As the Tufts men’s basketball team gears up to tip off its season on Friday at Babson, they are driven by experience, hunger and a shared commitment to accountability. Building off of last year’s success, the Jumbos have a great advantage with all five starters returning.
Three things are undeniable about this year’s squad: The starters bring a wealth of game experience as leading players last year, the team’s desire for success has only intensified and each player pushes to uphold the program’s high standards.
D3hoops.com recently released its preseason rankings, placing the Jumbos fourth in the nation, a massive leap from their 16th-place finish last year. While preseason polls can be speculative — even arbitrary — given that not a single game has been played, this ranking stands as a testament to Tufts’ hard work, experience and the cohesion of the starting lineup.
For the Jumbos, it all starts with team captain and senior power forward Scott Gyimesi. Gyimesi averaged 15.3 points and led the team in rebounds per game last season — an impressive feat given that he stands at just 6 feet, 6 inches, while sharing the frontcourt with 6-foot-11 center and senior co-captain Joshua “Bernie” Bernstein. Gyimesi proves day-in and day-out that rebounding isn’t simply a product of height, but of effort and will — a reflection of his driven approach to the game. His athleticism, strength and relentless energy make him both a respected leader and a presence that opponents fear.
In addition to setting the tone physically, Gyimesi serves as the team’s vocal leader; he’s the guy who speaks up when standards slip.
“[Gyimesi] sets the minimum standard that we should all be at. If you aren’t at that standard, then you aren’t at the right level,” Bernstein wrote in an email to the Daily. Gyimesi practices what he preaches. “We have a chip on our shoulder this year. We are going to attack each moment, practice, and game like it’s our last,” he wrote. That mentality is what is fueling the Jumbos: “discipline and adherence to [the] program’s values.”
While Gyimesi brings the fire, Bernstein is the anchor. If an opponent is lucky enough to get past Gyimesi or one of the team’s other athletic forwards, their reward is meeting the near 7-foot-tall Bernstein at the rim. Simply put, this team is a force to be reckoned with.
Bernstein approaches the game with a curiosity that sets him apart. He wants to understand not just what to do but how to do it and why it works, whether that be in relation to his positioning, how to anticipate rotations and what actions set up success. That commitment to detail reflects his dedication to doing things the right way. Bernstein doesn’t just go through the motions: He invests in the process, trusting that the results will follow.
When Bernstein talks, everyone listens; the team always knows it’s coming from a place of purpose. Whether he’s calling out a defensive rotation or encouraging others to maintain high standards, Bernie leads with intention. That balance, knowing when to listen and when to lead, is what makes him such an effective captain and a pillar of the team’s accountability-driven culture.
The final co-captain is junior guard Jon Medley, who brings a unique mix of poise and swagger to the team. Whether it’s his confident demeanor or the fact that he lights it up in practice wearing an athletic sweatshirt under his jersey, Medley plays with unmistakable rhythm and control. He always seems to make the right play at the right time. He works hard, approaches the game with the right mindset and competes with intent every single day.
Medley stands out for more than just his confidence; his composure keeps the team steady with his unmatched consistency. “[Medley] leads by example, sets the defensive tone and his competitive drive is contagious,” sophomore Isaac Friedman wrote to the Daily. As a first-year, he appeared in 28 games, followed by a starting spot in every game he played last season. Medley has come into this program and done the right thing every day since the beginning, and it shows.
Rounding out the three captains in the starting lineup are two players who are just as much of a threat on the court. Senior guard James Morakis led the team in points per game last season and was recently named to the D3hoops.com Preseason All-American Fourth Team. In addition to his scoring, Morakis dished out 2.5 assists per game, demonstrating his multidimensional impact on offense. In what ended up as the final game of the season, he delivered a 36-point performance in a win-or-go-home second-round matchup of the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship against the University of Redlands. Morakis’ offensive prowess and ability to create scoring opportunities will be key to the Jumbos’ success this season.
The final starter, junior forward Dylan Reilly, is a 6-foot-6 3-point specialist and a complete all-around player. While Reilly’s shooting stretches defenses and opens up the floor, his value extends far beyond scoring. He’s a selfless teammate who’s constantly engaged, whether he’s knocking down shots, giving encouragement from the sideline or continuing to run during drills when he doesn’t have to. His investment in the team’s success never wavers, and that commitment helps sustain the Jumbos’ culture of drive, discipline and accountability.
These five players bring everything — height, athleticism and a balanced mix of skills that make this team dangerous from every angle.
“Having all five starters returning this season is nice, but ultimately it doesn’t mean anything until we can translate it onto the court. And on top of that, we have talent throughout our entire roster who we will need to contribute in order for us to succeed,” Gyimesi wrote in correspondence with the Daily.
After they play Babson, the team will stay on the road, traveling to Beverly on Sunday for a matchup against Endicott. The highly anticipated home opener against Suffolk will follow those two games on Tuesday at Cousens Gymnasium.
