers come in over the last week, but what do you think? Can Northern Iowa compete in year one of the Coach Green era?

It’s worth noting, they did battle the injury bug last year, but it was clear that they were going to need to hit the reset button. They finished just 274th overall in offensive adjusted efficiency and 212th overall in defensive adjusted efficiency. However, that year is behind them and Coach Schwartz has assembled a roster that is destined to put them in a better position for the 2026-2027 season.

They’ve added significant offensive depth and taken a huge step forward with their defensive capabilities. I believe that East Carolina could be an underrated team within the American this season. Let’s take a look at how their roster has shaped up!

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Roster Turnover

• Jordan Riley (Ineligible)

  • 23.6 points, 6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.9 steals

• Demitri Gardner (Ineligible)

  • 11.1 points, 2.3 rebounds

• Luke Davis (Ineligible)

  • 2.6 points, 3.1 rebounds

• Grant Smith (Ineligible)

  • DNP

• Giovanni Emejuru (Senior) ~ TBD

  • 12.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.7 blocks

• Jake Baker (Sophomore) ~ TBD

  • DNP

• Ladontae Felton (Sophomore) ~ TBD

  • 0.5 points, 0.3 rebounds

• Paddy D’Arcy (Sophomore) ~ TBD

  • 1.1 points, 0.7 rebounds

• Vito Perkovic (Sophomore) ~ Portland

  • 2.3 points, 1.5 rebounds

• Trevion Labeaux (Senior) ~ WKU

  • DNP

• Corey Caulker (Senior) ~ FIU

  • 7.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists

• Tybo Bailey (Junior) ~ SE Louisiana

  • 7.1 points, 2.3 rebounds

• Reid Cason (Junior) ~ UTEP

  • 3.9 points, 3.3 rebounds

• Iasiah Mbeng (Junior) ~ Elon

  • 4.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists

Jordan Riley was an absolute star last season. After starting his career at Georgetown before ending at East Carolina, he solidified himself into the history books for the Pirates after last season. Riley averaged 23.6 points with six rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 41.9% overall. He ended up signing with the New Orleans Pelicans for the Summer League where he appeared in a couple of games. He’ll most likely end up signing a G-League contract somewhere for the upcoming season.

Outside of Riley, they did lose the majority of their roster, but after going 11-20 overall a reset wasn’t the worst thing. Among the transfers, many went to lesser conferences or equal caliber teams.

Returning Players

• Jayshayne Woodard (Senior)

  • 3.2 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1 assist

• Eli DeLaurier (Junior)

  • 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds

• Daithi Quinn (Sophomore)

  • DNP

Eli DeLaurier (6’10)

DeLaurier spent his first two years with Providence where he redshirted his first season then appeared in 22 games in his freshman season. He averaged 1.2 points with 1.1 rebounds for the Friars while shooting 39.3% overall and knocking down five of his 15 attempts from beyond the arc. After transferring to East Carolina last season, he appeared in 23 games while starting ten and averaging 4.8 points with 2.8 rebounds. The 6’10 big man shot 42.3% overall, but just 13.3% from three-point on 30 attempts. From inside, he shot 54%.

As eluded to with his shooting percentages, he wasn’t the most efficient offensive player as he finished the season with a 94.4 offensive rating. On the glass, he did finish with a 5.8% offensive rebounding percentage and an 11.9% defensive rebounding percentage with a 1.9% block percentage. For a big man, he shoots it well from the free throw line as well as he knocked down 19-21 attempts from the line against Division I opponents.

Last year was his first real experience on the court and he had some strong games. He finished with nine points and 14 rebounds against Wichita State and 11 points against Memphis. If he can become more consistent on the offensive end, he’ll blossom for East Carolina.

Jayshayne Woodard (6’7)

Entering year three with East Carolina, Jayshayne Woodard spent his first two seasons with Indian River where he was a two-time All-American in JUCO. In his first season with the Pirates, he appeared in 33 games and started in nine while averaging 5.8 points with 4.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.2 steals while shooting 43.6% overall and 39% from three-point. Last season, he was cut short as he suffered a season-ending injury after appearing in just five games.

Looking at his metrics from the year prior, he finished with a 101.0 offensive rating, 51.6% true shooting percentage, 13.7% defensive rebounding percentage, 16.2 assist rate, 4.4% block percentage which was 250th in the nation, and a 3.3% steal percentage which was 149th best in the country.

At 6’7, he can be a valuable playmaker, but his true value comes from his hardcore defense. As long as he is fully back to health, Woodard will provide some important veteran experience for East Carolina this season.

Daithi Quinn (6’3)

Woodard wasn’t the only player that missed the season due to an injury as Daithi Quinn was out before the year even began as he injured his knee while playing for team Ireland in the FIBA U20 EuroBasket in 2025. His injury came in the first game he appeared in that season for the tournament, so he’s ad a rough past year.

Coming into the season there was a lot of hype around Quinn. He was listed as a three-star recruit while ranking 220th overall in his class. He committed to the Pirates over quite a few strong Mid-Major programs in South Florida, Utah State, Samford, Chattanooga, and many more. Similarly to Woodard, if he is able to come back at 100% he’ll provide East Carolina with a valuable rotational spot even in his official freshman season.

Roster Additions

• Cian Medley (Senior) ~ Kent State

  • 10.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.3 steals

• Brycen Blaine (Senior) ~ Charleston Southern

  • 17.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.3 steals

• Kaden Cooper (Senior) ~ Louisiana Tech

  • 9.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.5 steals

• Kaseem Watson (Senior) ~ UTEP

  • 12.5 points, 5 rebounds, 1.5 assists

• Trevor Best (Junior) ~ Arizona State

  • 1.3 points, 0.6 rebounds

• Jordyn Buchanan (Junior) ~ Cal U of Pennslyvania (D-II)

  • 15.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.5 steals

• Matthew Hinton (Junior) ~ Mississippi Gulf Coast CC (JUCO)

  • 10.9 points, 6.5 rebounds

• Ashton McCullough (Freshman)

• Mason Pandov (Freshman)

• Dreylan Creasy-Quirindoongo (Freshman)

• Maxim Klitschko (Freshman ~ Third Year)

• Bryan Little (Freshman ~ Walk-on)

Guards

Cian Medley (5’11)

Kent State was a blast to watch last season and Cian Medley was a huge piece of the puzzle for the Golden Flashes. He started his career out at Saint Louis before transferred to Kent State where he spent the last two seasons. last year, he averaged 10.5 points with 2.3 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 34.6% overall and 32.1% from three-point. Over 58% of his shots from the floor came from beyond the arc.

The floor general finished with four double-doubles with assists, which is represented well by his elite 32.9 assist rate which was 46th best in the country. In the MAC, that jumped to 36.0 which was 2nd best. Overall, he finished the season with a 101.3 offensive rating, 49.6% true shooting percentage, 2.1% steal percentage, and a 43.6 free throw rate. Out of the 123 attempts from the line against Division I opponents, he knocked down 93.

He is an elite point guard that will slot into the starting lineup for East Carolina this season. He averaged over a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio, and he is strong with his on-ball defense.

Brycen Blaine (6’4)

Charleston Southern hadn’t won more than ten games since 2020, but they finished 15-17 overall and 236th in KenPom which was the best since 2019 when they finished 18-16 overall and 160th in KenPom. A large reason for their resurgence from the bottom last season was thanks to Brycen Blaine.

Blaine has had a bit of a wild ride as he started his career out at James Madison in the 2022-2023 season, but he suffered a season-ending injury the following season. After missing a full year, he transferred to Gulf Coast State, then to Charleston Southern where he took. He averaged 17.2 points with 7.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.3 steals in 25 games with the Buccaneers last season. The 6’5 guard shot 40.3% on a whopping 14 attempts per game and 34.6% from three-point on 8.7 attempts on average.

Blaine had some incredible games, especially at the beginning of the season. He finished with 22 points and eight rebounds against Virginia Tech and 42 points with eleven rebounds and eight assists against The Citadel. In his first nine games of the season, he averaged 23.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. If he’s able to come close to what he was replicating last season, he’ll be a focal piece for the Pirates this season.

Trevor Best (6’4)

After spending the past two seasons at Arizona State and appearing in 29 games for the Sun Devils, Trevor Best entered the transfer portal and headed to East Carolina. During his freshman season, he averaged 3.6 points in eleven games, but his playing time fell to just 5.8 minutes on average across 18 games while averaging just 1.3 points. The former three-star recruit is no doubt going to be looking for his big break with the Pirates this coming season.

Looking at his metrics from his freshman season where he saw more playing time, he finished with a 103.7 offensive rating which jumped to 103.7 in the Big-12. He also finished with an 8.2 assist rate and 5.6% defensive rebounding percentage while knocking down 40% of his attempts from three point and 41.2% of his shots from inside.

Best is a highly athletic guard that hasn’t even begun to touch the surface of his potential. Look for him to be a potential breakout candidate this season.

Ashton McCullough (6’3)

The 6’3 point guard put together some monster numbers at Oak Hills in California before he transferred to Golden State Prep. He averaged 21.4 points with 8.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game at Oak Hills. After he transferred to Golden State Prep, he ended up becoming the MVP of the Golden State Prep Classic as he really stepped it up on both the offensive and defensive ends. You can view some of his highlights here from the 2024-2025 season, but what stands out to me is his ability to create offense for himself. There is no doubt that he can dish it out, but being able to shoot it efficiently will take his game to the next level. Look for him to be lower on the depth chart this season as he develops.

McCullough held no other offers.

Mason Pandov (6’5)

Pandov attended Orlando Christian Prep for his senior season where he averaged 11.6 points with 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. He also played with Montverde Academy which has produced some high-level talent over the years. He’s physical and already of strong size. He’s a strong three-point shooter, but don’t expect him to make a huge impact in year one. He looks to be more of a long-time developmental prospect for the Pirates.

He held one other offer from Alcorn State.

Bryan Little (6’4)

Little is listed as a walk-on per Verbal Commits, so you should expect to see him in a minimal role this season if that’s truly the case. However, he was a star in high school as he was averaging 22.8 points with 10.8 rebounds at one point deep in his senior season. He finished the year averaging 21.2 points with 9.9 rebounds with 18 double-doubles on the season.

Forwards

Jordyn Buchanan (6’5)

The 6’5 wing had a dominating season at California University of Pennsylvania last year as a sophomore. He averaged 15.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.5 steals per game while shooting 45.2% overall and 39.2% from three-point on 212 attempts from beyond the arc.

He is yet another strong defensive player that’s joining this roster, but he brings a strong offensive prowess that should have no problem translating to the Division-I level. Similar to others on the roster, he has a strong ability to rebound which makes him an excellent 3-&-D wing. 61.8% of his shots came from beyond the arc, so he should be able to slot into the rotation pretty easily whether that’s in the starting lineup or as a 6th or 7th man off the bench.

Kaden Cooper (6’7)

Cooper started out his career at Oklahoma before transferring to Louisiana Tech where he’s spent the last two seasons with the Bulldogs. He turned himself into a reliable contributor, averaging nearly identical lines in both seasons. As a junior, he averaged 9.7 points with 7.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 47.1% from the floor overall and 29.2% from three-point.

He featured a 103.5 offensive rating, 50.8% true shooting percentage, but his best metrics came on the glass and defensive end. Cooper was 38th in the country in defensive rebounding percentage at 24.6% and 395th in offensive rebounding percentage at 8.5%. He also had a 2.9% block percentage and a 3.4% steal percentage which was 249th overall.

Every team thrives with a “do-it-all” type player and Cooper fits that mold. He’s tremendous on defense, and at 6’6 he’ll clean up the glass better than some big-men. While he isn’t a great three-point shooter, he shot 50.4% from inside the arc against Division I opponents. He’ll be a huge contributor for the Pirates this season.

Kaseem Watson (6’8)

While he’ll be headed to his fourth team in college basketball, there is no doubt that Kaseem Watson has solidified himself as a strong player at the mid-major level. He averaged over 15 points per game at Delaware State before transferring to UTEP last year. In his junior season he averaged 12.5 points with five rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 38.8% overall and 39.2% from three-point.

The 6’9 forward finished the year with a 100.9 offensive rating, 51.3% true shooting percentage, 13.2% defensive rebounding percentage, and a strong 37.7% three-point shooting percentage against Division I opponents on 146 attempts which was he 411th best in the country.

At the start of the season, he had some up-and-down games, but he finished strong. In February, he finished with two double-doubles while averaging 14.2 points and 7.6 rebounds while shooting 39.1% from three-point. He’s a huge threat from beyond the arc, which the Pirates desperately need on this roster all while he can also be a strong force on the glass.

Dreylan Creasy-Quirindoongo (6’7)

Dreylan Creasy is a major recruit coming in this season for East Carolina. He was listed as a three-star recruit and 146th overall in his class per 247 Sports and others had him listed as a four-star. He averaged 19.6 points with 4.3 rebounds while leading his high school to a 27-5 overall record.

At 6’7, he has incredible mobility and overall athleticism. He can put up some huge dunks, but his ability to knock it down from deep with ease at 6’7 makes him not just a strong prospect for East Carolina, but one with a promising career ahead of him. I don’t think he’ll start as a freshman, but you should see plenty of him on the court this season.

Creasy-Quirindoongo held offers from Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, and many other strong programs.

Centers

Matthew Hinton (6’9)

Hinton started his collegiate career out at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College where he put together a successful freshman and sophomore campaign. He jumped into the starting rotation last season as he started in 25 of the 27 games he appeared in. In just 21.4 minutes per game, he averaged 10.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, and nearly one steal per game. He shot 62.8% overall from the floor on 6.4 attempts per game.

He’s not a three-point threat, so he serves as more of a traditional big man at 6’9. He’s a huge body down low, one that is hard to move against as he can great a brick wall in the paint. He’ll provide the Pirates with some strong defense, but don’t look for him to be a huge offensive threat this season as he transitions to Division I.

Maxim Klitschko (7’3)

Maxium Klitschko is a massive center that spent the last season with Monaco U21 where he was a dominant star. He averaged 14.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 68.8% overall from inside the arc. He finished with five double-doubles and put up some monster lines like 25 points with 14 rebounds against Le mans U21.

With his professional experience overseas, he’s listed as a “third-year” according to East Carolina’s official roster. At 7’3, he’s an absolute force down low and he already has valuable experience. I expect him to slot into the starting lineup on day one.

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Expectations

I mentioned this in the opening segment of this review, but I firmly believe that this is a team that can compete in the American this season and win somewhere in the range of 20 games. They’ve done a great job of addressing key areas of improvement from the prior year. With that said, let’s look at what a potential starting lineup could look like:

• Cian Medley

• Brycen Blaine

• Dreylan Creasy / Kaden Cooper

• Eli DeLaurier / Kaseem Watson

• Maxim Klitschko

This is one of the more clear starting lineups that I’ve written about thus far this offseason. Cian Medley was the main point guard at Kent State and he featured a top-50 assist rate at 32.9. He’s solid on the offensive end as well, but he won’t have to be the go-to player. Brycen Blaine was outstanding at Charleston Southern, so he’ll fit in perfectly as the off-ball option at the guard position. He can also dish it out as well, so he’ll be a great a great complimentary option to Medley.

Looking at the three and four-spots, that’s where there could be some variation. Kaden Cooper should probably be in the starting lineup because he is a prolific rebounder and another player similar to Medley that isn’t going to light it up on offense, but will be consistent. Creasy obviously has outstanding pedigree, but he is a freshman while Cooper has several years of experience at the Division I level. Which ever one falls out of the lineup, you should still expect to see 20-25 minutes per game in another spot on the floor.

