GREENVILLE, S.C. – Belmont Abbey has been picked 10th in the Conference Carolinas preseason men's basketball poll, the league office announced today. Voting was conducted among the 16 head coaches, with each unable to vote for his own team.

The Crusaders received 102 points, just one behind ninth-place Southern Wesleyan. UNC Pembroke sits at the top with nine first-place votes and 219 points. Chowan was picked second with 201 points and four first place votes, while last year's tournament champion Young Harris received the final three first-place votes and 197 points to stand third..Emmanuel (172) and North Greenville (158) rounded out the top five.

The next five is led by Barton with 150 points, followed by Francis Marion (129) and Mount Olive (115).

King (99), Converse (95), Ferrum (61), Lees-McRae (53), Shorter (51) and Erskine (15) completed the poll.

Three Crusaders were listed among the league's Players to Watch this season -- Gabe Cerda (Sr., G, Raleigh, N.C.), Franklin Davis, (Jr., G, Landrum, S.C.) and Myles Smith, (So., G/F, Charlotte, N.C.).

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 will host two games over the two days. Teams seeded seventh through 12th will play the first round on the first night, with the hosts, seeded fourth through sixth, will play the winners the next night.

The three survivors join the top three seeds to Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium in Spartanburg, S.C. March 5-7.
 

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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