SoCon Hoops Summer-Fall Preview Series 2026: The Citadel's Renewed Hope Entering 2026-27

 

   THe citadel (11-22, 7-11/9th in socon)   

It's how you finish and now how you start. That statement is true of any endeavour that anyone sets out to challenge themselves against in life. Any journey that features a competitive goal at the end of said challenge is has an ultimate end that measures your job at achieving whatever goal or standard is to be met.

During the 2025-26 basketball season, that journey must have seemed like a lost cause at points along the way for The Citadel head coach Ed Conroy and his Bulldogs basketball team, but if it did, he never wore a look of concern or self-doubt and that belief and positivity despite the rough first couple of months would eventually pay off over the better part of the last month of the 2025-26 season and extended even into Asheville and the Southern Conference Tournament.

Just how far had The Citadel's basketball program come over the course of the season? It had gone from losing a Southern Conference home opener by 26 points to eventual regular-season champion East Tennessee State to putting up a valiant effort in the Southern Conference quarterfinals before losing to that same Bucs team, only this time by just seven (L, 83-76) in a gutsy performance in which they made ETSU earn their trip to the next round.

There was a lot going on between Dec. 30 and March 7, and what was happening was a team that bonded and improved right before our eyes, and the man at the center of all of it was Ed Conroy. He had to have the believe and buy in before any of the players did, seeing the finishing product from a disassembled mess of random parts at the beginning.

There were a few glimpses of what The Citadel could be in non-conference play, however, like the performances against both College of Charleston and South Carolina in the non-conference. But those were exceptions to the rule--at least early on in the season. The Bulldogs lost an 82-78 contest at the College of Charleston in a game that would see the Cougars post a 41-10 advantage in free throw attempts, as they would end up outscoring the Bulldogs 31-6 from the charity stripe. 

The Bulldogs, however, would end up hitting a snag early on in conference play with some tough road contests, as the Bulldogs would start off league play. Following the lopsided home loss to ETSU, the Bulldogs would lose conference games at home vs. Wofford (L, 95-86), on the road at Mercer (L, 101-63) before snapping what had been a 25-game losing streak in league games with a 79-77 overtime win over Western Carolina.

That win would be followed by a narrow overtime loss at UNC Greensboro (L, 69-66 OT) and then a road win over VMI (W, 82-68) broke another long SoCon losing streak, as the Bulldogs got 12 points off the bench from guard Marco Gonzales and another 11 points from point guard Eze Wali, as the 'Dogs snapped a ()-game SoCon road losing streak.

The came perhaps the most significant win of the season for the Bulldogs, as The Citadel welcomed eventual SoCon Tournament champion Furman paid a visit to McAlister Field House and it would really be a game that would see Ed Conroy's team start to collectively believe in what it could do when it functioned as a cohesive unit all on the same page.

The Bulldogs would overcome as much as a 19-point deficit early in the second half but would eventually force overtime and come up with a remarkable 77-75 win, which ended up being one of the biggest wins of either era Conroy has been in Charleston. In terms of its importance as a SoCon win, the victory was as important as the 2023 win over the Paladins or dare I say right behind the February of 2009 win over Steph Curry's Davidson team. 

Four-straight points on a layup and alley-oop catch for a slam would extend Furman's lead to 19 with just under 13 minutes left, at 53-34.

With 9:58 remaining, Christian Moore connected on a three, which was the second in succession for the Bulldogs, cutting Furman's once 19-point lead to 13, at 55-42, prompting a Paladin timeout. Furman maintained a 12-point lead heading into the under eight media timeout, with the Bulldogs briefly cutting it to 11 on an alley-oop from Gonzales-to-Adebisi to make it a 55-44 game, however, Wilkins answered with a top of the key three on the next trip down to extend the lead back to 14 before Braxton Williams finished a layup on the other end to slice the lead back to 12. 

After Franklin connected on a pair of free throws to get the Furman lead to 14, the Bulldogs hit back with five-straight to get within double digits, as Williams connected on a triple to make it a 60-51 game with 6:21 remaining. Following a bail out foul on Johnston against Gonzales going to the basket, the Paladin lead dwindled to seven with five-and-a-half minutes remaining, at 60-53, with the true freshman guard out of Chicago knocking down both charity shots. 

Johnston then turned it over and then picked up his fourth foul with 5:16 left. With just under five minutes left, the Bulldogs continued to chip away, and a three-point play the old-fashioned way, following a rebound and putback by Williams with 4:50 remaining got the Bulldogs to within two possessions, at 60-56, which was as close as the Bulldogs had been on the scoreboard since the 8:03 mark of the opening half, trailing just 25-22 at that particular point in the contest. Williams' three-point play completed what had been a 10-0 spurt for the Bulldogs. 

The Bulldogs were able to trim Furman's lead to one over three times over the next 7:53 of the game before eventually pulling even. The points that allowed the Bulldogs to finally pull even and force overtime came, fittingly, on an effort play, which saw the Bulldogs out-work the Paladins by coming up with an offensive rebound and then converting it into points and were rewarded for their hard work by a Furman foul, which allowed for the completion of a three-point play the old-fashioned way with 10 seconds remaining. 

It appeared Furman might survive when Cole Bowser converted a layup in the paint to give the Paladins a 67-64 lead with 1:14 remaining. However, a costly offensive rebound allowed by the Paladins would lead to a three-point play from The Citadel's Sola Adebisi with 10 seconds remaining, which tied the game 67-67, with Wilkins missing a jumper at the buzzer as the two teams headed for an extra five minutes of basketball for a third-straight season in Charleston.

In overtime, a foul by Cole Bowser as Williams drove to the basket put the Valdosta State grad transfer at the line for a pair of free throws. He would connect on a pair of charity shots 30 seconds into the extra five minutes of basketball to give The Citadel a 69-67 lead, which was its first lead since a 20-19 advantage at the 9:51 mark of the opening half. 

After a Charles Johnston dunk tied it off a hook-pass alley-oop from Wilkins, the Bulldogs answered with a Moore triple to take a 72-69 lead with 3:11 remaining. Furman got within one when Wilkins was fouled and then proceeded to knock down both one-and-one free throws to trim The Citadel's lead to one, at 72-71.

Williams and Vander Wal traded layups to leave the margin at one, and after Gonzales missed a three for the Bulldogs, Wilkins would be fouled going to the basket once again, and this time the freshman from Mattapan, MA., knocked down both of the two-shot bonus free throws to give Furman a 75-74 lead with 1:21 left. 

Furman couldn't defend without fouling the rest of the way, and the Bulldogs were able to convert 3-of-4 foul shots over the final minute, with Adebisi and Williams combining for the final three points of the game from the line, giving the Bulldogs a 77-75 lead and ultimately the win. 

The Bulldogs were only getting started with their journey of big league wins that would define the latter half of the 2025-26 season. Late-season road wins at Chattanooga (W, 78-71 ) and at Wofford (W, 93-90 OT) would see the Bulldogs enter the Southern Conference Tournament with plenty of momentum.

Once the Bulldogs arrived in Asheville, it became apparent that this was going to be Sola Adebisi's "one shining moment." In the final game of the regular-season, Adebisi posted a career-high 27 point in a road win over Wofford, and the win brought significance with it, as the Bulldogs secured their seventh SoCon win of the season, which was the most since the 2009-10 campaign. 

In the tournament, the ninth-seeded Bulldogs faced off against the eighth-seeded Mocs and it would end up being one of the premier games of the 2026 Southern Conference Tournament. But when it was finished, the Bulldogs had held on for a thrilling 88-85 win over the 12-time SoCon Tournament champions.

Sola Adebisi was at it again, finishing just one of his career-high 27-point effort against Wofford, as his 26 points were key in helping the Bulldogs to another breakthrough win for the program. Adebisi connected on the Bulldogs' 15th triple of the evening with just nine seconds remaining, and that would prove to be the dagger, as the Bulldogs held on for a thrilling 88-85 win, weathering a Chattanooga potential game-tying three-point attempt at the buzzer by Colin Mulholland to hold on for the win and move into Saturday's quarterfinal round. 

For Adebisi, it was part of an all-around performance in the game, which saw him finish with seven rebounds and three blocks to go with his 26 points. Adebisi was one of four Bulldogs in double figures, with Kenyan Davis' 20 points off the bench for the Bulldogs being equally as important as Adebisi's 26-point effort. Davis was on a burner all night, as he connected on 6-of-10 shots from the field, including 6-of-8 from three-point range. 

Valdosta State graduate transfer Braxton Williams added 17 points, while wing Christian Moore added 14, as the Bulldogs lived to fight another day in Asheville. The Bulldogs shot 54.2% from the field and 

Facing top-seeded East Tennessee State 16 hours later would be the reward for the win over the Mocs, and while the Bulldogs fought valiantly, The Citadel would eventually begin to run out of gas in the second half, but never let the Bucs get fully comfortable in what would turn out to be an 83-76 season-ending loss for Conroy's group of hardwood warriors. 

With the end of the season, it also meant the end of some careers in Charleston, with Sola Adebisi, Christian Moore and Braxton Williams having all moved on. Also having moved on are other veterans like Dante Kearse and point guard Eze Wali, and like most, the Bulldogs are now forced to try and recapture that momentum and synergy that it had over the final month of the season, delighting us all with their exciting play in Asheville last March. 

Portal Losses/Portal Adds and Returners:

While much has moved on for The Citadel basketball moving into the 2026-27 season, there are still some old heads around for Conroy's Bulldogs moving into the 2026-27 season, not all is lost from last season.

One of the key returnees to the fold this fall will be Kenyan Davis, who will be one of the veterans called upon to lead a very different group of players heading into the 2026-27 season. Davis ended up being a key part of the puzzle for the Bulldogs last season, especially when it came to getting results in Asheville.

The 6-5 wing is a can play multiple positions, and when he gets on a role shooting the basketball, watch out. It was very much what we witnessed him do in the Bulldogs' opening round win over Chattanooga last March. 

Davis ended the season by logging action in all 32 games for The Citadel, which included making eight starts. He ended the season by connecting on 36.4% of his shots from the field, while connecting on 26.5% from three-point range. 

He will be one of the unquestioned leaders for the Bulldogs, but one of the things he has lacked so far in his career with the Bulldogs is consistency. Davis captured lightning in a bottle with his couple of performances in Asheville last March, as he posted games of 20 points and 11 points in the SoCon Tournament against both Chattanooga and East Tennessee State, respectively.  He went 8-for-13 from three-point range over the course of two games in Asheville in the SoCon Tournament. 

Prior to the tournament, Williams had only three double-figure scoring games the entire season, posting 11 points in the season opener against Erskine, while adding 17 against West Georgia and 13 in a win over North Greenville. 

Another key cog returning for the Bulldogs in the 2026-27 season will be Marcos Gonzales, who mostly played in a backup role at the point guard spot for the Bulldogs last season.  He appeared in 29 games off the bench for the Bulldogs, finishing the campaign averaging 4.4 PPG and 1.6 RPG. He shot 43.6% from the field and 61.9% from the charity stripe last season. 