Eli DeLaurier started in 10 of 23 games last year and posted some solid numbers. He isn’t a three-point threat, but he’s solid from inside the arc where he can compliment Klitschko. Kaseem Watson on the other hand is a better option from outside and he came from where he started in nearly every game last season for UTEP. Overall, he wasn’t as efficient from inside the arc, but he is a strong rebounder. This decision will come down to matchups most likely. If you have Blaine and Creasy in the starting lineup, then you’ll probably want to slot in Watson at the start-four spot. If you go with Blaine and Cooper, then you could lean DeLaurier. Keep in mind, Klitschko isn’t going to be able to play all 40 minutes and while Matthew Hinton will provide minutes off the bench at the center position, they could use DeLaurier as a backup at the five where you could have Cooper / Watson/ and DeLaurier in the lineup at the same time.

If I were to call out one area of concern, I’d say it’s the significant lack of depth at the point guard position. Cian Medley will be the starter, but the next up is Trevor Best who’s appeared in just 29 games over two years and is averaging a career line of 2.2 points with 0.3 assists. While yes, he did play at Arizona State, there’s no guarantee for how he’ll jump into a larger role. If Medley were to get hurt, it’d have to be a combination of Best with someone like Brycen Blaine and maybe one of the younger players to step up and help out. Over his four years as head coach, Schwartz’s assist rate for the team has decreased every year, but I’m a firm believe that assist rates translate to success.

Overall, this is a much better team than last season. They have a solid line of sight for their starting five, and they have plenty of bench pieces that are going to be able to help them like Trevor Best, Jordyn Buchanan, Matthew Hinton, Jayshayne Woodard, Daithi Quinn, and the freshman. Schwartz hasn’t had a team finish above 306th in KenPom in three-point shooting percentage or 257th in two-point shooting percentage, in which I think both metrics should improve. They’ve addressed the offense and the defense, and should be able to compete at a much higher level in the American.

In year one, the Dukes finished 20-12 overall and 13-5 in the Sun Belt, but they followed up with just an 18-15 record overall last season. They ranked 172nd in offensive adjusted efficiency and just 255th in defensive adjusted efficiency, which helped Spradlin paint a picture for exactly the areas he needed to improve.

While practically resetting their entire roster with just two players returning, Spradlin and his staff have assembled a very intriguing roster that appears on paper to have addressed those areas of concern. Let’s take a look at how their roster is shaping up coming into the 2026-2027 season!

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Roster Turnover

• Bradley Douglas (Ineligible)

  • 12.1 points, 2 rebounds, 3.5 assists

• Oriekose Egbule (Ineligible)

  • 3.7 points, 2 rebounds, 1.8 assists

• Justin Taylor (Ineligible)

  • 1 point, 0.6 rebounds (18 games / 7.6 minutes)

• Ike Cornish (Ineligible)

  • 3.5 points, 2.3 rebounds

• Gabe Newhof (Ineligible)

  • 8.1 points, 3.7 rebounds

• Cliff Davis (Senior) ~ TBD

  • 15.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.2 steals

• Justin McBride (Senior) ~ Kentucky

  • 15.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists

• Eddie Ricks III (Senior) ~ Loyola Chicago

  • 7.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists

• Josh Stephen (Senior) ~ TBD

  • DNP ~ Redshirt

• Paul Lewis (Senior) ~ TBD

  • 2.5 points, 1.8 assists

• Eli Wilborn (Senior) ~ Merrimack

  • 2.4 points, 2.9 rebounds

• Christian Brown (Sophomore) ~ Ole Miss

  • 3 points, 3.8 rebounds

It was as brutal offseason for James Madison, but it was to be expected. Five players ran out of eligibility while another three entered the transfer portal in an attempt to regain another season of eligibility. At the time, I haven’t seen if any of the players have gained their extra year following the recent announcement of some players receiving one last season.

Among those that did transfer, Justin McBride was the toughest loss. He’ll be headed to his fourth team after starting out at Oklahoma State, then heading to Nevada, and finally landing at James Madison where he blossomed last season.

Returning Players

• Paul Jones III (Junior)

  • 2.8 points, 0.9 rebounds

• Preston Fowler (Sophomore)

  • 6.2 points, 4.6 rebounds

Preston Fowler (6’8)

Coming out of Connecticut, Fowler was listed as a three-star recruit where he committed to James Madison over the likes of Penn State, Oklahoma State, Wake Forest, and more strong programs. During his freshman campaign, he appeared in 33 games while starting in 14 and averaging 23.1 minutes per game. He finished the season averaging 6.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 38.9% overall and 29.8% from three-point on 3.7 attempts per game.

While his shooting percentages weren’t the strongest, he still finished with a 115.3 offensive rating and 53.2% true shooting percentage. His rebounding was consistent throughout the entire season which was represented by a 5.9% offensive rebounding percentage and a 15.6% defensive rebounding percentage. From inside the arc, he shot 58.8% overall on 51 attempts against Division I opponents, so what drew down his overall averages was his 31% shooting from three-point on 116 attempts. In the Sun Belt, that diminished to just 25.8% from beyond the arc.

At 6’8, Fowler presents as a stretch four. He has the ability to knock it down from deep, but he lacks efficiency from outside. If he can step up during his sophomore season and flex more inside where he’s strong, he will become an invaluable player for the Dukes.

Paul Jones III (6’3)

Paul Jones III transferred into James Madison last season after starting in 17 games and appearing in 34 for Winthrop during his freshman season. He averaged 7.6 points with three rebounds that season, but his playing time decreased with James Madison where he appeared in just 20 games and averaged 11.2 minutes with the Dukes. He finished the season averaging 2.8 points and 0.9 rebounds while shooting 29.8% overall and 29.5% from three-point. Wildly, his best game of the season came in their blowout loss against #18 Arkansas where he finished with nine points and two assists in 18 minutes.

Roster Additions

• Cavan Reilly (Senior) ~ Delaware

  • 24-25’ ~ 12.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.3 steals

• Emarquis Jones (Senior) ~ Goldey-Beacom (D-II)

  • 13.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.9 steals

• Gage Lattimore (Junior) ~ North Carolina Central

  • 16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals

• K.J. Windham (Junior) ~ Northwestern

  • 3.5 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists

• Adrian Myers (Junior) ~ San Jose State

  • 11.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

• Garrett Sundra (Junior) ~ Notre Dame

  • 3.5 points, 3.2 rebounds

• Jacob Hogarth (Junior) ~ Gardner-Webb

  • 10.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists

• Brandon Lee (Sophomore) ~ Illinois

  • 1.7 points, 0.3 rebounds

• Marley Curtis (Sophomore) ~ North Dakota

  • 6 points, 3.6 rebounds

• Ashton Meeks (Freshman)

• A.J. Evans (Freshman)

• Matthew Owens (Freshman)

Guards

Gage Lattimore (6’1)

Lattimore started his career out at Seton Hill, a Division II program in Pennsylvania where he posted some strong metrics as a freshman. He then transferred to North Carolina Central where he dominated as a sophomore. The 6’1 guard averaged 16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game for the Eagles while shooting 39% overall and 39.2% from three-point. He had some monster offensive performances, including 29 points against James Madison and 25 points against Virginia. He also finished with 12 points against #18 North Carolina and 14 points with six rebounds against Kentucky.

This is a player that isn’t afraid of the spotlight. While his shooting percentage overall has some room to grow, you should expect to see that increase with a more talented team around him this season. Despite the lower percentage shooting, he still finished with a 105.8 offensive rating, which jumped to 112.3 in the MEAC. In conference, he featured a 57.1% effective field goal percentage, 14.8 assist rate, 2.6% steal percentage, 38.2 free throw rate, and an 83.3% shooting percentage from the line which was 3rd best in the conference.

There is no doubt that Lattimore will become a focal piece of the Dukes’ rotation and offensive game this coming season.

K.J. Windham (6’3)

The former three-star recruit has spent the last two seasons with the Northwestern Wildcats where he’s seen plenty of time at the highest level. As a freshman, he appeared in 29 games and started four while averaging 16.7 minutes. He averaged 5.6 points with two assists, and 1.1 rebounds while shooting 37.8% overall. Last year, he took a step back as he shot just 32.6% overall and averaged 3.5 points in 14 games. His decrease in playing time wasn’t related to an injury, rather he simply just fell out of the lineup. It was no surprise that he hit the portal and has transferred somewhere that he believes he can play a large role in the rotation.

Let’s look at his metrics from his freshman season to paint a better picture. He featured a 102.2 offensive rating, 49.6% true shooting percentage, 22.9% assist rate, 2.5% steal percentage, and he shot 47% from inside the arc. Notably, he took only ten shots from inside the arc compared to 36 from three-point this past season, but as a freshman he shot 66 times inside and 82 from outside.

Windham has had a weird journey in college basketball so far, but his ability to knock it down from deep is going to land him an important role with the Dukes next season.

Ashton (Ace) Meeks (6’0)

Meeks was listed as a three-star recruit and 215th overall in his class according to 247 Sports. The 6’0 guard out of Maryland is listed as the third-highest ranked commit in James Madison’s history. He averaged 22 points with four rebounds, four assists, and 1.5 steals during his senior season. He is incredible on the offensive end with a clean shot that will translate immediately at the Division I level. Some claim that he’s a three-level scoring threat, and I don’t disagree. The Dukes need playmaking abilities as well, and Meeks should be able to provide meaningful minutes at the Point Guard position in year one.

Ashton Meeks committed to James Madison over Saint Louis, Mississippi State, West Virginia, George Washington, and more.

Cavan Reilly (6’4)

Reilly appeared in just one game for Delaware last season after suffering a hamstring injury that kept him on the sidelines all year. He spent four years with the Blue Hens and his best was no doubt his junior season. He started in 32 of 33 games while averaging 12.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. Reilly shot 47.7% overall and 35.6% from beyond the arc on 5.3 attempts on average.

There’s no sense in looking at metrics for one game, so let’s dive into his junior season. He finished with a 117.3 offensive rating, 61.7% true shooting percentage which was 109th best in the county, 2.2% steal percentage, and a very strong 64.3% shooting percentage from inside. In conference play, that shot up to a ridiculous 66.2% rate which was second best in the CAA.

Reilly is a versatile scorer that has the ability to light it up from beyond the arc when he’s hot and score from inside. He should slot nicely into the rotation this season for James Madison.

Emarquis Jones (6’5)

Jones will be joining his fourth team so far in college basketball, but his first in Division I. He started out at a couple of JUCOs in Fort Hays Tech Northwest and Cowley College before jumping to Division II Goldey-Beacom last year. He appeared in 32 games and started in 31 while averaging 13.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.9 steals per game. He shot 51.6% overall from the floor and 44.7% from three-point.

At 6’5, he’s a remarkable rebounder. He finished with six double-digit rebound games, with five of those coming over their last ten games. He developed into a high caliber player for them as the season went on. What stands out the most is, his efficiency on offense. There are several other players on this list that lacked strong shooting percentages, so Jones helps buck that trend and will provide the Dukes with some valuable minutes.

Brandon Lee (6’4)

Unless you are an elite freshman that’s going to land in the NBA after one year in college basketball, you probably aren’t going to see a ton of time on the floor for one of the top ten programs in the country like Illinois. He was listed as a four-star recruit and he ranked 99th overall in his class, so this is a massive pickup for the Dukes. During his freshman season with the Illini, he appeared in 18 games, averaging 4.1 minutes per game, while posting 1.7 points on average and shooting 44.4% overall. Most of his stats game against teams in the non-conference, but he did finish with four points against USC. He also appeared twice in the NCAA Tournament while scoring four points again Penn in their 105-70 blowout win in the first round.

In his minimal playing time, he finished with a 113.9 offensive rating, 59.7% true shooting percentage, and he shot 93.3% from the free throw line. There’s a lot of unknown because we haven’t seen him a ton on the floor, but this is a former big-time prospect that saw time on one of the best teams in the country last year. Dukes’ fans should be pumped up about this pick up, and I’m excited to see him take off during his freshman season. Don’t be surprised if he ends up back at the power conference ranks in the next couple of years.

Matthew Owens (6’3)

There is admittedly not a ton of information on Owens out there. He hails from Luray, Virginia which is just 30 miles away from James Madison’s campus. According to his roster profile, he averaged 21 points with five assists, two steals, and 1.2 blocks per game during his senior season while leading his high school to their first state championship appearance in 50 years.

There is no doubt that he has an impressive resume, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he redshirted this season.

Forwards

Adrian Myers (6’6)

Myers is another solid former power conference recruit that James Madison has picked up this offseason. He started out his career at Mississippi State where he entered as a three-star recruit, appearing in ten games then redshirting his sophomore season. Following minimal playing time, he transferred to San Jose State last season where he made a large impact. The 6’6 forward averaged 11.1 points with 4.9 rebounds, one assist, and one steal per game. He shot 42.9% overall and 37.2% from three-point on 4.6 attempts per game.

San Jose State had plenty of problems last year, but Myers was a bright spot. He featured a 113.0 offensive rating, 54.4% true shooting percentage, 14.8% defensive rebounding percentage, 7.2% offensive rebounding percentage, 3.1% block percentage, and he shot 38.9% from three-point in the Mountain West which was 15th best in conference.

Myers had some solid games throughout the year, but he turned it on over the last nine games of the season. He averaged 18.7 points and 7.6 rebounds, while reaching three double-doubles including 16 rebounds against Fresno State and 34 points against Air Force. He burst onto the scene towards the end of the season, so if he can pick up where he left off…he’ll become a fan favorite quickly.

Marley Curtis (6’6)

Marley Curtis showed no fear during his freshman season with North Dakota. The 6’6 forward averaged six points with 3.6 rebounds while shooting 35.4% overall and 30.7% from three-point on 2.5 attempts per game. In his first game against #15 Alabama he finished with six points and four rebounds, then he followed up with 14 points with four rebounds against Creighton a few games later. While his production was sporadic at times, the potential would shine through when given the opportunity.

His efficiency wasn’t perfect, which is represented by just a 90.7 offensive rating and 40.9% effective field goal percentage. However, he had a 20.2% defensive rebounding percentage and a 45.2% true shooting percentage. If he can find more consistency on the offensive end, he’ll become a valuable piece of the rotation with his strong ability on the glass.

Garrett Sundra (6’11)

The former three-star recruit has spent the last two seasons with the Fighting Irish where he saw an uptick in production during his sophomore season. He appeared in 31 games last year while starting 16 and averaging 3.5 points with 3.2 rebounds and shooting 44.4% overall and 30.8% from three-point.

At 6’11, he provides a versatile game. He featured a 116.1 offensive rating, 54.5% true shooting percentage, 7% offensive rebounding percentage, 13.4% defensive rebounding percentage, 2.6% block percentage, and he drained 16 of his 52 attempts from beyond the arc. In fact, he took his 38 shots from inside where he shot 63.2% overall.

Sundra can serve as a flex big man that can clean up the paint on defense, rack up the boards, and knock down a shot from outside. His shooting percentage from outside dipped in the ACC to just 26.9% on 26 attempts vs his 66.7% shooting rate from inside on 18 attempts. He can be a monster inside, so I’ll be curious if they let him shoot at a higher volume from outside than inside, but regardless the potential for him is massive at James Madison.

Jacob Hogarth (6’9)

There is no doubt that Gardner-Webb had a slew of problems last year, but Jacob Hogarth made the most of his opportunity. The 6’9 forward averaged 10.7 points with 7.1 rebounds and 1.3 assist per game. He shot 52.6% overall and knocked down six of his 15 shots from three-point. He’s more of a traditional undersized big man, which will mix well with Sundra down low.

He had some big games, including 14 points and 11 rebounds against DePaul and 20 points with eight rebound, four assists, and one block against Winthrop. He finished with seven double-doubles, represented by his strong 9.3% offensive rebounding percentage and 21.4% defensive rebounding percentage which was 108th best in the country. He also finished with a 55.7% true shooting percentage, 2.8% block percentage, and a 49.5 free throw rate.

