UNC Pembroke Picked to Three-Peat in Conference Carolinas Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
GREENVILLE, S.C. – The men’s basketball coaches have picked UNC Pembroke to win a third straight championship in the 2023-24 Conference Carolinas Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll, the conference office announced on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023.
UNC Pembroke has captured the past two Conference Carolinas regular season titles and finished 18-2 in league play last season and 26-4 overall. The Braves collected 166 points and 10-of-14 first-place votes to claim the top spot in the poll. Emmanuel, the 2023 Atlantic Casualty Conference Carolinas Men’s Basketball tournament champions, was picked second with 160 points and the remaining four first-place nods. Conference newcomer Young Harris came in at No. 3 with 132 points with Belmont Abbey picked fourth with 120 points while Barton earned 117 points to round out the top five.
Francis Marion was picked sixth with 106 points and were followed by Converse (98), Chowan (93), Lees-McRae (87), Mount Olive (55), King (54), North Greenville (38), Southern Wesleyan (34) and Erskine (14).
The 2024 Atlantic Casualty Conference Carolinas Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will get underway on Sunday, Mar. 3 and Monday, Mar. 4. The fourth, fifth and sixth seeds in men’s and women’s basketball will host two games over the two days. The 12th-seeded team will battle the seventh-seeded team on Mar. 3 at the sixth seed for the right to face the sixth seed on Mar. 4. The 11th-seeded team will battle the eighth-seeded team on Mar. 3 at the home of the fifth seed for the right to face the fifth seed on Mar. 4, while the 10th-seeded team will take on the ninth-seeded team at the home of the fourth seed on Mar. 3 for the chance to take on the fourth seed on Mar. 4.
The 2024 Atlantic Casualty Conference Carolinas Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships quarterfinals are set for Friday, March 8 at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. The semifinals will be contested on Saturday, March 9, while the men’s and women’s basketball finals are scheduled for Sunday, March 10.
2023-24 Conference Carolinas
Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll
| School |
Total (First Place) |
| UNC Pembroke |
166 (10) |
| Emmanuel |
160 (4) |
| Young Harris |
132 |
| Belmont Abbey |
120 |
| Barton |
117 |
| Francis Marion |
106 |
| Converse |
98 |
| Chowan |
93 |
| Lees-McRae |
87 |
| Mount Olive |
55 |
| King |
54 |
| North Greenville |
38 |
| Southern Wesleyan |
34 |
| Erskine |
14 |
2023-24 Conference Carolinas Men’s Basketball
Players to Watch
Barton
- Donaven Hairston, G, Sr., Atlanta, Georgia (2022-23 All-Conference Carolinas Second Team)
- Reese McDonald, G, Sr., Raleigh, North Carolina
- Trevon Spencer, F, Sr., Columbia, South Carolina (2022-23 Conference Carolinas Defensive Player Of The Year)
Belmont Abbey
- Mason Taylor, W, Sr., Grandview, Missouri (2022-23 Third Team All-Conference Carolinas, Conference Carolinas All-Tournament Team)
- Wade Jackson, G, Sr., Washington, District of Columbia
- Kyle Frazier, W, So., Weddington, North Carolina
Chowan
- Preston Le Gassick, G, So., Southport, Queensland, Australia
- Daylan Askew, G, Jr., Ahoskie, North Carolina
- RJ Wilson, F, R-Sr., Raleigh, North Carolina
Converse
- Uzziah Dawkins, G, Sr., Spartanburg, S.C. (2022-23 All-Conference Carolinas Third Team)
Emmanuel
- KJ Jones II, G, Sr., Atlanta, Georgia (2022-23 Conference Carolinas Player of the Year, All-Conference Carolinas First Team, Conference Carolinas Tournament MVP, Conference Carolinas Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Elite 23 Award; 2021-22 All-Conference Carolinas First Team, Conference Carolinas All-Tournament Team, Elite 23 Award; 2020-21 Conference Carolinas Player of the Year, All-Conference Carolinas First Team, Conference Carolinas All-Tournament Team; 2019-20 Conference Carolinas All-Tournament Team)
- Tavarus Webb, G, So., Hartwell, Georgia (2022-23 Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year, All-Conference Carolinas Second Team, Conference Carolinas All-Tournament Team)
- Chris Dees, G, Jr., Amarillo, Texas
Erskine
- Jaylen Prioleau, G, Sr., Charlotte, North Carolina
- Kingston Johnson, G, Sr., Cowpens, South Carolina
- Jalen Robinson, G, Sr., Heath Springs, South Carolina
Francis Marion
- Bryce Beamer, F, 5th-Yr., Odessa, Florida (2022-23 All-Conference Carolinas First Team)
- Tionne Rollins, G, 5th-Yr., Tallahassee, Florida
- Ibi Amadou Wattara, G/F, Jr., Bronx, New York
King
- Kenny Turner, F, Jr., Coral Springs, Florida
- Jordan Akal, F, So., Harlan, Kentucky
- Abdel-Majid Dylan Gory, F, So., Paris, France
Lees-McRae
- Jaylin Stewart, G, Sr., Petersburg, Virginia
- Nico Ashley, F, Jr., Elizabethton, Tennessee
- Timon Jones, G, Sr., Richmond, Virginia
Mount Olive
- Shane Peterson, G, So., Burlington, North Carolina
- Redford Dunton, F, R-So., Raleigh, North Carolina
- Josiah Watkins, G, Fr., Greensboro, North Carolina
North Greenville
- Caleb Williams, F, Sr, Atlanta, Georgia
- Zak Perdew, G, Sr, Louisville, Kentucky
- Seth Hewitt, F, Sr, Boiling Springs, South Carolina
Southern Wesleyan
- Dyren Brown, F/C, Sr., Moreno Valley, California
UNC Pembroke
- JaJuan Carr, G, Jr., Burgaw, North Carolina (2022-23 All-Conference Carolinas Third Team)
- Bradlee Haskell, G, Jr., Southern Pines, North Carolina (2022-23 All-Conference Carolinas First Team)
- Elijah Cobb, F, R-Jr., Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Young Harris
- Carl Cleveland, F, Jr., Commerce, Georgia
- Karl Chavis, F, Jr., Chesapeake, Virginia (2022-23 All-Peach Belt Conference Second Team)
- Nat Dunlop, F, Jr., Graniteville, South Carolina