Gonzales posted a season-high 20 points off the bench in a win over North Greenville, while also making a key impact off the bench for the Bulldogs off the bench in a win over VMI, as he contributed 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals in what was an 82-68 win at VMI last season. He was also especially solid in the win vs. Furman, contributing nine points off the bench in what was a gutsy 77-75 win over the Paladins just four days after his big performance in the win over VMI. 

Gonzales wouldn't end up being much of a threat shooting the ball from the perimeter, as he went just 6-for-21 (28.6%) from long-range during his freshman campaign for the Bulldogs. He finished the season with 44 assists and 18 steals, showing he has the potential to be a complete player for the Bulldogs, as his minutes increase, which should begin this season.

It will be interesting to see what Ed Conroy does with Furman transfer Eddrin Bronson, who played both off the ball and some point guard for the Paladins over two seasons of action in Greenville. During his time with the Paladins, Bronson saw action in 69 games, including 10 starts over the course of three seasons. He shot 35% from the field, which included a 31% clip from three-point range. 

As a junior during the 2025-26 season, he started seven times and made 34 appearances for the Southern Conference champion Paladins, averaging 5.4 PPG. Bronson enjoyed his best performance of the season in Furman's regular-season finale loss at Western Carolina, as he posted 16 points, which also matched his career-high.

During his sophomore season, Bronson posted outstanding performances against Mercer, Kansas and North Texas. He posted a his then career-high 16 points off the bench in what was an impressive 79-74 road win at Mercer. Bronson also proved to be one of Furman's best on-ball defensive performers over the past couple of seasons, and will add what figures to be a pretty good perimeter defense in the coming campaign. He added 15 steals and 12 blocks in the 2025-26 season, and 32 steals and 15 blocks over the course of his playing career in Greenville. 

Joining forces with Bronson from a fellow Palmetto State rival of the The Citadel's is Chase Cormier, who spent a couple of seasons at Wofford (2023-25) before playing at Iona last season. Cormier spent his freshman season at Northeastern before making his way to Spartanburg. The well-traveled Cormier most recently saw action in 32 games last season with the Gaels, averaging 2.0 PPG and 0.7 RPG, posting 11 assists and 11 steals on the season.

Cormier is another player that, like Bronson, will enhance the Bulldogs defensively on the perimeter, with that being a strength of his game at all three places he has been. 

Also like Bronson, Cormier was a bit inconsistent as a scorer, but in a more trusted role to be an offensive threat rather than a role player, Cormier might thrive in such a structure. The same can also be said of Bronson. Both Cormier and Bronson will have a lot of confidence placed them by the Bulldogs coaching staff to produce consistently on the offensive end of the floor. 

His best season offensively came during the 2023-24 campaign at Wofford, as Cormier scored 212 points and averaged 7.1 PPG and ranked third on the team in made three-pointers, connecting on 52 triples for the season. 

Additionally, the 6-2 Cormier added 54 rebounds, 31 assists and 16 steals to finish off a solid sophomore season. However, with his minutes going to be affected due to some off-season additions, Cormier requested a redshirt just prior to the 2024-25 season in order to transfer. The Terriers would end up winning the SoCon as a the No. 6 seed, and while Cormier was still on the roster, never played a minute the entire season for Wofford. Cormier will be hoping to regain that 2023-24 and then some in his final season with the Bulldogs. 

Combo guard Colin McKenzie also joined The Citadel from another Palmetto State program, as he comes just an hour down the road from Orangeburg and South Carolina State to play for a different type of Bulldog. McKenzie logged action in only six games with one start for South Carolina State last season, averaging 2.7 PPG and 1.8 RPG. His only performance of note came against North Carolina A&T, as he posted nine points on a 4-of-7 shooting performance against the Aggies. 

McKenzie is a player that, like Bronson, has a chance to make an immediate impact this coming season and will be given the "green light" so to speak when it comes to shooting the three-ball, which is his specialty. The 6-6 McKenzie is a native of Charleston and will be looking to finish out his career on a high note playing for the Bulldogs. 

Another player that has a chance to be a solid addition off the ball is 6-2 guard Marcus Banks, who comes to the Bulldogs' program out of NCAA Division II Shepherd University, where he spent the first three seasons of his collegiate career. 

During his time with the Rams, Banks saw time in 90 games, including having made 65 starts over the course of three seasons, and garnered All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference honors and averaged 13.8 PPG and 5.5 RPG. In his three seasons at Shepherd, Banks posted 1,241 points, 342 assists, 122 steals, and 16 blocks. Banks will have a chance to compete for a starting job at one of the off-guard.  Jameson Heck, who saw action in only four games last season, rounds out the backcourt options for the Bulldogs.

The frontcourt has also seen a major overhaul with the departures of Sola Adebisi of Simeon German underneath. One of the more intriguing additions is fifth-year, 6-11 center Joe Hurlburt, who spent his first three seasons playing at both Colorado and Davidson. 

Hurlburt was at Davidson in each of the previous two seasons, seeing action in 36 games over the course of two seasons, which included making one start. Hurlburt averaged 1.3 PPG and 2.0 RPG. He saw action in 28 games with the Wildcats in his first season in 2024-25 but saw only eight games last season. Hurlburt started his career at Colorado. 

He will give the Bulldogs some size and is decently skilled underneath, and he could potentially the same type size and player underneath that Quentin-Millora Brown gave the Bulldogs a couple of years back after he transferred in from Vanderbilt. 

Ramel Bethea is a 6-9 forward that could be another guy that could a player that figures into the plans this season in the paint for Conroy's Bulldogs. Bethea comes to Charleston from Green Bay and will have two years of eligibility remaining. He saw action in 30 games for the Phoenix last season, making five starts. He is athletic and will be the most comparable player on the roster to Adebisi.

Bethea shot a blistering 74.6% in limited action with the Phoenix, recording 15 points and eight rebounds in a win over Haskell last season. Bethea's athleticism will allow him to be a rim protector, having swatted away 38 shots and posted 10 steals in that limited action. He finished off the 2025-26 season by averaging 3.6 PPG and 2.6 RPG. 

He stared his career at MiraCosta College where he averaged an impressive 12.7 PPG and 9.7 RPG in his freshman season back in 2024-25. He enjoyed his best career performance against Palomar, as he connected on 11-of-11 from the field, finishing up with 27 points. In my estimation, Bethea looks like a player that could end up starting before it's all said and done. 

Cassius Bonjarksy was a player that was on the roster last season for the Bulldogs as an option in the paint. The 6-7, 230-lb forward will most likely be an option at power forward this coming season. The native of Almere, Netherlands logged action in 19 games in his first full season with the Bulldogs last season, shooting 57.1% from the field and 70.0% from the charity stripe in limited action. His best offensive performance of the 2025-26 season came in the road loss to West Georgia, as he posted eight point in the road loss to the Wolves. 

Bonjarsky started his career at Garett College before playing a season at New Mexico Military Institute before making his way to The Citadel in the spring of 2024, sitting out his first season before logging his first action as a Bulldog last season. Bonjarsky isn't a big-time scoring option and will likely be used more for his ability defensively as well as his rebounding ability.

Another player to watch that comes to Charleston via the transfer portal is 6-7 Tyler Mrus, who comes to the Bulldogs program from BYU, as The Citadel will mark Mrus' fourth school in fourth school in five years. Mrus, a native of Bothwell, WA., actually started his career at Alaska-Fairbanks before spending the next couple of seasons at Idaho. 

During his time with the Vandals, Mrus played in 33 games over two seasons, which included making 31 starts.  He ended up averaging just below double figures, finishing out the 2024-25 season posting 9.7 PPG in 29.4 MPG. 

While shooting only 38.2% from the field, Mrus ended up being a strong threat from three-point range, as he finished the season shooting a solid 38% from three-point land. He finished the season connecting on 73-of-192 three-pointers for the Vandals. He also finished the 2024-25 season as a 76.6% shooter from the charity stripe. 

In his one season at BYU, he logged action in 27 games and averaged 9.6 MPG and posted a season-high 15 points in a win over Pacific, finishing the evening perfect from the field, as he went 4-of-4 from the field and 3-of-3 from three-point land.  

Logan Menafee and Aidan Alexander return in the paint and both logged limited action last season for the Bulldogs, will both look to garner more significant roles underneath for The Citadel this coming season.

Freshman/Walk-On Additions

The Bulldogs' coaching staff went out and recruited the services of four newcomers expected to play impactful roles for Ed Conroy's 2026-27 The Citadel Bulldogs this fall, bringing in a couple of guards and a couple of big men.

Ja'Yon Alexander is a 6-2 guard that comes to Charleston and The Citadel by way of the SPIRE Academy in Rochester, N.Y., where he was noted for both his athleticism and shooting ability while he was a prep. He will fit nicely as a wing guard and finished out his prep career by scoring 1,000 points and shot close to 40% from three-point range during his time at SPIRE. He is also a noted defender, earning first-team all-defense honors as a prep.

The Bulldogs also welcomed in 6-6 wing Aaron Ekwere from Finland during the off-season, and coaches believe he a player that can help out the Bulldogs depth on the wing right away. Much like the 6-7 Tyler Mrus, Ekwere brings a highly-skilled game into the fold for the Bulldogs. He can also step out and is an effective outside shooter and during his time in Finland as a prep, Ekwere helped Drive Academy win three-straight national titles.

He also helped represent the Finnish National Team at the U18 and U20 levels, competing with the U20 Finnish National Team at the 2025 FIBA Eurobasket, averaging 16.9 PPG and 5.7 RPG. He also is an exceptional passer as a wing, as evidenced by his 2.1 assists-per-game.

Following that competition, he continued his development with Pantterit Helsinki, which included dropping half-a-hundred in the Finnish playoffs. Coaches feel like that they have found a diamond in the rough, in Ekwere, would can play multiple positions, including small forward, but most likely will play as a wing guard with his skill and ability as a shooter.

Jack Seiders is a 6-7, 190-lb forward that comes to The Citadel from Austin Westlake High School in Austin, Texas. Seiders was named the District 26-6A Offensive MVP and was selected to the 6A All-State team and was rated as one of the top 10 small forwards. Seiders also spent a season at the Darrow School in New York before deciding on committing to The Citadel.

During his final season at Austin-Westlake, he averaged 18.8 PPG and averaged 7.8 RPG, as he helped Westlake High School to a 10th-straight district title, shooting 53% from the field over his four-year prep career. Seiders will add some immediate frontcourt scoring ability and depth, as he will play at small forward for the Bulldogs in 2026-27. His scoring ability will allow him to compete for major minutes right away.


Finally, the most intriguing addition to the fold as a freshman might be 7-0 Yaw Ansong out of the African nation of Ghana. The 7-0, 220-lb Ansong played his prep basketball at Union Catholic in Virginia, and he will give the Bulldogs both size, skill and some rim protection in the paint. He projects as adding depth at center behind 6-11 Joe Hurlburt. Ansong is also part of the Ghanian youth national team and played in his country before opting to move to the United States to continue his development.

