By Paul Fritschner :The Rebound Rundown Official
We’re just one week away from bringing together four of Ohio’s most recognizable basketball programs in a unique setting. Get a closer look at the teams set to take center court at the CareSource Invitational.
Cincinnati
It’s a new era for the Cincinnati Bearcats. Jerrod Calhoun takes the reins as the head coach of a program looking to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019. Calhoun, who worked was a student assistant for the men’s basketball team while Bob Huggins was the head coach, comes to UC from Utah State where he made back-to-back NCAA Tournaments as the head coach of the Aggies. Calhoun had to build this UC team from scratch – there are 0 returning scholarship players from last year’s squad.
Calhoun is known for his up-tempo, high-scoring offense, and he brought some pieces with him. Underclassmen Adlan Elamin, Elijah Perryman, and David Iweze, as well as fifth-year MJ Collins who is waiting for a decision on his eligibility, all transferred to Cincinnati from Utah State. Should Collins be granted another season, Cincinnati will gain the Aggies’ leading scorer from last season, and one of the best players in the Mountain West. The strength of this Cincinnati team is in the backcourt, where they have a supremely talented guard in Tylen Riley (Tulsa transfer), Myles Colvin, who played in the 2024 national championship game with Purdue, Trevion Carson (North Dakota State) and Akai Fleming (Georgia Tech). In the interior, George Mason transfer Riley Allenspach and Boston College transfer Jayden Hastings will anchor the post, while former CAA Player of the Year Tyler Tejada will provide scoring on the wing.
Ohio State
Coming off their first NCAA Tournament appearance under head coach Jake Diebler, and their first overall since 2022, Ohio State will look to continue the momentum they built last season. The Buckeyes will be tasked with replacing the program’s all-time leading scorer Bruce Thornton, and transfer Justin Pippen, son of NBA Hall-of-Famer Scottie Pippen, will shoulder a lot of that load. Ohio State gets both John Mobley Jr. and Amare Bynum back, huge for the consistency of the group under Diebler.
Anthony Thompson has grabbed the headlines out of Columbus. The incoming freshman could potentially be a lottery pick in the 2027 NBA Draft, and will provide a massive boost to this Ohio State team. Thompson, a 6’9” McDonald’s All-American, is a lefty shooter who will be a scoring threat at all three levels. Ohio State has significant depth on the perimeter, and will look to make it back-to-back NCAA Tournaments.
Xavier
Head coach Richard Pitino enters year two at Xavier, and things are set to look very different on Victory Parkway. After securing a significant increase in NIL investment this offseason, Pitino was able to land a nationally recognized transfer portal class, headlined by point guard Chance Westry (UAB transfer) and forward Mike Nwoko (LSU). Those two are complemented by Tru Washington, who comes to Xavier from Miami (FL) but previously played for Pitino at New Mexico, and Ruben Dominguez, who was an SEC starter at Texas A&M last season.
The 2026-2027 Musketeers weren’t built solely out of the transfer portal. Jovan Milicevic, Xavier’s leading three-point shooter last year, is back and primed to play an important role. Filip Borovicanin is waiting for the same fifth-year eligibility decision as Cincinnati’s MJ Collins, and if Borovicanin is cleared to return, he would bring two years of experience under Pitino to a roster already full of upperclassmen. This Xavier team will aim to play at a blistering pace and win games with their offensive firepower. Multiple high-major starters who transferred in, combined with the returning production from last season, has Xavier in position to push for a bid in the 2027 NCAA Tournament.
Dayton
It’s winning time for Dayton, who was able to retain star Amaël L’Etang as well as 16-game starter Jaiun Simon. Anthony Grant, in his 10th season as head coach of the Flyers, went to the portal and was able to land Jalen Haynes, who didn’t see any minutes for Cincinnati after suffering an injury, as well as Zaide Lowery from Marquette, Travis Perry from Ole Miss, Landen “Dunk” Joseph from Marshall, Tristan Ford from Murray State, and Grant Randall from Quinnipiac. Haynes returns to the A-10, where he was a standout at George Mason in the 2025 season.
Dayton is set to battle towards the top of the Atlantic 10. The Flyers will play both Saint Louis and VCU twice this season (home and away), providing UD the chance to pick up multiple wins against the favorites in the league. UD has talent on the perimeter, a 7’1” standout in L’Etang, and opportunities in the non-conference to generate NCAA Tournament buzz. From there, it will be about taking advantage of opportunities in conference play.
Tickets are still available now at CareSource Invitational