The Cincinnati Bearcats are going to have a lot of moving pieces next season as Jerrod Calhoun takes on a brand new roster full of transfers and Big 12 competition. With the Bearcats deep at the guard position between Tylen Riley, Miles Colvin, MJ Collins, Trevian Carson, and Akai Fleming, problems next season are likely to come from other position groups.
The Bearcats are the thinnest at the power forward or "bigger wing" position. Between the youth of Adlan Elamin and Eric Mahaffey, plus their weight, Tyler Tejada, a transfer forward from Towson takes on a large role this season for the Bearcats.
Tejada is an extremely gifted scorer, averaging 17.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 32 games last season. The X-Factor part comes from his efficiency concerns, where he shot 43.2% from the field, 29.1% from the three-point range, and 88.2% from the free-throw line. Tejada will now be playing in the Big 12 instead of the CAA. Based on the quality of the opponent alone, Tejada's efficiencies are due to decrease. But in a Cincinnati offense where he won't be carrying the load like he was at Towson, his shots are due to look better, and we could see an increase.
Calhoun's offenses are historically guard-heavy when it comes to scoring output, but secondary scoring matters when players have off nights or when they face tougher defenses. If Tejada can become a consistent scoring option outside of the guard position, the Bearcats are going to be a very fun team to watch next season.
Behind the Name: Tyler Tejada 🎥 pic.twitter.com/4wSZkcnvor
— Cincinnati Men’s Hoops (@GoBearcatsMBB) June 25, 2026
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