   THe citadel outlook for 2026-27   

The Citadel opens its 2026-27 season earlier than most teams in college basketball, as the Bulldogs will be part of the LINKU Invitational on Sept. 27, which will take place outdoors on Daniel Island, with the Bulldogs set to take on cross-town rival College of Charleston in a game that will be streamed on the ESPN+ platform and is slated for a 2 p.m. EST tip-off time.

It's all about building excitement and momentum coming off last season's strong finish, which saw the Bulldogs win their most conference games (7-11) since winning 15 games in Conroy's first tenure as the head coach in Charleston, when the Bulldogs went 15-5 in the league and finished off one of it's greatest seasons in their 114 seasons as a program.

The watchword this season will be "elevation" for a program that is routinely picked towards the lower third of the league and has never made an NCAA Tournament appearance. There is a quiet confidence throughout the low country about this team and what they could do in 2026-27. The question is what will elevation look like. Most would likely agree that would involve avoiding the play-in round of the Southern Conference Tournament.

One of the notable "elevations" has already taken place, and that is off the floor, where the Bulldogs have seen an uptick in both their portal recruiting, as well as when it comes to procuring talent from the high school ranks.

Players like Furman's Eddrin Bronson and former Wofford guard Chase Cormier are a testament to that. A lot of that improvement is a direct result of Conroy's hiring of assistants Brady Schuck and Andrew Glover, who have helped upgrade the overall talent of the team, which was easily noticeable last season.

Now it's about building almost a brand new team for a brand new season and what that will look like. That is the challenge that every mid-major program now, but it obviously looks much different at places like VMI and The Citadel, as it requires a little creativity and some luck when building your roster.

What that looks like long-term is still hard to know, but what I do know is that in the immediate, this is a Bulldogs basketball team that won't be finishing last in a new expanded 11-team league. The Bulldogs have enough shooting quality and scoring talent at guard to ensure that won't happen in 2026-27. In fact, I would be shocked if the Bulldogs don't compete for one of the top six or seven spots in the league and an opening round bye in the SoCon Tournament.

   Bulldogs  Breakdown   

Players With Starting Experience Lost: (7)--F Sola Adebisi (Started all 30 games he played in; 10.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 59.7 FG%, 33.3% 3PT FG%, 36 stls, 37 blks); F Braxton Williams (started 24 of 33 games he saw action in; 14.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 40.0 FG%, 34.2% 3PT FG%, 77.7% FT%; team-best 79 made threes); F Christian Moore (Started 23 of the 31 games he saw action in; 11.2 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 43% FG%, 38.7 3PT FG%, 63 made three-pointers); G Carter Kingsbury (Started 30 games in 31 games he played in; 8.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 67 assists, 44 FG%, 74.4% FT%); G Eze Wali (Started 32 games of the 33 games he played in; 5.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, team-leading 76 assists, 33 steals, 35.6% FG%); G Logan Applegate (Started three of the 33 games he played in; 6.5 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 36.8 FG%, 31.8% 3PT FG%, 49 made threes); C Simeon German (Started 15 of the 28 games he played in; 1.8 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 43.6 FG%, 11 blks).

Others Lost: (3)--F Dante Kearse (3.6 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 41.5% 3PT FG%, 22 made threes); G Gabe Hernandez (2.0 PPG, 0.5 RPG, 37.8 FG%); G Rowan Irelan (saw action in five games, 1.8 PPG, 0.6 RPG)

Best Returning Player: G Kenyan Davis (4.8 PPG, 1.4 RPG)

Potential Breakout Player in 2026-27: Marcos Gonzales (4.4 PPG, 1.6 RPG)

Best Transfer Portal Get: G-Eddrin Bronson (Furman)

Potential Glue Guy: G-Kenyan Davis (4.8 PPG, 1.4 RPG)

Best Freshman Addition: F/G Aaron Ekwere or F Jack Seiders

Overall Portal/Recruiting Synopsis and Grade: B+

SoCon Hoops Summer Series 2026: Western Carolina Reloaded and Ready For Title Run

 

WCU Sophomore Center Samuel Dada/photo courtesy of WCU athletics

Western carolina (15-16, 10-8/5th in socon)

Last season Western Carolina's men's basketball team caught fire at the right time, winning six-straight entering the Southern Conference Tournament, and with a 14-point halftime lead over top seeded East Tennessee State, appeared well on their way to the title game Monday night in Asheville, as well as an eighth-straight win. The Catamounts had opened their account in Asheville with an impressive 77-73 come-from-behind win over No. 4 seed Mercer the previous night.

Then with about eight minutes remaining in the semifinal clash against the Bucs, WCU hit a wall. They couldn't make shots from the field or the free throw line, and adversity hit at exactly the wrong time for head coach Tim Craft's team. 

The difference in that semifinal and the one in 2023 was that Western Carolina was the one that blew the big lead this time around rather than the one that scratched and clawed their way back into one it trailed by as much as 22 in 2023 against top-seeded Furman. The result, however, in both was the same-a loss by two points. 

Craft was still the head coach at Gardner-Webb in the 2023 semifinal, 83-81, overtime loss to Furman, but he experienced the same heartbreak as predecessor Justin Gray did at the penultimate step in March in the same venue--the Harrah's Cherokee Center Asheville--as he could only watch everything that the Cats had built over the final month of the regular-season to solidify an opening-round bye crumble in the span of just over eight minutes. 

A 12-2 run by the top-seeded Bucs over the final three minutes was Western Carolina's ultimate undoing, and it would see the Bucs post what was a 69-67 semifinal win. The top-seeded Bucs had to fight and claw much like Western had three years earlier against Furman, however, that might have proved costly in the quick turnaround to Monday night, as Furman dispatched the top-seeded Bucs, 76-62 in Asheville to make it back to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in four years. 

Western Carolina has been that program so close to getting back to the ultimate proving ground of the Southern Conference basketball hierarchy, which has now narrowly missed out twice on making it back to the their first title game in over a decade. 

Had the Catamounts been able to win either of those semifinal tilts--2023 vs. No.1 seed Furman or 2026 vs. No. 1 seed ETSU--the Catamounts would have been playing for the right to make an NCAA Tournament for just the second time since joining the NCAA Division I ranks in 1975-76. In case you were wondering, the last time the Catamounts made it to the championship game of the tournament was 2014, losing to Wofford in the championship game, 56-53. 

That 2013-14 campaign had seen the Catamounts flip the script when facing the top overall seed in the SoCon Tournament in Asheville, defeating No. 1 Davidson, 99-97, in overtime in what was the Wildcats' final game as a SoCon hoops member before joining the Atlantic 10. 

In 2012, the Catamounts made it all the way to the title game from the opening round but came up just short of becoming the first team since Clemson to win four games in four days in 1939, as the Catamounts dropped a 93-91 double-overtime game against No. 1 Davidson in the title game in the first tournament played back in Asheville since 1995. 

That was just a year prior to moving to the Greensboro Coliseum, which would be the sight of WCU's greatest athletic achievement as an NCAA Division I athletics program, with the Catamounts shocking top seeded and SoCon unbeaten Davidson, 69-60, in the title game. 

Ultimately, Western Carolina has been right there at the door threatening to knock it back down, but Tim Craft has been charged with the task of doing what Larry Hunter, Mark Prosser, and Justin Gray have failed to do, which is get the Catamounts back to the Big Dance for a second time in program history.

Now entering his third season as the head coach, Craft has a good familiarity with the SoCon and will work and what won't. Like every other coach in the league, Craft had to build his roster based on what he knows what has worked in his previous two seasons as the head coach, and that's also based a little on what hasn't worked as well. 

Figuring out a winning culture in Cullowhee has been a difficult thing for some recent coaches, with guys like Justin Gray and Prosser looking for the quickest way out of Cullowhee. Tim Craft doesn't exactly strike me as that type of individual, however, and I think he wants to leave his own mark on the Catamount basketball legacy.

Without any disrespect to any other sports program at Western Carolina, this is the sport that Cullowhee should be behind. We've seen what it's like when the Ramsey Center is filled to the brim just as it was just three years ago in what was WCU's greatest regular-season as an NCAA Division I program, when the Catamounts took on Samford before better than 5,000 fans in what was part of a 22-win season.

A lot has changed in that short time, and it's a lot harder to keep even a few players around more than a season or two, so sometimes how you build that winning culture is largely based on how you do it from season-to-season rather than development within four and five-year windows. What WCU needs is a coach that will actually stay through one four-year cycle, and that has maybe been a bigger challenge than keeping any player around for that period of time.

That's what you have to admire about a guy like Marcus Kell, who stayed through a coaching change and waited his turn to get his chance. Now, Kell has transferred within the league to Furman, which on the surface might look bad, however, not when taken in the different viewpoint that players have as opposed to fans. To players, this is a business. 

To fans, it's about rivalries. But Kell's contributions will likely all be forgotten back on at least two nights next season, when Craft and the Catamounts try and beat Furman on the hardwood, just as they did twice this past season.  The Catamounts posted their first win in Greenville since 2012 with an 80-77 win over the Paladins last season, while handing Furman one of its worst SoCon losses over the past decade, posting an 86-67 win over the Paladins on the final day of the regular-season to lock down the No. 5 seed in the tournament. 

That win over the Paladins was win No. 6 in a row, which was then promptly followed by winning a 79-77 thriller over No. 4 seeded Mercer in the final quarterfinal of the opening two days of the tournament. 

The point I am making is there are fewer Marcus Kell's these days, and the fact that he stayed through a coaching change to get a chance to progress means that he valued the program over any allegiances that he might have had to a coach. 

Kell is only one of the major departures the Catamounts and coach Craft had to address during the off-season, with others like guards Tahlan Pettway, Tijdianne Dioumassi, Julien Soumaro, Justin Johnson, CJ Hyland and Cord Stansberry to name a few. While Kell ended up at Furman, WCU's other top player--Cord Stansberry--ended up finding a place on Dennis Gate's roster at Missouri. 

In the front court, Chase McKey, Vernon Collins, and Abdulai Fanta-Kabba have all departed. That represents a large majority of the scoring and rebounding off a team that helped establish itself as one of the most physical teams in the SoCon last season, and one of the top rebounding units in the league and one of the best in the country, with the Catamounts finishing the season ranking 12th nationally in offensive rebounding (13.81 OFF RPG) and 23rd in overall rebounding margin (+6.0).

Just three players return off last season's roster, with the only major contributor being Samuel Dada. Dada is one piece, but he is a major piece and will have a chance to develop into one of the league's top big men this season. 

One thing you have to admire about Craft's Catamounts last season is they went out and challenged themselves in the non-conference, taking on the likes of Cincinnati, Duke, Virginia Tech and Georgia in the pre-league slate. They didn't duck any smoke, and as a result, it made Western Carolina a better basketball team for having played those games as the season progressed. 

