GREENVILLE, S.C. – The men’s basketball coaches have picked UNC Pembroke as champions in the 2024-25 Conference Carolinas Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll, the conference office announced on Thursday.
UNC Pembroke captured the East Division crown last season following two straight regular season titles. The Braves won their first tournament title since their return to Conference Carolinas in 2024. The Braves collected 195 points and 13-of-15 first-place votes (schools can’t vote for themselves) to claim the top spot in the poll. Chowan University was picked second with 176 points and one first-place vote while Emmanuel University checked in at third with 160 points. Francis Marion University received the final first-place vote and is picked fourth with 147 points. Converse University rounded out the top five with 128 points.
Lees-McRae College wasn’t far behind in the sixth spot with 127 points as the Bobcats were followed by Young Harris College with 123 points. Barton College (115), Belmont Abbey College (103), and King University (79), rounded out the top 10. The University of Mount Olive (78), North Greenville University (54), Southern Wesleyan University (32), new member Shorter University (31) and Erskine College (27) completed the poll.
The 2025 Atlantic Casualty Conference Carolinas Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will get underway on Sunday, March 2 and Monday, March 3. 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 March 2 at the sixth seed for the right to face the sixth seed on March 3 The 11th-seeded team will battle the eighth-seeded team on March 2 at the home of the fifth seed for the right to face the fifth seed on March 3, while the 10th-seeded team will take on the ninth-seeded team at the home of the fourth seed on March 2 for the chance to take on the fourth seed on March 3.
The 2025 Atlantic Casualty Conference Carolinas Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships quarterfinals are set for Friday, March 7 at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. The semifinals will be contested on Saturday, March 8, while the men’s and women’s basketball finals are scheduled for Sunday, March 9.
2024-25 Conference Carolinas
Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll
|
School |
Total (First Place) |
| 1 |
UNC Pembroke |
195 (13) |
| 2 |
Chowan |
176 (1) |
| 3 |
Emmanuel |
160 |
| 4 |
Francis Marion |
147 (1) |
| 5 |
Converse |
128 |
| 6 |
Lees-McRae |
127 |
| 7 |
Young Harris |
123 |
| 8 |
Barton |
115 |
| 9 |
Belmont Abbey |
103 |
| 10 |
King |
79 |
| 11 |
Mount Olive |
78 |
| 12 |
North Greenville |
54 |
| 13 |
Southern Wesleyan |
32 |
| 14 |
Shorter |
31 |
| 15 |
Erskine |
27 |
2024-25 Conference Carolinas Men’s Basketball
Players to Watch
Barton
- Jett Fortuny, Sr., G, Cary, North Carolina
- Jordan Johnson, Sr., G, Bowie, Maryland
- Sean Quick-Streeter, So., G, Columbia, South Carolina
Belmont Abbey
- DJ Holloway, So., G, Fort Belvoir, Virginia
- Darius Kane, So., G, Mebane, North Carolina
- Alhousseny Diallo, Sr., F, Bamako, Mali
Chowan
- Daylan Askew, Sr., G, Ahoaskie, North Carolina (2024 second team All-Southeast Region)
- RJ WIlson, Sr., F, Raleigh, North Carolina
- Cheick Traore, Sr., C, Charlotte, North Carolina
Converse
- Earl Burgess III, Sr., F, Spartanburg, South Carolina
- Edoardo Buffo, Sr., G, Milano, Italy
Emmanuel
- Tavarus "Spud" Webb, r-Jr., G, Hartwell, Georgia
- Kendall Latney, Sr., G, Dacula, Georgia
- Chris Dees, Sr., G, Amarillo, Texas
Erskine
- Jayden Byrd, Jr., G, Spartanburg, South Carolina
- Moses Cheek, Jr., G, Beech Island, South Carolina
- Ja'Hiem Handy, Jr., G, Anderson, South Carolina
Francis Marion
- Jordyn Surratt, Jr., F., Spartanburg, South Carolina
- Latavian Lawrence, Jr., F, Aiken, South Carolina
- Jordan Simpson, Jr., G, Orangeburg, South Carolina
King
- Jordan Akal, Jr., G Harlan, Kentucky
- Xavier Betancourt, Sr., G, Tampa, Florida
- Mikhail Pocknett, So., F, Wilmington, North Carolina (Conference Carolinas Freshman of the year, second team All-Conference Carolinas)
Lees-McRae
- Nico Ashley, Sr., F, Elizabethton, Tennessee
- Ja'Quavian Florence, Sr., G, Atlanta, Georgia
Mount Olive
- Lureon Walker, r-So., G, Durham, North Carolina
- Redford Dunton, r-Jr., F, Raleigh, North Carolina
- Chase Dawson, Fr., G, Durham, North Carolina
UNC Pembroke
- Elijab Cobb, r-Sr., F, Murfreesboro, Tennessee (2024 Conference Carolinas Tournament MVP, 2024 Conference Carolinas Defensive Player of the Year, 2024 second team All-Conference Carolinas)
- Bradlee Haskell, Sr., G, Southern Pines, North Carolina (2024 Conference Carolinas All-Tournament Team, 2024 second team All-Conference Carolinas)
- JaJuan Carr, Sr., F, Brugaw, North Carolina (2023 third team All-Conference Carolinas)
North Greenville
- Ca’Darrius Sowell, r-So., G, Kershaw, South Carolina
- Max Topham, Sr., G, Paragonah, Utah
Shorter
- Donovan Shangase, Jr., G, Pinson, Alabama
- Jaiden Wynn, Jr., G/F, Bartow, Florida
- Javion Belle-McCrary , Jr., G, Reform, Alabama
Southern Wesleyan
- Aaron Tims, Sr., F, Willowbrook, Illinois
- Che Smith, Sr., G, Little Rock, Arkansas
- Eric Hackett, So., G, Lexington, Kentucky
Young Harris
- Carl Cleveland, Jr., F, Commerce, Georgia (2024 first team All-Conference Carolinas, Conference Comeback Athlete of the Year)
- Karl Chavis, Sr., F, Chesapeake Virginia
- Cole Deptula, Jr., G, Middleton Wisconsin