A.J. Evans (6’9)

As a freshman, A.J. Evans will provide James Madison with some depth with height. Coming out of Cedar Rapids, he was named third on the Sports Illustrated 31 Iowa Boys Basketball Player of the Year award. He is pretty quick on his feet and presented to be sturdy on the glass. Similar to Owens, I believe that he’ll be on the lower end of minutes, but look for him to serve as a developmental type player for a future season.

Evans held offers from Jacksonville, Penn, Navy, and Western Illinois.

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Expectations

James Madison fans should be excited about how this roster has come together. There are many players that are looking for their big break, which is going to make them hungry to perform well this season. With that, there are a ton of different rotations that we’re most likely to see at the beginning of the season while the coaching staff finds the right combination. Let’s look at what a starting lineup could look like:

• Ace Meeks / Gage Lattimore

• Gage Lattimore / Cavan Reilly / K.J. Windham

• Adrian Myers / Emarquis Jones

• Jacob Hogarth

• Garrett Sundra

There are many combinations that you could make with the guards on this roster, and it’ll come down to what Spradlin and his staff see during practice season. There are still other players like Marley Curtis and Brandon Lee that can come off the bench with whoever falls out of the starting lineup, but someone like Brandon Lee could easily slide into the starting rotation with his pedigree.

At the forward and center positions, it’s a bit more clear on the surface. Garrett Sundra is the tallest player on the roster and he is strong both offensively and on the glass, so he’s a no brainer. Despite Gardner-Webb being a bad team last year, JacobHogarth serves as more of a traditional big man despite being just 6’9. You can imagine that this will provide them with some versatility on the floor when he’s out there with Sundra who can step out and knock down a three-pointer.

My largest concern is a carryover from last season which is their lack of point guard play. They ranked just 283rd last season in assists per field goals made and it looks like they probably won’t be far off this year. This is a stark difference from some of Spradlin’s better teams at Morehead state where they were 111th and 187th in their two seasons they reached the NCAA Tournament, while even hitting 12th in 2022. Staring at their roster, I can’t tell you who I think their starting point guard will be, let along who will lead the offense when that person is off the court. Ashton Meeks has the potential, but he’s going to be a freshman. After him, I’d say it’s maybe Gage Lattimore, but he has never been a floor general.

Despite my concern with the lack of playmaking, I think this is a team that should surpass their record from last season. They’ve upgraded their offense by featuring more than just three players that will lead. There is also no doubt that they’ve improved their ability to score from inside the three-point line where they were just 120th in two-point shooting percentage and scored just 46.5% of their points from that range last season. They don’t have a ton of height, but they have both guards and forwards that can become forces down low.

Their non-conference schedule isn’t the toughest, but they do play Kentucky, Miami Ohio, and some solid mid-majors like Towson. How many wins do you think the Dukes will reach this season?

Essentially, the Spiders are winning 20+ games nearly every other season…and if the pattern continues it looks like this could be another. They did reach the NCAA Tournament with the 24-13 record in the 2021-2022 season where they finished just 10-8 in conference, but went on a run to win the Atlantic-10 conference tournament.

Chris Mooney is entering year 22 at the helm with Richmond and he’s looking to reach the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time during that stretch in an ultra-competitive conference. With several notable departures, he was able to retain a key freshman and another rotational player to provide depth while bringing in some talented players through the transfer portal. Let’s take a look at how the team is shaping up!

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Roster Turnover

• Will Johnston (Ineligible)

  • 9.7 points, 3 rebounds, 2.2 assists

• Apostolos Roumoglou (Ineligible)

  • 2.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists

• Jonathan Beagle (Ineligible)

  • 6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists

• Mike Walz (Graduate Senior) ~ TBD

  • 7.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.3 rebounds

• A.J. Lopez (Graduate Senior) ~ TBD

  • 13.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1 steal

• Jaylen Robinson (Sophomore) ~ Sacred Heart

  • 2.7 points, 1.5 rebounds

• Jaden Daughtry (Senior) ~ Stony Brook

  • 8.9 points, 3 rebounds

• Bryson McGlothin (Sophomore) ~ UT Arlington

  • 1.3 points, 1 rebounds (3 games / 4.3 minutes)

• Mikkel Tyne (Senior) ~ Buffalo

  • 6.2 points, 1.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists

• David Thomas (Senior) ~ Georgia State

  • 4.2 points, 1.1 rebounds

As one of the more senior heavy teams at 52nd in Division I experience, the Spiders were destined for significant turnover in the coming season. Three of their players ran out of eligibility with another two attempting to gain a year back with no luck thus far.

Among the rest of the turnover, five transferred out of the program with all of them taking a step back and dropping to lower conferences. Jaden Daughtry is the steepest loss as he emerged as a threat at Indiana State two years ago. He averaged 8.9 points with three rebounds in just 15.8 minutes per game, but he’ll be heading to Stony Brook as he’ll look to slide into the rotation for his largest opportunity to date in his career.

Returning Players

• Collin Tanner (Senior)

  • 5.9 points, 3.2 rebounds

• Aiden Argabright (Sophomore)

  • 10.8 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.2 steals

• Will Harper III (Sophomore)

  • 3.4 points, 1.6 rebounds

• Dylan Homenick (Redshirt Freshman)

  • DNP

• Donovan Richardson (Redshirt Freshman)

  • DNP

• Kirby Mooney (Walk-on)

  • 0.7 points, 0.7 rebounds (3 games / 4 minutes)

Aiden Argabright (5’11)

The Richmond Spiders have a few key players returning, but Aiden Argabright coming back is a huge boost for their growth this season. Coming out of high school, he had offers from Mississippi State, Murray State, and several other mid-majors before he committed to Richmond. During his freshman season, he averaged 10.8 points, two rebounds, two assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 42.1% overall and 35% from three-point.

He hit the ground running with some strong performances while averaging 13.2 points and 2.2 steals over his first five games. He didn’t slow down either, in fact he improved as a playmaker over the course of the full season. By the end of the year he was averaging less than one turnover per game to his two assists.

Argabright finished the season with a 122.5 offensive rating which was 236th overall, 60% true shooting percentage, 15.9 assist rate, 8.9 turnover rate which was 98th overall, 2.7% steal percentage, and a strong 6.5 fouls drawn per game. With his knack to draw fouls, he also finished with an 88.4 free throw rate where he shot 82.7% from the line on 168 attempts against Division I opponents.

Collin Tanner (6’6)

Tanner is entering year four with Richmond and he’s continued to improve as each season has gone on. Last year, he started in 22 of the 29 games he appeared in while averaging 5.9 points and 3.2 rebounds. The 6’6 guard shot 44.3% overall and 29.2% from beyond the arc on 2.2 attempts per game.

His performance diminished a bit in conference, but he stepped up in February to close out the regular season. Tanner finished with a 109.1 offensive rating, 53.6% true shooting percentage, 13.4% defensive rebounding percentage, and he shot 56.6% from inside the arc against Division I opponents.

Will Harper III (6’5)

Harper was listed as a three-star recruit and ranked 365th overall in his class coming into his freshman season last year. Across 14 games, he averaged 3.4 points with 1.6 rebounds and shot 33.3% overall and 29.4% from three-point. He missed some time due to an ankle injury, but he shined against Saint Louis when he finished with 17 points and four rebounds in 26 minutes. You should expect to see some more playing time for the sophomore guard this coming season.

Dylan Homenick (6’11) & Donovan Richardson (6’6)

Both Homenick and Richardson redshirted last season for Richmond. Homenick is a 6’11 center that was one of the last to sign to the roster last year, meaning he was destined to be redshirt. He hails from British Columbia and he held one other Division I offer from Idaho State, but he decided to head to Virginia instead. There isn’t a ton of height on this team, so I could see him play in a limited role to provide some depth.

Richardson on the other hand had some legitimately strong offers from programs like Mississippi State, Murray State, Charleston, and more. The 6’6 guard was listed as a three-star recruit coming out of high school, and he looks like he could develop into a solid combo guard. Similarly to Homenick, I don’t think that he’ll be lighting up the court in year one, but you should expect to see him some as he continues to develop himself.

Kirby Mooney (6’3)

Mooney is listed as a walk-on, so you should expect to see him in a limited role this season.

Roster Additions

• Andrew Ball (Senior) ~ Monmouth

  • 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds

• Derin Saran (Junior) ~ UC Irvine

  • 11.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.7 steals

• Dominick Stewart (Junior) ~ Penn State

  • 6.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists

• Jamie Kaiser, Jr. (Junior) ~ Butler

  • 9.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1.2 steals

• Jack McCaffery (Sophomore) ~ Butler

  • 2.8 points, 1.6 rebounds

• Amon Dorries (Sophomore) ~ Bucknell

  • 16.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists

• Sam Simmons, Jr. (Freshman)

• Jaden Shoultz (Freshman)

• Dane Caldwell (Freshman)

• Chad Cook (Freshman)

Guards

Dominick Stewart (6’5)

Stewart has spent the last two seasons with Penn State where he turned himself into a regular starter during his sophomore year, starting in 24 of 32 games. The 6’5 guard averaged 6.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 40.1% overall and 34.8% from three-point. While he had some strong games in the non-conference slate, arguably his best came in the Big Ten. He finished with 16 points, five rebounds, and three assists against UCLA, and 17 points with four rebounds and four assists against Maryland.

Looking at his metrics, he finished with a 110.7 offensive rating, 54.8% true shooting percentage, 10.4% defensive rebounding percentage, 12.8 assist rate, and he shot 50% from inside the arc. It’s worth noting that he essentially served as a three-point specialist while shooting nearly double the amount from outside at 112 compared to just 60 shots inside.

Richmond was 28th overall in three-point shooting percentage last year and just 234th from inside the arc. There’s no doubt that Stewart fits Chris Mooney’s scheme well and he’ll play a large role on the Spiders this season.

Derin Saran (6’5)

This isn’t Saran’s first rodeo in the transfer portal. The 6’5 guard out of Turkey started his career at UC Irvine where he averaged a strong 10.1 points and 3.4 rebounds as a freshman. He then transferred to Stanford and then back to the Anteaters after appearing in just five games for the Cardinals. Last year, he averaged 11.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 40.3% overall and 26.5% from three-point on 2.8 attempts per game. He had some monster games including 29 points with ten rebounds against Northern Iowa, and Saran even finished with a triple-double in just 25 minutes against a non-Division I school.

Saran’s metrics speak for themselves as he featured a 23.8% possession usage, 12.2% defensive rebounding percentage, 19.9 assist rate, and a 3.3% steal percentage which was 139th best in the country. Offensively, he took a step back from his freshman season, but his defense has continued to improve. During the Big West slate, he finished with a 3.5% steal percentage which was fourth best in the conference.

Jamie Kaiser Jr. (6’6)

After a strong showing in his freshman season at Maryland, Jamie Kaiser Jr. transferred to Butler where he took off in year two after recovering from an ankle injury that made him miss the 2024-2025 season. For the Bulldogs, he started in 29 games while averaging 9.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, one assist, and 1.2 steals per game while averaging 43.6% overall and 34.5% from three-point on 3.9 attempts per game. Over the last five games of the regular season, he averaged 10.2 points, five rebounds, and 1.2 steals.

Similar to Saran, Kaiser is another strong defensive guard that the Spiders have added. He finished the season with a 2.4% steal percentage last year and a 3% steal percentage for Maryland the year prior which was 195th best in 2024. Last year, he had a 118.7 offensive rating, 55.8% true shooting percentage, 11.5% defensive rebounding percentage, and a solid 9.4 turnover rate which was 127th best. From inside the arc, he shot 53.2% overall.

You should expect to see Kaiser Jr. land in the starting lineup this coming season.

Jaden Shoultz (6’4)

Shoultz was a late addition to the team this year and there admittedly isn’t a ton of information out there on the young guard. He played for Dematha Catholic last season where he averaged just eight points as a senior. Prior to transferring to DeMatha, he did averaged over 16 points per game at Northland High School. He’s most likely going to redshirt this season, or see very limited time on the floor.

Shoultz held one other offer from UMass Lowell.

Sam Simmons Jr. (5’9)

Simmons Jr. might be just 5’9, but that didn’t stop him from winning Kansas’ Gatorade Player of the Year, ranking in the top-300 of his class (#1 in Kansas), and achieving a three-star recruiting status. During his senior season, he averaged 14.4 points, five assists, and 2.7 steals per game. There is no doubt that he’s undersized, but he’s not afraid to be a floor general. He has a high ceiling given the height disadvantage, and with that you should expect to see him on the court some this season as he begins to develop his game in college basketball.

Simmons Jr. held offers from Missouri State and Tennessee.

Forwards

Andrew Ball (6’9)

After spending the last three years with Monmouth, Andrew Ball is headed to Richmond. Last season he started in nine games and appeared in 34 games while averaging 20.5 minutes. He shot 50.5% overall and 30.5% from three-point while averaging 7.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. His offensive performances were a bit up and down, but when he’s hot, he’s hot. Between January 3rd and the 24th, he averaged 12.3 points and five rebounds over a seven game stretch while shooting 66%.

As eluded with his hot stretch, his metrics within the CAA were phenomenal. He finished with a 122.0 offensive rating, 16.2% defensive rebounding percentage, 63.4% true shooting percentage, 12.2 turnover rate, 3% block percentage, and a remarkable 69.6% shooting percentage from inside the arc which was 2nd best in the conference.

Jack McCaffery (6’9)

McCaffery was listed as the top recruit out of Iowa, 144th in the country, and a four-star recruit as he entered his freshman season with Butler. He started off three solid performances against USI, IU Indy, and Chicago State, but his role diminished over the next six games. After December 6th, he unfortunately battled a fluke injury that remedied him out for the season in which was was able to gain a medical redshirt.

In those nine games, he finished with a 109.5 offensive rating, 52.5% true shooting percentage, 9.3% offensive rebounding percentage, and a 9.2% defensive rebounding percentage. During his senior season in high school, he was named Iowa’s Gatorade Play of the Year after averaging 21.2 points with 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game. I have no doubt that he’ll play a large role for Richmond this season in his first true season of college basketball.

Dane Caldwell (6’9)

The 6’9 forward was a dominant force during his senior season for the 29-2 Silver Creek high school in Sellersburg, Indiana. He finished the season averaging 17.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game. Overall he was ranked 10th in his class coming out of Indiana, but he was still a bit underrated. He has some strong long-term potential as he’ll certainly continue to develop, especially even in a limited role as a freshman. He’s quick on his feet and he is a force on the glass.

Caldwell held offers from High Point, Buffalo, Bradley, Akron, Ball State, Miami Ohio, and ETSU.

Chad Cook (6’8)

Chad Cook wasn’t a highly touted prospect as he was mostly being looked at from smaller Northeastern programs. He was listed as the seventh best prospect out of New Hampshire. Similarly to the other freshman, Cook provides the Spiders with more long-term potential rather than a freshman that will make an impact in his first year with the program. He seems to be a strong defender with high-upside rebounding.

Cook held offers from Stonehill and Fairleigh Dickinson.

Centers

Amon Dorries (6’11)

Dorries is one of the best pickups for Richmond in my opinion. The 6’11 freshman out of Germany had a monster debut in college basketball. He averaged 16.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game while averaging 54% overall and 33.3% from three-point on 2.5 attempts per game. He finished with less than double-digit points just five times throughout the season, and he even finished with 12 points against #14 Saint John’s during the non-conference slate.

While there is no doubt that his metrics and numbers are skewed because he was the best player on a bad team, but look at some of these metrics:

• 61.4% true shooting percentage (169th overall)

• 57.8% effective field goal percentage (201st overall)

• 25% possession usage (368th overall)

• 60.1% shooting percentage from 2pt (292nd overall)

The Spiders have just two players over 6’10, in which the other is Dylan Homenick who redshirted last season. Given that, you’ll see plenty of Dorries this coming season.

