JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Brooks Savage and the ETSU men’s basketball program look ahead into the 2023-24 season. Last season, the Bucs went 12-20, but Savage and this new-look team aim to turn things around this year.

This will be his first year as head coach for Savage, having previously spent two seasons as an assistant with Chattanooga, then five years as an assistant with ETSU, and most recently spent three seasons working under former ETSU head coach Steve Forbes at Wake Forest University.

Photo of head coach Brooks Savage. (Contributed/ETSU Athletics)

Savage was at ETSU working as an assistant under Steve Forbes during the 2016-17 season, where ETSU won the SoCon and secured the 13 seed in the NCAA Tournament, March Madness.

During the five seasons that Savage spent in Johnson City, ETSU reached the SoCon championship game four times.

While previously at ETSU, Savage played a large role in recruiting. Since being welcomed as ETSU’s head coach back in March of this year, he’s brought in almost a completely new roster, including four new freshmen and seven from the transfer portal.

This new Buccaneers team will play their first exhibition game on Oct. 30 versus UVA Wise. UVA Wise, a DII program from the South Atlantic Conference, is coming off a 19-12 season as they prepare for the exhibition game at Freedom Hall.

ETSU will officially start its season on Nov. 6 when King University makes the 45-minute drive down from Bristol, Tennessee. King University is coming off a 7-22 campaign last season. They compete as a part of the Conference Carolinas from the DII level.

Including the exhibition game versus UVA Wise, the Bucs will play 15 home games this season. The season ends at Freedom Hall on March 2 versus UNC Greensboro.

For more information about ETSU men’s basketball, visit their webpage at etsubucs.com.

Author