The time is now for Western Carolina basketball, and let's see what Craft's Catamounts can do in year three after making some pretty major improvements for year one to year two. After winning just eight games in Craft's first season, he nearly doubled the win total last season with 15 wins and a top five finish last season. Now will be a bit bigger challenge, without having guys like Kell and Cord Stansberry around to help build a solid core around, however, the incoming roster might be Craft's most talented to date.

Portal Losses/Portal Adds and Returners

WCU sophomore center Samuel Dada/photo courtesy of WCU Athletics

Western Carolina went out and made some useful additions from the transfer portal once again this season, but it's the major returnee, in Samuel Dada that has a lot of Catamount fans excited. 

The 6-9 rising sophomore hails from Lagos, Nigeria, and comes off a stellar freshman campaign which saw him average 6.6 PPG and 7.6 RPG, seeing action in all 31 games, including having made 12 starts.  

To me, Dada is the type of player that has the potential to enjoy the type Achor Achor had at Samford from his first year as a Bulldog to his second, without maybe some of the drama that went along with Achor at times.

But like Achor, Dada has that "it" factor about him, and there's a lot to like about the energy he brings to this WCU team. Last season, Dada was one of two Catamounts to appear in all 31 games, as well as being one of seven to score at least 200 points, finishing the campaign with 204 and finished his rookie season by reaching double figures 10 times, which included his signature performance of the season in early January, posting 19 points and 14 rebounds in a heartbreaking loss at Samford last season. 

Dada also nearly missed a double-double performance in a win over VMI last season, posting 14 points and nine boards in what was an 88-58 blowout home win over the Keydets. Dada, who finished the season shooting an impressive 69.0% (87-of-126) from the field last season, put together what was a pair of perfect performances against Voorhees and ETSU last season, connecting on all six shots from the field in a pair of Catamount wins. 

Dada did most of his important board work on the offensive end of the floor, as his 97 offensive rebounds ranked second overall in the SoCon last season, as his 235 total rebounds on the season ended up leading the entire squad. He finished the campaign averaging 3.1 offensive rebounds per game, and he saved his best performance in the SoCon Tournament on the offensive glass, ripping down a season-high nine offensive boards in Western's opening round win over Mercer.

While Dada is the most significant returnee on the roster that is still around and that saw some big minutes a year ago, the others that return off that 2025-26 roster include guards Titian DeRosa and Drew Hollifield, as well as 6-7 forward Tayeshaun Smith. 

The 5-9, 150-lb DeRosa redshirted as a true freshman last season and came to WCU from Whitman High School and hails from Bethesda, MD.  He posted 15 PPG and four rebounds-per-game as a prep, while shooting 43.5% from three-point range.

Hollifield is a 5-11 redshirt sophomore guard out of Shelby, N.C., that didn't see much action as a true freshman for the Catamounts last season. Hollifield logged action in six contests, averaging 2.2 PPG and 0.3 RPG. 

Tayeshaun Smith saw the most meaningful minutes for the Catamounts outside of Dada last season. Smith ended up making appearances in 30 of 31 games for the Purple and Gold last season, totaling 45 points on the season, including a season and career-high 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the floor in a lopsided win over Virginia-Lynchburg last season. 

Smith also posted nine points, which included burying a pair of triples in Western's loss at Georgia. All told, Smith finished the season averaging 1.5 PPG and 1.7 RPG, shooting 41.0% (16-of-39) from the field. At 6-7, 220 lbs, Smith has the size and athleticism to once again give the Catamounts some serviceable reserve minutes at the four position in 2026-27. 

WCU guard Malachi Brown comes to Cullowhee having posted an impressive career so far

Tim Craft and staff went out and secured the signatures of 10 newcomers that will be employed to provide immediate impact to the 2026-27 Catamounts, joining the quartet returning from a year ago.  

Six portal transfers and four freshmen comprise the total breakdown set to join for the 2026-27 season and it's a haul that will likely play immediate dividends, giving the Catamounts to finish among the upper echelon in the league and perhaps even be a dark horse for the league regular-season and tournament titles for a second-straight season. 

Leading the impressive list of incoming talent is 6-1 senior guard Malachi Brown, who comes to Western Carolina after having spent the past two seasons at Georgia State and a season at Seton Hall, which is where he started his college basketball journey back during the 2023-24 season as a freshman, helping the Pirates to the NIT crown as a reserve guard off the bench. 

Brown's most significant impact as a player came during his time at Georgia State. The Legacy Early College product out of Greenville, S.C., who is a native of Buford, GA., returned to his home state in search of more playing time following the 2023-24 campaign. He would be a major impact player for the Panthers over the course of his sophomore and junior campaigns, as he logged action in a total of 65 games over the last two campaigns he spent in Atlanta.

In those two seasons, Brown posted 622 points, averaging 10.2 PPG over the course of two seasons with the Panthers, including averaging an impressive 12.9 PPG in the 2025-26 campaign. His most impressive attribute is his tremendous acumen as a three-point specialist, posting a 38% shooting clip, while knocking down 96 triples (96-of-253) from long-range over the course of two seasons, including having gone 58-of-150 from downtown (38.7%) this past season. 

In terms of overall field goal percentage, Brown connected at a 42.6% (218-of-512) from the field in two seasons at Georgia State, scoring in double figures in 20 of 28 games last season, which included six 20-plus point scoring performances in 2025-26. He started 31 of 32 games last season for the Panthers and started a totaled 62 starts in his 65 total games in two seasons at GSU. 

Brown has the ability to play either the point guard spot or can play off the ball, averaging 3.2 APG in his two seasons as a Panther, totaling 193 assists across two seasons in Atlanta, including posting 111 helpers during the 2024-25 campaign. Brown posted an impressive 1.85 assist-turnover-ratio to rank fourth in the Sun Belt in the 2024-25 campaign. 

He finished with several impressive performances in Sun Belt play last season, posting a season-high 26 points 76-71 late-season home loss to Coastal Carolina, while posting a career-high 10 rebounds in 69-62 home win over Southern Miss. 

Brown will remind WCU fans a little of a smaller version of Tidjiane Dioumassi, with his defensive ability and his ability to rebound as a guard. In two seasons with the Panthers, Brown posted 3.8 RPG in his two seasons at Georgia State and was second on the team with 37 steals in 2024-25. 

In his time at Seton Hall, Brown logged action in 18 games off the bench in his freshman season at Seton Hall back in 2023-24. In his time at Legacy Early College in 2022-23, he averaged an impressive 22.6 PPG, 4.3 APG and 4.0 RPG in 2022-23 and in his senior season at Buford HS in Buford, GA in 2021-22, he helped the Wolves to a 6A State title.

While Brown will give the Catamounts an instant All-SoCon caliber player as a combo guard in the backcourt, Craft and staff went out and found a quality big man to help give Samuel Dada some help in the low-post, as the Catamounts added 6-10, 225-lb redshirt junior Donovan Raymond from Old Dominion, where he has spent the past two seasons. 

Raymond played the past two seasons with the Monarchs after starting his career at Hampton where he ended up redshirting after seeing time in only eight games. He totaled 51 games over the past two seasons at Old Dominion, and he has the potential to have a big impact for the Catamounts in the coming basketball season. The Charlotte native could log action in the paint alongside of Dada, making the Catamounts once again a force in the paint. 

In his first season with the Monarchs, Raymond saw action in a total of 20 games, finishing his sophomore season averaging 1.9 PPG and 1.7 RPG. His overall size and rebounding ability to be another force on the backboards are two characteristics that coach Craft loves, as he looks to mould this team into very much the same image as the one that he had last season, which possessed a certain amount of grit and toughness. That came in handy down the stretch in the grueling rigors of SoCon regular-season play. 

In keeping with the front court theme, the most impressive acquisition during the off-season via the transfer portal might have been 6-8 Isaiah Manning, who comes to Cullowhee after having spent time at both Sam Houston State and TCU, respectively. 

Manning spent just one season at SHSU, seeing action in total of 16 games, where he averaged 10.7 PPG and 3.9 RPG. He finished the season by connecting on 46% from the field, while knocking down a total of 22 triples and was solid from the charity stripe, connecting on 33-of-38 from the line. He finished the season with nine double-figure scoring performances, with his highlight of the season being a 27-point, 10-rebound performance against Biblical Studies. 

Manning will be a key piece and will look to be one of the go-to-performers in the paint this season for the Catamounts and will likely contend for a starting spot in the post right away this season. Manning will have one season of eligibility remaining in Cullowhee.  

Guards Jaxon Prunty and Jaeden Roberts round out the players that joined from the transfer portal during the spring, and both figure to have some impact this coming season, though it will be hard to completely replace the collective talent the Catamounts lost in the backcourt from a year ago.

Prunty is a 6-6 junior combo guard that comes to Catamount country from the College of Charleston, where he spent his first two seasons playing college basketball. He saw action in 37 games over the course of two seasons, however, logged action in only five contests during the 2024-25 season. 

Last season, Prunty was given more time to show what he could do, logging action in total of 32 games, which included making 10 starts for the Cougars. Prunty finished the season scoring 123 points in the time he logged in the lineup with CofC, and he ended up averaging 3.8 PPG and posted a total of 63 rebounds, averaging 2.0 boards-per-game.  

His top performance while in uniform with the Cougars was a 13-point effort, which he recorded in a 94-77 loss. Prunty ended that contest by connecting on 1-of-3 shots from the field, including going 1-for-2 from three-point land. He logged 33 minutes of action in the loss to the Owls and was a perfect 10-for-10 from the line.  

Prunty ended up shooting just 33.3% (32-of-96) from the field for the Cougars last season, and only 26.1% (12-of-46) from three-point land.  Look for those numbers to improve with a more regular role as a part of Tim Craft's offense this coming season, as he expects to be a significant part of the Catamounts rotation this coming season. 

Roberts also plied his trade in the CAA prior to coming to Western Carolina, as he played for the Hofstra Pride before his arrival in Cullowhee. The 6-3 sophomore guard will have three years of eligibility remaining, and as a he saw time in 23 games off the bench in his only season in West Hempstead, NY. He posted four double-figure performances during his time with the Pride. 

Roberts is the latest talented guard out of the state of Massachussetts to come to the Southern Conference, joining both Alex Wilkins (Furman) and Tahlan Pettway (Western Carolina), who both starred in the league last season. Wilkins moved on to Kentucky, while Pettway moved on to mid-major power UNC Wilmington in the CAA.  Roberts hopes to have the same kind of impact that both Wilkins and Roberts did.

During his Hofstra, Roberts recorded his best performance against North Carolina A&T, as he posted 20 points in that contest, as he went 6-for-9 from the field, which included a 5-for-7 effort from three-point land. Roberts posted a 17-point effort in a game against Old Westbury, while finishing with 14 points against Campbell and finished with 11 in a game against Syracuse. 

He finished his one season with the Pride averaging 4.1 PPG, 0.8 APG and 0.8 RPG. Roberts has a high ceiling, and like Prunty, Roberts should thrive in Tim Craft's system, which is a dream offense if you're a perimeter threat, which Roberts is. Roberts was a 41.2% (21-of-51) shooter from long range last season. 