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Expectations

Last year, there were some glaring gaps for Richmond. They finished 129th overall in offensive adjusted efficiency, but a lot of that was powered by their 357th ranked non-conference. In conference play, their average points per game dropped to just 72 points per game. During their 2-11 stretch, it dropped even further to 70 points on average. Once you factor in their 203rd overall ranking in defensive adjusted efficiency even with the weak non-conference schedule, you can see there were some areas for improvement.

Derin Saran is an immediate upgrade defensively over their guards from last season. Aiden Argabright finished with a 2.7 steal percentage which was 355th overall in the country, in which he’s also returning to the Spiders. Similarly, Jaime Kaiser has been strong on defense as well, giving Richmond three strong defenders at the guard position.

Richmond was also weak on scoring inside the arc as they finished just 234th in the country in two-point shooting percentage. This allowed opponents to focus more on defending the three-point line, making it difficult for the Spiders to score with a well-rounded offense. Overall, just 43.6% of their points came from inside the arc which was just 318th best in the country. Amon Dorries was tremendous down low, and Jack McCaffery and Andrew Ball both had the ability to light it up from inside. McCaffery has room to grow, but Ball in particular already has the experience even if it was at a lower level, similar to Dorries.

Overall, this is an intriguing team to me. I don’t expect much out of the freshman, but they retained Aiden Argabright who is just going to continue to get better and better, along with another high-upside freshman in Will Harper. Then you follow up with some of the incoming pieces that are helping address the defensive woes, even if they are coming from lesser conferences. They should be better from down-low as well, letting them have a more complete offense. My breakout candidate for the team is Jaime Kaiser who posted strong numbers at Butler, in which will surely translate to the Atlantic-10.

The Atlantic-10 is going to be an ultra-competitive conference as always, but don’t sleep on Richmond.

This year was no different. What I love about this competition is, we get glimpses players who flew under-the-radar with their recruitment, ended up at a Mid-Major program, and now are starting to show the world what they can do. Over the last couple of years, we watched Roman Domon who is a budding star at Murray State, Dragos Lungu who was looking like a breakout candidate at UT Martin before an injury, and Gabriel Pozzato who starred as a freshman at Evansville before landing at Xavier last year.

Let’s take a look at four players that dominated in the 2026 FIBA U20 EuroBasket that are headed to a Mid-Major team this coming season.

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Mark Padjen (Murray State)

We have another Murray State Racer that dominated in the FIBA U20 EuroBasket this season, following in Roman Domon’s footsteps. Mark Padjen is a 6’5 guard out of Slovenia with a prolific ability to lead a team as a floor general. Through seven games, he averaged 15.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.7 steals while shooting 50.8% overall and 33.3% from three-point on 3.9 attempts per game.

Coming into the summer, he played for Ilirija in the ABA League where he was a vital player. Throughout 20 games, he averaged 11.3 points, five assists, 3.2 rebounds, and nearly one steal per game. He shot 42.5% overall, 50% from inside the arc, and 35.4% from three-point.

What truly stands out to me is the natural ability he has to be a floor general. While playing with Slovenia he averaged just 2.3 turnovers, and with Ilirija he averaged 2.3 as well. That’s over a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio at just 20 against some strong talent. Let’s compare to a player that put up some similar statistics last year in the same tournament: Omer Mayer of the Purdue Boilermakers.

Mayer went on to average 5.5 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game in 39 games with the Boilermakers last season as a freshman. He shot 41.2% overall and 35.5% from three-point, and he had some strong games against tough competition in the Big-10. He dropped 18 against IU, eleven against No. 11 Illinois, and nine against No. 11 Nebraska.

For Israel, he averaged 16.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists , and 1.1 steals across seven games while shooting 41.2% overall and 37.3% from three-point. He also averaged 3.7 turnovers per game. If we compare Mayer & Padjen’s metrics, here’s how they shape out:

Across the board, Mark Padjen outperformed Mayer in the majority of categories. This is a player who had a role on a top-ten team, and at one point the number one team in the AP Poll last year. Padjen is joining Murray State which is already loaded with talent, however, this is a player that you are going to have to watch this season.

Salih Altuntas (Saint Mary’s)

The Saint Mary’s pipeline with European players continues this season with a couple of players on this list. Salih Altuntas is a 6’10 center from Turkey with a strong natural ability to score and clear the glass. He spent last season with the Miami Hurricanes where he appeared in 32 games and averaged 7.8 minutes per game. He finished the season with a line of 1.6 points and 1.9 rebounds per game while shooting 65.7% overall. He scored just five points in the ACC, but he had a couple of strong performances in the non-conference slate of their schedule. he had a 13 point, eleven rebound, and four steal game against Delaware State in their 97-41 blowout win.

Altuntas averaged 13.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game throughout Turkey’s seven games in the FIBA U20 EuroBasket session. He finished with two double-doubles against Germany and Italy. Arguably his best game came against Croatia where he finished with 24 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and two steals, but notably just two fouls. He fouled out in four of the seven games and averaged 4.1 per game…a clear area for improvement.

If he can work on cutting down the fouls, he’ll provide the Gaels with a huge presence down low this season in year one with Mickey McConnell at the helm.

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Panagiotis Pagonis (Drexel)

The 6’9 forward played his first season in college basketball last year with the New Orleans Privateers which was a fun and scrappy team to watch. Panagiotis Pagonis averaged 4.1 points with 3.1 rebounds and one assist per game across 30 appearances. The freshman shot 34.3% overall and 24.5% from three-point. His best game of the season came against Pepperdine where he finished with 17 points, five rebounds, two assists, and drained three of his six attempts from beyond the arc.

For Greece, he averaged 14.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game across seven appearances. He shot 44.6% overall and 41.9% from three-points on 4.4 attempts per game. What impresses me the most is, at 6’9 he actually possesses quite the ability to distribute the ball. At New Orleans, he finished with a 10.6 assist rate and with Greece it jumped to 22.7%, but given his turnovers were a bit high.

Pagonis transferred to Drexel for the coming season, but if he can tap into more of his offensive capabilities from beyond the arc and continue to develop his playmaking abilities then the Dragons might have themselves a budding underrated star.

Mantas Juzenas (Saint Mary’s)

Death, taxes, and Saint Mary’s finding hidden gems in Europe. Mantas Juzenas is returning to the Gaels this season after taking his freshman season as a developmental year. He appeared in 26 games last season while averaging just 5.8 minutes. In those minutes, he took advantage as he finished the year averaging 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds while shooting 45.9% overall and 48.4% from three-point. The 6’6 guard didn’t disappoint in big moments as he had 12 points with two rebounds against No. 9 Gonzaga in their huge 70-59 win as he drained four of his six attempts from three-point.

For Lithuania, he averaged 15.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and one steal per game while shooting 48.1% overall, but just 27.5% from three-point on 5.7 attempts. He was remarkable from inside with a 69.2% shooting percentage. On the glass, he was essentially a magnet. He hit double-digit rebounds in four of the seven games, including just an absurd 20 rebounds against Israel. On the offensive end, he also reached 46 points (yes, 46 points!!) against Poland along with 12 rebounds and five assists.

With Paulius Murauskas gone, there is a huge void for a player that can fill up a stat sheet both on the offensive end and on the glass. While Juzenas is smaller than Murauskas, there’s a great chance that he can step up and take a huge leap in his sophomore season. It’s worth noting that the majority of his offensive statistics in the tournament came from that game against Poland. He finished with less than ten points in three of the games, and he didn’t get higher than 13 outside of the 46 point game. There’s definitely room to grow offensively, but he could turn into a monster for the Saint Mary’s Gaels.

Coming into the 2026-2027 season, Raiders’ fans are going to have the same expectations of reaching the Big Dance once again. While they lost their top four scorers, they did return some important players with plenty of experience in college basketball and Coach Sargent’s system. With some exciting new additions from both power conference programs and mid-major rosters, can they follow up with another strong year?

Let’s take a look at how their roster is shaping up this season!

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Roster Turnover

• Sam Alamutu (Ineligible)

  • 2.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists

• Bryan Etumni (Ineligible)

  • 3.4 points, 2.4 rebounds

• Michael Imariagbe (Ineligible)

  • 12 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists

• Solomon Callaghan (Junior) ~ Utah State

  • 10.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists

• Logan Woods (Senior) ~ Niagara

  • 5.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists

• Alex Bruskotter (Junior) ~ Cleveland State

  • 4.5 points, 1.5 rebounds (15 games / 8.3 minutes)

• T.J. Burch (Junior) ~ Utah

  • 12.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.6 steals

• Michael Cooper (Sophomore) ~ California

  • 13.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists

• Ayden Davis (Sophomore) ~ Ferris State (DII)

  • 5 points, 1.3 rebounds (3 games / 8.7 minutes)

Michael Cooper and TJ Burch combined for one of the best combinations of guards not just across mid-majors, but all of college basketball. Now, they are both headed out west for the power conference ranks. While their senior leader Michael Imariagbe ran out of eligibility, fellow key player Solomon Callaghan is also migrating out west to join Ben Jacobsen at Utah State this season. That marks three players that are making large jumps to some of the strongest conferences in college basketball, which speaks volumes for the momentum this program has at the moment.

Returning Players

• Dominic Pangonis (Junior)

  • 8.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists

• Andrea Holden (Junior)

  • 6.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.2 blocks

• Kellen Pickett (Sophomore)

  • 8.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.3 blocks

• PJ Douglas (Redshirt Freshman)

  • DNP

• Isaiah Williams (Walk-on)

  • DNP

While Wright State did lose their top four scorers on the team, they did manage to keep three key players from their rotation, including two huge shot blockers in Andrea Holden and Kellen Pickett. Before we dive into those two, let’s take a look at Dominic Pangonis.

Dominic Pangonis (6’7)

Pangonis started his career off at Stephen F. Austin as a freshman where he saw plenty of playing time to jump start his development. He averaged 6.2 points with 1.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals while shooting 45% overall in 31 games. After transferring to Wright State last year, he took a huge step forward as he averaged 8.9 points with 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists while shooting 47.1% overall from the floor. He started in 28 of their 34 games, but most notably his three-point shooting jumped from 27% to 38.5% on 2.8 attempts vs two attempts per game.

Looking at his metrics, he finished with a 119.2 offensive rating which was 406th overall, a 60.6% true shooting percentage which was 216th best, and a 47.5 free throw rate which was 251st. To reiterate on his growth from three-point, he finished 232nd overall in the country with a 39.8% shooting clip against Division I opponents.

Andrea Holden (6’6)

The 6’6 forward is entering year three with the Raiders where he’s continued to develop into a steady player within their rotation. As a freshman, he averaged 4.1 points with 3.5 rebounds and nearly one steal per game in 17 games. Last year, he stepped up to a 6.1 point per game average with 3.9 rebounds and a whopping 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 56.6% from the floor. Yes, this is a 6’6 player that averaged over one block per game…pure athleticism. Before we look at his metrics, look at this stat line against Youngstown State: 11 points, four rebounds, two assists, five blocks, and four steals.

Holden finished with a 112.4 offensive rating, 60.2% true shooting percentage, 20.3% defensive rebounding percentage, 12.8% offensive rebounding percentage, and an 8.6% block percentage. If he continues to improve during his junior season, he’ll become a monster within the Horizon League.

Kellen Pickett (6’9)

Coming out of high school, Pickett was listed as a three-star recruit and he did not disappoint in his freshman season. The 6’9 budding star averaged 8.5 points with 5.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 55.6% overall and 26.9% from three-point. There is some room to grow from beyond the arc, but he showed that he has the ability, so if he can add that to his arsenal he’ll skyrocket.

The big man finished with a 119.4 offensive rating that jumped to 121.8 in conference play. He finished with a 61.1% true shooting percentage, 22.7% defensive rebounding percentage which was 72nd overall, 6.3% block percentage that was 106th overall in the country, and a strong 64.3% shooting percentage from inside the arc was 114th in the nation.

Pickett returning to Wright State is a huge breakthrough for Clint Sargent and his staff.

PJ Douglas (6’4)

The Indiana native was a large contributor to his team’s rise to the Class 4A State Championship at Jeffersonville High School. He redshirtted last year, but don’t be shocked if you see him on the court this season. It’ll be a developmental year, but in high school he flashed signs of being an impact offensive weapon with some strong playmaking as well.

Isaiah Williams (6’3)

Isaiah Williams is listed as a walk-on, so if he appears in some games this season it’ll be in a limited role.

Roster Additions

• Ilija Milijasevic (Senior) ~ DePaul

  • 2.1 points, 0.4 rebounds, 0.5 assists (16 games / 7.3 minutes)

• Nikola Djapa (Senior) ~ Colorado State

  • 2.4 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.7 assists

• C.J. O’Hara (Junior) ~ Green Bay

  • 14.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1 steal

• Sam Johnson (Sophomore) ~ Cedarville (DII)

  • 14.9 points, 5.9 rebounds

• Chadlyn Traylor (Sophomore) ~ Charleston

  • 3.8 points, 1 rebounds, 2 assists

• Tahj Martin (Freshman)

• Terrence Hayes, Jr. (Freshman)

• Landen Northrop (Freshman)

• Noah Lewis (Freshman)

Guards

Ilija Milijasevic (6’2)

Milijasevic is listed as a junior according to Wright State’s roster after transferring in from DePaul over the offseason. He spent a couple of seasons with Mega in the ABA league within Europe prior to coming to the United States to play collegiate basketball. In his final season, he averaged 4.5 points with 0.9 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 30 games while shooting 43.4% from beyond the arc.

At DePaul, he played in a minimal role across 16 games for the Blue Demons. He averaged 2.1 points with 0.4 rebounds and 0.5 assists while shooting 35.7% overall and 35.7% from beyond the arc…yes all 28 of his shots were from three-point. He finished with a 109.4 offensive rating, 55.2% true shooting percentage, and a 3.4% steal percentage.

He’s a huge three-point threat and will provide Wright State with some firepower. I’m excited to see him take advantage of an extended opportunity with the Raiders.

C.J. O’Hara (6’4)

After developing across 31 games with the Phoenix during his freshman year, C.J. O’Hara took off in year two. He started in 33 games while averaging 14.1 points with 4.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and one steal per game. The 6’4 guard shot 57% overall from the floor and 28% from three-point on 25 attempts from beyond the arc. He continued to get better throughout the season as well.

During conference play, he finished with a 126.4 offensive rating, 66.2% true shooting percentage, 7.6% offensive rebounding percentage, 2.1% steal percentage, and a 65.2 free throw rate. He racked towards the top of the conference in all of these metrics. In the Horizon League, he finished with less than ten points just three times.

O’Hara will slide into the starting lineup immediately for Wright State as he’ll look to replace the hole that Michael Cooper and T.J. Burch left.

Chadlyn Traylor (6’3)

Coming out of high school, Traylor committed to the College of Charleston over some strong programs like Wake Forest, DePaul, Miami Ohio, and more. During his freshman season, he averaged 3.8 points with one rebound and two assists per game while shooting 41% overall and 39.5% from three-point.

He had a handful of great performances against top-tier mid-major teams as well. Against Belmont and Hofstra he finished with eleven points, while he put up 12 points with four assists against FAU. Traylor finished with a 113.8 offensive rating, 52.1% true shooting percentage, 21.4 assist rate, and a 1.2% steal percentage.

Wright State finished 303rd in assists per field goal made, so Traylor will provide some much needed assistance at the point guard position.

Tahj Martin (6’2)

Martin isn’t a big-time recruit, but he’s someone that has flown under the radar. Last year, he averaged 11.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.8 steals per game as a senior. After leading his high school to its first state title in school history, he put up 14 with six rebounds in the championship game while being named MVP. He’s a quick guard and has no problem knocking down shots from deep.

Martin committed to Wright State over Grambling State and Alcorn State.

