JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Oct. 24, 2026) - It's showtime.
The ETSU men's basketball team hosts its final tune-up for the 2026-27 season by hosting the High Point Panthers in a charity exhibition game on Sunday. The game is presented by Johnson City Honda and will benefit the Niswonger Children's Hospital. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. at Freedom Hall.
MATCHUP: ETSU vs. High Point
DATE: October 25, 2026, 4:00 p.m.
VENUE: Freedom Hall Civic Center (Johnson City, Tennessee)
TV: None
RADIO: WXSM-AM 640 (Jay Sandos, Bruce Tranbarger)
LIVE STATS: StatBroadcast
TICKETS: ETSUTickets.com
ETSU welcomes 10 new faces to the roster in year four under Brooks Savage. Their regular season SoCon championship defense will be led by Preseason All-SoCon point guard B.J. Ward in from Southeast Missouri State, high-octane shooting guard Jayden Cooper from South Alabama, and an athletic front line featuring Tyran Mason from UT Arlington, Marqus Marion from Wake Forest, and Kendall Campbell at the center spot after a successful campaign at Wingate after two seasons at Elon. Weber State transfer Trevor Hennig adds depth, and the Bucs welcome four players new to four-year college hoops, led by John A. Logan transfer DeCarl Payne and Baltimore-area guard Colt Busse. Maki Johnson and Brayden Crump represent the only two returners who played last season after Jordan McCullum suffered a season-ending knee injury during preseason practice. Maddox Huff also returns after redshirting in 2025-26.
The Panthers begin their second year under Flynn Clayman with sky-high expectations after defeating Wisconsin in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in March. They welcome nine new faces with seven transfers, six of whom averaged double-digit points per game at their previous stops. Jason Rivera Torres leads the new class after being named Second Team All-CAA and CAA All-Defensive Team in a banner season at Monmouth, averaging 15.8 points and 8.1 rebounds. Returning fifth year forward Cam'Ron Fletcher was named the Big South Preseason Player of the Year after averaging 13.2 points and 7.1 rebounds for the Panthers a season ago.
ETSU and High Point have only met once in official competition, a 71-60 win for the Buccaneers in January of 1953. The Bucs and Panthers met in ETSU's first-ever charity exhibition game on October 27, 2024, with the Panthers prevailing 71-56 at Freedom Hall.
For more information on ETSU men's basketball, go to ETSUBucs.com.
