BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Nine Patriot League men’s basketball teams will be in action when the 2026-27 season tips off on Monday, with League teams playing 23 games through Sunday, Nov. 8. Twenty games will be available live on the ESPN family of networks during the first week of the 2026-27 season, including preseason favorite American opening its season at Cincinnati and defending League champion Lehigh taking on Saint Louis.
 
Army West Point travels to Duke for a nationally televised matchup on ESPN+. Two more games on opening night will appear on BTN+, including Bucknell at Maryland and Colgate at Washington.
 
For more information on Patriot League men’s basketball dates, times and coverage, visit the men’s basketball composite schedule on the League’s official website - www.PatriotLeague.org.
 
AMERICAN SITS ATOP THE 2026-27 PATRIOT LEAGUE PRESEASON MEN’S BASKETBALL POLL
The Eagles, under fourth-year head coach Duane Simpkins, collected 81 points and nine first-place votes to earn the top spot in the preseason poll, one year after capturing the 2024-25 League crown. Defending Patriot League champion Lehigh received 72 points and one first-place vote to finish second, while Colgate (61) and League runner-up Boston University (61) tied for third in the poll. Last season’s regular-season champion, Navy rounded out the top five with 42 points.
 
ALVEY AND JONES HIGHLIGHT PRESEASON ALL-PATRIOT LEAGUE TEAM
Lehigh Jr. C Hank Alvey (15.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg) returns for the defending League champion Mountain Hawks to highlight the five-member Preseason All-Patriot League Team. Alvey and Colgate’s So. F Andrew Alekseyenko (14.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg), the reigning Patriot League Rookie of the Year, make the preseason squad after earning Second Team All-Patriot League honors last season. American Sr. F Greg Jones (12.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and So. G teammate Madden Collins (13.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg) were third-team All-League selections in 2025-26. Boston University Sr. G Kyrone Alexander (12.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg in 2024-25), a second-team All-League honoree in 2024-25, rounds out the team.
 
LEHIGH AND COLGATE RECEIVING VOTES IN THE MID MAJOR TOP 25
Defending Patriot League champion and Lehigh and Colgate preseason are receiving votes in the Men’s Basketball Mid Major Top 25, released by CollegeInsider.com during the preseason. The Mountain Hawks went 18-17 last season with an 11-7 record in League play before winning their first title since 2012. Colgate went 18-15 last season and 11-7 in League play before advancing to the League semifinals. Head coach Matt Langel has guided the Raiders to at least the Patriot League semifinal round in the last nine seasons dating back to 2017-18.
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE RETURNING SCORING LEADERS
Five of the Patriot League’s top 20 scorers from last season return, led by Lehigh’s Alvey, who averaged 15.2 points per game. Colgate’s Alekseyenko, the reigning rookie of the year, scored 14.8 points per game and American’s Collins (13.4 ppg) finished 11th and 16th among last season’s scoring leaders. Army West Point Sr. G Ryan Curry is the lone Patriot League men’s basketball student-athlete to surpass 1,000 career points. Curry averaged 13.3 points last season to rank 17th in the League. American’s Jones (12.5) ranked 20th in the Patriot League in scoring last season and has averaged in double figures the last two seasons.
 
FIVE OF THE LEAGUE’S TOP 10 3-POINT SHOOTERS RETURN
Five of the Patriot League’s top 10 leaders in 3-point field goal percentage return from a year ago. Navy Sr., G Jinwoo Kim ranked fourth in the League last season, connecting at a .406 (56-for-138) clip, while classmate Cam Cole was seventh in the League, shooting .385 (37-of-96) from beyond the arc. Boston University Jr., G Azmar Abdullah finished fifth in the League during the 2025-26 season, shooting .394 (63-of-160) from deep. Lehigh Sr., F Joshua Ingram (.384) and Colgate’s Alekseyenko (.383) ranked ninth and 10th, respectively. Holy Cross Sr., G/F Joe Nugent was limited to 21 games due to injury last season, but his .415 (189-of-455) career 3-point field-goal percentage ranks among the Patriot League’s career leaders.  
 
ALVEY AND ALEKSEYENKO HIGHLIGHT THE RETURNING REBOUNDING LEADERS
Lehigh’s Alvey and Colgate’s Alekseyenko finished second and fourth, respectively, among the Patriot League’s rebounding leaders last season. Alvey pulled down 7.1 rebounds per game, including a career-high 15 in an NCAA Tournament loss to Prairie View A&M. Alekseyenko averaged 6.7 rebounds per game as a freshman to rank fourth in the League, reaching double figures five times.  
 
RETURNING CAREER LEADERS
Army West Point’s Curry is the lone returning player in the Patriot League to surpass 1,000 career points, ranking 125th in League history with 1,150. He is also 42nd in League history with 356 assists.
 