Combo guard Travelle Bryson at Howard last season

Junior Travelle Bryson is another addition from the transfer portal that will add another combo guard/small forward into the fold this coming season. 

Bryson hails from Anderson, S.C., and was attended the same prep school that produced Malachi Brown, which is Legacy Early College in Greenville, S.C. 

Bryson has spent time at both JUCO Vincennes University and then last season at the Howard playing for the Bison, helping them to make the NCAA Tournament last March. Bryson logged action in 32 games in his lone season with Howard, scoring a total of 273 points, averaging 8.5 PPG. 

He brought down 103 rebounds to finish out the season averaging 3.3 RPG and finished shooting a solid 46.2% from the floor and was an impressive 81.6% from the charity stripe.  Bryson's top performance of the season came in a 100-67 win over North Carolina Central, as he posted 22 points on a 10-of-11 shooting effort from the field, which included a 5-for-7 effort from the line.  In his one season with Howard, Bryson posted 11 starts in 32 outings. 

Rounding out the players to join the program from the transfer portal is Cross Arias, who hails from just up the road in Lincolnton, N.C., and he spent his debut season at Emory & Henry. Arias will be a preferred walk-on for the Catamounts this season.

freshman/walk-on additions

For the second-straight season, Western Carolina really went out and hit the recruiting trail hard and that work paid off, as the Catamounts brought in one of the most talented and one of the more athletic recruiting classes in the SoCon. 

Four freshmen will have a chance to make a pretty big impact. Point guard Jacob Zhu, forward Fola Sodipo, freshman combo guard Antonio McKoy and combo guard Jose Martins are a talented group of freshmen that can make an impact right away this coming season for the Catamounts.

Zhu is a 6-1, 175-lb point guard that comes to WCU from Atlanta, GA, following his senior season spent at Overtime with Fear of God Christian Academy where he ended up averaging an impressive 13.4 PPG and 4.1 APG.   Zhu also showed that he was an outstanding shooter from long-range, connecting on 42.6% of his shots from long range during his senior season as a prep.

He performed especially well as a member of the U-19 Chinese National Team in the World Cup, as well as in the National Games of the People's Republic of China.  He had an outstanding performance in the World Cup against the Canadian National Team, posting 19 points, while finishing with 26 points during a qualification tournament, helping lead the Chinese National Team to a bronze medal. Zhu, who is listed as a three-star recruit by some services, figures to compete for the starting point guard role and his quickness running the point could be a game-changer for the Catamounts in the coming 2026-27 season. 

Combo guards Antonio McKoy and and Jose Martins also figure to compete for some big roles for the Catamounts in the coming campaign. McKoy is a native of Salemsburg, N.C., and played is prep basketball at Harrells Christian Academy, turning in an impressive prep career. McKoy is an absolute highlight-reel player at wing guard and can score at all three levels on the floor. The 6-6 guard scored an astounding 3,000 points in his high school career, including 1,051 points alone in his senior campaign, sporting an average of 28.4 PPG. In addition to his 3,000-career points as a prep, McKoy also pulled down 1,119 rebounds and dished out over 300 assists in his prep career. 

Like Zhu, it wouldn't shock me at all if McKoy started from the outset of his career at Western.  As has been the case with so many guards in WCU's past, McKoy is best when he can get down hill and get a defender on his shoulder, with the ability to use his power and athleticism. He reminds of guys from the 1990s and early 2000s that played at WCU like Dondrell Whitmore, Bobby Phillips and Jarvis Hayes, who were all similar type of players to that of McKoy.

As for Martins, he's a 6-4 guard that played point at Seven Lakes High School in Katy, TX, but can also play off the ball, which he will probably be asked to do a little of both this season. He could offer a nice changeup to the diminutive overall quickness of a guy like Zhu.  During his time at Seven Lakes High School, Martins was named 19-6A first-team All-District and averaged 12.2 PPG on an impressive 53.6% shooting from the field, which included an impressive 36% from long-range.

One of the most impressive things about Martins, however, is his length and quickness to affect passing lanes and close down gaps will be something that the Catamounts can use to improve their perimeter defense this season. Martins was able to use that length and athleticism to post 75 steals as a senior. Martins also spent time with the U18 Brazilian National Team last summer.

Rounding out the class of talented freshman commitments for head coach Tim Craft heading into the 2026-27 season is 6-8 Fola Sodipo, who comes to Cullowhee from the same city as Martins--Katy, TX--but played at a different high school, as Sodipo attended Tompkins High School. The 215-lb forward will most likely lend support immediately playing the four position this season for the Catamounts, and as his game grows and he gets stronger, could also play some five. 

Sodipo is extremely efficient around the basket, averaging 18.3 PPG during his four-year prep career, posting 8.2 RPG, and showed excellent skill for a big man, dishing out 2.4 APG over his four years at Tompkins. His versatility can be found with a little more of a deep dive into his impressive numbers as a prep, as he connected on 58% from the field and 38% from long-range. 

Sodipo was also impressive on the defensive end of the floor, where his superior athleticism allowed him to average 2.6 steals-per-game and a blocked shot per game over the course of his prep career. Like Martins, Sodipo was an all-district team selection, while also garnering defensive player of the year accolades as a senior.

This is one of the most impressive freshman classes brought in by the Catamounts in quite sometime, as it appears to be even better than the one brought in by Craft last season. These four are going to be fun to watch in Cullowhee. Catamount nation better enjoy this quartet while they have them because they don't appear to be guys that will be overlooked for long by power six programs. 

Catamount Outlook for 2026-27

Originally, I had thought the Catamounts might be in for a down year because it's so hard to replace 10 outgoing players, especially with talents like Cord Stansberry, Marcus Kell and Tahlan Pettway all having moved on, as all could have returned to Cullowhee this season, but all decided to transfer for to get paid more money. 

However, head coach Tim Craft and staff did maybe the best job of replacing the outgoing talent with an eclectic blend of talent from the transfer portal, as well as four talented freshmen, as well as returning Samuel Dada and an improved Tayeshaun Smith into the fold. 

There may not be a more physical big man and more talented defender in the post than Samuel Dada. He was also a menace on the offensive glass last season, and if he can learn to stay out of foul trouble, he could really have an all-conference type of season. In fact, he'll be on one of my all-conference teams heading into the 2026-27 season. Putting him underneath with a versatile, athletic big like Fola Sodipo is going to be fun to watch.

The Catamounts also have a nice blend in the backcourt, with the size discrepancy between Jacob Zhu and Jose Martins offering a nice 1-2 punch at point guard. I won't go as far as to say that this team is better than last year's team, but it definitely could build on and eclipse the breakthrough season had by Craft last season in Cullowhee. This team will be pretty good defensively, with the only question mark that I really have being low-post depth.

It also might be too early to tell whether or not this is a better shooting team or not, but there's a good chance that it is at least on-par with a 2025-26 team that only seemingly shot the ball better and better, especially from deep, as it got later in the season.

Catamounts Breakdown 2026-27

Players With Starting Experience Lost: (8) G-Cord Stansberry (started 29 of 30 games played, 14.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 36.0% FG% . 29.6% 3PT FG%, 59 made threes, 80.3% FT%/Third-Team All-SoCon selection/transferred to Missouri); F Marcus Kell (started all 31 games for the Catamounts, 13.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 44.6% FG%, 29.7% 3PT FG%, 42 made threes/transferred to Furman); G Julien Soumaoro (started 23 of 27 games he logged action in last season, 11.6 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 2.2 APG, 42.1% FG%, 39.8% 3PT FG%, team-leading 64 made threes/out of eligibility); G-Tidjiane Diouassi (started 24 of 29 games he logged action in,  8.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG, team-leading 2.7 APG, 44.0% FG%, 36.4 3PT FG%, 24 made threes/out of eligibility); G Tahlan Pettway (started 10 of the 30 games he logged action in, 8.5 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 2.3 APG, 43.1% FG%, 39.4% 3PT FG%, 50 made threes, 76.2% FT%/transferred to UNC Wilmington); G-CJ Hyland (started four of the 20 games he logged action in, 6.2 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 40.9% FG%, 42.9% 3PT FG%, 16 made threes/transferred to the University of Denver); G/F Justin Johnson (Started three of the 30 games he logged action in, 6.7 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 41.1% FG%/transferred to Arkansas State); C-Abdulai Fanta-Kabba (Started 19 of 29 games he logged action in, 4.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 67.4% FG%; team-leading 27 blocked shots/transferred to the University of Denver)

Other Significant Losses: G-Fischer Brown (2.2 PPG, 0.3 RPG); C-Vernon Collins (only played in four games/transferred to UNCG)

Potential Breakout Player in 2026-27: Samuel Dada (6.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG)

Best Returning Player: Samuel Dada (6.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG)

Best Transfer Portal Get:  G-Malachi Brown (Georgia State)

Potential Glue Guy: CG-Travelle Bryson (8.5 PPG, 3.3 RPG at Howard in 2025-26)

Best Freshman Addition: CG Antonio McKoy (Harrells Christian Academy NC) or F-Fola Sodipo (Tompkins High School/Katy TX)

Overall Portal/Freshman Recruiting Synopsis and Grade: A+

SoCon Hoops Summer Series 2026: Chattanooga Looks To Regroup After Dismal 2025-26 Season

 

  Chattanooga ( 13-19, 7-11 Socon/8th in SoCon)   

Chattanooga's NIT run was something for the whole league to celebrate at the end of the 2024-25 season, however, that awesome run in the spring of 2025, coupled with most of the team needing to replaced prior to the 2025-26 season, made for an incredibly tough rebuild. 

The season was dismal enough to warrant a place on the opening night of the Southern Conference Tournament, which is a place the Mocs rarely, if ever find themselves at the end of a college basketball season--in the play-in round of the Southern Conference Tournament. It must have seemed at least somewhat fitting then, that  the No. 9 seeded The Citadel Bulldogs ended the season mercifully for the Mocs and Earl, upsetting the Mocs 88-85 in the opening game of the Southern Conference Tournament. 

Another bizarre stat to come out of the forgettable season was the fact that the Mocs--for the first time in the 42-year history of the Roundhouse (Mckenzie Arena) --Chattanooga finished with a losing record on its home floor (7-8). That also seemed somewhat fitting seeing as how bizarre and uncanny the season was by Chattanooga's lofty standards.

Part of the problem last season was an injury bug that had a bite like few I've seen in my time covering the Southern Conference; however, that's not something Dan Earl nor his staff will let creep in as an excuse for last season's 13-19 campaign.

The 2025-26 season, however, wasn't all bad. We got to see the emergence of one of the best young point guards in the SoCon in Tate Darner, and the emergence of a potential future all-conference big man, in Josh Bowman. Those two will serve as the two pillars for future growth, which will start immediately in 2026-27. 

Darner and Bowman are two of six returnees off last season's roster, however, only three of those players saw action, with Darner and Bowman both logging the most time and significant roles as young players. 

