Eastern’s 2026-2027 basketball season is officially underway, and these athletes are training hard to up their game this year. The men’s basketball team in particular has been planning and working on improving themselves before and throughout the beginning of the season.
Last year, the team took a hard hit, inspiring athletes and trainers alike to put their all into the new season. Daniel Pruessner, the team’s coach, shared that last year’s season was “a disappointment for all of us,” and what the team lacked was “trust within each other.” This season, the team hopes to turn this around, build faith in one another and make their team stronger than ever.
According to Pruessner, the current team is “young and lack(ing) significant playing experience,” but has a “great opportunity to build something this year that can ultimately turn into something special.” While the beginning of the season may come with its trials and bumps in the road, the team is confident in their ability to improve throughout the duration of their games this year.
The current men’s team captains are Mason Lewis and Josh Fadahunsi, two upperclassmen whom Pruessner noted have “shown signs of real positive leadership.” They have been working with the team throughout the off season to support growth and success amongst teammates.
As far as goals for the year, Pruessner shared that there are no concrete goals set for the men. Instead, they are working to improve overall to reach a new level of success. “Our goal is to get better today and it pretty much ends there,” he said.
“This year, we have made a concerted effort to ensure we are not skipping steps,” Pruessner said. Their plan is to “revamp (their) offensive play style while simultaneously returning to the defensive principles that brought (them) success a few years ago.” Their intent is not to become the most powerful team around or set unrealistic expectations, but to rebuild what Eastern had before in strength, technique and trust in each other as teammates.
Naturally, any and all support and appreciation for the team is welcomed enthusiastically, as it helps the team members to remember that they are playing not just for themselves, but for their whole school. Pruessner made a statement on behalf of his team: “We are only as good as our student support. We need you guys. Please come out and support us this year,” he said.
Eastern students can support their friends and classmates at the remainder of games for the season, starting with the upcoming home game against Albright University at 7 p.m. on Nov. 24 and continuing with games up to the end of February. The team’s season schedule, roster and standings can be viewed online at goeasterneagles.com.
