2026-27 Men's Basketball Roster
Roster
Darren Buchanan Jr.
- Position:
- Guard
- Height:
- 6-7
- Weight:
- 240
- Class:
- Redshirt Senior
- Hometown:
- Washington, DC
- High School:
- Jackson-Reed
Darren Buchanan Jr. returns to Rutgers for his senior season after a strong and impactful first year with the Scarlet Knights, bringing experience, size, and athleticism back to the wing. A redshirt senior forward/guard, Buchanan Jr. averaged 8.1 points, 3.9 rebounds per game, and shot 46 percent from the field during the 2025-26 campaign, becoming a key two-way contributor in his lone season in Piscataway. Buchanan Jr. turned in numerous standout performances, including a team-high 17 points against Iowa, 17 points off the bench versus Washington, and 14 points with a team-high seven rebounds in a win over Maryland. He poured in a season-high 15 points — all in the second half — in a victory over UNLV, and recorded his first double-double as a Scarlet Knight in a win over Northwestern while logging a team-high 40 minutes. He also crossed the 1,000-point mark for his collegiate career during a game at Penn State and was named a recipient of the 2025 Musial Awards, one of the most prestigious honors in sports celebrating class, character, and integrity.
2025-26 Season at Rutgers
- Recorded the game-winning block vs. Northwestern
- Played a team-high 40 minutes vs. Northwestern
- Reached double-digit scoring for the seventh time this season
- Posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds
- Entered the starting lineup for two games
- Scored a season-high 15 points, all in the second half, vs. UNLV
2024-25 Season at George Washington
- Appeared in 32 games, starting 15 and averaging 28.4 minutes per game, totaling 13 steals and 30 blocks on the year
- Averaged 10.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 46.0 percent from the field and 66.3 percent from the free-throw line
- Scored in double figures in 18 games, with three 20-point efforts and five double-doubles
- Led the Revolutionaries in scoring six separate times
Notable Performances
- Recorded a double-double in his season debut vs. Mercyhurst (11/4) with 19 points and 10 rebounds
- Scored a season-high 24 points (7-of-14 FG, 10-of-21 FT) at American (12/4)
- Posted a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double vs. North Carolina A&T (11/12), becoming the first GW player with three straight double-doubles since 2016-17
- Recorded a second straight 20-point effort vs. NJIT (11/18), tying his career high in assists (6) and steals (4)
- Notched his fourth double-double of the year vs. Louisiana (11/23) with 17 points and 10 rebounds
- Shot a perfect 5-of-5 from the field (2-of-2 from three) at George Mason (1/18), finishing with 15 points
- Tallied 13 points (4-of-8 FG) and four rebounds vs. Saint Joseph's (2/19)
- Posted 14 points (4-of-8 FG) and seven rebounds in the A-10 Second Round vs. Fordham (3/13)
2023-24 Season at George Washington
- Appeared in 29 games, starting 21 and averaging 30.9 minutes per game, recording 38 steals and 13 blocks
- Averaged 15.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 54.6 percent from the field, including 63.0 percent from the free-throw line
- Named to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team and earned A-10 Rookie of the Week honors four times
- Led the A-10 among qualifiers in field-goal percentage, while also ranking among conference leaders in rebounding (7th) and scoring (9th)
- Led all A-10 rookies in scoring and minutes played, becoming the first A-10 rookie to average 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game since UMass' Tre Mitchell in 2019-20
- Scored in double figures in 25 games, including seven 20-point games and one 30-point game
Notable Performances
- Made his career debut vs. Stonehill (11/6), scoring nine points with four rebounds in 15 minutes
- Recorded his first career double-digit game vs. William & Mary (11/11) with 13 points (4-of-5 FG), three steals and two rebounds
- Rounded out the stat sheet with 10 points (5-of-9 FG), seven rebounds and five assists vs. Hofstra (11/14)
- Posted a dominant performance vs. Ohio (11/24) with 25 points (9-of-12 FG), six rebounds, two assists and a block
- Made his first career start vs. Delaware (11/26), scoring 13 points (5-of-8 FG) with a career-best eight rebounds and two assists
- Named A-10 Rookie of the Week (11/27) after averaging 17.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and shooting 66.7 percent from the field over three games in the Bahamas
- Led the team in scoring at South Carolina (12/1) with 18 points (6-of-11 FG)
- Led the charge in an overtime win over Navy (12/5) with 14 points, five rebounds and two assists
- Went to the free-throw line 16 times in a win over UMES (12/30), scoring 14 points with eight rebounds
- Scored the most points by a freshman in Division I this season with 38 vs. Fordham (1/3) on 15-of-30 shooting, adding six rebounds and four steals
- Named A-10 Rookie of the Week (1/8) after averaging 23.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals over two games vs. Fordham and VCU
- Led the team with 21 points (9-of-13 FG) and nine rebounds vs. George Mason (1/15)
- Earned his third A-10 Rookie of the Week honor (1/22) after averaging 18.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists over two games vs. George Mason and UMass
- Recorded his first career double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds vs. La Salle (1/27)
- Earned his fourth A-10 Rookie of the Week honor (3/4) after averaging 21.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in his first two games back from injury vs. UMass and La Salle
- Dished out six assists to go with 14 points, six rebounds, two steals and a block in the A-10 First Round vs. La Salle (3/12)
2022-23 Season at Virginia Tech
- Redshirted; did not play
Accolades & Achievements
- Four-star transfer portal recruit, ranked No. 48 at the small forward position and No. 283 overall
- Earned Atlantic 10 All-Rookie honors in his first season after transferring from Virginia Tech
- Ranked the No. 2 player in Washington, D.C., and No. 48 at his position nationally
- Fielded 18 Division I offers as a junior in 2021, including Rutgers, Xavier, VCU and Virginia Tech
- Four-year letterwinner at Jackson-Reed High School in Washington, D.C.
- 2022 Gatorade Player of the Year
- 2022 All-Met Player of the Year
- Two-time DCIAA Player of the Year and two-time DCIAA champion
- Two-time All-State First Team selection
- All-Met First Team as a senior and two-time DCIAA First Team honoree
High School / EYBL
- Averaged 17.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals over his four-year career at Jackson-Reed
- Coached by Osman Bangura and Angelo Hernandez while playing for Team Durant on the Nike EYBL circuit for three years
- Rated the No. 2 player in Washington, D.C., and the No. 47 small forward nationally by 247Sports; a consensus three-star recruit according to multiple outlets
Personal
- Founder of Leg3ndary Experiences, a community-based organization dedicated to giving back to youth in Washington, D.C., built from the earnings and platform generated through his NIL success
- Hosted his first back-to-school drive in August 2024, giving away free supplies, backpacks and school necessities
- Hosted the Leg3ndary Experiences Basketball Camp in Washington, D.C., while training for his sophomore season at George Washington, where he broke out as an impact player in the Atlantic 10
- Ran a Leg3ndary Experiences basketball camp in June 2024 for athletes ages 8-14 at his alma mater, Jackson-Reed High School
Coach Pikiell Remarks "Darren has been a tremendous addition to our program," said head coach Steve Pikiell. "He's experienced, tough, and does a lot of things that help you win. His versatility on both ends of the floor and his leadership really stood out this past season. We're excited to have him back and expect him to take another step forward."
Player Remarks "I'm super excited to be back for my senior season to play for Coach Pikiell and his staff," Buchanan Jr. said. "I wanted to play in front of you all again. The energy at Jersey Mike's Arena was unmatched all year and we definitely have unfinished business, so let's get to it."