Terrence Hayes Jr. (6’2)

Wright State does a tremendous job of finding undervalued talent in high school, and Terrence Hayes Jr. is another example. Last year, he averaged 17.3 points with 6.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and a ridiculous 3.2 steals per game. He is incredibly athletic and a massive scorer. I firmly believe that he’ll be playing an important role this season.

Hayes Jr. committed to Wright State over programs like Oklahoma State, Saint Louis, Missouri State, and more.

Landen Northrop (6’5)

Tahj Martin wasn’t the only player to help lead their high school to its first title game as Northrop did the same for Richland. Last year, he averaged 25.3 points, 5.2 assists, and 2.8 steals per game. You can catch a few clips of him in his commitment video below in which you can clearly see how much of an offensive weapon he can be. He also has the potential to be an impact guard with playmaking as well.

Northrop had just one other offer from Cal State East Bay.

Forwards

Sam Johnson (6’7)

Sam Johnson followed up a solid freshman season at Cedarville with a stellar sophomore year performance. The 6’7 forward averaged 14.9 points with 5.9 rebounds per game while shooting 62% overall from the floor and knocking down nine of his 23 attempts from beyond the arc. Over the final six games of the season he averaged 17.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and just a shade under one block per game. During that stretch he shot 64.7% overall.

If you take a look at his metrics, he put up some phenomenal numbers. He finished with a 125.0 offensive rating, 63.3% true shooting percentage, 8.2% offensive rebounding percentage, and 17.3% defensive rebounding percentage. He’ll be a huge asset on both the offensive end and the glass.

Noah Lewis (6’7)

Lewis is an incoming freshman out of West Virginia where he posted some stellar numbers as a senior last year. He averaged 17.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 56.9% overall and 37.7% from three-point. If you want this clip from a couple of months ago, you can see just how athletic he is. He moves quick for a 6’7 forward and can clearly slam it down. I don’t expect him to start as a freshman, but we’ll see plenty of him in what should be a developmental season.

Lewis committed to Wright State over Youngstown State, Detroit Mercy, Robert Morris, and others.

Centers

Nikola Djapa (6’11)

Djapa has had an interesting career trajectory over his three seasons within college basketball. The 6’11 center from Serbia started out at Long Island as a freshman where he averaged 6.1 points with 5.6 rebounds, while shooting 56.8% overall. Following what was a solid freshman year, he made the jump all the way to the Mountain West where he spent the last two seasons with Colorado State. Last year, he averaged 2.4 points with 1.8 rebounds while shooting 66.7% overall across 19 games.

A chunk of his metrics came against a non-division one opponent, but he still finished with a 14.5% defensive rebounding percentage and a 12.6% offensive rebounding percentage. When he was at Long Island, he finished 164th in the country with a 10.9% offensive rebounding percentage along with a 17.8 defensive rebounding percentage and a 2.8% block percentage. His 60.2% shooting from inside the arc was 188th overall in college basketball.

If he is able to tap into his performance at Long Island, he’ll provide the Raiders with some important height in the rotation.

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Expectations

While there are four freshman joining this roster, there is a lot of potential among all of the additions while returning players like Kellen Pickett and Dominic Pangonis to help anchor their rotation. Here’s what a potential starting lineup could look like:

• Ilija Milijasevic / Chadlyn Traylor

• Dominic Pangonis

• C.J. O’Hara

• Kellen Pickett

• Nikola Djapa

Last year, Wright State was dominant on the offensive end. They were 114th in offensive adjusted efficiency, 43rd in three-point shooting percentage, and 81st in two-point shooting percentage. Looking at the lineup above, Chadlyn Traylor will be able to replace TJ Burch’s playmaking while C.J. O’Hara has the ability to light it up from all over the floor. Kellen Pickett put up a strong freshman campaign on a loaded roster, so now he’ll have the ability to take another step forward. This should be another borderline or even top-100 offensive team this season.

They do have a significant lack of height. Nikola Djapa is the only player over 6’9 and the next closest after Kellen Pickket who is 6’9 is Noah Lewis, Sam Johnson, and Pandonis at 6’7. This is going to hurt them in the non-conference slate, but once they reach the Horizon League their lack of ability to go up against strong big men will diminish. You don’t know fully what you are going to get out of Djapa because he didn’t post stellar numbers at Long Island and he’s been deep on the depth chart at Colorado State. However, if he’s able to bust out I’ll feel much better about the center position. Regardless, there will be times that the tallest player on the court will be 6’7.

What do you think? Can Wright State follow up with another 20+ win season and reach the NCAA Tournament?

During the non-conference, they had some close losses as they fell to Boise State by three, Saint Mary’s by five, Colorado State by six, Western Kentucky by five, and DePaul by three. They easily could have put together a 28 win season if some possessions swung their way.

There is no doubt that Mills is building something special with the Shockers and now, they are shaping up to be a force in college basketball next season. After ranking just 342nd in minutes continuity coming into last year, they are retaining nearly 50% of their minutes as they head into the 2026-2027 season. Let’s take a look at how their roster is shaping up.

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Roster Turnover

• Karon Boyd (Senior) ~ TBD

  • 10.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists

• Kenyon Giles (Senior) ~ TBD

  • 19.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.6 steals

• Emmanuel Okorafor (Senior) ~ TBD

  • 6.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1 block

• Brian Amuneke (Junior) ~ Fresno State

  • 2.4 points, 0.7 rebounds

• Dre Kindell (Senior) ~ Drake

  • 5.9 points, 1.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists

The Shockers did lose their top two scorers from last season in Kenyon Giles & Karon Boyd due to eligibility, but they did a phenomenal job of reducing the turnover. Brian Amuneke played a minimal role in the rotation and Dre Kindell did contribute, but they’ve replaced them with some great additions in the portal.

Returning Players

• Will Berg (Redshirt Senior)

  • 8.8 points, 8.1 rebounds

• Michael Gray Jr. (Graduate Senior)

  • 8.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists

• Jaret Valencia (Redshirt Senior)

  • 2.8 points, 1.8 rebounds

• Henry Thengvall (Redshirt Senior)

  • 0.3 points, 0.3 assists (11 games / 2.4 minutes)

• Dillon Battie (Junior)

  • 7.6 points, 4.7 rebounds

• Joy Ighovodja (Redshirt Junior)

  • DNP

• TJ Williams (Redshirt Sophomore)

  • 8.7 points, 5 rebounds, 1.5 assists

• Noah Hill (Sophomore)

  • 1.4 points, 2.2 rebounds

• Pierre Couisnard (Redshirt Freshman)

  • DNP

• Tyrus Rathan-Mayes (Redshirt Freshman)

  • DNP

Guards

TJ Williams (6’5)

There was a lot of hype around TJ Williams coming into his freshman season, and he did not disappoint. The 6’5 guard posted an average of 8.7 points, five rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 46.6% overall. He’s not a three-point threat as he shot just 1-12 from beyond the arc, but he’s an absolute force around the rim.

During the non-conference slate, he showed some signs with a couple nice performances against Saint Mary’s with 15 points and then Northern Iowa with 18 points and nine rebounds. His contributions ebb-and-flowed, but he turned it on over the last ten games for the Shockers. He put up a 27 point, eight rebound, and two assist performance against East Carolina to make the American Conference aware of his presence. Over the final ten games, counting the NIT, he averaged 12.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 56.5%.

Looking at his metrics, you’ll see the trend as he finished with a 114.3 offensive rating in conference play vs a 108.2 rating overall. He ranked 350th overall with an 8.9% offensive rebounding percentage, which went alongside a 15.3% defensive rebounding percentage.

This is a player that is going to be looking to take a huge step forward this season.

Michael Gray Jr. (6’1)

Michael Gray Jr. transferred into Wichita State last year after a successful year at Nicholls where he averaged 11.1 points with 2.8 rebounds the year prior. For the Shockers, he turned himself into a starter in all 36 games while averaging 26.9 minutes per game. His total line per game finished with 8.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 33.7% overall and 31.1% from three-point.

Unlike TJ Williams, Gray Jr. started off the year hot, but cooled off over time. In his first five games, he averaged 10.4 points vs just six points over the final five games of the regular season. However, his appeal is the ability to stuff the stat sheet. While he wasn’t scoring as much over those last five games, he put up six assists with six rebounds against Tulsa, four rebounds against South Florida, and six rebounds with two assists, one block, and two steals against UT San Antonio.

Gray Jr. finished with a 102.6 offensive rating, 46% true shooting percentage, 11.7% defensive rebounding percentage, 15.3 assist rate, and an 85.2% free throw shooting percentage. While none of these are outstanding, we’ll explain why we think he could put up his best season yet later.

Tyrus Rathan-Mayes (6’6)

The 6’6 Canadian guard redshirted last year after coming into Wichita State as a three-star recruit last season. He was a prolific scorer where he averaged 20 points per game during his senior season, so we’ll see what his role looks like this year, but you can expect that it’ll be minimal as he develops.

Joy Ighovodja (6’4)

Ighovodja will be entering year four with the Shockers after taking a medical redshirt last season. In his first two seasons, he appeared in a combined 27 games and averaged 1.5 points and 1.8 rebounds per game while shooting 41.2% overall and 26.7% from three-point. I don’t expect his role to change much this season.

Forwards

Dillon Battie (6’8)

After starting his collegiate career at Temple where he posted promising stats as a freshman, Battie transferred within the American to join Wichita State last year. He averaged 7.6 points with 4.7 rebounds while shooting 55.9% overall.

Through his first eleven games of the season, he didn’t see a ton of playing time, but he stepped up huge over the final two-thirds of the season. Against North Texas he finished with ten points, nine rebounds, one block, and two steals. Over his last 20 games, he averaged nearly ten points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Over his last eight games, he averaged 12.4 points and 6.3 rebounds.

His metrics tell a similar story to his growth as well. He finished with a 115.9 offensive rating, 58.1% true shooting percentage, 20.3% defensive and 8.9% offensive rebounding percentage, and a 2.2% block percentage. In conference play, he finished in the top-20 of several key categories including 8th in shooting percentage from inside the arc at 60.6%.

Jaret Valencia (6’8)

Valencia started out at Monmouth for his first two seasons in Division I where he was a valuable starter as a freshman. He averaged 8.9 points with 4.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, but that dropped to just 6.7 points with 4.1 rebounds in his sophomore season. Last year, after transferring to the Shockers his numbers dropped even more to 2.8 points and 1.8 rebounds, albeit in just eleven games.

During a practice in December, he ruptured his Achilles thus eliminating his eligibility for the remainder of the season. If he’s able to return healthy and at 100% for the coming season, he’ll provide Wichita State with some valuable minutes in the rotation.

Noah Hill (6’7)

Coming out of high school, Noah Hill was listed as a top-250 recruit and a three-star prospect overall. In 23 games during his freshman season, he averaged 1.4 points and 2.2 rebounds in 4.2 minutes per game while shooting 66.7% overall from the floor. One of his best games overall was against FAU where he didn’t score, but he racked up a whopping ten rebounds in just eleven minutes of action. His ridiculous 24.5% offensive and 28.4% defensive rebounding percentages represent just how much of an impact he can make on the glass.

Centers

Will Berg (7’2)

When Will Berg transferred in after spending two seasons at Purdue, there was a lot of hope that he’d break out in a big way. The 7’2 big man from Sweden appeared in 35 games last year while starting 10 and putting up career high numbers across the board. He finished averaging 8.8 points with 8.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 55.9% overall.

While he didn’t average double-digit points, he did achieve nine double-doubles on the season with three coming in his final five games of the regular season and American tournament. Looking at his metrics, he featured a 122.5 offensive rating, 59.9% true shooting percentage, 16.1% offensive rebounding percentage (15th overall), 23.1% defensive rebounding percentage (63rd overall), and a 6.2% block percentage (114th overall).

Berg had a strong season, and we really saw him blossom as it went on. I’m expecting a huge year from the big man.

Walk-ons

Both Henry Thengvall and Pierre Couisnard are walk-ons, so you can expect minimal playing time will be allocated for both players in the coming season.

Roster Additions

• Jahari Long (Senior) ~ George Mason

  • 12.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4 assists

• Jordan Frison (Senior) ~ Chattanooga

  • 16.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4 assists

• Cyr Malonga (Senior) ~ New Mexico State

  • 3.7 points, 2.5 rebounds

• Bryce Heard (Junior) ~ Dayton

  • 6.6 points, 2.4 rebounds

• Desmeon Jones (Sophomore) ~ Blinn College (JUCO)

  • 12.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.1 steals

Guards

Jahari Long (6’5)

Jahari Long is coming off a terrific season for the George Mason Patriots. Last year, he averaged 12.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and four assists per game while shooting 45.4% overall from the floor and 37.7% from beyond the arc. If we look at his metrics, you’ll get a deeper story:

• 115.9 offensive rating

• 57.7% true shooting percentage ~ 425th overall

• 23.0 assist rate (jumped to 25.0 in conference play) ~ 280th overall

• 2.3 fouls committed per game ~ 337th overall

• 84.8% free throw shooting percentage in conference ~ 378th overall

When he is on, he’s on. He racked up nine assists in two games, while putting up seven against St. Bonaventure with no turnovers. Offensively, his statistics were up-and-down, but that wasn’t based off bad shooting. In games where he scored less than ten points, he would often do it on reasonable shooting percentages. On the flip-side, he isn’t shy at putting up 15+ points per game as he had some strong performances including 27 points in the NIT against Liberty, 21 points with nine assists against No. 25 Saint Louis, 21 points against FAU, and 17 points against Dayton.

Long will slot right into the starting rotation for the Shockers this season as he’s a high-caliber player. He can play point guard, but also serve as an off-ball option while someone else leads on the floor.

The 6’5 guard first joined the collegiate basketball ranks in 2020, but due to a Covid-19 season and a redshirt season where he appeared in just five games, he’ll be playing in his sixth season. He spent two seasons with Seton Hall, two with Maryland, and one with George Mason.

Jordan Frison (6’0)

The Chattanooga Mocs might have had a down year last season coming off a run to the NIT Championship, but Jordan Frison was a bright spot for the team. The 6’0 guard averaged 16.4 points with 3.3 rebounds and four assists per game while shooting 55.7% overall and a strong 45.5% from three-point. His metrics were unreal:

• 122.5 offensive rating ~ 234th overall

• 25.2% possession usage ~ 344th overall

• 54.1% true shooting percentage ~ 71st overall

• 29.5 assist rate ~ 98th overall

• 82.8% free throw shooting ~ 242nd overall

• 59.7% shooting from inside ~ 311th overall

• 42% three point shooting against D-I teams ~ 81st overall

In conference play, all of his metrics improved further as he finished third in three categories and top ten in seven categories. Frison finished with 33 points against VMI and over his final five games of the regular season he averaged 24.2 points, three rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 52.2% from three-point and 69% from the floor. Needless to say, when he is hot offensively…you can’t stop him.

Desmeon Jones (5’11)

Desmeon Jones is another strong guard with both a knack for offense and the ability to contribute as a leading point guard on the floor. As a freshman at Blinn College last season, he averaged 12.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.1 steals while shooting 43.2% overall and 32.8% from three-point on 58 attempts.

Unlike Frison and Long, he isn’t as strong of a three-point shooter, but he’s a remarkable slasher and playmaker as he averaged a tad over a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio. He never put up dominant games where he would drop 30 points with ten assists, rather he was consistent game in and game out. Plus, he is strong defensively as he averaged over two steals per game and finished with four steals or more in six games, including a six steal performance.

Coming from JUCO as a freshman, I don’t expect him to start as a sophomore, but he’ll provide a key role in the rotation this season.

Bryce Heard (6’6)

Bryce Heard transferred to Dayton last season after spending his freshman year at NC State. For the Flyers, he appeared in 36 games while starting six and averaging 18.4 minutes per game. He finished with an average of 6.6 points and 2.4 rebounds per game while shooting 43.8% overall and 36.6% from three-point.

