The Bucknell men’s basketball team returned to the top of the Patriot League last season, sharing the regular-season title with American and earning the No. 1 seed in the Patriot League Tournament for the 10th time. The Bison were playing outstanding basketball late in the season, winning 10 of 11 games before being upset by Navy in the tourney semifinals.
The Bison are looking to build on last year’s resurgence, but they will do so with a bit of new look in 2025-26. Third-year head coach John Griffin III has had to replace three starters and 63 percent of the team’s scoring from last season, but the good news is that he brought in an infusion of young talent to go with a group of returnees who are ready for expanded roles.
“I really like our group,” said Griffin, the reigning Patriot League Coach of the Year. “We have very good depth, and I think our size and physicality will be something that we can use to our advantage. The leadership from our five seniors has been outstanding, and we have a hungry team full of guys who are not afraid.”
Bucknell was picked to finish fifth in the Patriot League preseason poll, likely due to the fact that it lost three starters and five lettermen, including a pair of First Team All-Patriot League selections in center Noah Williamson (17.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg) and guard Josh Bascoe (15.8 ppg, 4.4 apg). Also gone are starting guard Elvin Edmonds IV (8.0 ppg) and backup center Pip Ajayi (4.4 ppg), along with wing Ian Motta (10.1 ppg), who suffered a season-ending injury seven games into his senior year. Bascoe and Ajayi are now playing professionally in France and Denmark, respectively. Edmonds is currently a graduate assistant coach at Penn State. Motta is using his medical redshirt year as a graduate student at Denver, and Williamson transferred to Alabama for his senior season.
Seniors Ruot Bijiek (8.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg) and Achile Spadone (8.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg) return to their starting roles and the 4 and 3 spots, respectively, and they are joined in the senior class by Quin Berger, Josh Fulton, and Brady Muller. The sharp-shooting Berger is a welcome addition after missing all of last season with a knee injury, and Fulton came on late last season as a hard-working defender and rebounder off the bench. Muller, another hard-working bench option, is out indefinitely due to injury.
“The seniors have provided very consistent leadership,” said Griffin. “These guys have seen enough college basketball to know about the impact team culture has on winning. They are leading through example and mentorship.”
Bijiek has been a steady presence in the Bison lineup for the last three years, and he will appear in his 99th career game on opening night against Delaware. He started every game last season and had 20-point games against Maryland and Richmond. In the team’s exhibition game at Louisville earlier this week, Bijiek led the team with 15 points and three steals.
“Even though it might not be obvious just looking at his lanky frame, but Ru has gotten much stronger,” said Griffin. “He’s always been a threat on the perimeter at 6’9”, but now he can mix it up on the glass and in the low post. He’s just a tremendous human being, and I really think he is going to have a big senior year.”
Spadone, a Geneva, Switzerland native and former member of the Swiss National Team, came to Bucknell from Davidson prior to last season, and he quickly fit into an important role. He started the season playing significant minutes coming off the bench, and when Motta went down early in the year Spadone jumped into the starting lineup. A do-it-all player who can defend, rebound, pass, and shoot – Griffin calls him the team’s Swiss Army Knife – Spadone can be a big minutes guy with the potential to pop a big scoring night. He had 22 points against Radford and 21 against Navy in the PL semifinal last season, and Griffin expects his 29.3 3-point shooting percentage to go up significantly this season.
“It’s not easy coming in as a transfer as a junior, when you are expected to be a veteran presence but you’re also new and learning the system and the culture at the same time,” said Griffin. “But Achile quickly fit right in last year, and it feels like he’s been here for four years and not just one. We’ll be counting on him to do a little bit of everything and be a steady influence on the floor, especially when he's out there with the younger guys.”
Berger transferred from Saint Joseph’s for his sophomore year, and was a valuable reserve who played about 12 minutes per game. He is a strong , smart defender with the ability to knock down shots from long range; Bison fans surely remember his dagger three from the deep corner late in the win at Penn State. Berger suffered a torn ACL in preseason and missed all of his junior year, but he remained engaged in a pseudo-student assistant coach role while he rehabbed the knee.
“Quin is our perimeter ‘microwave’,” said Grffin. “He can come in and be aggressive, and he adds to our physicality. He picked up a lot being around the coaches last year when he was injured, and I think that’s something that will help him and help our team moving forward.”
After missing his sophomore year due to injury, Fulton played in 21 games off the bench last season and shot 53.2 percent from the field. He recorded 11 rebounds in 16 minutes in a win over Army, and he can impact games with his ability to defend multiple positions.
“Josh has an important role as a glue guy,” said Griffin. “He does a lot of things very well. He can rebound, defend, and finish around the basket. He’s had some injuries throughout his career, but if he can stay healthy he can be an important piece for us again this year.”