The other returnee to carve out a significant role and set up an exceedingly bright future in the lineup last season as a walk-on was Houston Holland. Holland's ability as a shooter and hustle on both ends of the floor were two notable positives that Earl might not have discovered without that rash of injuries that seemingly hit the Mocs team all at once. 

The Mocs had what looked to be a dynamic backcourt heading into the season, which is the reason many had the Mocs to picked to repeat as the regular-season champions last season. With the likes of Teddy Washington Jr. (transferred in from SEMO), veteran point guard Brennan Watkins (transferred in from North Dakota State), gritty defender and good shooter Billy Smiith (Bellarmine), athletic combo guard Jikari Johnson (Trevecca Nazarene) and elite scoring guard Jordan Frison (Pittsburg State), Chattanooga had a collection of talent and depth in the backcourt that at least on paper, few could match.

But that is sometimes what happens when you play games on paper, and it's also what happens sometimes when you recruit too much talent in one area, which I kind of what I think happened to Earl and staff last season. 

The Mocs had too much talent and not enough minutes to make that talent happy and that, coupled with injuries from my perspective at least, had at least some if not all to do with overall team performance falling well below expectations last season. But that's just one man's viewpoint. 

Pittsburg  State transfer guard Jordan Frison, who was the UTC's most dynamic offensive player last season, said of the 2025-26 Mocs that it "was the most connected team he'd ever been a part of" at the postgame press conference following the 88-85 opening round loss to The Citadel to end UTC's season. That drew a confused scowl from head coach Dan Earl, as the comment didn't quite fit the narrative that was written by the team. 

Frison was part of a mass exodus, which was due to either being out of eligibility  or seeking better opportunities, for which the all-conference Mocs leading scorer chose the latter, as he will be a big part of the new crop of portal talent for Wichita State in 2026-27. 

The Mocs became almost totally reliant on that backcourt talent due to that rash of injuries hitting the frontcourt with some punch, affecting both front court depth, as well as shifting almost completely the team dynamic to being almost totally reliant on hitting perimeter shots, and when the Mocs did that a year ago, they could beat just about anyone, which they proved on the road at Mercer, handing the Bears their lone home loss (14-1 at Hawkins Arena in 2025-26) as well as knocking off other top teams, including also taking down Wofford on the road and Samford inside the friendly confines of McKenzie Arena. 

When the Mocs didn't hit their perimeter jumpers, they were capable of losing to anyone in 2025-26, which it proved in an allowing SoCon last-place VMI (1-17 in league play; defeated UTC 79-71 on Jan. 3 in first game of 2026) to pick up its lone conference win of the season, as well as dropping their first home contest to The Citadel since 2013 (L 78-71 at McKenzie Arena on Feb.7). The Mocs went a combined 16-of-53 (30.1%) from three-point range combined in those losses to VMI and The Citadel last season. 

Season-ending injuries to Sean Cusano, Sebastian Hartmann and a severely limited Collin Mulholland due to a pain tolerance issue with a nagging knee injury, spelled doom from almost the outset of the season.  

That severely compromised Mocs front court eventually forced the redshirt to be removed from Josh Bowman, who was scheduled to redshirt prior to the season, forced Earl to have to remove the redshirt to make the numbers work last season. Hartmann and Mulholland have moved on, while veteran Makai Richards is out of eligibility, leaving only Cusano and Bowman as the only returnees from last season's front court rotation. 

With the front court suffering so many injury issues in 2025-26, it would show up in several significant statistical categories, and it would cause some notable declines in areas, which had seen the Mocs perform well in as a part of their NIT title run in 2024-25. 

In fact, the injury bug in the front court led to a stark decline in almost every statistically measurable stat underneath the basket from a 2024-25 season, which even without Frank Champion in the opening portion and latter thirds of the season, was still both efficient on offense and rebounded the ball extremely well on both ends en route to a school-record 29 wins. 

Guys like Garrison Keeslar, Cusano, Mulholland, Richards and even Bash Wieland (even though he was a wing guard) were clutch and especially good on the backboards during that awesome NIT run.

In Chattanooga's NIT Title season, the Mocs ranked 135th in defensive rebounding percentage (29.0%), which is actually pretty good. 

In 2025-26, the Mocs finished the season ranked 240th in that same category, allowing teams to get 31.7% of the rebounds on their offensive end of the floor. That was due in large measure to the lack of overall size and depth at the disposal of Earl and staff. That left the team very much out of balance, with most nights having to rely on a steady diet of talented guards to make perimeter shots to ultimately get wins.

The backcourt issues weren't on the offensive end, but rather more of a defensive issue. Teams had easy access to the paint more often than not because of Chattanooga's lack of defensive focus. Outside of Teddy Washington Jr., the Mocs played perimeter defense at spots in most games, but far too often they were leaving an undermanned and oftentimes outmanned Mocs team in the low-post exposed and at the mercy of opposing bigs, and that would cause issues throughout the season. 

The good news is  that, for better or worse, most of that talent has moved elsewhere in the portal. The most notable loss in the backcourt from this past season is obviously Jordan Frison, who ended up being UTC's best portal "get" by far from the 2025-26 season.

Frison is now the latest guard from the SoCon ranks to join the Wichita State program, as he follows in the footsteps of former ETSU guard and 2025 SoCon Defensive Player of the Year Karon Boyd, as well as former All-SoCon guard and UNCG Spartan Kenyon Giles. 

Both Boyd and Giles had huge success this past season in Wichita, as Boyd started all 36 games and averaged 10.9 PPG and 5.8 RPG, while Giles finished out his campaign at WSU as the single-season record-holder for three pointers made (125), attempted (331), threes made per-game (3.47) and threes attempted per game (7.0), as well as finishing the season leading the Shockers in scoring at 19.1 PPG.

It's safe to say that the Shockers head coach--Paul Mills--likely sees a lot of the same in Frison. Despite UTC's struggles on the defensive end of the floor,  Frison was a player that had the kind of offensive capabilities to take over a game in the same way that Giles provided last season  for the Mocs. 

Frison finished out his one season at UTC by garnering Third-Team All-SoCon honors last season for the Mocs after leading UTC at 16.4 PPG, while also adding 3.3 RPG and a team-leading last season. He finished out his one season in the Scenic City by posting 25 double-figure scoring performances in the 29 total games he suited up for the Mocs this past season. 

He garnered SoCon Player of the Week honors in the final week of the regular-season, as he put the cherry on top of that performance with a career-high 33 points in the regular-season finale, 86-79, win over VMI. 

Like Giles, Frison also shot the ball well from three-point range, which was another reason that the Shockers came calling with checkbook ready. In his one season with Chattanooga, Frison connected on a blistering 45.1% (46-of-102) from three-point land. I see Frison being an instant offensive impact player for the Shockers in 2026-27.

Other losses include a pair of grad transfers, in Teddy Washington Jr (9.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG) and Jikari Johnson (7.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG), with neither player living up to maybe some of the preseason expectations that were bestowed upon each. Fair or unfair, that is one of the realities of getting paid, as your work is more there to be readily scrutinized.  

Billy Smith (9.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG) showed flashes in his final season of his playing career with Chattanooga, as did Brennan Watkins (10.2 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 45.6% from 3pt range), but both were a bit of a liability on the defensive end of the floor, especially when the opposition had especially athletic guards and wings. 

The future is now for Earl and staff, and not only did he have to seemingly assemble a new team from almost scratch once again, he also had to bid farewell to one his loyal assistants, in Associate Head Coach Scott Greenman, who decided to resign and pursue a career outside of basketball after an extensive 19-year coaching career. 

The Mocs are now a team on a mission and while there was a talent once again procured from the transfer portal, the challenge of getting back to the top of the league rather than sustaining the success you had is a challenge that hits differently, but one that Earl and staff will no doubt meet head on.

Chattanooga PG Tate Darner (photo courtesy of UTC athletics)

Portal Losses/Portal Adds and Returners

Despite the fact that there is only a total of five players returning off Chattanooga's roster from the 2024-25 season, there are seemingly a lot of good vibes going around the Mocs basketball program during the off-season, with the return of guards Tate Darner, Zach Bleshoy, Houston Holland and Liam Vitters, as well as Sean Cusano and Josh Bowman in the front court. 

It all starts with Tate Darner, who is a player that goes from being a rookie with a bright future to being a core leader as a sophomore, and he's a player that was forced to grow up a lot quicker than he might have originally perceived when he committed to UTC, but the major silver lining for Darner when he reflects on his career one day is the fact that the struggles of 2025-26 happened because it will shape his identity as a player and his leadership qualities in the future, which will begin in his sophomore season.

It also doesn't hurt that one of Darner's primary influences is his father, who is the son of a head coach, in Linc Darner, who is the current head coach of Division II program Tampa University. Darner has a high basketball IQ and is a player that showed an uncanny maturity for making the right decisions with the basketball last season.

Last season, the 6-4 Darner saw action in all 30 of 32 games, which included making 18 starts. He missed his lone two games of the season due to a minor injury, and his 27.5 minutes-per-game average last season ranked second on the team. 

Darner was right on the cusp of averaging in double figures for Chattanooga last season, finishing out the season averaging 9.9 PPG to go with 4.4 RPG and 1.7 APG. He showed his proficiency as a three-point shooter by connecting on 37.9% (53-of-140) from downtown last season, with his 53 made triples setting a new Chattanooga freshman record, as he surpassed former Mocs player Kevin Easley's mark of 50 made trifectas, which he recorded during the 2018-19 season.  

All told, Darner posted double figures in a total of 12 games during his rookie campaign, which included a season-high 18 points on 6-of-11 from the field in an early February home win over Mercer. Darner was also strong in his final performance of the 2025-26 season, which came in the opening round loss to The Citadel in the Southern Conference Tournament, finishing that contest with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field, including going 4-for-7 from three-point land in the loss.

Darner also finished the campaign as a 73.6% (39-of-53) from the free throw line, while shooting a solid 45.1% (102-of-226) from the field. 

A player that might have been the best young talent on the roster, but didn't get a chance to play because of a preseason injury that ended his rookie campaign before it had a chance to begin is 6-4 guard Zach Bleshoy. One thing is for sure, and that is that if the injury had not occurred, the three-star prospect (247Sports) out of Marietta, GA and Pope HS would likely not have redshirted.

During his senior season at Pope, Bleshoy averaged 28 PPG, which included some nights scoring the basketball that you couldn't help but notice, posting performances of 39, 35, 29 and 39 points, respectively, during a five-game stretch early on his senior season in 2024-25. Bleshoy chose Chattanooga over several other reputable mid-majors, which included Tulane, Towson, Murray State, Southern Illinois, and Ohio to name a few. 

Bleshoy likely will fill the role as a combo guard for the Mocs in 2026-27, but he possesses the versatility to play the point, which is where he played when he was at Pope.  

HoopSeen ranked Bleshoy as  No. 20 prospect in the Peach State as a senior, while also ranking him the No. 4 point guard. The other major recruiting service to rank Bleshoy as a senior was 247Sports, which in addition to ranking him as a three-star recruit, also ranked him as the 69th-best shooting guard in the Peach State back during his senior season of 2024-25.

