Eastern University Men's Basketball will open the 2025-26 season this weekend. The Eagles will look to bounce back from a disappointing 11-14 season where they lost eight-straight league games after an 8-4 start. Head Coach Dan Pruessner will rely on a mix of new and experienced players as the Eagles start the year with a very challenging non-league schedule.

Eastern will start the season with a neutral-site match-up against Randolph-Macon College t the Gettysburg College tip-off tournament. The Yellow Jackets return their top nine scorers from a team that finished 24-5, claimed the top seed in the ODAC Tournament, and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. They are ranked as high as second in preseason polls. With Eastern going to a tournament at Randolph-Macon in December, they could actually wind up playing the Yellow Jackets twice. The non-league schedule also includes games against Salisbury, Franklin & Marshall, Johns Hopkins, and Rochester.

Connor Fleet, DaRon Sherman, and Nick Mate give the Eagles experience at the guard spot. Sherman and Fleet started together down the stretch, and Mate, a senior, will help to space the floor with his range.

Olise Onyeka averaged 10.9 points, six rebounds, in nearly three blocks per game last year. The senior posted a season-high 24 points at Hood and had seven blocked shots in Eastern's win at Hopkins. AJ Williams and Josh Fadahunsi both saw time in the post last year. Junior transfer Dejuan Taylor averaged 13.4 points and seven rebounds per game while shooting 53% from the floor at Rosemont last year. The Eagles had some of their best offensive stretches last season when Williams was on the floor.

Josh Harris is joined by host of new players on the wing. Harris saw time in 24 games behind Arkese Claiborne last year. His ability to defend, rebound, and score in transition will be important and will at times allow the Eagles to play with a single post player. Mason Lewis is a transfer with experience who is very comfortable as a playmaker.

Pruessner believes for the Eagles to have success, they will need to get rebounding from all positions and to take advantage of their depth on the wing.

After playing twice at Gettysburg, the Eagles will open their home season against Dickinson College next Thursday.

MAC Commonwealth coaches picked Eastern to finish fifth in the league.