ROME, Ga. - The Methodist University men's basketball team are placed to be contenders in the USA South this upcoming season as they land third, with 36 total points in the 2026-27 USA South Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll as announced by the league offices on Thursday afternoon.
The reigning USA South tournament champion, North Carolina Wesleyan University sits in first with 49 total points and seven first place votes. Greensboro College follows suit in second place with 38 total points and one first place vote. Defending USA South regular season champion, Pfeiffer University stands just shy of the Monarchs in fourth with 32 total points.
Southern Virginia University rounds out the top five with 28 total points, followed by Mary Baldwin University in sixth with 17 total points. Brevard College and William Peace University wrapped up the poll with 14 total points in seventh position and 10 total points in eighth place, respectively.
The Monarchs open with their first tournament of the 2026 slate at the Chatham Classic, hosted by Chatham University. Methodist will battle St. Mary's College of Maryland for a 7:00 PM tip-off on Friday, November 7th before returning the following day to clash with Hartwick College at 12:00 PM in Pittsburgh, Pa. The Monarchs home opener will take place on Wednesday, November 11th versus Mid-Atlantic Christian University inside the March F. Riddle Center at 7:00 PM before opening conference action this season on the road against Brevard College on Saturday, January 2nd at 2:00 PM.
The 2026-27 USA South Conference Tournament for men's basketball will commence on Tuesday, February 23rd, 2027, taking place at host schools with third and fourth seeds hosting the fifth and sixth seeds, respectively in the tournament. The winners of those matchups will battle the top two seeds in the semifinals on Thursday, February 25th, 2027, before the winners of those clashes meet at the highest seed remaining for the 2026-27 USA South Men's Basketball Championship on Saturday, February 27th, 2027.
