MEDFORD, MA (November 9, 2026) -- The Tufts University men's basketball team enters the 2026-27 season on Wednesday evening at Wheaton College with high hopes, as the Jumbos are coming off an Elite 8 appearance last season while be ranked as high as No. 4 in the nation in the D3hoops.com poll. The Jumbos were an experienced and tested team that broke through with a trip to the NCAA quarterfinals, but now sixth-year head coach
Brandon Linton says this group is hungrier than ever to build on last year and not just be happy it was there.
"The goals don't change each year, NESCAC championship and national championship, trying to host as many games in Cousens Gymnasium as possible," said Linton. "We tell the team at the beginning of the year that when you put that jersey on, that's always the goal but then we just leave it there. From the, it's leaning into our core values and letting that take over."
The Jumbos graduated the winningest class in Tufts basketball history, which included All-Americans
Scott Gyimesi and
James Morakis along with standout post
Joshua Bernstein. Despite that, the Jumbos return a talented roster that landed them No. 14 on the D3hoops.com Preseason Poll. With the graduation of such impact players comes unknowns, but Linton instead sees opportunities for others to step into bigger roles. In fact, he thinks the entire roster is ready to level up to get Tufts back into the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight season.
"Honestly, it's every single returner stepping up into a new role in some way," said Linton. "I think we could expect every returner be in a different role and a bigger role than what they've had. Obviously losing two All-NESCAC, All-American type players up front will give more chances to players like Robbie and Evan, and we're confident in their abilities to carry that load. Also, our first-year group is very talented so I think with all of that we should have plenty of pieces to be a very strong team, top to bottom."
Overall last season, Tufts finished with 23 wins to tie the school record for victories in a campaign while making the NESCAC semifinals. Tufts also earned hosting honors for the second straight season for the NCAA First and Second Rounds, knocking off PSU Harrisburg, Catholic and Wesleyan in the NCAA Tournament before falling in a heartbreaker to Trinity (CT) in the Elite 8 round in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Tufts does return three starters from that squad a season ago, all of which have played in big games and big moments. Linton is sure though that the best is yet to come for this squad.
"These guys have been part of a lot of the biggest moments in program history, but I think some of these guys have been kind of overlooked during their careers," said Linton. "I'm excited for those guys to be at the forefront and kind of lead the charge this year. It should be a fun year."
A position-by-position breakdown is below:
GUARD
The Jumbos have a strong and talented backcourt back in the mix in 2026-27, led by three-year starter and playmaking guard
Jon Medley. Medley was a big contributor as a first-year on the defensive end, and his offensive game has come along during his career to where he averaged 11.3 points per game last year, making a team-high 95 free throws while hitting clutch shot after clutch shot. Medley led the team with 90 assists as a junior, while still playing fantastic defense on the perimeter.
Fellow senior
Dylan Reilly has been a three-year starter and three-point sniper for the Jumbos and is back after shooting 34.8 percent from three-point land as a junior. His 54 three-pointers were tops on the team, while he averaged 8.7 points per game while adding 2.7 rebounds in nearly 28 minutes per game.
Now sophomore
Ricardo Nieves appeared in all 29 games as a first-year, averaging 7.4 points per game but shot 45.3 percent from the floor while finishing second on the team in steals with 32. Nieves was vital in the NCAA Tournament run, and his defensive ability and athleticism should see the numbers increase with a bump in minutes.
Sophomore
Griffin Linstra played in 16 games as a first-year in 2025-26, but has been strong in the offseason and preseason. A long, do-it-all guard is a great passer and effective scorer at all three levels. Junior
Lukas Schmid had one of the best performances of the entire season last year, as his 35 points off the bench against VSU-Lyndon were the most ever for a sub in a game for the Jumbos. Look for more opportunities for Schmid this season in his junior campaign.
The same can be said for junior
Isaac Friedman, who shot the best percentage from three-point range last season making nine of his 14 attempts. Friedman got into nine games, averaging 4.2 points per game and is a gifted offensive player as evidenced last season in spurts.
Senior
Liam Kennelly missed the entire year last season, and is back to help lead in his final campaign as a Jumbo. The guard group will also get a great infusion of freshmen energy, as the coaching staff is excited about newcomers
Mert Gocer,
Jack Coco and
Will Lesovitz. All three came from winning prep programs, and each offers different skills that compliment each other and the backcourt as a whole.
FORWARDS
The biggest loss on the Jumbos roster came with the departure of three-year All-American
Scott Gyimesi and All-NESCAC center
Joshua Bernstein. Bernstein has his best season as a Jumbo as a senior, averaging 11.6 points and 9.0 rebounds last season. Gyimesi led the team with 15.5 points and 9.1 rebounds in 2025-26, but missed games late in the year which gave minutes to returners like
Robbie Nyamwaya and
Evan Reeves.
Nyamwaya had some big games as a sophomore last season, including posting eight points and six rebounds as part of a big comeback win over Trinity College late in January. He also flashed his amazing athleticism with multiple thunderous dunks while also making six triples last season. Reeves also was a reserve big man off the bench last season, playing 21 games as a sophomore. Reeves is an elite athlete, as he was 17-for-30 around the bucket last season. Look for more minutes to go to both Reeves and Nyamwaya this season.
The biggest explosion for the Jumbos last season though came in the form of now senior
Zion Watt. Watt finished second on the team with 51 three-pointers last season, making 35.7 percent from deep last season. He was also a menace defensively with 24 blocks and a team-high 44 steals. Watt added 4.0 rebounds per game, and shot 75 percent at the charity stripe.
Sophomore
Ian Randall is all of seven-feet tall, but his development has gone well over the off-season into preseason. The long, smart center made three of his four field goals against Bridgewater State for seven points last year, as he played in just four game. Randall will battle for more time this season after a year in the program.
Sophomore
Deacon Baratta dealt with injuries during his first season, but will look to get back to full health in 2026-27 as his shooting ability may be among the best on the team.
The Jumbos also will look for first-years
Liam Simpson and
Jake Agolli to help up front this season. Agolli is another tall, talented forward that can score it well, while Simpson is a tough, physical big that rebounds well and can score around the basket with ease.
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The Jumbos open their 2026-27 season at Wheaton College Wednesday before traveling to NYU for the NYC Collegiate Classic Friday and Saturday to take on Union College and Johns Hopkins University in the Big Apple. Tufts first home game for the Jumbos is Sunday, November 22 at 1 p.m. against Babson College.
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