Tiger Men's Basketball Seeks to Bounce Back in 2025-26

Under the direction of second-year Head Coach Darren Hertz, who took the reins in September 2024, Wittenberg Men's Basketball is ready to take the court in hopes of bouncing back from an injury-riddled 2024-25 season.

The Tigers have some excellent returning student-athletes who will hopefully be key contributors to a quick rebuild, starting with senior frontcourt players Eddie Brown (Lewis Center, OH / Olentangy Orange) and Dawson Scott (New Castle, IN / New Castle), both of whom were starters throughout the 2025-26 season. In addition, Wittenberg welcomes back senior point guard Cal Bavineau (Dexter, MI / Dexter), who played in all 25 games and started in 15 of those a year ago, and junior wing Tyler Galluch (Springfield, OH / Catholic Central), who was among the team's top scorers and rebounders in 2024-25 but missed about half the season due to injuries.

Brown, who earned third-team All-North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) honors last season, ranked second on the team in points per game, averaging 13.3, while also leading the team in rebounds per game with 7.4. He also tallied 51 assists, 13 steals, and a team-high 19 blocks as junior. Scott made 24 starts in 25 games during the 2024-25 season after appearing in all 27 games his sophomore season off the bench, and he averaged career-highs in scoring (5.6 points per game) and rebounding (5.4 per game). Bavineau averaged 17.4 minutes per game in the 2024-25 season, averaging 2.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. Galluch appeared in 18 games, including 16 starts, and he averaged 9.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per outing.

Nine other players who appeared in games for the Tigers in 2024-25 are back on the roster, and the coaching staff also welcomed 11 newcomers, including two transfers, in a strong recruiting class that features several players likely to make immediate contributions.

Picked to finish eighth in the NCAC in the 2025-26 Preseason Coaches' Poll after finishing with records of 9-16 overall and 5-11 in the NCAC last year, the Tigers will open the new season at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at Otterbein. Wittenberg's first home game will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 12, when the Tigers host Baldwin Wallace at 7 p.m. The first NCAC tangle will be on Wednesday, Dec. 3, vs. Ohio Wesleyan. Tipoff time is 7 p.m.

Written By: Cindy Holbrook
Graphic By: Olivia Witman & Ally White '26