His contributions could be a bit sporadic, but his best game of the season came in a narrow loss to No. 9 BYU where he finished with 16 points and three rebounds on 6-7 shooting, 4-5 from deep. The metrics also show some strong potential:

• 111.1 offensive rating

• 58.2% true shooting percentage

• 11.7% defensive rebounding percentage

• 53.1 free throw rate

Centers

Cyr Malonga (6’11)

After two seasons at Eastern Carolina, Malonga transferred to New Mexico State last year. He appeared in 24 games while starting 16 and averaged 11.6 minutes. In total, he averaged 3.7 points and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 67.3% from the floor. Offensively, the majority of his contributions came against a non-Division I program, then 13 points against NIT Runner-up Tulsa, and ten points against Middle Tennessee State.

Given his minimal playing time, you can’t look too much into his metrics, but he did feature:

• 118.6 offensive rating

• 11.5% defensive rebounding percentage

• 9.7% offensive rebounding percentage

• 3.8% block percentage

Overall, while he only averaged 1.5 fouls per game, in games where he played ten minutes or more he averaged a 2.3 while fouling out against Tulsa. Against Sam Houston State, he had three fouls in 11 minutes and he then followed it up with three fouls in 14 minutes against a non-division I team in a 104-33 blowout win.

While there is potential there, he’ll most likely assume a depth role on the roster.

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Expectations

While the Shockers did lose their top two scorers, they retained their next four. As we mentioned at the start of this article, they retained nearly 50% of their minutes from last season. However, the most important piece is they addressed two of their most needed areas: three-point shooting and playmaking.

Last year, the Shockers ranked just 195th in three-point shooting and 355th in assists per field goals made. With the addition of Jordan Frison, Jahari Long, and Desmeon Jones, they have added some much needed assistance with both areas of improvement. The highest average of assists last season on the team was 2.3 per game and now they have three players who averaged over four or more at their last respective colleges. From three-point, both Long and Frison are strong, and fellow incoming guard Bryce Heard is also a huge addition.

Their defense carried them to success last season as they ranked 46th overall in defensive adjusted efficiency, 44th in opponent three-point shooting percentage, and 33rd in opponent two-point shooting percentage. While they did lose Giles who averaged 1.6 steals and Okorafor who averaged one block per game, they still retained Berg who led the team with 1.3 blocks. While their guards are better offensively and at playmaking, they also bring some strong perimeter defense, which should make them a defensively efficient team once again.

They are a rare story in this day-and-age of college basketball with their retention of talent. Combine that with their significantly elevated guard play, and you have a recipe for a team that should be considered one of the better teams outside of the power conference ranks. What do you think? Can the Wichita State Shockers compete for the American conference title next season?

Head coach Mark Prosser is rolling and he’s looking to keep it that way in the 2026-2027 season. With an older team that had just three contributors that were younger than a senior, the Eagles are coming into the new season with nearly an entirely new roster. However, Prosser and his staff have put together an intriguing roster full of talent from all levels of basketball that are looking to compete against a program like High Point that features a NIL war chest.

Can the Eagles force their way to the top of the conference once again? Let’s dive into their roster.

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Roster Turnover

• Pharrell Boyogueno (Ineligible)

  • 3.2 points, 2.1 rebounds

• Joshua Meo (Ineligible)

  • 5.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1 assist

• Daylen Berry (Ineligible)

  • 10.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists

• Kody Clouet (Ineligible)

  • 13.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists

• Tommy Kamarad (Ineligible)

  • 7.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1 assist

• Edward Nnamoko (Ineligible)

  • 4 points, 3.1 rebounds

• Kareem Rozier (TBD)

  • 13.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 steals

• Isaiah Wilson (TBD)

  • 3.7 points, 1.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1 steal

• Braylhan Thomas (TBD)

  • 4.1 points, 1.4 rebounds

• Logan Duncomb (Notre Dame)

  • 18.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists

As I mentioned in the introduction of this article, the Winthrop Eagles were a veteran team last year. They lost the majority of their key minutes with most running out of eligibility while star Logan Duncomb left to join the Fighting Irish in Notre Dame.

Returning Players

• Seifeldin Hendawy (Junior)

  • 5.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists

• Tai Hamilton (Senior)

  • 2.5 points, 3 rebounds

• Cam Christy (Graduate Senior)

  • 0.8 points, 0.4 rebounds (8 games / 2 minutes)

• Kaleb Evans (Redshirt Freshman)

  • DNP

• Henry Harrison (Walk-On)

  • 0.6 points (8 games / 2 minutes)

Looking at their returnees, they are bringing back Seifeldin Hendawy who appeared in all 34 games while averaging 16.4 minutes per game. He finished the year averaging 5.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists while shooting 35.7% overall, but just 20% from three-point on 65 attempts. The 6’8 forward plays a solid depth role with height and he already knows the system and play style, so his experience will be crucial. While there is work to be done on the offensive end, he featured a 20.1% defensive rebounding percentage and a 7.2% offensive rebounding percentage with a 2.4% block percentage.

Tai Hamilton is a 6’10 incoming senior that has spent the last two seasons with the Eagles. Last year, he appeared in 21 games and averaged 7.7 minutes per contest. He finished averaging 2.5 points with three rebounds per game and a shade under one block per game. He shot 60.6% on his 33 attempts from the floor, but a chunk of his activity came in their non-division one games.

Cam Christy has spent the last two years with Winthrop while appearing in 15 games and averaging 0.7 points per game. Henry Harrison is another that plays in a walk-on role as he has appeared in 22 games with the Eagles over the last three seasons and he’s averaging 0.7 points per game.

Kaleb Evans committed to Winthrop over several other Mid-Major programs including Charlotte, Presbyterian, Jacksonville, and Nicholls. He redshirted last season, but you should expect to see him in the rotation as a back-up guard this coming season. He showed a lot of potential during his time in high school, so I’m excited to see him have an opportunity on the court.

Roster Additions

• Kyle Morgan (Senior) ~ UT Tyler (D-II)

  • 11.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists

• Tee Harris, Jr. (Senior) ~ Wheeling (D-II)

  • 14.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.8 blocks

• George Natsvlishvili (Senior) ~ North Dakota

  • 8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1 assist

• Micah Davis (Junior) ~ IU Indy

  • 9.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.2 steals

• Eesher Singh Sarai (Junior) ~ Ellsworth CC (JUCO)

  • 4.1 points, 2.3 rebounds

• Spence Sims (Redshirt Sophomore) ~ Gardner-Webb

  • 9.9 points, 1.9 rebounds

• Anthony Smith III (Sophomore) ~ North Dakota

  • 7.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists

• Tyler Parrish (Redshirt Sophomore) ~ U-Indy (D-II)

  • 13.9 points, 2.5 assists, 2.4 rebounds

• Keshawn Fisher (Sophomore) ~ Detroit Mercy

  • 5.5 points, 2.2 rebounds

• Joel Cwik (Freshman)

Guards

Tyler Parrish (6’3)

Parrish was a lights out scorer for U-Indy last season as he shot 47.5% overall and 39.9% from three-point on 138 attempts from beyond the arc. He appeared in 30 games while starting 22 as he averaged 13.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.

He put up some ridiculous lines including two 30 points performances and he continued to get better and better as the year went on. In his first nine games, he averaged just seven points, but over his last eight he averaged 18.8 points. Parrish is the type of player that you want at the two position that’s going to be able to provide you with lightning offensive capabilities.

Anthony Smith III (6’1)

Anthony Smith III finished his freshman season with a significant amount of experience. The 6’1 guard finished the year averaging 7.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 47.1% overall in 17.7 minutes per game. As any freshman does, he had some up-and-down games and his impact was sporadic, but he flashed some strong signs of what could come. He had 19 points against St. Thomas, 16 points with five assists and four rebounds against South Dakota State, and 15 points with six assists and four rebounds against CSUN.

He finished the season with a 107.9 offensive rating which jumped to 117.6 in conference play, a 57.6% true shooting percentage, and a 25.1 assist rate. There is a lot of room to grow as a playmaker, and if he can tap into that he could become a prolific point guard.

Micah Davis (6’2)

IU Indy took a step forward last year and Micah Davis was a huge help after putting up solid numbers as a sophomore. He finished the season averaging 9.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 40.2% overall and 31.3% from three-point on 5.2 attempts per game. Keep in mind, IU Indy took a lot of three pointers last season, so in a system like Winthrop’s his three-point shooting will probably improve efficiency-wise.

He put up some huge games last year, and over his last five games he averaged 13.6 points with 3.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. Consistency will be a huge contributor to his impact, but regardless he’ll have a huge opportunity in the Eagles’ rotation this coming year.

Kyle Morgan (6’4)

Morgan is another Division II offensive star that’s making the jump up to the Division I level this season. He appeared in 25 games last year for UT Tyler and started in 20. He averaged 11.2 points with 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting 41.6% overall and 38.4% from beyond the arc. Prior to UT Tyler, he played at Angelina where he averaged 9.2 points with 2.3 rebounds and one assist per game in his sophomore season while shooting 46.4% overall and 39.3% from three-point.

Spence Sims (6’1)

Sims was another freshman last season that showed a lot of potential. Gardner-Webb had plenty of struggles as they finished just 4-29 overall, but Sims was one of the bright spots and he’s staying within the Big South. He averaged 9.9 points with 1.9 rebounds per game while shooting 45.1% overall and 43% from beyond the arc on 5.2 attempts per game. He finished with 12 points against Minnesota, 11 points against Clemson, and a whopping 29 against Winthrop in an 88-77 loss.

Sims is a highly prolific scorer and his metrics speak for what could be with even more improvement. He had a 102.6 offensive rating, 7.8% defensive rebounding percentage, 59.6% true shooting percentage, and he finished 59th overall in the country in three-point shooting percentage. With the right pieces around him, he’s going to be able to take a huge step forward as a sophomore.

Forwards

Tee Harris Jr. (6’7)

At Wheeling last season, Harris Jr. averaged 14.4 points with 6.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game across 28 contests. He shot 50.6% overall and 30.1% from three-point on 133 attempts. He had some monster performances including 35 points against West Liberty on 16-23 shooting with nine rebounds. In fact, he finished with five double-doubles on the season and over his last five games of the season he averaged 22.6 points with 7.4 rebounds per game.

This is a high octane player that’s going to slide into the rotation with ease, even as he makes the jump to Division I.

Eesher Singh Sarai (6’9)

Singh Sarai played for Ellsworth last season in the JUCO ranks where he appeared in 36 games. He averaged 11 points with six rebounds per game while shooting 55.1% overall from the floor and 31.7% from three-point on 41 attempts. When he gets hot, he’s lights out. He had 29 points against Iowa Western, and three 20+ point games overall. Overall, he’s quick on his feet and a force in the paint while taking pride in cleaning up the glass.

He’s also making some history as the first Canadian turbaned Sikh to commit to a Division I program!

George Natsvlishvili (6’10)

The 6’10 forward out of Tbilisi, Georgia has spent the last two seasons with the Fighting Hawks in North Dakota. Last season, he took a huge step forward while averaging eight points, 4.9 rebounds, and one assist per game and shooting 52.1% overall from the floor. He had some strong games including 19 points and six rebounds against Oral Roberts and 19 points with nine rebounds against Montana. Against Creighton, he finished with ten points and seven rebounds.

Looking at his metrics, he finished with a 109.1 offensive rating, 53.4% true shooting percentage, 15.6% defensive rebounding percentage, and a strong 13.4% offensive rebounding percentage which was 69th overall in the country. In conference play he was first in offensive rebounding percentage, 5th in fouls drawn per game, and 15th in possession usage. He has some work to do at the free throw line as he shot just 56.9% overall against Division I teams, but he did improve to 60% in the Summit League.

Keshawn Fisher (6’7)

As a freshman, Fisher appeared in 20 games and started in one while averaging 11.4 minutes per game. He averaged 5.5 points and 2.2 rebounds while shooting 43.3% overall and 27.5% from three-point on two attempts per contest. He flashed some massive signs him he had an increased opportunity. In a stretch of four games where he played 20+ minutes in each, he averaged 12 points, eight rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.3 steals. That’s a small sample size, but it represents his potential.

His metrics should see some improvement this season, but he finished with a 92.3 offensive rating, 25.7% possession usage, 47.3% true shooting percentage, 13.7% defensive rebounding percentage, 12.8 assist rate, and a 3.5% block percentage.

Joel Cwik (6’5)

Cwik is an incoming freshman from Germany where he played for both Ulm in the Germany-BBL and Orange Academy in the Germany-ProB league over the last year. For Ulm, he appeared in eleven games and averaged 12.5 points with 3.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 53.2% inside and 34.1% from three-point on 44 attempts. For Orange Academy, he appeared in 30 games while averaging 13.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and one steal while shooting 58.5% from inside the arc and 35.4% from deep on 130 attempts.

Cwik fits into the mold of the team well, so while I don’t think he’ll be starting this season, I do believe that we’ll be seeing him on the court so he can work on developing for the future.

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Expectations

The Winthrop Eagles have taken a lot of talent from the Division II level to fill out their roster this season, but this isn’t the only case of Mid-Major programs doing this and finding success. In fact, I believe this team with Prosser’s ability to coach will be competing at the top of the conference once again this season. Let’s look at what a starting lineup could look like.

• Anthony Smith III

• Tyler Parrish

• Kyle Morgan / Tee Harris Jr.

• Tee Harris Jr. / Seifeldin Hendawy

• George Natsvlishvili

At point guard, Anthony Smith III showed some potential with a strong assist rate if you are focused on his metrics, so I like putting him at the one spot. Keep in mind, there’s going to be a bit of a committee in terms of leading ball movement. Tyler Parrish makes the most sense to me to start off-ball with Smith III, but I can see an argument for Micah Davis going in as well. I lean Parrish because he does have Division I experience already. Tee Harris Jr. should be in the lineup somewhere, so at 6’7 he could either fit in the three or four spot while George Natsvlishvili starts at the traditional center position. That leaves one spot left which in my opinion could go to either Kyle Morgan or Seifeldin Hendawy. Keep in mind, Hendawy is returning with the program and Morgan is jumping from D-II, so I’d lean Hendawy.

Mark Prosser has always favored an aggressive tempo with his style of coaching, but three-point shooting hadn’t bee a priority over the last three years. In his first two seasons as head coach after coming over from Western Carolina, the Eagles finished 6th and 47th in three-point shooting percentage, but they haven't finished above 183rd since. They’ve now added multiple offensive guards and small forwards that have strong track records from beyond the arc, marking an emphasis on an area he wanted to address.

My major concern is their overall lack of height with extended experience. As we cover more teams and provide roster previews for the coming season, I’ve found myself writing about the diminishing average height of players on mid-major rosters several times now. Perhaps that’s a trend, but for Winthrop I still stand by that. They do have Tai Hamilton and George Natsvlishvili who are 6’10 each, but the next tallest is Eesher Singh Sarai who is 6’9 and jumping from JUCO up to Division I which can sometimes be an unpredictable transition. I’m not as concerned as I have been with other teams, but it’s something to keep an eye on as the season gets started. If you are concerned about their lack of point guard play, the Eagles have finished below 199 in KenPom in assist rate all five years underneath Prosser and nearly 300 or below in three seasons, so this fits his style.

If you couple together their lack of true dominance down low, but their increased emphasis on improving from beyond the arc, this is going to be another fast-paced team for Winthrop. The key to success will be to out run their opponents, and finding the most effective shots as the chances of having at least four shooters capable from anywhere on the court at any given time are going to be high.

What do you think about their roster? Is this a team that’s going to be able to give High Point a run for their money this season?

It went south quickly as they finished the regular season just 3-6, but they managed to demolish Saint Louis 86-57 in the last game of the season, showing how strong they could be at their peak. They went on to fall to St. Bonaventure in the A-10 tournament, then Liberty in the first round of the NIT.

