Shaun Vaden, 6-11 center from Mount Union, joins Cincinnati Bearcats

TL;DR

Deshaun 'Shaun' Vaden, a 6-11 center from Mount Union, has joined the Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team. He will have two seasons of eligibility under new coach Jerrod Calhoun.

Key points

Deshaun Vaden joins the Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team
He is a 6-foot-11 center from Mount Union
Vaden has two seasons of eligibility
He was named Ohio Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year
Jerrod Calhoun is the new head coach

Mentioned in this story

Ohio Athletic ConferenceJerrod Calhoun

Deshaun VadenCincinnati BearcatsMount Union Purple Raiders

The Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball roster of new coach Jerrod Calhoun now stands at a dozen as they've added 6-foot-11, 210-pound Deshaun "Shaun" Vaden from Mount Union.

Vaden will have two seasons of eligibility with the Bearcats.

“We are extremely excited about Deshaun joining the Bearcat family,” Calhoun said. “His ability to impact the game on the defensive end will be a big boost for our front line. He has strong intangibles with size and length and, with his significant improvement in just a short time playing basketball, has room to grow substantially in our system.”

The Bearcats just hired Mike Fuline, who coached the Mount Union Purple Raiders in Division III for 15 seasons. Vaden, who didn't start playing basketball until the seventh grade, was named the Ohio Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year while playing in 29 games last season for Mount Union with one start.

Mount Union's Shaun Vaden slams home a dunk during the Purple Raiders' 81-72 win over Wooster. The 6-foot-11, 210-pound Vaden has joined the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Averaging just 15.6 minutes per game, Vaden blocked 102 shots on the season, including a career-high eight against Case Western Reserve. For comparison purposes, 7-foot-2 Moustapha Thiam led UC in blocks last season with 50 in 31 games, though admittedly, the competition was better.

Cincinnati head coach Jerrod Calhoun stands with his family before speaking during a press conference announcing him as the head men's basketball coach at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati on Wednesday, March 25, 2026.