NORFOLK – Old Dominion men’s basketball head coach Mike Jones has added seven transfers to round out the Monarchs’ 2026-27 roster. The first newcomer in the group is Bubu Benjamin, a 6-foot 7-inch guard who is coming from George Washington.
“One of our goals this offseason was to get more positional size without sacrificing the offensive end of the floor. Bubu does that for us as a guard with great size and a skill set that has been proven on this level. He will impact on both ends of the floor - his versatility, toughness, IQ and playmaking will be a huge asset for us. He is a natural leader and Monarch Nation will love the passion that Bubu plays with,” Jones said of Benjamin.
Bubu Benjamin | Guard | Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada | Edge School (George Washington)
A native of Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, Benjamin played his first two seasons at Tarleton State, where he made 33 starts in 54 appearances for the Texans. As a freshman in 2023-24, he scored 62 points (2.8 ppg) with 38 rebounds (1.7 rpg), 16 assists, two blocks, and nine steals in 22 games and 257 minutes played (11.7 mpg).
His production saw a significant boost as a sophomore in 2024-25 when he became a key contributor for TSU. That season saw him lead the team in points per game (13.9), total points (446), made free throws (97), made three-pointers (49), and minutes per game (36.0). He finished first in the Western Athletic Conference and ranked 35th nationally in minutes per game and was also fourth in the WAC in steals (48), seventh in free-throw shooting (78.9%), and eighth in points per game. He scored in double figures in 24 of the 32 games he appeared in, led the Texans in scoring 14 times, and scored 20 or more points six times.
Benjamin then played his junior season at George Washington, where he made 18 starts in 30 appearances for the Revolutionaries and averaged 5.8 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. He averaged 20.3 minutes per game, and his season totals included 173 points, 82 boards, 30 assists, 28 steals, and 10 blocks. Shooting 39.1% from the field and 26.6% from distance, he reached double figures seven times, to include six in the first eight games of the season. One of those was in the November 15 meeting with the Monarchs, where he finished with 13 points, four rebounds, one assist, and a pair of steals in 29 minutes of action.
Through his first three seasons, Benjamin has netted 681 points (8.11 ppg) on 42.6% shooting from the field, including 32.6% from beyond the arc, and 76.7% at the free-throw line. His other career totals include 268 rebounds (3.2 rpg), 101 assists, 85 steals, and 29 blocks.
Benjamin played four years of varsity at the Edge School and set a new school record with a 43-point performance. He also played on the U18 and U19 Canadian National Teams and earned a bronze medal at the 2022 FIBA U18 Americas Championship with an 81-57 win over Argentina. He averaged 6.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists through six games in the tournament as Team Canada went 4-2 with wins against Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, and Puerto Rico. Additionally, Benjamin played in the 2023 Grind Session All-Star and 2023 BioSteel All-Canadian All Star games, scoring 15 and 17 points, respectively.