By: Colton Steiner
BLUFFTON, Ohio - It's time to return to the hardwood for the Bluffton Beavers men's basketball squad as they get set to tip off their 2025-26 season. Head Coach Seth Clark returns after leading the Beavers to an overall record of 6-19 with a conference mark of 5-13 last year. Bluffton brings back some familiar faces, along with some new talent to keep an eye on for the upcoming campaign.
Set and ready for his senior season, Nevin Robson (Kenton/Hardin Northern) is back and he brings along with him team-highs in points per game with 15.9 and rebounds per game with 6.9. The All-HCAC selection was able to collect four double-doubles last season, including a 27-point, 14-rebound performance against Earlham at home. Graduate student Ian Snelling (Erlanger, Ky./Dixie Heights), who led Bluffton with 33 triples and 48 steals a season ago, is back for a final run with the Beavers.
Joining Robson and Snelling is senior William Layfield (West Chester/Lakota West), who averaged 5.4 points and dished out 1.2 assists per game in 24 games last season. Also returning are seniors Brendan Williams (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka) and JD Stokes (West Harrison, Ind./Franklin County). Williams returns after scoring 5.9 points a game in 2024-25, including a 14-point performance where he went 7-of-10 from the floor in his season debut against Mount St. Joseph. Stokes is back for his senior campaign after seeing an uptick in minutes as the year went on last season and he brings with him a 41.9 field goal percentage from the floor.
After suffering a season-ending injury with just four games under his belt last season, Matt Ray (Indianapolis, Ind./Herron) will help bolster the backcourt and he is looking to make an impact. Despite the small sample size, Ray was able to net a 14-point performance against Adrian where he knocked down 5-of-7 of his shots from the field, including 3-of-4 from behind the arc.
Sophomore Carson Clum (Harrod/Allen East) eyes more action after seeing increased playing time in the final six games of the season, including a seven-point performance at Hanover.
Transferring in from Saint Mary of the Woods is Andre Irvin (Lewis Center/Olentangy Orange) who averaged 3.0 points per game and 91.4 percent from the charity stripe in his two years playing for the Pomeroys.
Bluffton opens its season on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. when the Beavers host Ohio Northern, where former Head Coach Guy Neal is on staff as an assistant. HCAC action kicks off Wednesday, Dec. 3, on Copeland Court when Bluffton goes head-to-head with the Mount St. Joseph Lions at 7:30 p.m. The Beavers will host Baldwin Wallace on Wednesday, Dec. 31, to ring in the New Year. On Feb. 18, Bluffton closes out the regular season with a home contest against the Anderson University Ravens.
-BEAVERS-