GREENVILLE, S.C. – The men’s basketball coaches have picked UNC Pembroke as champions in the 2026-27 Conference Carolinas Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll, the conference office announced on Thursday.
UNC Pembroke captured the east division crown each of the last three seasons following two straight regular season titles. The Braves collected nine first-place votes and 219 points to claim the top spot in the poll. The 2025-26 tournament runners-up, Chowan University was picked second with 201 points and four first place votes. Last year’s tournament champions, Young Harris College received the final three first place votes and the Mountain Lions are picked third with 197 points. Emmanuel University came in fourth with 172 points while North Greenville University rounded out the top five with 158 points.
Barton College came in sixth with 150 points and were followed by Francis Marion University’s 129 points and the University of Mount Olive’s 115 points. Southern Wesleyan University and Belmont Abbey College rounded out the top 10 with 103 and 102 points, respectively.
King University (99), Converse University (95), Ferrum College (61), Lees-McRae College (53), Shorter University (51), and Erskine College (15) completed the poll.
The preseason poll was voted on by the league's head coaches and they can't vote for their own school.
The 2027 Conference Carolinas Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will get underway on Sunday, February 28 and Monday, March 1. 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 February 28 at the sixth seed for the right to face the sixth seed on March 1. The 11th-seeded team will battle the eighth-seeded team on February 28 at the home of the fifth seed for the right to face the fifth seed on March 1, while the 10th-seeded team will take on the ninth-seeded team at the home of the fourth seed on February 28 for the chance to take on the fourth seed on March 1.
The 2027 Conference Carolinas Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship quarterfinals are set for Friday, March 5 at Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium. The semifinals will be contested on Saturday, March 6, while the men’s and women’s basketball finals are scheduled for Sunday, March 7.
2026-27 Conference Carolinas
Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll
|
School |
Points (First Place) |
| 1 |
UNC Pembroke |
219 (9) |
| 2 |
Chowan |
201 (4) |
| 3 |
Young Harris |
197 (3) |
| 4 |
Emmanuel |
172 |
| 5 |
North Greenville |
158 |
| 6 |
Barton |
150 |
| 7 |
Francis Marion |
129 |
| 8 |
Mount Olive |
115 |
| 9 |
Southern Wesleyan |
103 |
| 10 |
Belmont Abbey |
102 |
| 11 |
King |
99 |
| 12 |
Converse |
95 |
| 13 |
Ferrum |
61 |
| 14 |
Lees-McRae |
53 |
| 15 |
Shorter |
51 |
| 16 |
Erskine |
15 |
2026-27 Conference Carolinas Men’s Basketball
Players to Watch
Barton
- Sean Quick-Streeter, Sr., G, Columbia, South Carolina
- Xavier Tubbs-Matthews, Sr., G, Fayetteville, North Carolina
- Rickjerlin Senior Feliz, Jr., F, Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic
Belmont Abbey
- Gabe Cerda, Sr., G, Raleigh, North Carolina
- Franklin Davis, Jr., G, Landrum, South Carolina
- Myles Smith, So., G/F, Charlotte, North Carolina
Chowan
- Damerius Summers, Sr., F, Deerfield Beach, Florida (2025-26 All-Conference Carolinas first team)
- Joseph Lezeau II, Sr., G/F, Port Saint Lucie, Florida
- Markell Hollis, So., G, Gaffney, South Carolina
Converse
- Cam Edmonds, So., King, North Carolina
- Tre Locklear, Jr., Boiling Springs, South Carolina
- Ayden Hickman, Sr., Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Emmanuel
- Sam Thacker, So., G, Alpharetta, Georgia
- Justin Skelton, Jr., G, Columbia, South Carolina
- Isaac Jones, Jr., G, Marietta, Georgia
Erskine
- Max Peeler, Sr., G, Due West, South Carolina
- Jon White, Jr., G, Columbia, South Carolina
- Justen Goudelock, Jr., F, Athens, Georgia
Ferrum
- Amaris Hunt, So., G, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Shawn Turner, Fr., G, Roanoke, Virginia
- Michael Winstead, So., G, Richmond, Virginia
Francis Marion
- Camryn Pacheco, So., G, Harrisonburg, Virginia
- TJ Lewis, r-Fr., G, Blythewood, South Carolina
- Kennard Davis, Sr., G, Capitol Heights, Maryland
King
- Vynce Overshown, Jr., G, Hammond, Indiana
- Colin Brown, So., G, Bristol, Tennessee
- Chase Jenkins, Jr., F, Charles City, Iowa
Lees-McRae
- Ira Wilson, So. F, Angier, North Carolina
- Yerald Mieses, Sr., G, San Cristobal, Dominican Republic
- Justin Bramao, Sr. G/F, Bridgetown, Barbados
Mount Olive
- Matt Kirby, Jr., G, Wilson, North Carolina
- Christian Ananaba, So., G/F, Raleigh, North Carolina
- Dante Kiesenhofer, Jr., F, Holly Springs, North Carolina
UNC Pembroke
- Quay Watson, Jr., G, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Dallas Whitney, Sr., G/F, Kansas City, Missouri
- Ca'Darrius Sowell, Sr., G, Kershaw, South Carolina
North Greenville
- Carter Bobbitt, So., G, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (2025-26 Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year)
- Josh Linder, Jr., F, Spartanburg, South Carolina
- Jacob Brown, Gr., F, Travelers Rest, South Carolina (2025-26 Conference Carolinas All-Defensive Team)
Shorter
- Axel Holmquist, F, Sr., Fleming Island, Florida
- Jalien Bush, G, So., Columbus, Georgia
- Justine De La Cruz, G, Jr., Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Southern Wesleyan
- Malachi Cooper, So., G, Columbia, South Carolina
- Jeremiah Camara, Sr., F, Simpsonville, South Carolina
- Isaiah Smith, So., G, Roxboro, North Carolina
Young Harris
- Christian Drummer, Sr., Lawrenceville, Georgia
- Hasani Rivera, Sr., Orlando, Florida
- Anthony Alston, Jr., Atlanta, Georgia