Monday, November 2, 2026
Rider Broncs (0-0) vs. Pittsburgh Panthers (0-0)
Location: Pittsburgh, PA - Peterson Event Center
Tip: 7 p.m.
Tickets – PittsburghPanthers.com
Live Video – ACCNX
Live Audio – None
Live Stats – PittsburghPanthers.com
X Updates – Twitter.com/RiderMBB
 
What You Need To Know
- Rider opens the regular season Monday at Pittsburgh with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. on ACCNX.
- The Broncs were victorious in their exhibition contest last Saturday against Alvernia, winning 66-55. Ty Bevins led the Broncs with 17 points, Rich Brisco added a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double, and Horrace Simmons Jr. chipped in 10 off the bench.
- The Broncs have zero returning players from the 2025-26 team, one of just five teams in the country to have an entirely new roster for the 2026-27 year, joining Northern Illinois, Kansas City, Western Michigan, and Mississippi Valley State.
- Rider welcomes 14 newcomers to the squad. The class includes 10 transfer student-athletes, including seven with previous Division I experience and four freshmen. Bevins joins the Broncs from George Washington, Mark Butler comes to Lawrenceville after three seasons at Lafayette, Brisco brings experience at Akron, Kam Wylie is a transfer from Saint Francis, Khalil Farmer joins the team after stops at Hofstra and UMASS Lowell, Simmons Jr. comes from Drexel, and Bryce Baker joins the Broncs after previous stops at Charleston, Winthrop, and Old Dominion. Segun Ezekiel Obe, Nasir Washington, and Stephen Avegah Semey all join the Broncs from the junior college ranks. Richie Rosa, Mikes Connelly, JJ Washington, and Bryce Presley round out the roster as the team's four freshmen.
- The Broncs were picked 13^th in the Metro Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll.
- 15th-year Head Coach Kevin Baggett's teams have posted a 210-227 record. Baggett won Conference Coach of the Year in 2015 and 2018.
- Only John Carpenter (292) has more wins at Rider. Only John Dunne (268), Joe Mihalich (265), and Jimmy Patsos (222) have more wins coaching in the Metro Conference.
- A familiar face returns to the Rider bench this season – Rider Hall of Famer Ryan Thompson '10, who begins his first year as an assistant coach with the Broncs, following five seasons as an assistant at Rowan University. Thompson's name appears throughout the Broncs' record book, currently ranking among the Top 12 in scoring (1,897 – 4th), field goals made (627 – 8th), free throws made (477, 2nd), rebounds (734, 12th), assists (393, 8th), steals (188, T-2nd), games played (128, T-7th) and games started (120, 5th). 
- The Panthers lead the all-time series over the Broncs 2-0, winning back-to-back games in 2010 and 2011. In 2011, Rider led the then 10th-ranked Panthers 73-72 with five minutes to play before ultimately falling by eight. Anthony Myles, Danny Stewart, Novar Gadson, and Jeff Jones, all finished in double figures, led by Myles' then career-high 20 points in the setback.
- The Panthers are coming into the 2026-27 season off a 13-20 year, including a 5-13 mark in ACC play a season ago. Last season, Cameron Corhen led four Pitt players in double figures at 13.6 points per game. None of those four are returning this season however, as the Panthers returned just three players from last year's squad. Macari Moore is the lone Panther returner, who played last season, when he totaled 30 points in 129 minutes. UNC transfer Jonathan Powell led Pitt with 15 points in their exhibition contest against Providence.
- While Monday's contest will not be broadcast, all remaining Rider men's and women's home games this season, along with select road games, will be broadcast on 107.7 The Bronc Retro WRRC2. Tune in online at 1077TheBronc.com, or download our free Google Play, Apple, Alexa, Audacy and MyTuner apps and skills. Search and download: WRRC2.