D1 · Horizon League

Northern Kentucky Men’s Basketball Recruiting: Roster & Openings

KenPom #180 · 20–14 · 2025–26 · Division 1 · Horizon League · Highland Heights, KY

Northern Kentucky finished 20–14 (Horizon 3rd, KenPom #180) in 2025–26. 13 players hold the 2026–27 roster; 7 are new this season.

Roster data through 2026–27

Roster13 players
New this season7
Transfer additions4
Clearest projected openingGuards and Forwards · 2029
Most common home stateKY (2)

Where the door opens

our roster projection · your arrival year

Guards and Forwards: open from 2029 — 5 ahead.

2027
Gblocked7 ahead
Fblocked6 ahead
2028
Gcrowded6 ahead
Fcrowded5 ahead
2029
Gopening5 ahead
Fopening4 ahead
2030
Gopen3 ahead
Fopen2 ahead

Projections for 2029, 2030 are low-confidence reads.

Guards in that room (7)
BJ Davis-Ray6′6″So
JJ Apathjang6′4″RS-Fr
Ethan Elliott6′1″So
Willie Foster6′2″Fr
Bryce Darbyshire6′4″RS-Jr
Gabrielius Jokubauskas6′5″Fr
Eric Acker6′3″Sr
Forwards in that room (6)
Ryan Tolliver6′7″So
Juanma Ruiz6′9″RS-Fr
Patrick Otto Mäe6′9″Fr
Donovan Rakotonanahary6′6″RS-So
Noah Pagotto6′8″Sr
Will Shortt6′8″Jr
Those openings are for the roster in general. See whether your position, size and profile fit them →

If you want to play at Northern Kentucky

How to get recruited here

For 2027 arrivals the roster projection reads: G blocked (7 ahead), F blocked (6 ahead).

Of the latest cycle's 9 arrivals, 5 came straight from high school and 4 from the transfer portal.

Most arrivals come from KY, WI, CT.

0 of 13 recent arrivals held a national ranking — 0 of 13 appear in our cross-checked rankings ledger; players absent from the ledger are not necessarily unranked.

12% of last season's scoring returns.

The roster, as a depth chart

2026–27 · 13 players

Guards 7 of 13

BJ Davis-Ray6′6″So
Gabrielius Jokubauskas6′5″Fr
JJ Apathjang6′4″RS-Fr
Bryce Darbyshire6′4″RS-Jr1.5 PPG
Eric Acker6′3″Sr · final yr
Willie Foster6′2″Fr
Ethan Elliott6′1″So5.1 PPG

Frontcourt 6 of 13 · forwards + centers

Juanma Ruiz6′9″RS-Fr · F
Patrick Otto Mäe6′9″Fr · F
Noah Pagotto6′8″Sr · F · final yr
Will Shortt6′8″Jr · F
Ryan Tolliver6′7″So · F1.0 PPG
Donovan Rakotonanahary6′6″RS-So · F3.0 PPG
freshman final year — spot opens returning

Returning production

12%of recorded scoring returns
0 of 5top scorers returning
Top returning scorers
Ethan Elliott5.1 PPG in 2025–26 · returning
Donovan Rakotonanahary3.0 PPG in 2025–26 · returning
Bryce Darbyshire1.5 PPG in 2025–26 · returning

Computed from 11 of 14 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

5from high school4via the portal

9 of 13 roster spots were filled out of high school or held over.

Rankings

0 of 13

0 of 13 appear in our cross-checked rankings ledger; players absent from the ledger are not necessarily unranked.

Where from

KY 2 · WI 2 · CT 1 · FL 1 · MO 1 · NC 1

9 international: Begijar; Antavaro; Hamilton, New Zealand; Perth and 5 more

High schools: Sycamore HS; Brookfield East HS; Scott HS and 2 more

Transfer flow

named arrivals and departures

2025–26 → 2026–27 · in

→BJ Davis-Ray
→Noah Pagotto
→Eric Acker
→Will Shortt

2025–26 → 2026–27 · out

←Addison Archer

How this roster compares

Horizon League (11 programs, 2025–26 medians)
MeasureNorthern KentuckyConference
Average guard height6′4″6′3″+1″
Average frontcourt height6′8″6′8″
Roster size1315−2
Freshman share38%36%+2pp

The five-year arc

kenpom rank · wins · conference finish
#1762021–22#1512022–23#1952023–24#2392024–25#1802025–26
20–12 · Horizon 2nd22–13 · Horizon 1st18–15 · Horizon 5th17–16 · Horizon 8th20–14 · Horizon 3rd

Coaching staff

Darrin HornHead men's basketball coach
Simon McCormackAssociate head men's basketball coach
David HarrisAssociate head men's basketball coach
Ben SissonAssistant men's basketball coach/player development
David WatkinsAssistant men's basketball coach
Staff changes4 on-court staff changes in 4 offseasons — 1 before 2023–24, 3 before 2025–26.

Academics

published admissions data
Acceptance rate68%
SAT midpoint1097
ACT midpoint23

How this page is made: Rosters: official Northern Kentucky rosters, 2025–26 and 2026–27, read from the athletic department's own site · Season: Northern Kentucky'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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