Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Maryland
10/31/2026 5:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball
GAME DIGEST
What: Bucknell (0-0) at Maryland (0-0)
When: Monday, Nov. 2, 7 p.m.
Where: XFINITY Center, College Park, Md.
Watch: B1G+ (Note special Opening Day pass for just $8.99)
Listen: Eagle 107, Sirius/XM 257, and BucknellBison.com
Live Stats: UMTerps.com
Bucknell Game Notes | Maryland Game Notes | 2026-27 Season is presented by Aspire Wealth Group
As the Bucknell men’s basketball team gets set to embark on its 132nd varsity season, it will do so with one of its largest rosters in recent years, and with plenty of new faces.
Fourth-year head coach John Griffin III has replenished the team with 11 new players to go along with six veteran returnees. The newcomers consist of seven freshmen and four transfers, and while by all accounts there has been an influx of talent and size, Griffin and his staff will be tasked with melding the whole group into a cohesive unit.
“I think we’ve taken the right steps toward building a group of people that first and foremost enjoy being with each other off the floor,” said Griffin. “That was the first box we needed to check, to put the group in an environment where they could get to know each other on a deeper level. And then we put the basketball second. Since day one, we have tried to strengthen the relationships that are currently still in progress, but we have hit the point now where the blend of returner, transfer, and freshman is much more seamless.”
The vast majority of the group was on campus this summer, and the team gelled quite a bit during a five-day trip to Montreal, where the Bison not only defeated two of the top Canadian college teams, but also bonded on a fun road trip.
“We’re still a work in progress in terms of role allocation, but that will continue to evolve throughout the non-conference season and hopefully by January, we will have a clear understanding of who we are,” said Griffin. “It will take a good two months of games and practices, experiencing high moments and low moments. What I’ve seen so far is a group of high-character, incredibly competitive and yet open-minded players. And I think those qualities have accelerated that important relationship-building process.”
Bucknell was picked sixth in the Patriot League preseason poll, in part because the team returns only 24.4 percent of its points and 22.9 percent of its rebounds from a 2025-26 squad that was hit hard by injuries. While Bison fans are still getting used to the new faces (PRINT YOUR ROSTER HERE!), the team will be led by a handful of important returnees.
Frontcourt man Patrick O’Brien is the team’s lone senior, and he is coming off his most productive season yet in 2025-26. O’Brien started at center in last week’s 84-71 exhibition win over Division III power Endicott and went 3-for-3 from the 3-point arc. Junior point guard Jayden Williams is entering his second season as the starter and third as a key rotation player. He ranked among the Patriot League leaders in assists and steals last season and will be looking to up is scoring average from last year’s 7.5 ppg. Junior Aleksander Pachucki has been starting on the wing throughout the summer and preseason, and he has the potential to be one of the league’s top long-range shooters.
“All three of those guys are not only key players, but they have done a great job from a leadership standpoint as connectors on and off the floor," said Griffin. "Pat O’Brien helps us keep the floor spaced offensively because of his ability to shoot. He has great equity within the program because he’s been here for four years. Jayden is an important extension of the coaching staff on the floor. We need him to be more consistent offensively with his shooting percentages while at the same time aggressively creating for others. And then we need Aleks to be our premiere 3-point threat. He has really worked hard to change his body, he has the confidence now to be a leader in his second year in the program, and he’s learning to score in other ways besides the three.”
Also back this year are sophomore point guard Jacob Meachem, and a pair of former walk-ons in juniors Matt Lange and Kellen Welch.
“Matt and Kellen work incredibly hard and have sweat equity within the locker room," said Griffin. "They have both improved tremendously, and they are valuable utility players for us because they know our system, and they know the competitive level that’s required to win games in the Patriot League. Jacob Meachem was thrown into the fire as a freshman last year, and he showed flashes of being able to get in the paint and create for others with his incredible quickness. He can also be very disruptive defensively.”
