In the ever-changing landscape of college basketball, consistency is always welcomed. The Brown Bears had that level of consistency with head coach Mike Martin, who started with the program in 2012 and is the winningest coach in Bears' history. However, on July 13, 2026, Martin could not pass up on a life-altering opportunity when he was named the associate head coach of the reigning national champion Michigan Wolverines. Brown acted quickly and appointed veteran coach Eric Reveno as its head coach on 11 days later, already months into the offseason.
"The season came real quick, and the offseason was really short," Reveno said.
Advertisement
Despite the alterations at the helm, multiple assistant coaches stuck with the squad including Tyson Wheeler, Omar Lowery and Andrew Becil. With those integral members of the staff subscribing to Reveno, it has made for an easier transition for the Bears.
"Coach Martin left the program in great shape," Reveno said. "The guys have been great to me, and I was able to learn a lot about the team."
Since their run to the championship game of the 2024 Ivy League Madness Tournament, the Bears have struggled to rekindle that level of play. Costly turnovers were commonplace for Brown as it averaged 12.9 turnovers per game, second most in the Ivy with Columbia being the only team in the Ivy averaging more at 13 per game. The Bears also fought an uphill battle in finding their shots as they made 44.4% of their field goals and made an Ivy League low 31.7% of 3-point field goals.
"We had to go back to the basics when I came in," Reveno said. "We did not shoot it straight, and we had a lot of turnovers."
Advertisement
Listen to Ivy men's conference preview podcast episode:
View Link
Listen to Ivy women's conference preview podcast episode:
View Link
The Brown Bears are equipped with veteran players who Reveno looks to build around. Senior Luke Paragon returns to the squad after putting up career-highs in points per game with 7.1 and rebounds per game with 1.5 last season. The New York native looks to build off his personal best season and continue the uptick of growth.
Senior N'famara Dabo also aims to be a significant contributor once again after averaging 5.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game last with a whopping 11 blocks coming against Hampton on Nov. 14, the second most in a single game by an Ivy League player.
Advertisement
"As long as you have good guys ready to play, it's enjoyable," Reveno said. "It is about what they bring to us in terms of consistency and having these versatile two-way players."
The 2026-27 Brown squad also brings in five freshmen. Forward Logan Jones is one to keep an eye on moving forward as he is coming off of three years as the varsity captain at the Potomac School in Mclean, Va., and was an All-MAC Team selection. Fellow freshman Kenneth Francis Jr. was the varsity captain his senior year at the Calvary Christian Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and averaged 12.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, three assists and 2.1 steals per game.
"I am excited long term for these freshmen players," Reveno said. "I can see this freshmen squad being a starting five one day."
With the season upon us, the Bears have a jam-packed non-conference stretch including reigning Metro champion Siena and reigning Patriot League champion Lehigh. The early months of the season is always essential to see how a roster can mesh and find different ways to win games. However, Reveno looks to not only assess what he has in his roster but to establish a winning mindset early.
"We don't do this in a vacuum; you want to win along the way," Reveno said.