Junior Brandon McCreesh played in every game last season backing up Bascoe and Edmonds in the backcourt, and now he is expected to be the opening-night starter at the 2 spot. Always a strong ballhandler with the ability to penetrate, McCreesh had a breakout season as a long-range shooter last season. He hit at a 41.5 percent clip from 3-point range, perhaps buoyed by the confidence from hitting a big crunch-time 3-pointer in a come-from-behind win at Delaware on opening night.
“We need Brandon to make the jump to a starting role and really make an overall impact on the game,” said Griffin. “He can do a lot of valuable things for us. He can score and defend, and he has improved his all-around game every year.”
Another junior in his third year with the Bison is Patrick O’Brien. The 6’8” frontcourt man battled injuries last season, and now he is looking to make an impact for the first time.
“Pat gives us frontcourt depth as a skilled big,” said Griffin. “His ability to shoot, dribble, and pass keeps us versatile offensively.”
Joining the junior class this season is 6’10” center Grgur Brcic. The Croatian arrives after playing two seasons in the Mid-American Conference with a very good Toledo team, and he will play significant minutes for the Bison. A tough, physical player, Brcic tallied seven points and six rebounds in 19 minutes against Louisville.
“G is our enforcer around the rim,” Griffin said. “We’re really excited about what he’s doing. He can use his skill to create advantages offensively, and then he is a terrific rebounder. He is someone who can lead us throughout the season with his physicality and toughness.”
Headlining the sophomore class is Jayden Williams, who is set to take over the critical starting point guard role. Williams played in 30 games off the bench last season, missing three late in the year due to a foot injury, and showed flashes as a rookie. He had 45 assists against 30 turnovers while playing about 14 minutes per game, and he scored 10 points against Gonzaga and 11 against Holy Cross and Boston University. In 17 minutes against Louisville on Tuesday, he had nine points, four rebounds, three assists, and only one turnover.
“Jayden has a lot on his plate, as we expect him to facilitate the offense, score himself when he can, and be a disruptive defender,” said Griffin. “He’s a mature, feisty competitor, and we’re looking for him to lead the team through consistency, while also being aggressive as a playmaker. That’s not easy for a young point guard to do, but he’s doing great and certainly won’t back down from anybody.”
Aleksander Pachucki joins the sophomore class after transferring from Fordham, where he got into four games for the Rams last season. A versatile combo guard, Pachucki jumped right in as one of Bucknell’s top perimeter threats. He went 4-for-4 from the arc at Louisville, including a couple of tough ones with a hand in his face, and he will be a guy Griffin can count on for instant offense off the bench.
“Aleks is just an exceptional shot-maker,” praised Griffin. “He has shown great consistency since coming to Bucknell, and we’re hoping he can be a big offensive threat at a variety of positions.”
Rounding out the sophomore class are Matt Lange and Kellen Welch, walk-ons who have been outstanding teammates and scout team players since joining the program last season.
“Matt Lange has continued to improve, and he gives our guys a good look every day,” said Griffin. “And Kellen’s skill set aligns with the rest of our bigs. Both of those guys are huge parts of our program.”
In addition to the transfers Brcic and Pachucki, the Bison have three true freshmen on this year’s squad. Amon Dörries, a 6’11” center from Germany, will be in the starting lineup on opening night. Pat Curtin, a 6’3” guard from Ellicott City, Md., will play heavy rotation minutes in the backcourt, and Jacob Meachem, a 5’8” guard from Pottstown, Pa., will help back up Williams at the point.
Dörries played high-level basketball for club and country in Germany, and he has looked the part in his short time at Bucknell. He recorded 11 points, four rebounds, and a blocked shot in 22 minutes against Louisville’s massive front line, and most importantly, he didn’t seem to back down from the physical play at just 19 years old. Curtin, is also a strong, physical player who can score from anywhere on the floor, as evidenced by his 29.5 ppg average as a senior at Glenelg Country School. Meachem is a small but lightning quick point guard with a bright future.
“I’m so excited to see what Amon can do this year,” said Griffin. “He can score around the rim and on the perimeter, and he has the ability to transport the ball and create advantages, which gives us another layer of explosiveness. And then at the defensive end he can impact the game as a rim protector and rebounder. Pat Curtin is a highly confident scorer with a fearless approach to the game. He’s been a great addition because he is very physical and can play effectively with and without the ball in his hands. Jacob Meachem is fast and can get into the paint and score or set up other guys. He’s also incredibly disruptive as a full-court, one-on-one defender.”
Even with so many new faces in new roles, Griffin is not afraid to test his team against high-level competition early in the season. In addition to the exhibition game at No. 11 Louisville, the Bison will take on high-major opponents Pittsburgh, St. John’s and Iowa, as well as traditionally strong mid-majors such as Princeton, Akron, and Mount St. Mary’s, which is coming off a league title and NCAA bid.
The season officially tips off on Monday night when Delaware visits Sojka Pavilion at 7 p.m. It will be the third straight year in which the Bison and Blue Hens have clashed on opening night. Delaware spoiled Griffin's debut here in 2023, but the Bison returned the favor with a come-from-behind 85-73 win in Newark last season.