CLEVELAND, Ga. – The Truett McConnell University men's basketball program prepares to begin its 2026-27 season with its home opener against the Talladega College Tornadoes at Colby Tilley Court in Benjamin F. Brady Arena on Tuesday.
 
The Bears look to expand upon their 12-16 overall and 9-10 Appalachian Athletic Conference records from 2025-26, a season that served as the third straight campaign in which TMU finished with nine AAC wins.
 
The 2026-27 roster features the return of numerous core pieces from 2025-26, including graduate student Ryan Neal, seniors Jadon Yeh and Preston Kent, juniors Emanuel Befekadu and Preston Tuggle as well as sophomores Calvin Carter II and Connor Williams. In total, men's basketball retains 12 players from its previous season with the addition of eight new athletes.
 
When asked about the team's goals for this season, head coach Jon Yeh said "the standard for success remains the same. Our goals are to win the [Appalachian Athletic Conference] regular season and to qualify for the NAIA national tournament."
 
"We have also placed an emphasis on rebounding and preventing giving up shots near the rim over this off-season," Yeh added.
 
With 40% of the roster featuring athletes in their first season at TMU, there is an excitement for the opportunity for new dynamics on the court. "We have great offensive potential. We have players that can score at all three levels, and we can be good defensively as well if we really lock in and improve. We also have made some huge strategic changes and we're hopeful to see some improvements on the court through those," said Yeh.
 
The 2026-27 men's basketball schedule features 29 regular season games, including 19 AAC competitions and 13 events at home. After Tuesday's home opener, the Bears will spend the next two weeks as visitors across four games before opening conference play at home against Byran College on Nov. 11.