JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The reigning GLVC champion Lincoln men's basketball team opens its 2025-26 season with a pair of games in Puerto Rico this weekend. The Blue Tigers will play three games in four days, as LU hosts Hannibal-LaGrange on Monday (Nov. 17) at 7:30 p.m. CST.

The Blue Tigers play games on Friday (Nov. 14) and Saturday (Nov. 15) against Puerto Rico-Bayamon and Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, respectively. These are the first of four neutral site contests for Lincoln, which plays Emporia State in Kansas City on Nov. 22 before taking on Purdue Northwest in Springfield, Ill. on Dec. 20.

Lincoln returns four players who started games during the 2024-25 campaign, which ended with the Blue Tigers winning the GLVC tournament and making their first appearance in the NCAA Division II tournament since 1981. Tyler Chapman, an All-GLVC second team selection as well a member of the GLVC All-Tournament Team, returns after averaging 13.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists a year ago. Chapman shot .441 from the field, .434 from three-point range and .889 at the line. Malcolm Davis is also back after a 2024-25 season in which he averaged 7.8 points and 4.4 boards.

Max Ekono is also back after shooting .519 from the field and .775 at the charity stripe while scoring 6.7 points and grabbing 7.1 rebounds per contest. The other returning starter is Matthieu Biembongo, a .524 shooter who averaged 3.2 points and 3.6 rebounds.

The Blue Tigers, who were picked second in the GLVC Preseason Coaches poll, received votes in the first National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II poll this season.