Griffin and his staff did well in the transfer market during the offseason, landing four impact newcomers who can fill a variety of roles. Luca Soroa Schaller joins the Bison after two years at Northeastern and a productive summer with the Switzerland National Team in FIBA World Cup qualifying. Kyle Marshall is two seasons removed from being one of the Mountain West’s top freshmen while playing at Air Force. And then guards Rocco Lamuno (18.5 ppg at Spring Hill) and Luke Soden (17.6 ppg at Regis) are coming off big scoring seasons at the Division II level. All four can play multiple positions and are in line for significant minutes right away.
“Luca first and foremost is a great passer," noted Griffin. "He has great size as a 6’7” guy who can play one through five both offensively and defensively. We are going to utilize the fact that he can play five different positions on both sides of the ball to try to create advantages for him. He’s also been a guy that’s stepped right into a leadership role. Kyle gives us an athleticism that we haven’t had in a while. As a power wing, he has shown an ability to rebound well above the rim and also attack and score through contact. There’s a huge window of growth in Kyle’s future, and we’re really excited to see how he develops.”
“Rocco and Luke are both coming off terrific seasons, and both have stepped right into our team with great confidence. Rocco has the ability to create offense by himself, similar to Josh Bascoe two years ago, and that is something that we value greatly. He also gives us great athleticism and instincts on the perimeter defensively. Luke is a ‘3 and D’ type guy. He’s competitive, he’s physical, and we think he can be one of our top defenders. He has the strength and stamina to defend at a high level and also attack the rim.”
The freshman class features a trio of big international players in Ludvig Bergseng (6’11” from Norway), Ethan Marten-Coney (6’9” from Australia), and Mert Kocagozoglu (6’6” from Turkiye), to go along with 6’11” Californian Danny Kennard. Guards Anderson Hoctor and Joe Youakim also join the program as walk-ons after injuries disrupted the ends of their high school careers.
Bergseng was injured in a July workout and is closing in on a return. The inside-outside threat has played for Norway’s national teams at all levels, and he also faced good competition in the LigaU division in Spain last year.
“Ludvig is already one of our most experienced players with his play on the Norway’s national team and a strong showing in Spain," said Griffin. "He has an incredibly quick release on his 3-point shot, and he is also very fast in the open floor at 235 pounds. So defensively, he will be able to switch on the perimeter and along with Ethan be a pillar around the rim. I’ve been very impressed by Ludvig’s positivity. He’s just a very energetic, positive human being.”
“Ethan will be an important physical presence for us, especially at the defensive end. Offensively, what we’ve seen thus far is a guy who can put the ball on the floor and get to spots around the rim and on the perimeter. Mert is another guy with national team experience, and a guy who plays with much more maturity than his age suggests. He has some point guard qualities coming off ball screens and handoffs, and as soon as he figures out the pace of American play, we expect him to take a big step forward as an impact player.”
“Danny Kennard has the ability to be a stretch five for us. He shoots the ball very well, and he’s got great hands and great feet for a player of his size. Like most freshmen, when he gets come comfortable with the speed and athleticism at his position, he has a high ceiling as well. Anderson comes from a very competitive Dallas basketball scene, and he showed that he could really shoot it before he suffered the injury. And similarly, Joe comes to us after having success at the high school level in Charlotte. His work ethic and daily optimism have really stuck out."
As is typically the case, the Bison will be tested early and often with a difficult non-conference schedule. After opening up the season at Maryland on Monday, Bucknell hosts Old Dominion in the home opener on Nov. 7 and then heads right back on the road for a 9 p.m. game at Virginia on Nov. 10.
Bucknell’s non-conference schedule features six teams that played in the NCAA Tournament last season: Virginia, Akron, Siena, Penn, UMBC, and Hofstra. In addition, St. Thomas earned a bid to the NIT in its first season of Division 1 postseason eligibility. Of the 14 non-league opponents, nine had winning records last season, including six 20-win teams. Bucknell’s 13 Division I opponents combined for a 246-177 (.582) record a year ago.
“The non-conference schedule has been and always will be a great vehicle for preparation for Patriot League play in January, February, and March," said Griffin. "In this case, my job is to make sure we’re taking the right steps toward becoming the best team we can be. We have a big challenge on day one at Maryland against an incredibly physical team with high expectations.”
“I’m excited for this group’s development. We’ve brought together a group of quality humans that are completely bought into this idea of being something bigger than yourself. Bucknell Basketball was built on that idea.”