Junior guard Houston Holland is a player that played his way into the hearts of Mocs fans, teammates and coaches last season, and he was one of the few positives to emerge from a season that ended up being so disappointing in 2025-26. 

The 6-3 guard reminds me of a lot of guys that have paved their own way in this league as walk-ons in the past, and one that old guard--no pun intended--Chattanooga fans will remember from the 1996-97 season was a guy by the name of Wes Moore, and no I'm not referring to the former women's coach of the Mocs. Another that comes to mind is former App State sharp-shooter Matt McMahon, who was intstrumental in helping the Mountaineers to the 1999-00 SoCon title and has also turned in a pretty solid coaching career for himself following his playing days, with his most recent stop being LSU in 2025-26. 

Both Moore and McMahon were similar to Holland in that they were walk-ons that took full advantage on the opportunities they were given, and in both instances, were instrumental to leading their respective teams to SoCon titles and an NCAA Tournament appearance before their time came to an end. For Moore, his story would be part of one of the greatest athletic achievements in school history, which was helping the Mocs to the '97 Sweet Sixteen in the Big Dance.

While I am not saying Holland will lead Chattanooga to the Sweet Sixteen, NCAA Tournament or even a SoCon title next season or even in his final two years, what I am saying is that like Moore and McMahon, he has that 'it' factor and the positive vibes he gives off are seemingly contagious.

Holland was called into duty last season after the injury bug started to hit the team, and that included seeing action in 28 games, with four starts. Holland is a local product out of small Silverdale Baptist Academy.  He has one of the purest perimeter shots you'll ever see, shooting 46.3% (19-of-41) from the field and 50% (11-of-22) from three-point land last season. 

All told, Holland posted a total of 55 points, 46 rebounds, 16 assists, six steals, and three blocks, as logged a total of 284 minutes in 2025-26. Like Darner, Holland recorded his best overall performance in an early February home win over Mercer, as he finished with 12 points on four made triples in a career-high 24 minutes of floor time in the 79-75 home win.  He was an impressive 4-of-5 from long-range in the win.  Holland finished the season averaging 2.0 PPG, 0.6 RPG and 0.3 RPG. He will once again add depth at shooting guard.

Chattanooga Center Josh Bowman (photo courtesy of UTC Athletics)

Switching from the backcourt to the front court, the other two primary returnees off of last season's squad include both 6-9 wing forward Sean Cusano and 6-9 forward Josh Bowman. Cusano headed into 2025-26 season is one of the primary leaders for a team that graduated so much experience from the NIT Championship team of 2024-25. 

However, unfortunately Cusano would see his season end before it could really begin, appearing in only six games, which included four starts, as he would miss the final 26 games of the season due to suffering a season-ending knee injury on the final day of November in a home game against Tennessee State. 

He played 13 or more minutes in five games before suffering his season-ending knee injury in game six. His best performance of the season came in a game against Tennessee Wesleyan, as he scored a season-high 10 points on a 5-for-8 shooting performance. 

Now a senior, Cusano gives the Mocs the most on-floor experience of any player on the roster coming into the 2026-27 season. Cusano has seen action in a total of 44 games, including having made a total of eight starts in his two previous seasons with the Chattanooga basketball program. The Hilton Head, S.C., native would finish the season averaging 4.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG and 1.0 APG last season.

Another bright spot in a season in which there were few to be frank, was the play of true freshman Josh Bowman, who had planned on taking a redshirt, was called into duty as a result of those injuries last season, and he would perform admirably well.  

Bowman is still developing his overall offensive game, but it was his defense that stood out to me as a young player, as he was one of team's leading players when it came to both blocking shots and affecting shots. In 23 games during the 2025-26 season, Bowman blocked a total of 23 shots and he turned out to be a team-leader in that particular category last season. His 23 blocks in a single-season set a new Mocs freshman record, which had originally been set at 18 by former Mocs standout Sam Alexis back during the 2022-23 season. 

He flirted several times with double-figures on the offensive end of the floor, posting a season-high eight points on five different occasions as a true freshman last season. He recorded a season-high 11 rebounds in his second-career game against Oakwood. 

All told, he finished the season with nine games in which he recorded two or more blocks last season, finishing the campaign averaging 3.2 PPG, 2.5 RPG and 1.0 BPG along with shooting 49.2% (30-of-61) from the field. Bowman also logged eight starts in his 23 appearances last season for the Blue and Gold, and the 6-9, 220-lb true sophomore will be in competition to start underneath along with Cusano heading into the 2026-27 season. I look for the Huntsville, AL., native to be a potential breakout performer for UTC in the upcoming season

Combo guard/wing forward Liam Vitters rounds out the returnees from last season's roster for Chattanooga. The junior from Arlington, VA., missed the entire season with a knee injury last season after appearing in nine games as a true freshman after joining the Mocs program as a walk-on. If he'd been available last season, the 6-5, 220-lb forward would have surely seen minutes. 

Now entering his fifth season as the head coach of the Mocs' basketball program, head coach Dan Earl came into the off-season facing his most crucial recruiting season, needing to find players to provide a turnaround that its more in alignment with the lofty standard of expectation for the SoCon's top hoops program. 

The 12-time tournament champions took in five players from the portal, with four set to be impact players this coming season, as well as adding five freshmen into the mix, including a couple that have international experience to help bolster and balance out a roster that looks good on paper.

In the backcourt, Earl added a pair of smaller school prospects that could make an immediate impact in 2026-27, adding juniors Matt Hampton and Tre Powell into the fold. Hampton is a 6-4 combo guard that comes to UTC from Three Rivers College from the JUCO ranks, appearing in 65 games in two seasons, which he garnered the No. 15 overall ranking coming out the JUCO ranks according to JUCOrecruiting.com. 

In his 65 games over the past couple of seasons, Hampton posted an impressive 1,025 points, 377 rebounds, 289 assists, and 80 steals in his two seasons at TRC. He helped TRC to a NJCAA Region 16 Championship game appearance last season, helping his squad to a 20-11 overall mark. He garnered NJCAA All-America honors in both his seasons at TRC, as the Frisco, TX, native was a Third-Team All-America selection two years ago, while garnering second-team plaudits last season.

Hampton finished the season averaging 16.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 5.3 APG and 1.4 SPG, while shooting 51.3% (179-of-349) from the field and 30.8% (8-of-26) from three-point range last season. He finished shooting 73.5% (158-of-215) from the free throw line and had a 1.7 assist-turnover ratio.  He can play either point or off the ball and the way he can impact the game on both ends of the floor will likely see him to challenge for a starting job in a backcourt that will look different this season but may in fact be a lot more balanced when it comes to scoring distribution. 

PG-Tre Powell (Goldey-Beacom College)

Tre Powell will join the UTC basketball program with two years of eligibility remaining, as he joins Dan Earl's program after spending a couple of seasons playing at NCAA Division II program Goldey-Beacom, averaging an impressive 19.4 PPG, 3.5 APG and 3.4 RPG in what was a historic season for GBC, as Powell was a big part of that history, helping his program reach the NCAA Division II program for the first time in its history. 

The 6-0, 170-lb point guard out of Mount Laurel, N.J., is a Dan Earl kind of point guard in that he's small, quick and possesses an ability to score at all three levels, and oh yeah, he's from the northeast just like Honor Huff, who came before him. 

Out of all of Powell's impressive numbers that he brings with him from his two seasons at GBC, it's Powell's proficiency as a three-point threat that probably stands out the most to Earl, as the lightning-quick guard shot an impressive 41.5% (66-for-159) from long-range last season.  Additionally, Powell also shot 47.8% (188-of-393) from the field, as well as connecting on an impressive 82.8% (178-of-215) from the charity stripe. 

All told, Powell logged an impressive 2025-26 season, which landed him on the NABC All-East Region Second Team, as well as the D2CCA All-East Region Second Team, as well as being a First Team All-Central Athletic Conference selection in 2025-26. 

In the 2025-26 season alone, Powell finished with 12 games in which he posted 20 or more points, including a career-high 33 points during the CCAC Tournament Quarterfinal win over Georgian Court in March of 2026. His 620 points in a single-season at GBC were the second-most in a single-season in program history. 

There's an excellent chance that Powell and Hampton both end up starting in the backcourt along with Tate Darner heading into the 2026-27 season, and with the addition of two dynamic scorers, the focus shifted towards adding depth in the backcourt from the high school ranks, while focusing on adding some dynamic players to put alongside of Cusano and Bowman in the front court.

In keeping with the theme of smaller school prospects that have a chance to come in and have an immediate impact next season is 6-7, 210-lb senior Anthony Swift, who joins the program after having started his career at the NCAA Division I level way back in the 2021-22 campaign at Southern Utah. The native of Las Vegas used a medical redshirt in his only season with the Thunderbirds before making his way to Southern Nevada (JUCO) in 2022-23 where he appeared in a total of 27 games, making 13 starts and averaged 9.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG and 1.2 APG.

After spending the 2023-24 season (sophomore) at another JUCO--National Park College--where he helped his team to a 31-1 mark and averaged 7.4 PPG , 7.4 RPG and 1.0 BPG--he would spend the next two seasons (2024-26) at Nebraska Kearney where he would redshirt the 2024-25 season before taking part in the 2025-26 campaign.

In his most recent season at Nebraska-Kearney, he appeared in 28 games, making 27 starts where he averaged 12.9 PPG and was a prolific three-point threat, as he finished the season shooting a team-best 41.8% (46-of-110) from three-point range and connected on a team-high 46 triples for the season. 

Swift also recorded 20 double-figure scoring games in his most recent campaign, including three 20-plus scoring games during his standout season. His best game was when he scored a career-high 27 points on 12-of-15 shooting from the field, including going 3-for-4 from downtown against Concordia-St. Paul on Nov. 15, 2025. 

In addition to what he did scoring-wise, Swift also led the team in total rebounds (194) and rebounds-per-game (6.4). Swift will have one year of eligibility remaining at Chattanooga where he signed with the Mocs during the May 2026 transfer portal window. The 6-7 small forward equates most directly as a "glue guy" type similar to a Garrison Keslar a couple of years ago. Most importantly, Swift will add an element of maturity and experience to the lineup, and could even contend for starting minutes this summer.

C-Yonatan Levy (Pepperdine)

In continuing with the theme of "old men" ---just kidding--is 6-10 big man Yonatan Levy, who is a 25-year old junior and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining after spending both previous seasons at the NCAA Division I level at both Green Bay (2024-25) and Pepperdine (2025-26).

The 6-10, 260-lb native of Hod HaSharon, HeMerkaz, Israel is a unique prospect of a big man, and once again, he's a highly-skilled type of big that fits the "Dan Earl type" when it comes to how he can fit within the motion offense for the Mocs. Like Jake Stephens, Jan Zidek, Frank Champion, and Sam Alexis, Levy falls into the category of being a highly-skilled big man with a "developed" finished project being the exact kind of big man that Earl can utilize to the fullest of potentials in the SoCon. 