After a disappointing end to what looked like it could have been a special season for the Atlantic-10, head coach Tony Skinn has his eyes set on the coming year. They’ve lost some key talent, but they retained a handful of key rotational players while bringing in some strong players to refill their loses and build what looks like a roster than can compete at the top of the conference once again. Let’s dive in!

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Roster Turnover

• Masai Troutman (Ineligible)

  • 8.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists

• Fatt Hill (Ineligible)

  • 10.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists

• Dola Adebayo (Ineligible)

  • 3.4 points, 2.3 rebounds

• Nick Ellington (Ineligible)

  • 4.7 points, 3.1 rebounds

• Kory Mincy (South Carolina)

  • 14.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.1 steals

• Riley Allenspach (Cincinnati)

  • 13.6 points, 6.1 rebounds

• Jahari Long (Wichita State)

  • 12.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4 assists

• Stas Sivka (William & Mary)

  • 2.3 points, 1.4 rebounds

• Devin Booker (La Salle)

  • 1.8 points, 0.7 rebounds

• Isaiah Skinn (Colgate)

  • DNP

As we aforementioned, it was a tough offseason for the Patriots. They lost four players due to ineligibility, then star Kory Mincy was picked up by South Carolina, Riley Allenspach was taken by Cincinnati, and Jahari Long ended up heading to Wichita State. In total, they lost their top six scorers from last season.

Returning Players

• Brayden O’Connor (Senior)

  • 4 points, 3 rebounds (1 game)

• Malik Presley (Senior)

  • 3.2 points, 1.5 rebounds

• Emmanuel Kanga (Sophomore)

  • 4.6 points, 5.3 rebounds

• Ryan-Preston Mendy (Sophomore)

  • DNP (Redshirt)

• Ben Woodward (Walk-on)

  • 0.2 rebounds

• T.J. Prosise (Walk-on)

  • 0.3 points, 0.2 rebounds, 0.2 assists

Brayden O’Connor (6’5)

O’Conner is entering year three with George Mason after suffering a foot injury last season, forcing him to appear in just one game. The year prior, he appeared in and started in all 36 games on a team that finished 27-9 overall and 15-3 in conference. He averaged 9.1 points, three assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game while shooting 44.8% overall and 37.6% from beyond the arc.

Looking at his metrics from that season, he finished with a 103.5 offensive rating, 22.1 assist rate which was 331st overall, and a 56% true shooting percentage that jumped to 59.1% in the Atlantic-10 at 12th best in the conference. He also did a prolific job at getting to the line. He had a ridiculous 61.0 free throw rate in conference play, where he shot 81.9% from the line on 72 attempts.

If O’Connor is able to return to his prior capabilities, he’ll play a huge role for the Patriots this season once again.

Malik Presley (6’6)

Presley started his career out at Vanderbilt during the 2023-2024 season where he averaged 2.2 points and 1.6 rebounds in 11.8 minutes across 26 games. He then transferred to Texas where he redshirt, in which he departed and landed at George Mason last season. He started 22 games out of his 33 appearances while averaging 3.2 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game. He shot 49.4% overall and 21.8% from beyond the arc on 22 attempts.

Despite starting in 22 games, he averaged just 16.1 minutes and the majority of his production came against lesser talent in the non-conference. From December 31st and onward, he never scored more than four points and finished with zero points in 12 games counting postseason play. It’ll be interesting to see what type of role he will play because he showed signs in the non-conference, but he clearly fell backwards into a limited role on the roster.

Emmanuel Kanga (6’8)

George Mason fans have to be excited about Kanga returning to the patriots this season. Following a promising freshman campaign, he’ll be looking to take another step forward in an expanded role. The 6’8 forward appeared in 32 games last year while averaging 13.3 minutes per game. He averaged 4.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks per game while shooting 58.1% overall.

He put up some solid lines, including 13 points and 11 rebounds against No. 25 Saint Louis in their huge 86-57 win to close out the season, in which he followed up with 12 points, ten rebounds, and two blocks against Liberty in the NIT. He finished the season with a 26% defensive rebounding percentage and a 22.9% offensive rebounding percentage with a 128.2 offensive rating. His blocking numbers look promising as well with a 6.1 blocking percentage.

He has some work to do on the line as he shot just 59.5%, but he has a massive opportunity to grow into a key piece for the Patriots this season.

Ryan-Preston Mendy (6’9)

Mendy redshirt last season as a freshman following a strong showing in the ProA league in France. He averaged 8.1 points and 4.3 rebounds. His playing was a bit sporadic, but regardless he finished with two double-doubles. He shot 31.7% overall and 25.9% from beyond the arc. I don’t expect him to make a huge jump in minutes this season, but he’ll provide some important depth with height. Look for him to start his development on the court with ten or so minutes per game.

Ben Woodward & T.J. Prosise are both walk-ons, so you can imagine they’ll play similar roles next season.

Roster Additions

• Baraka Okojie (Senior ~ Mercer)

  • 19.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.4 steals

• Elijah Jones (Senior ~ UTEP)

  • 13.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.1 blocks

• Makhai Valentine (Junior ~ Northern Illinois)

  • 13.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

• Michael Marcus, Jr. (Junior ~ App State)

  • 7.8 points, 6 rebounds

• Lilian Marville (Sophomore ~ UNC Greensboro)

  • 9.5 points, 2 rebounds, 2.3 assists

• Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor (Sophomore ~ Butler)

  • 5 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2 assists

• Emmett Adair (Sophomore ~ Loyola Maryland)

  • 14.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1 assist

• Peyton Miller (Freshman)

• Shane Pendergrass (Freshman)

• Bryton Barrett (Freshman)

Guards

Baraka Okojie (6’3)

He’s back! Okojie started his Division I career at George Mason three years ago where he appeared in 32 games, started in ten, and averaged 8.1 points with 2.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. He then transferred to Memphis where his playing time diminished to just 11.5 minutes per game, but he bounced back with a monster year at Mercer last season. The 6’3 guard averaged 197 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 42.9% overall and 32.5% from beyond the arc.

The Bears went 19-13 overall last year and finished 188th in KenPom, so he was the go-to player on a strong mid-major in the SoCon. He wrapped up the season with a 116.0 offensive rating, 29.6% possession usage which was 69th overall in the nation, 57% true shooting percentage, 28.5 assist rate, and he drew a remarkable 7.5 fouls per game which was 9th best in the country. As a result, his strong ability to draw fouls contributed to a 69.8 free throw rate as he converted 218 of his 268 attempts from the line.

Makhai Valentine (6’3)

After appearing in 12 games as a freshman at Missouri State, Valentine jumped to Northern Illinois where he immediately slid into a starting role. He averaged 13.3 points with 5.3 rebounds, one assist, and one steal per game while shooting 41.3% overall and 35.8% from three-point.

He turned it on as the season progressed and put up some huge numbers. Against Kent State and UMass, he put up 27 points, while finishing with 23 points, six rebounds, one assist, and one steal against George State in the Sun Belt <> MAC challenge.

Looking at his metrics, he finished with a 114.5 offensive rating, 57.5% true shooting percentage, 14.7% defensive rebounding percentage, and a 30.5 free throw rate. He’s essentially a three-point sharpshooter as against Division I opponents he took just 88 shots from inside the arc vs 181 from outside.

Lilian Marville (6’1)

Marville had a strong freshman season after dominating at Orleans U21 in France the year prior. With Orleans, he put up a stat line of 18.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. In his jump to college basketball, the French product started in all 31 games and averaged 9.5 points, two rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 45.4% from the floor and a very strong 52.2% from three-point on three attempts per game.

The Spartans had their fair share of problems last season, but Marvile was a highlight. He finished the season with a 58.9% true shooting percentage which was 321st overall, a 112.7 offensive rating, 16.4 assist rate, and his 50.6% shooting from three-point on 89 attempts against Division I talent was the best overall in the country.

Early in the season, he didn’t put up much in terms of playmaking, but in seven out of his last eight games of the season, he was averaging 4.9 assists per game. Even if you take in the last game where he had 20 points with one assist, he was still averaging 4.4 assists per game over his last eight.

Peyton Miller (6’3)

Miller played for Overtime Elite last season while ranking as a three-star recruit and top-300 overall in his class. The 6’3 guard is a shifty point guard who’s athleticism speaks for itself. He can do it all on the court through his outside game, slashing to the rim, dishing it out, and fighting through contact to secure boards. It’s a bit up in the air on whether he will develop as a true point guard or more of a combo-guard, but don’t be surprised to see him get some playing time this season to start his development especially with the NCAA’s recent eligibility ruling.

Miller committed to George Mason over Hofstra, New Mexico State, Towson, Rhode Island, and many more.

Forwards

Elijah Jones (6’8)

Jones has spent the past three seasons with the UTEP Miners where he turned himself into a valuable starter last season. He started in all 31 games and averaged 13.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, with 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 47.9% overall from the floor. He can also stretch outside and knock down a three-pointer as he shot 38.6% on 4.1 attempts per game. Against Division I opponents, that jumped to 40%.

While on the court, he took 26.7% of the team’s shots which was 272nd overall in college basketball. He featured a 55.4% effective field goal percentage, 15.9% defensive rebounding percentage, and notably a 4.1% block percentage which was 195th best.

He had some monster games, including 17 points with 12 rebounds, two blocks, and two steals against New Mexico State, and he scored 20+ points five times.

Michael Marcus, Jr. (6’9)

Marcus, Jr. took a huge leap in his sophomore season with App State last year. He appeared in 32 games while starting 25 and averaging 24 minutes per game. He finished the year averaging 7.8 points with six rebounds per game while shooting 47.1% overall from the floor and 33.3% from beyond the arc on 2.8 attempts per game. He also finished with four double-double’s on the season.

He finished the year with a 117.2 offensive rating, 55.5% true shooting percentage, 11.3% offensive rebounding percentage which was 166th best in the nation, 15.2% defensive rebounding percentage, and a strong 56.3% shooting rate from inside the arc. This is another player that takes a lot of shots from outside as he took 85 from beyond the arc and 87 from inside.

Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor (6’6)

Coming out of high school, Oliogu-Elabor was listed as a three-star recruit where he chose Butler over other strong programs like Gonzaga, Oklahoma State, Mizzou, Illinois, and many more. In his first season, he appeared in 25 games while starting in ten. He averaged five points with 2.2 rebounds and two assists per game while shooting 41% from the floor. He’s not a three-point threat as he made just two of his 19 attempts. However, he’s a massive body with insane athleticism at 6’6 and 220 pounds.

On the season, he finished with a 46.8% true shooting percentage, 22.1 assist rate which jumped to 24.5 in Big East play (9th best in the conference), and a 2.6% steal percentage which jumped to 3.0% in the conference. As you can see with his metrics jumping later in the season, he really took off over the back half.

Starting on January 31st against Georgetown, his minutes jumped from 11.3 minutes per game to 22.7 minutes over the last eleven games of the season. During that span, he averaged 6.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He had some strong stat lines including 15 points with seven rebounds, four assists, and four steals in DePaul.

Emmett Adair (6’9)

The Australian freshman had a dominant campaign for his first season in college basketball. He averaged 14.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and one assist across 27 games while shooting 46.6% overall and 31.5% from three-point on 5.3 attempts per game. From January 31st and on, he averaged 20 points and 6.4 rebounds with some monster games against some strong programs like 28 points, seven rebounds, and two assists against Navy.

Looking at his metrics, Adair finished with a 32.5% shot percentage which was 30th in the country, 10.1% offensive rebounding percentage which was 245th, and a 57.9% shooting percentage from inside the arc which was 431st. In the Patriot League, he was in the top in nearly every category including 6th in offensive rebounding percentage, 21st in block percentage, 19th in defensive rebounding percentage, 17th in effective field goal percentage, and 5th in possession usage.

While the Greyhounds were just 12-20 overall last season and 323rd in KenPom, you know there will be some regression in both metrics and stats as he jumps to the Atlantic 10. However, putting up these kinds of numbers with the data to back him as just a freshman speaks volumes that he’ll become a valuable basketball player for the Patriots.

Shane Pendergrass (6’8)

Pendergrass played high school at Hargrave Military Academy where he rose to top-150 rankings among his class while being listed as a four-star recruit overall. He’s had some truly dominant performances, including 18 points with five rebounds, three assists, and one block in the Capital Classic. For context, Anthony Brown Jr. who is listed as a top-100 recruit and is signed to Vanderbilt led the team in scoring with 32 points, so he was playing with some top-tier talent. This is the type of player that is going to immediately open people’s eyes as a freshman.

Pendergrass had offers from VCU, Seton Hall, California, Duquesne, and many more strong programs.

Bryton Barrett (6’8)

Let’s talk about an under-valued pickup here in Bryton Barrett. The 6’8 forward played at Archbishop Carroll where he averaged 11 points with eight rebounds and almost one block per game. He has a solid frame that will continue to develop as he puts on muscle as he’s listed at just 185 pounds on George Mason’s official roster. You probably aren’t going to see him a ton in his first season as he focuses on development, but he has some strong long-term potential over the next couple of seasons if he stays with the Patriots.

Barrett held offers from Saint Joseph’s, Howard, and Davis & Elkins.

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Expectations

There is no doubt that Head Coach Skinn and his staff with George Mason fans are going to be hungry to finish towards the top of the conference this season and are hopeful to punch their ticket to the Big Dance following the disappointing end to last season. The Atlantic-10 is going to continue to be tougher though. St. Louis has developed a war chest of NIL and are returning some key players from their dominant team last season. VCU and others are right there as well. However, on paper, there is no reason that this Patriots squad should fall outside of the top five in the conference.

Looking up-and-down their lineup, it’s overflowing with talent. It’s also obvious that Tony Skinn wanted to address their three-point shooting woes from last season. As a team, they ranked 107th in offensive efficiency, but just a measly 214th in three-point shooting percentage at 33.3% overall. They’ve added plenty of guards and forwards that can all knock it down from deep, so their three-point shooting that ultimately hurt them in their lack-luster finish to the season has been addressed. For comparison, on the 2025 team that went 27-9 they finished 92nd in three-point shooting and 181st in two-point shooting, so I’m predicting we see a similar stat line this season.

My only concern is the lack of height. Their tallest players come in at just 6’9, so they don’t have a true “center”. It seems though that this is playing into what kind of style of basketball they are going to be looking to play. Last year, they had Riley Allenspach at 6’11 and obviously Kanga is returning who followed up at 6’9. However, they lost Allenspach so someone like Kanga is going to have to play the traditional five, which at times will definitely hurt them down low. Skinn traditionally plays with a slower tempo as the highest he’s finished in the three years on the job is just 316th overall in 2025.

As for a starting rotation, it’s hard to predict in the middle of summer as practices have just started for the majority of programs, but you could imagine something like this:

• Baraka Okojie

• Makhai Valentine/Brayden O’Connor

• Brayden O’Connor/Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor

• Elijah Jones/Michael Marcus Jr./Emmett Adair

• Emmanuel Kanga

I know there are a lot of options listed above, but that’s the truth of this team. There are a number of players that are going to be able to compete for a starting position and that’s not even counting someone like Shane Pendergrass who could very well end up starting some games this season as a freshman.

Looking at the guards, I feel like Baraka Okojie is a no-brainer at point guard, and you are going to start Brayden O’Connor whether that’s as a true shooting guard at the two or slotting him in alongside someone like Makhai Valentine and running with two or three guards since O’Connor does have some height at 6’5. Looking at the frontcourt, Kanga is going to be in the starting lineup. They also have a plethora of forwards to pick from to join him.

How do you think George Mason is looking this season?

In year one, Acuff led the team to an 18-14 overall record and 11-7 in the SoCon, putting them in second place in an ultra-competitive league. Now, they are looking to build on and return to a 20+ win record and the roster is shaping up to look like it has the potential to do just that.

