The Thunder men's basketball team will tip-off their 2026-27 season on Friday afternoon at the Central Christian College Classic for Christ against the Sterling College Warriors at 4:00PM in McPherson, Kansas. The Thunder are coming off an NCCAA Central Region Tournament Championship, which was their first since 2020, and a NCCAA National Tournament appearance, which was their second straight. The Thunder would also win back-to-back Midwest Christian College Conference Tournament titles in 2025-26, which they have won at least a share of the regular season or tournament title the past seven seasons. In 2025-26, the Thunder finished with an overall record of 25-10, 9-3 in the MCCC, and 9-3 against NCCAA Central Region opponents.

The Thunder returned 10 players from last season's roster, where seven of the 10 have played in at least 25 games. Of the three that did not play that many games, two are returning from early season injury. Led by seniors, Jordan Carter, James Braddy, and Hunter Hill, the Thunder look to use their playing experience and offseason preparation to lead their team. Carter, a 6'2 guard from Bartlesville, Oklahoma, returns for his third year with the Thunder. He averaged 8.7 points on 41.2% shooting from the field, to go along with 3.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.2 steals in 35 games played. Braddy, a 5'9 guard from Kansas City, Missouri, averaged 7.0 points on 32.9% shooting from the three-point line and 82.4% from the free throw line, to go along with 2.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.3 steals in 33 games. Hill, a 6'6 forward from Henderson, Colorado, averaged 13.7 points on 58.8% shooting from the field and 71.3% from the free throw line, to go along with 5.9 rebounds in 35 games to earn Second Team All-MCCC and NCCAA Central Region Second Team All-Region honors.

Junior, Tatum Pierce, a First Team All-MCCC and NCCAA Central Region First Team All-Region selection, returns for this third year after averaging 14.4 points on 43.1% shooting from the field, 35.6% shooting from the three-point line, and 71.9% from the foul line, to go along with 7.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.3 steals in 32 games. Redshirt-junior, Peyton Torres, who played in 30 games off the bench, adds continuity to the rotation as he enters his fourth year with the program. He averaged 3.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 11.6 minutes per game. Fellow junior, Marcus Bauman also played in 25 games and shot 37.7% from the three-point line to help the Thunder. Redshirt-junior and 2024-25 First Team NCCAA All-American, Davis Rokey returns after a season-ending injury last season. Sophomore, Colby Frehe was the final Thunder player to play at least 25 games last season as he played in 34 and averaged 3.5 points and 3.1 rebounds. Redshirt-freshman, Trayden Chambers also returns from a season-ending injury as he only played in four games for the Thunder last season. The final returner is sophomore, Kyler Wenger who played in 11 games in 2025-26.

The remaining 2026-27 roster consists of two transfers and five freshmen. Sophomore, Dakota Holm is a 6'5 forward who transferred in from Barclay College and redshirt-freshman, Josh Somers is a 6'7 forward who transferred in from Ottawa University make up the transfer class for the Thunder. The five freshman include Brooks Baughman, Crew Byerly, Ben DeVader, Aden Rhoades, and Jayden Thompson.

Head coach Jordan Strom, who enters his eighth season at the helm, is ready to open another basketball season in Manhattan, "We are excited to open this season! The guys have worked hard in the offseason in preparation for the journey they will take over the next few months. With 10 returners and 7 new guys, it is fun to watch them come together and now it is time to play!" Strom has won 151 games as the head coach of the Thunder and holds a 71-7 MCCC record over seven seasons.

Tickets for the 2026-27 season are now available on the SidelineTix app and website. To purchase tickets, fans can visit www.mccthunder.com and click the "Get Tickets" tab.

How to Follow the Thunder: For complete information and to stay up-to-date with Manhattan Christian College Men's Basketball, visit www.mccthunder.com and follow the team's social media pages on X and Instagram.