BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — The Bowling Green State University men’s basketball team plays at home for the first time this season on Monday, Nov. 9, hosting Cleveland State in its home opener at the Stroh Center. Bowling Green State University Athletics said the Falcons and Vikings are set for a 7 p.m. tip, with the game streaming on ESPN+ and a radio feed from Todd Walker available on WFRO Eagle 99. Bowling Green enters 1-0 after opening on the road, and a win would give the Falcons a 2-0 start for the fourth time in the past five seasons, according to BGSU Athletics.
The opener arrives one week after a milestone more than a century in the making. With its victory over Georgia State on Monday, Nov. 2 — a 76-73 road win — the program notched its 1,500th win in Bowling Green men’s basketball history, BGSU Athletics reported. The Falcons became just the fourth current Mid-American Conference program to reach 1,500 all-time wins, joining Akron (1,774), Ohio (1,660) and Toledo (1,605), according to BGSU Athletics.
Bowling Green is playing its 112th season, dating back to 1915-16, and in that span has captured 12 MAC regular-season championships and reached the Sweet 16 three times, according to BGSU Athletics. Defining stretches include a school-record 31 victories and an NCAA Sweet 16 run in 1962-63, and 24-win campaigns in both 1967-68 and 2021-22, BGSU Athletics reported.
Monday’s opponent brings its own long history with the Falcons. Bowling Green and Cleveland State have met 19 times, with the Falcons holding an 11-8 advantage, and Bowling Green has won five of the last seven meetings, according to BGSU Athletics. The most recent matchup was on Dec. 15, 2019, at the Stroh Center, when Bowling Green won 72-58, BGSU Athletics reported. The series dates back to January 1972, and Bowling Green’s largest victory in it was a 101-66 win on Jan. 28, 1976, according to BGSU Athletics — nearly seven years have passed since the two Ohio programs last shared a court.
Fans on Monday will see a roster that looks very different from a year ago. BGSU welcomed nine newcomers, consisting of six transfers and three incoming freshmen, to join six returners from last season’s roster, BGSU Athletics reported. The returners are Makhi Leach, Josiah Shackelford, Christian Dedivanaj, Preston Squire, Camden Karel and Aiden Goins, according to BGSU Athletics.
Several newcomers are expected to play key roles right away. Transfers Trey Simmons from Frostburg State, Tristan Beckford from South Florida, Juan Cranford Jr. from Eastern Kentucky and Zach Howell from Drury bring collegiate experience and versatility, while freshmen KJ Torbert and Talan Staley provide additional talent on the perimeter, according to BGSU Athletics. Those additions join a returning core that includes Leach, Dedivanaj and Shackelford, giving head coach Todd Simon a blend of proven experience and young talent, BGSU Athletics reported.
Torbert arrives with a pedigree few freshmen can match. The guard was named Michigan Mr. Basketball, following his father, Kevin Torbert, who also earned the honor, according to BGSU Athletics. The Torberts are one of the rare father-son combinations to both claim the award, given annually since 1981, BGSU Athletics reported. KJ Torbert was ranked the number two player in Michigan for the 2026 class by 247Sports, averaged 25.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 2.5 assists per game, and led East Lansing to a state championship in 2024-25 as MVP, according to BGSU Athletics.
The rebuild is led by Simon, who has made an immediate impact since taking over, according to BGSU Athletics. In his first season, the Falcons posted their highest win total since 2021-22 and improved on both ends of the floor, BGSU Athletics reported. Simon is known for developing talent, creating disciplined defensive teams and engineering rapid rebuilds, with conference championships, postseason appearances and multiple 20-win seasons, according to BGSU Athletics.
Cleveland State comes to Bowling Green looking for a step forward of its own. The Vikings posted an 11-22 overall record in 2025-26, breaking a six-year stretch of 20-win seasons, according to BGSU Athletics. Cleveland State is in year two under head coach Rob Summers and reloaded with several experienced transfers, including Rayvon Griffith from MAC foe Kent State, Derek Vorst from Indiana State, and Jordan Lowery from UT Arlington, while adding size and versatility across the lineup, BGSU Athletics reported.
Monday is also a community night. The game is Pudge’s Birthday Party and supports the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee food drive: anyone who brings a canned good receives a free ticket, according to BGSU Athletics. The first 500 students receive a free slice of pizza, courtesy of Simon, and the first 500 fans receive a free Pudge Plush, BGSU Athletics reported. Falcon Hour runs 6 to 7 p.m., and a clear bag mandate is in effect, according to BGSU Athletics.
What happens next is a long runway into conference play. The schedule features non-conference home contests against Niagara, Northern Illinois, Gardner-Webb, Cornerstone and Aquinas, with road trips to Indiana and William & Mary, according to BGSU Athletics. The Falcons begin their 22-game MAC schedule on Dec. 2 at Kent State, and round out the non-conference slate by hosting a Sun Belt opponent on Feb. 6, BGSU Athletics reported. It all starts Monday at 7 p.m., when a program that just won its 1,500th game plays at home for the first time this season.
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