BOWIE, Md. – The Bowie State University men's basketball team will open its 2026–27 season this weekend, Friday, Nov. 13 through Saturday, Nov. 14, as the Bulldogs travel to Ettrick, Va., to compete in the Virginia State Tip-Off Challenge at the VSU Multipurpose Center.
The Bulldogs will open the tournament Friday afternoon with a 5 p.m. matchup against East Stroudsburg University before returning to the court Saturday at 3 p.m. to face Shepherd University. The two-game weekend will mark the beginning of a new campaign for Bowie State under first-year interim head coach Bryan Wilson.
When: Friday, Nov. 13 - Saturday, Nov. 14
Where: VSU Multipurpose Center (Ettrick, Va.)
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Men's Basketball Preview
The Bowie State men's basketball program enters the 2026–27 campaign under the leadership of interim head coach Bryan Wilson, who begins his first season guiding the Bulldogs. Bowie State was selected ninth in the 2026–27 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Men's Basketball Preseason Predicted Order of Finish and will look to establish its identity early with a veteran group of returning contributors.
Leading the Bulldogs is senior forward Jaiden McGhee, who earned Preseason All-CIAA recognition after receiving All-CIAA honors last season. McGhee averaged 12.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, finishing with 361 points and 147 rebounds across 28 appearances. His experience and production in the frontcourt will be an important part of Bowie State's efforts this season.
Also returning is senior guard Jailin Landis, who averaged 10.8 points and 3.0 rebounds per game in 19 appearances last season. Landis contributed 42 assists and 19 steals, providing the Bulldogs with additional scoring, playmaking and experience in the backcourt.
Bowie State will also look to returning contributors Junior guard, Jordan Downs Sophomore forward Charles Thomas III Sophomore guard Amadou Kaloga and Senior forward Justin Morrisey. Thomas III enters his sophomore season after earning CIAA All-Rookie Team recognition in 2025–26, adding another young contributor to the Bulldogs' returning core.
The Bulldogs will look to combine veteran leadership, returning production and continued development as they begin the season against East Stroudsburg.
A New Era
For Bryan Wilson, Bowie State University has never simply been a place where he played basketball or earned a degree. It has been home to an extraordinary journey spanning more than a decade, one that began as a freshman student-athlete in 2009 and evolved into a lifelong commitment to the Bulldog men's basketball program.
A native of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Wilson arrived at Bowie State in 2009 with aspirations of competing at the collegiate level. Over the next four years, he became an integral member of the Bulldogs' basketball program, helping establish one of the most successful four-year stretches in program history from 2009 through 2013. During his playing career, Wilson appeared in 105 games, made 44 starts, accumulated 689 points, and recorded 229 assists, ranking fifth on Bowie State's all-time assists list. He helped lead Bowie State to the 2013 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Men's Basketball Tournament Championship
From his arrival as a freshman in 2009 to his leadership role in 2026, Bryan Wilson's story is deeply intertwined with the history and development of Bowie State Men's Basketball.
About East Stroudsburg
East Stroudsburg University finished the 2025-26 season with a 21-9 overall record and a 14-7 mark in PSAC play. The Warriors were selected second in the 2026-27 PSAC East Preseason Coaches Poll, receiving three first-place votes. Head coach Jeff Wilson returns 12 players, including Adrian Brito, the 2026 PSAC East Freshman of the Year, and Keni Williams, who averaged 10.2 points and 3.1 assists per game last season.
East Stroudsburg has recorded four consecutive 20-win seasons, compiling a 90-30 record during that stretch. The Warriors have also maintained a .700-or-better winning percentage every season since 2017-18. Historically, Bowie State and East Stroudsburg have split their two meetings, with the all-time series tied 1-1 according to ESU's official records.
About Shepherd
ShepherdUniversity men's basketball finished the 2025-26 season with a 20-10 overall record and a 15-6 mark in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play, earning a share of the PSAC Eastern Division regular-season title. The Rams were selected third in the 2026-27 PSAC East Preseason Coaches Poll, receiving one first-place vote. Shepherd ranked first in the conference in scoring defense last season, allowing just 69.9 points per game. Leading returners include Elwyne Wordlaw, who averaged 15.6 points per game, Colby White (11.2 ppg), and Favor Okigweh, who averaged 10.2 rebounds per contest.
Historically, Bowie State and Shepherd have met 11 times, with the Bulldogs holding a 5-6 record against the Rams. Shepherd won the most recent meeting 76-66 on Nov. 19, 2025, in Shepherdstown, while Bowie State claimed a 62-56 victory in the previous matchup in 2024. The Rams open the 2026-27 season at Virginia State on Nov. 13 before facing Bowie State on Nov. 14 in the CIAA-PSAC Conference Challenge in Ettrick, Virginia.
Looking Ahead
Following the Virginia State Tip-Off Challenge, Bowie State will remain on the road for its next two contests, opening CIAA play against Claflin University on Thursday, Nov. 19 at 2 p.m., in Orangeburg, S.C., before traveling to Charlotte, N.C., to face Johnson C. Smith University on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 4 p.m.
The Bulldogs will return to the court Wednesday, Nov. 25 at 1 p.m., for a nonconference matchup against Shippensburg University before opening their home schedule Saturday, Nov. 28 2 p.m., against Cheyney University inside A.C. Jordan Arena.
For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State Athletics and its 14 varsity sport teams, please visit BSUBulldogs.com and follow the Bulldogs on social media.