In the era of the transfer portal, the Bulldogs have been able to retain some key players from their rotation last season while adding talent from all levels of college basketball including a budding star from Division II. Let’s take a look at what Samford’s roster is looking like for the 2026-2027 season!

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Roster Turnover

• Keaton Norris (Ineligible)

  • 10 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists

• Jadin Booth (Ineligible)

  • 21.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.1 steals

• Jaxon Pollard (Ineligible)

  • 3.2 points, 3.7 rebounds

• Daijion Humphrey (TBD)

  • DNP ~ Injury

• Kam Martin (Denver)

  • 5.7 points, 2.1 rebounds

• Dylan Faulkner (Clemson)

  • 17.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists

• Zion Wilburn (Georgia State)

  • 4.6 points, 1 assist

As you’ll see in the coming section on returning players, the Samford Bulldogs were able to return several players from their rotation last season. They did lose their top three scorers in Jadin Booth, Dylan Faulkner, and Keaton Norris. Booth & Norris closed out their collegiate careers on a high-note. I’d be shocked if we don’t see Booth land a professional contract overseas or even within the G-League after a prolific season where he averaged 21.6 points while shooting 45.4% overall and 43.6% from beyond the arc.

Dylan Faulkner followed head coach Lennie Acuff to Samford after Lipscomb and he had his best season yet. The 6’9 forward averaged nearly a double-double while shooting a career-high 61.7% from the floor. He’ll now head to Clemson where there is no doubt he earned a big payday following his consistent development over the last three seasons.

They did lose some additional rotation players in Pollard, Martin, and Wilburn, but they did a great job of replacing them in the transfer portal. Daijon Humphrey unfortunately missed the entire season after suffering an injury prior to their first game, but he did announce recently that he was granted a year of eligibility, so we’ll see where he ends up for his final season of college basketball.

Returning Players

• Cade Norris (Junior)

  • 8.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists

• Judson Bjornstad

  • 2.3 points, 1.4 rebounds

• Will Shaver

  • 2.7 points, 2.6 rebounds

• Isaiah Campbell-Finch (Sophomore)

  • 7.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists

• J.D. Gossett

  • DNP

• Caleb Harrison

  • 1.5 points, 1.4 rebounds

• Joshua Hughes (Walk-on)

  • DNP

• Corey Brown (Walk-on)

  • 0.8 points, 0.6 rebounds (6.4 minutes / 5 games)

• Zach Lamey (Walk-on)

  • 4.6 points, 1 rebound (8.2 minutes / 5 games)

• Cooper Davenport (Walk-on)

  • DNP

Guards

Isaiah Campbell-Finch (6’0)

Campbell-Finch had a phenomenal freshman season for the Bulldogs, so being able to retain him gives Lennie Acuff and his staff a large leg-up on the competition in the SoCon. He averaged 7.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 42.1% overall and 32.1% from beyond the arc. His output was a bit inconsistent, but you can expect that with a freshman knowing that with a full year of development under his belt he should be poised for a breakout in year two.

Looking at his metrics, he finished the season with a 103 offensive rating, 51.8% true shooting percentage, and 10.2 assist rate. He has some work to do at the free throw line, and I’d love to see him take another step forward with his passing game, but Keaton Norris was the go-to point guard last season. Look for a huge year out of Campbell-Finch.

Cade Norris (6’4)

Cade Norris saw a breakout year last season as a sophomore after transferring in from Illinois State. The 6’4 guard averaged 8.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 45.3% overall and 40.4% from beyond the arc. He really turned it on towards the end of the season, averaging 12.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game over his last seven on the season.

Norris’ efficiency showed through his metrics. He finished the season with a 121.4 offensive rating which was 296th overall and a 60% true shooting percentage which was 256th. He also featured a 12.0 assist rate, 12.5% defensive rebounding percentage, and a 39.4 free throw rate. Don’t be shocked if he emerges as one of the most important players on this roster entering year three.

J.D. Gossett (6’5)

Gossett did not play last season and is in fact listed as a sophomore according to Samford’s official roster, so he’s not technically a redshirt freshman. He was one of two incoming freshman last season out of Huntsville, which finished as the number two team in the state the year prior. It’s hard to say what his role will look like this season, but we may potentially see him in a depth position.

Forwards

Judson Bjornstad (6’8)

Bjornstad spent his freshman season at Union before transferring to the Division I level last year. He appeared in 24 games, starting one, while averaging 8.8 minutes per game. During that span, he averaged 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds per game while shooting 34.8% overall and 28.6% from beyond the arc on 21 attempts. The majority of his production came against their non-division one opponents where he put up 16 points with 6 rebounds against NAIA Reinhardt.

Will Shaver (6’10)

Shaver has had a bit of a wild journey. He started his career at North Carolina, before transferring to UAB for two seasons, then spent last season for Samford. He is technically a redshirt-senior at this point, but he’s appeared in 60 games throughout his career. Last year, he appeared in 30 games while averaging 9.7 minutes. The 6’10 forward/center averaged 2.7 points and 2.6 rebounds while shooting 47.6% overall and knocking down four of his 12 attempts from three-point.

Caleb Harrison (6’9)

Harrison appeared in 13 games as a freshman and averaged 1.5 points with 1.4 rebounds while shooting 60% from the floor. The Huntsville native saw the majority of his production come against their non-division one opponents, including six points with seven rebounds and two assists against Reinhardt. Look for him to see some more opportunities coming into his sophomore season.

Walk-ons

Joshua Hughes, Corey Brown, Zach Lamey, and Cooper Davenport are all walk-ons so you can expect a similar level of production this coming season. Although, shoutout to Lamey for his 14 points against the Reinhardt Eagles last season!

Roster Additions

• Brandon Fussell (Montevallo ~ DII)

  • 17.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 2.1 steals

• Win Miller (Belmont)

  • 2.9 points, 0.7 rebounds, 0.6 assists

• Ty Davis (Creighton)

  • 1.2 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists

• Najimi George (New Haven)

  • 11.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists

• Braeden MacVicar (Coastal Carolina)

  • 2.6 points, 2 rebounds

• Lawson Lee (Freshman)

Guards

Brandon Fussell (6’1)

Fussell did nothing but absolutely dominate at the Division II level. As a freshman, he averaged 16.6 points with 3.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Fast forward to his junior year last season, he averaged 17.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 2.1 steals while shooting 44.8% overall and 38% from three-point on 171 attempts. If you take out his first six games of the season where it took him a bit to get going, his three-point shooting percentage jumps to 41.4% on the year.

Fussell should most likely slot into either the starting lineup or a role where he is the first player off the bench. He has the ability to be a leader on the court, in which there is a void with Keaton Norris gone. He’s obviously prolific on the offensive end, and when he’s hot from the floor there is little you can do to stop him. Look for him to become a fan favorite quickly.

Win Miller (6’3)

The Alabama native spent his first three seasons with the Belmont Bruins where he appeared in 75 games and started one. Last year, he averaged 2.9 points with 0.7 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 8.7 minutes per game while shooting 39.3% overall and 40.5% from three-point. Roughly 60% of his shot attempts came from beyond the arc, so he’s a bit of a three-point specialist which will give Acuff and his staff a great option off the bench to provide a spark when needed. Look for him to average 15+ minutes per game this season.

Ty Davis (6’4)

The former number one prospect coming out of Alabama was listed as a three-star and committed to Creighton over Oregon, Northwestern, Ole Miss, and many top-tier mid-major programs like Belmont, High Point, and more.

He appeared in 61 games and started in 13 over the last two seasons for the Bluejays including 12 starts coming last season. He averaged 1.2 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 11.2 minutes per game while shooting 29.7% overall and 20% from three-point on 20 attempts.

He’ll be looking for a larger opportunity with the Bulldogs this year to give himself a chance to breakout and put up large numbers. Don’t be shocked if you see him played 25 minutes or more per game this season.

Najimi Goerge (6’4)

The 6’4 guard spent his last two seasons with the New Haven Chargers, following the team as they transitioned to the Division I level last year while joining the NEC. He appeared in 30 games and averaged 11.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists while shooting 40.8% overall and 27.8% from three-point. Against #4 UConn, he had 14 points with four rebounds in their first Division I game.

He’s a physical guard who isn’t afraid to fight for boards. In conference play, he finished with a 12.4% defensive rebounding percentage, and he drew on average 3.8 fouls per game which was 23rd best in the NEC. As a results, he had a 38.5 free throw rate which was 14th best. He developed into an offensive weapon as the year went on, finishing with a 22.3% possession usage in the NEC and a 22.7% shot percentage meaning he took nearly a fourth of their shots when he was on the court. From inside the arc in conference play he shot 50.4%.

Braeden Macvicar (6’11)

Macvicar spent his last two seasons with Coastal Carolina, but saw his playing time slashed in half last season. His freshman year, he appeared in 26 games while starting 16 and averaged 6.1 points with four rebounds per game. Last year, he appeared in 24 games while starting none and averaged just 7.2 minutes. He still averaged 2.6 points with two rebounds in that limited playing time while shooting 30% overall.

The Chanticleers made a huge jump from 10-22 and 329th overall in KenPom to 19-13 overall and 247th in KenPom last year. As a result, Macvicar was left out with a smaller role, so he’ll be looking for a higher impact at Samford this coming season. His metrics from his freshman season were very promising. He finished with a 108.4 offensive rating, 16.4% defensive rebounding percentage, and a remarkable 4.6 block percentage which was 208th in the nation. If he can tap back into that, Acuff might have found a diamond in the rough to help replace Dylan Faulkner.

Centers

Lawson Lee (6’11)

Listed as a three-star recruit, Lee spent his senior season of high school at Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tennessee. This is exactly the kind of kid I could see ending up at Lipscomb when Acuff was the coach, so it’s no surprise that he ended up at Samford. I’m assuming there was a connection there already given that Franklin is less than 30 minutes away from Lipscomb.

Anyway, Lee has a ton of potential. He is a high-octane offensive weapon with size and he’s a strong rebounder already. Sometimes when you have a tall player coming out of high school they need to bulk-up, but Lee is already stout and is listed as 220 pounds. I think Lee is going to have a promising collegiate career and you’ll be seeing him plenty on the court this season for the Bulldogs.

Lee held offers from Georgia Southern, North Alabama, Middle Tennessee, UT Martin, and Jacksonville.

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Expectations

This isn’t a veteran heavy team with just five seniors, two of which are walk-ons. While losing their stars Jadin Booth and Dylan Faulkner who combined for 55.4% of the team’s shots when on the court is difficult, they’ve done a great job finding replacements and retaining young talent that is ready to take another step forward in Isaiah Campbell-Finch and Cade Norris.

Looking at the guard play, Cade Norris will return in the starting lineup. My guess will be that his efficiency ratings will drop slightly because he’ll most likely end up taking more than just six shots per game like he did last season. Then you have Campbell-Finch, who is going to need to develop more on his playmaking. With a year under his belt, he didn’t have to step up with Keaton Norris last year, but now he can compliment with newcomers Ty Davis & Brandon Fussell. Combine Norris with Campbell-Finch and Fussell and you have the replacements scoring-wise for Jadin Booth.

The largest question for me is one that carries over from last season and it’s their lack of height. For example, Dylan Faulkner was just 6’9 and essentially played the center position with Will Shaver providing minutes as well. Shaver is back this season, so he is already familiar with Acuff’s system and he has an opportunity to step up in a larger role. He had a 23.1% defensive rebounding percentage and a 6% block percentage in 9.7 minutes. If he bumps up to 15-20 minutes and can see just a light regression in those metrics, he can provide a large impact. However, Acuff did bring in two additional options with Braeden Macvicar & Lawson Lee, but keep in mind that Macvicar saw minimal playing time last season for Coastal Carolina and Lee is an incoming freshman. Macvicar did provide some strong metrics as a freshman, so if he can tap into that more this season I’ll feel better about their depth.

Overall, I firmly believe that Samford is a team to keep an eye on this season. With Cade Norris & Isaiah Campbell-Finch looking to step up, Najimi George, Brandon Fussell, and other rotational players like Win Milley and Ty Davis coming in, this is a roster that can be dangerous in the SoCon. Don’t be shocked when they are towards the top of the conference.

The Owls started off hot at 14-6 overall and 6-1 in the American before dropping six games in a row, including some nailbiters. During that stretch, they fell to East Carolina by one, Tulsa by two, and South Florida by two in a thrilling overtime game. In total, they lost a whopping eight games by five points or less, highlighting that just a few of those tipping the right direction could have yielded strong results for the Owls last year.

Now, in year three Jakus was able to retain one of his key players, but is left rebuilding the remaining spots on his roster. They still have spots as of June 15th if they wish to fill the remaining open roster positions, but let’s go ahead and dive into how their roster is shaping up for the 2026-2027 season.

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Roster Turnover

• Isaiah Elohim (Virginia Tech)

  • 12.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1 assist

• Devin Vanterpool (Providence)

  • 15.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals

• Josiah Parker (Georgetown)

  • 9.6 points, 6 rebounds, 1.2 assists

• Devin Williams (Seton Hall)

  • 7.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists

• Jack Johnson (TBD)

  • DNP

• Xander Pintelon (Wake Forest)

  • 6.2 points, 3.7 rebounds

• Niccolo Moretti (Lamar)

  • 5.6 points, 2 rebounds, 3.3 assists

• Max Landenfeld (Evansville)

  • 3.5 points, 0.9 rebounds (16 games / 8.2 minutes)

• Vincent Neugebauer (Belmont)

  • 2.4 points, 1.5 rebounds (14 games / 7.6 minutes)

• Maxim Logue (Memphis)

  • 4.8 points, 3.1 rebounds

• Amar Amkou (North Texas)

  • 5.5 points, 2.2 rebounds

• Yohann Sissoko (Long Beach State)

  • 3.3 points, 1.7 rebounds

The FAU Owls are losing all but one player who played a key role in the rotation last season. What’s notable looking at this list is the level of talent that jumped to strong programs. There are five heading to power conferences, two heading to the Missouri Valley, and another two heading to rivals within the American for programs in the conference North Texas & Memphis.

Returning Players

• Kanaan Carlyle (Senior)

  • 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.1 steals

• Lachlan Smith (Sophomore)

  • 1 point (2 games / 1.5 minutes)

• Liam Dayco-Green (Sophomore)

  • 2 points, 0.4 rebounds (8 games / 3.1 minutes)

• Zion Sampaio (Freshman)

  • DNP

Unlike many teams, the FAU Owls are returning one of their key players from last season in Kanaan Carlyle. The former Hoosier had his best season in college basketball thus far, averaging 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 40.9% overall and 32.4% from beyond the arc. He had some huge games, making him one of the go-to players last year. He finished the season with a 105.0 offensive rating, 24% possession usage, 12.1% defensive rebounding percentage, 17.1 assist rate, and a strong 51% shooting percentage from inside the arc.

Liam Dayco-Green & Lachlan Smith are both walk-ons, so expect their output to be similar to the past season. Zion Sampaio did not play last season, but he had a strong career at St Andrews prior to joining FAU.

Roster Additions

• Braeden Speed (Sophomore ~ LMU-Maryland)

  • 15.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1 steal

• Josh Harris (Sophomore ~ Indiana)

  • DNP ~ Injury

• Mason Porter-Brown (Senior ~ LIU)

  • 7.8 points, 3.2 rebounds

• Kieran Mullen (Sophomore ~ Pittsburgh)

  • 0.8 points, 1.1 rebounds

• Fawaz “Tacko” Ifaola (Sophomore ~ Colorado)

  • 0.7 points, 2.1 rebounds

• Matthew “Matas” Puodziukaitis (Junior ~ Lynn)

  • 6 points, 5.3 rebounds

• Felipe Quinones (Freshman)

• Franck Belibi, Jr. (Freshman)