In his most-recent season with the Waves, Levy averaged 5.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 1.7 APG, while shooting a solid 45.2% (60-for-132) from the field. He finished third on the Waves' team in total rebounds (133) and third assists (55) and had 10 games with six or more rebounds. Levy recorded his best game at Pepperdine against Lincoln (CA) in November of 2025, posting 16 points and 11 rebounds. In a Dec. 28, 2025, game against Gonzaga, Levy posted 15 points, six rebounds and three steals in a loss to the Bulldogs.

Levy was also solid in his one season at Green Bay, averaging 7.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG and 2.6 APG, appearing in 13 games, with 11 starts. He posted a season-high 19 points against Cleveland State in a late January Horizon League contest. 

Rounding out the portal additions for the Mocs is 6-9 senior forward Tyler Houser, who Earl originally recruited during his time at VMI, and will have one year of eligibility remaining. Houser comes to Chattanooga from Delaware where he has battled injuries. He is slated to redshirt the 2026-27 season due to injury but will have one year of eligibility remaining when he decides to suit up for the Mocs. 

He spent three seasons at Delaware (2023-26) and spent his freshman campaign at VMI (2022-23), garnering SoCon All-Freshman Team honors while with the Keydets. In his most recent season at UD, Houser averaged an impressive 14.2 PPG and 5.4 RPG. He started all 26 games he was a part of before suffering a knee injury late in the campaign, which will force him to likely miss the entire 2026-27 season. 

Houser was able to reach double figures in 20 of 26 games last season for the Blue Hens, and whenever he is healthy enough to play, he will give the Mocs a nicely skilled, inside-outside threat in the paint. 

freshman/walk-on additions

Chattanooga has added five and potentially six players via the high school ranks, and the Mocs will keep with the strong international influence, adding players from France and Germany during the recruiting process. 

The most recent addition, but has yet to officially appear on the school's website as it has yet to become official is 6-1 point guard Hugo Nguyen out of LeMans Sarthe Basket in Paris, France. Nguyen a quick guard that can score the basketball for all points on the floor. In his most recent season with LeMans Sarthe Basket in 2025-26, he scored double figures in 26 of 31 games, which included three 30-point efforts, and had a season-high of 34 points against Monaco U21. He shot 46.7% from the field and 34.3% from three-point range in his most recent season of basketball.

 

G/F Caleb Hardaway (Boyd Buchanan HS/Chattanooga, TN)

Switching from France to a place a little more local to the Scenic City, Dan Earl  added some more local flavor to the Mocs with the recruitment of 6-7 small forward Caleb Hardaway out of Boyd Buchanan High School.

The preferred walk-on joined the Mocs in May of  2026 and was the TSSAA Division II-A District 2 Player of the Year, helping Boyd Buchanan reach the semifinals of the state playoffs, which was its deepest run in the postseason in three decades. Hardway finished his high school career with more than 1.500 points and ranked third on the school's all-time scoring ledger. Hardaway finished his career by averaging 14 PPG, 8 RPG, 3 APG and 1.5 BPG. His elite athleticism and ability to play above the rim will give a chance to see the floor sooner rather than later. 

Chrisitan Matos is an impressive freshman guard, who hails from Philadelphia, PA., and comes to Chattanooga by way of Sunrise Academy in Kansas. If you've heard of Sunrise Academy before, there's a reason, and it's because it's one of the premier prep basketball programs in the country, having produced former Furman Paladin center and current Arkansas Razorbacks big man Cooper Bowser.

Matos is a 6-3 guard that might end up being the prize of the signing class, as ESPN rates Matos as a four-star prospect and the No. 2 prospect overall in the state, as well as the No. 21 ranked point guard in all of high school seniors throughout the country. His trajectory and acclaim is even higher than that of former Furman point guard, who is now at Kentucky, Alex Wilkins. Wilkins, of course, was responsible for helping lead Furman to a Southern Conference title a year ago.

G-Christian Matos (Sunrise Academy KS/Philadelphia PA)

Not saying that will be the same tract which Matos will follow, however, he will have a chance to earn his place in the lineup this summer, and with such high acclaim, while he might not end up starting, it'd be hard to imagine him not seeing some major time in the rotation for Dan Earl this coming season. 

Matos is rated as the highest incoming high school recruit in the Southern Conference coming into the 2025-26 season and competed within the Nike EYBL Scholastic League last season, ranking 22nd nationally. He finished his season with Sunrise averaging 14.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.8 APG, and had 1.2 SPG, while shooting a blistering 46.0% (44-of-95) from three-point range.  In the words of ETSU head coach Brooks Savage, who said the following of Alex Wilkins following the first meeting between ETSU and Furman last year in what was a thrilling ETSU OT win, "Those guards from the Northeast are a different type of basketball player all together", and he's not wrong with that assessment. 

There have been some great guards from the Northeast come through this league, including former Mocs and Keydets guard Honor Huff (Chattanooga/VMI/West Virginia 2020-2025/Brooklyn, NY) and the aforementioned Alex Wilkins (Mattapan, MA), as well as many others like Jay Joseph (UNCG 2001-05/Lansdale, PA) to name a few. Matos could be the latest of those to excel in this league. Matos finished as a Top 20 ranked scorer in the EYBL Scholastic League and racked up over 160 made triples in his three seasons at the prep level. He will have a chance to make an instant impact for UTC.

While Matos has instant impact aura, back across the pond to France and Germany we go, profiling another two outstanding finds by the UTC coaching staff in combo guard/forward Lenny Anigbata (Gymnasium Munich North/MHP Riesen/Munich, Germany) and Yssam Moungalla (Espoirs Paris/AS Monaco/Paris, France).

While Matos comes with all the rankings and acclaim, it's been Anigbata that has looked the part of seeing some major playing time right away this summer in workouts with the Mocs. The 6-7 versatile small forward or combo guard has been impressive, and has excelled with both his club team and his high school team over a four-year span. 

He most recently played with MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg of the German BBL in 2025-26, starting his pro career at the age of 17. Blessed with athleticism and maturity, Anigbata will be a 20-year old freshman this coming season and has played 92 games in the German League across four seasons, posting 616 points, 304 rebounds, 85 assists and 77 made threes. 

Moungalla is a 6-6 combo guard that comes to UTC from AS Monaco where he played in the French Betclic Elite League in 2025-26 and also played in the U21 Elite League in France. Moungalla is another three-level scorer, and is an elite perimeter shooter, having connected at a 45.7% (105-of-230) from three-point range this past season. 

He finished his season with AS Monaco averaging 15.9 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.9 APG, and 1.3 APG. All told, 105 of Moungalla's 153 total field goals from this past season where from beyond the three-point line. He's the type of player that can and will excel in the Dan Earl system. 

Rounding out the impressive signing class for the Mocs is 7-0, 275-lb center John Fleeman out of Kingsville, MO. Fleeman was the lone player to sign with the Mocs in the early signing period in November of 2025, and his size and skill level might give him the best chance of any of the incoming prospects to see major impactful minutes in 2026-27 for UTC. 

He is the No. 1 rated prospect out of a small school in the "Show Me State" as he played his high school basketball at Kingsville High School. Following a season which saw him average 24.8 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 4.5 APG, and 2.2 BPG and shoot 71.8% from the field, Fleeman was named Missouri Class I District Player of the Year, leading Kingsville to a Class 1 District 8 title as a senior. Fleeman helped a Kingsville team finished fourth in the state with a 25-7 overall record.

Chattanooga Early outlook for 2026-27

It's hard to fathom a Chattanooga team in rebuild mode, but as astonishing as that was last season, the team picked to win the league found themselves in rebuild mode in early December after so many injuries ravaged the depth in the frontcourt, and coupled with some of the portal prospects being more miss than hit, the Mocs stumbled to a rather forgettable 13-19 season and bowed out of the SoCon Tournament before most team's even played and fans even knew they were there. 

This season has a different energy, and while last season's team was more overloaded with portal additions rather than high school recruits, head coach Dan Earl has a more balanced roster this season, with the 11 newcomers, which includes five from the portal and six rookies from the high school/prep ranks. The international flavor to this roster is undeniable, as Israel, France, and Germany are all represented on this roster.

The most glaring thing that sticks out about this class is the fact that UTC will have a lot of mature/old freshmen. That's one of the advantages you get with getting guys from overseas like Yssam Moungalla and Lenny Anigbata, who will already be 20-years old by the time they suit up as freshman, as well as already having played at a high level overseas.

This team has the makings of one that could compete for a title, as talent is not the issue here. It will be all in how this team comes together by the time league play begins at the end of December, and that's not always as easy as it seems when you are having to incorporate different cultures and fundamental skill levels on all fronts into one cohesive unit. This team has more offensive skill and better shooting ability than the one that took the floor in 2025-26. 

This team has the potential to be elite offensively, but it will be how they gel on the defensive end of the floor as a cohesive unit that will determine what happens in Asheville in early March. With that said, this team, at least on paper, appears to be more talented than the one a year ago. 

 Mocs Breakdown 2026-27

Players With Starting Experience Lost: (10)--G-Jordan Frsion (Started 29 of 31 games played, 16.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 45.5% 3PT FG%, 51 made threes, team-leading 129 assists/Third-team All-SoCon/transferred to Wichita State); G-Brennan Watkins (10.2 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 45.6% 3PT FG%, team-leading 68 made threes/out of eligibility); G-Teddy Washington Jr. (Started 20 of 31 games played, 9.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, team-leading 31 steals/out of eligibility); G Billy Smith (started 16 of 32 games, 8.4 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 37.6% 3PT FG%, 64 made threes/out of eligibility); C-Collin Mulholland (started nine of 23 games played, 7.6 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 39 assists, 11 blks/transferred to Utah State); F-Sebastian Hartmann (started six of seven games before suffering season-ending injury, 7.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG/transferred to Kansas City); G-Jikari Johnson (started seven of 29 games played, 6.7 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 35.2% 3PT FG%, 31 made threes, 11 steals, 7 BLKs/out of eligibility); F-Latif Diouf (started three of five games played, 4.8 PPG, 2.6 RPG/transferred to Kent State); F-Makai Richards (started 13 out of 32 games played, 3.4 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 58.1 FG%/out of eligibility); G-Parker Robison (Started once in 27 games played, 1.3 PPG, 1.5 RPG/transferred to Auburn-Montgomery

Others Significant Losses: (N/A)
Best Returning Player: G-Zach Bleshoy (R-Fr Did not play due to injury last season/Pope HS/Marietta, GA.)
Potential Breakout Player in 2026-27: F/C-Josh Bowman (3.2 PPG, 2.5 RPG/team-leading 23 BLKs) 
Best Transfer Portal Get: G-Tre Powell (Goldey-Beacom) or G-Matt Hampton (Three Rivers College)
Potential Glue Guy: F-Sean Cusano (4.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG)
Best Freshman Addition:  G-Christian Matos (Sunrise Academy in KS/Philadelphia, PA)
Overall Portal/Recruiting Synopsis and Grade: A-