Holy Cross’ Nugent is ninth in Patriot League history in 3-point field goal percentage, shooting 41.5 percent (189-451) from beyond the arc.
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE TO THE NBA
Former Lehigh star C.J. McCollum is in his 14th season in the League and first full season with the Washington Wizards. McCollum turned into a star with the Portland Trail Blazers after becoming the second “Lottery Pick” in League history, going 10th to the Blazers in the 2013 NBA Draft. Loyola Maryland’s Santi Aldama is in his sixth season in League and first with the Dallas Mavericks after spending his first five seasons in Memphis. Aldama’s former Greyhounds’ teammate Cam Spencer remains with the Grizzlies after the two had been reunited for two seasons after Spencer was acquired during the 2024 NBA Draft. Another former Loyola grad, Pat Spencer, who starred on the Greyhounds men’s lacrosse team, is with the Phoenix Suns. Bucknell legend Charles Lee is in his third season as the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets. Fellow Bison legend Mike Muscala, who wrapped up an 11-year NBA career with Oklahoma City after the 2023-24 seasons is in his second season as an assistant coach with the Phoenix Suns.
 
FOURTEEN PATRIOT LEAGUE MBB GAMES TO AIR ON CBS SPORTS NETWORK
Fourteen Patriot League men’s basketball games will air on CBS Sports Network during the 2026-27 season, including the men’s semifinals and championship game in March. The schedule opens when Navy hosts Penn as part of the Veterans Classic (Nov. 11). League play on CBS Sports Network tips off on Jan. 11 when preseason favorite American travels to Loyola Maryland (6:30 p.m.). Colgate hosts Boston University the following week on Monday, Jan. 18 before a Navy at Army West Point men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader on Saturday. Jan. 23. This marks the 24th consecutive year the Patriot League has partnered with CBS Sports Network, which is widely available through all major cable, satellite and telco distributors as well as OTT streaming providers like YouTube TV, fuboTV and Hulu.
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE PARTNERS WITH FIELD OF 68
The Patriot League partnered with The Field of 68 for the first time to stream its men’s and women’s basketball Media Day in October. Jeff Goodman and Rob Dauster, the veteran national college basketball writers and founders of The Field of 68, previewed the 2026-27 Patriot League men’s basketball season and spoke with all 10 men’s basketball head coaches. Talia Goodman, who covers women’s basketball for On3 and Rivals, and Paige Messier, the Patriot League’s multimedia journalist, drove the women’s media day coverage, speaking with all 10 programs to preview the upcoming season. Patriot League legends Mike Muscala (Bucknell) and Kelsey Minato (Army West Point) also joined the media day stream.
Watch the Patriot League Basketball Media Day

2026-27 Patriot League Men’s Basketball Team Capsules
(Teams are listed by order of finish from the 2026-27 Patriot League Preseason Poll)
 
1. American Eagles
Head Coach: Duane Simpkins
Years at Navy/Overall: 4th/4th
American Season Preview | 2026-27 Schedule | 2026-27 Roster | 2025-26 Stats
 
2. Lehigh Mountain Hawks
Head Coach: Dr. Brett Reed
Years at Lehigh/Overall: 20th/20th
Lehigh Game Notes | 2026-27 Schedule | 2026-27 Roster | 2025-26 Stats
 
T-3. Colgate Raiders
Head Coach: Matt Langel
Years at Colgate/Overall: 16th/16th
Colgate Game Notes | 2026-27 Schedule | 2026-27 Roster | 2025-26 Stats
 
T-3. Boston University Terriers
Head Coach: Joe Jones
Years at Boston University/Overall: 16th/23rd
Boston University Game Notes | 2026-27 Schedule | 2026-27 Roster | 2025-26 Stats
 
5. Navy Midshipmen
Head Coach: Jon Perry
Years at Navy/Overall: 2nd/2nd
Navy Season Preview | 2026-27 Schedule | 2026-27 Roster | 2025-26 Stats
 
6. Bucknell Bison
Head Coach: John Griffin III
Years at Bucknell/Overall: 4th/4th
Bucknell Season Preview | 2026-27 Schedule | 2026-27 Roster | 2025-26 Stats
 
7. Lafayette Leopards
Head Coach: Mike McGarvey
Years at Lafayette/Overall: 4th/8th
Lafayette Season Preview | 2026-27 Schedule | 2026-27 Roster | 2025-26 Stats
 
8. Holy Cross Crusaders
Head Coach: Dave Paulsen
Years at Holy Cross/Overall: 4th/31st
Holy Cross Season Preview | 2026-27 Schedule | 2026-27 Roster | 2025-26 Stats
 
9. Loyola Maryland Greyhounds
Head Coach: Josh Loeffler
Years at Loyola Maryland/Overall: 3rd/3rd
Loyola Maryland Game Notes | 2026-27 Schedule | 2026-27 Roster | 2025-26 Stats
 
10. Army West Point Black Knights
Head Coach: Kevin Kuwik
Years at Army West Point/Overall: 4th/4th
Army West Point Game Notes | 2026-27 Schedule | 2026-27 Roster |