GREENVILLE, S.C. – The men's basketball coaches have picked UNC Pembroke as champions in the 2025-26 Conference Carolinas Men's Basketball Preseason Poll, the conference office announced on Thursday.
UNC Pembroke captured the east dvision crown each of the last two seasons following two straight regular season titles. The Braves have won the last two tournament titles and collected all 15 first-place votes (schools can't vote for themselves) for 225 points to claim the top spot in the poll. Young Harris College received the final first place vote and is picked second with 199 points. Emmanuel University came in third with 188 points while Chowan University wasn't far behind in fourth with 182 points. Barton College rounded out the top five with 156 points.
King University came in sixth with 153 points and were followed by the University of Mount Olive's 143 points and Francis Marion University's 133 points. Lees-McRae College and Converse University rounded out the top 10 with 103 and 101 points, respectively. Belmont Abbey College (95), North Greenville University (74), Southern Wesleyan University (57), Shorter University (44), Erskine College (40) and Ferrum College (27) completed the poll.
The 2026 Conference Carolinas Men's and Women's Basketball Championships will get underway on Sunday, March 1 and Monday, March 2. 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 1 at the sixth seed for the right to face the sixth seed on March 2. The 11th-seeded team will battle the eighth-seeded team on March 1 at the home of the fifth seed for the right to face the fifth seed on March 2, while the 10th-seeded team will take on the ninth-seeded team at the home of the fourth seed on March 1 for the chance to take on the fourth seed on March 2.
The 2026 Conference Carolinas Men's and Women's Basketball Championships quarterfinals are set for Friday, March 6 at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. The semifinals will be contested on Saturday, March 7, while the men's and women's basketball finals are scheduled for Sunday, March 8.
2025-26 Conference Carolinas
Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
|
School |
Total (First Place) |
| 1 |
UNC Pembroke |
225 (15) |
| 2 |
Young Harris |
199 (1) |
| 3 |
Emmanuel |
188 |
| 4 |
Chowan |
182 |
| 5 |
Barton |
156 |
| 6 |
King |
153 |
| 7 |
Mount Olive |
143 |
| 8 |
Francis Marion |
133 |
| 9 |
Lees-McRae |
103 |
| 10 |
Converse |
101 |
| 11 |
Belmont Abbey |
95 |
| 12 |
North Greenville |
74 |
| 13 |
Southern Wesleyan |
57 |
| 14 |
Shorter |
44 |
| 15 |
Erskine |
40 |
| 16 |
Ferrum |
27 |
2025-26 Conference Carolinas Men's Basketball
Players to Watch
Barton
- Sean Quick-Streeter, Jr., G, Columbia, South Carolina
- Jaylen Faber, Jr., G, Columbia, South Carolina
- Trevur Smalls, Sr., G, Summerfield, South Carolina
Belmont Abbey
- Alhousseney Diallo, Sr., F, Bamako, Mali
- Daniel Lubamba, Sr., G/F, Harrisburg, North Carolina
- Gabe Cerda, Jr., G, Raleigh, North Carolina
Chowan
- Damerius Summers, Jr., F, Deerfield Beach, Florida
- Eric Gordon, Jr., Sr., G, Alexandria, Virginia
- Dominique Bailey, So. G, Ruther Glen, Virginia
Converse
- Sirr Hughes, Sr., G, Cleveland Heights, Ohio
- Jordyn Surratt, Sr., F, Spartanburg, South Carolina
- Cam Edmonds, Fr., G, King, North Carolina
Emmanuel
- Devin Story, Sr., G, Augusta, Georgia
- Ezra McKee, Sr., F, Clearwater, Florida
- Isaac Jones, So, G, Marietta, Georgia
Erskine
- Ruben Salazar, Fr., G, Malaga, Spain
- K.D. Gordon, Jr., G, Aiken, South Carolina
- Valerian Bruce, Jr., F, Florence, South Carolina
Ferrum
- Alfredo Abel-Rivera, Sr., F, Stafford, Virginia
- Gerren Jones, Sr., G, Swansboro, North Carolina
- Rodrigo Farias, Jr., G, Flushing, New York
Francis Marion
- Farid SaintCyr Jr., Fr., G, Miami, Florida
- Adonis Cole, Sr., G/F, Charleston, South Carolina
- Cole Deptula, Sr., G, Verona, Wisconsin
King
- Jordan Akal, Sr., G, Harlan, Kentucky (2024-25 All-Conference Carolinas third team)
- Xavier Betancourt, Gr., G, Tampa, Florida
- Lenier Pocknett, Fr., F, Wilmington, North Carolina
Lees-McRae
- Isajah Deburgo, Jr., G, Durham, North Carolina
- Nigel Okwakol, Jr., F, Raleigh, North Carolina
- Gavin Bullock, So., G, Concord, North Carolina
Mount Olive
- Matthew Kirby, So., G, Wilson, North Carolina
- Redford Dunton, Gr., F, Raleigh, North Carolina
- Chris Brown, Jr., G, Williamsburg, Virginia
UNC Pembroke
- Nygell Verdier, Sr., G, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Joe'l Pettiford, Sr., F, High Point, North Carolina
- Moe Bangura, Sr., F, Lorton, Virginia
North Greenville
- Savion Brown, Sr., G, Greenville, South Carolina
- Jacob Brown, Sr., F, Travelers Rest, South Carolina
- Josh Linder, So., F, Spartanburg, South Carolina
Shorter
- Donovan Shangase, Sr., G, Birmingham, Alabama
- Ja'Myas Davis, Sr., F, Eutaw, Alabama
- Chris Bibbs, Sr., G, Panama City Beach, Florida
Southern Wesleyan
- Jaquay Randolph, Jr., F, Tallahassee, Florida
- Malachi Cooper, Fr., G, Columbia, South Carolina
- Will Little, Sr., G, Baltimore, Maryland
Young Harris
- Carl Cleveland, Sr., F, Commerce, Georgia (Two-time All-Conference Carolinas first team, 2023-24 Conference Carolinas Comeback Player of the Year)
- Cameron Bleshoy, Sr., F, Marietta, Georgia (2024-25 Conference Carolinas All-Defensive Team)
- Justin Payne, So, G, Athens, Georgia