D1 · Mid-American Conference

Bowling Green Men’s Basketball Recruiting: Roster & Openings

KenPom #153 · 18–14 · 2025–26 · Division 1 · Mid-American Conference · Bowling Green, OH

Bowling Green finished 18–14 (MAC 4th, KenPom #153) in 2025–26. 15 players hold the 2026–27 roster; 9 are new this season.

Roster data through 2026–27

Roster15 players
New this season9
Transfer additions6
Clearest projected openingGuards and Forwards · 2029
Most common home stateOH (4)

Where the door opens

our roster projection · your arrival year

Guards and Forwards: open from 2029 — 5 ahead.

2027
Gblocked10 ahead
Fcrowded4 ahead
2028
Gbalanced9 ahead
Fbalanced3 ahead
2029
Gopening5 ahead
Fopening2 ahead
2030
Gopen2 ahead
Fopen1 ahead

Projections for 2029, 2030 are low-confidence reads.

Guards in that room (10)
Juan Cranford, Jr.6′4″Jr
Zach Howell6′5″RS-Sr
Talan Staley6′3″Fr
Makhi Leach6′2″So
Trey Simmons6′1″Jr
Jayden Johnson6′1″Jr
KJ Torbert6′4″Fr
Josiah Shackelford6′4″Jr
Tristan Beckford6′7″So
Christian Dedivanaj6′3″So
Forwards in that room (5)
Christ Essandoko7′0″RS-Sr
Preston Squire6′11″RS-Jr
Aiden Goins6′9″Sr
Leek Ateny6′11″Fr
Camden Karel6′9″So
Those openings are for the roster in general. See whether your position, size and profile fit them →

If you want to play at Bowling Green

How to get recruited here

For 2027 arrivals the roster projection reads: G blocked (10 ahead), F crowded (4 ahead).

Of the latest cycle's 9 arrivals, 3 came straight from high school and 6 from the transfer portal.

Most arrivals come from OH, MI, LA.

3 of 15 recent arrivals held a national ranking — 3 of 15 appear in our cross-checked rankings ledger; players absent from the ledger are not necessarily unranked.

24% of last season's scoring returns.

The roster, as a depth chart

2026–27 · 15 players

Guards 10 of 15

Tristan Beckford6′7″So
Zach Howell6′5″RS-Sr · final yr
Juan Cranford, Jr.6′4″Jr
KJ Torbert6′4″Fr
Josiah Shackelford6′4″Jr11.3 PPG
Talan Staley6′3″Fr
Christian Dedivanaj6′3″So0.4 PPG
Makhi Leach6′2″So3.1 PPG
Trey Simmons6′1″Jr
Jayden Johnson6′1″Jr

Frontcourt 5 of 15 · forwards + centers

Christ Essandoko7′0″RS-Sr · F · final yr
Preston Squire6′11″RS-Jr · F
Leek Ateny6′11″Fr · F
Aiden Goins6′9″Sr · F · final yr4.5 PPG
Camden Karel6′9″So · F1.9 PPG
freshman final year — spot opens returning

Returning production

24%of recorded scoring returns
1 of 5top scorers returning
Top returning scorers
Josiah Shackelford11.3 PPG in 2025–26 · returning
Aiden Goins4.5 PPG in 2025–26 · returning
Makhi Leach3.1 PPG in 2025–26 · returning

Computed from 14 of 17 players on the 2025–26 roster with recorded stats; "returning" means listed on the 2026–27 roster.

Who actually gets onto this roster?

How players arrive

3from high school6via the portal

9 of 15 roster spots were filled out of high school or held over.

Rankings

3 of 15

3 of 15 appear in our cross-checked rankings ledger; players absent from the ledger are not necessarily unranked.

Best-ranked: Tristan Beckford #126.

Where from

OH 4 · MI 3 · LA 2 · AZ 1 · FL 1 · IL 1

4 international: Maple; Anyidi; Toowoomba, Australia; Clichy, France

High schools: Spring Valley; Muskogee; Westerville and 2 more

Transfer flow

named arrivals and departures

2025–26 → 2026–27 · in

→Juan Cranford, Jr.
→Christ Essandoko
→Zach Howell
→Trey Simmons
→Jayden Johnson
→Tristan Beckford

2025–26 → 2026–27 · out

←Alijah Adem
←Jaxon Pardon
←Mayar Wol
←Jason Kimbrough Jr.

How this roster compares

Mid-American Conference (12 programs, 2025–26 medians)
MeasureBowling GreenConference
Average guard height6′3″6′3″
Average frontcourt height6′10″6′9″+1″
Roster size1514+1
Freshman share20%35%−15pp

The five-year arc

kenpom rank · wins · conference finish
#2722021–22#2792022–23#2312023–24#2742024–25#1532025–26
13–18 · MAC 8th11–20 · MAC 9th20–14 · MAC 5th14–18 · MAC 9th18–14 · MAC 4th

Coaching staff

Todd SimonHead men's basketball coach / CoachTsimon
Lourawls Nairn Jr.Associate head men's basketball coach / CoachTum11
Bryce MartinAssistant men's basketball coach / bv_martin
Bob GallagerAssistant men's basketball coach / BobGallager
Jason NewkirkAssistant men's basketball coach
Anthony StaceyAssistant men's basketball coach / astacey34
Staff changes8 on-court staff changes in 4 offseasons — 5 before 2023–24, 2 before 2024–25, 1 before 2025–26.

Academics

published admissions data
Acceptance rate81%
SAT midpoint1115
ACT midpoint23

How this page is made: Rosters: official Bowling Green rosters, 2025–26 and 2026–27, read from the athletic department's own site · Season: Bowling Green's 2026–27 roster is posted, so this page reads it; the conference comparison uses 2025–26, the newest season every program has on file. · Stats: 2025–26, the last season played — the 2026–27 season has no games yet. · New this season: players not listed on the 2025–26 roster; a newcomer who is not a freshman counts as a transfer addition · Ratings: KenPom, five seasons; conference finish computed among same-conference teams by rating · Openings: Depth Chart's roster projection from listed class years; confidence stated per year · Sample: among players who made a college roster — the data cannot see who didn't. Among players who made a college roster. Model judgments describe positions and cohorts, never a named player's future. Refreshed automatically when the rosters change. Corrections: research@mydepthchart.com.

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