The chase for the Conference of New England (CNE) men’s basketball crown begins anew as the 2026-27 season tips off November 6. Following Endicott’s unbeaten conference campaign and NCAA Sweet 16 appearance, returning stars, experienced contenders and new faces across the league set the stage for another competitive winter. Below is a look at the teams preparing to make their mark this season.
CURRY COLLEGE
2026-27 Schedule | 2026-27 Roster
Returners: 11 | Departures: 6 | Newcomers: 8
2025-26 Results: 7-18 (3-13 CNE)
Curry College returns 11 players and welcomes eight newcomers for the 2026-27 season. The Colonels finished last season with a 7-18 overall record and a 3-13 mark in Conference of New England play, highlighted by a thrilling 108-98 double-overtime victory over Gordon College in February.
The Colonels return several key contributors, including Jeremiah Predin and Isaiah Andino, who each averaged 11.5 points per game last season. Predin added 5.9 rebounds per contest, while Tommy Mallinson contributed 11.3 points and a team-high 2.9 assists per game. Manny Hidalgo recorded 11.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per outing, while Nethaniel Clemente averaged 10.5 points and 7.4 rebounds across 17 appearances. Andino and Clemente also collected two CNE Rookie of the Week honors apiece during their debut campaigns.
Led by sixth-year head coach Phil Alibrandi, who has guided the Colonels since 2021, Curry opens its season Monday, November 9, when it hosts Lesley University at Katz Gymnasium. Opening tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.
ENDICOTT COLLEGE
2026-27 Schedule | 2026-27 Roster
Returners: 11 | Graduated: 7 | Newcomers: 5
2025-26 Results: 28-2 (16-0 CNE) | 2025-26 Overall Stats
2025-26 Finish: First Place; NCAA Sweet 16
Following its historic 2025-26 postseason run, the Endicott men’s basketball team is retooled and positioned for another strong season in 2026-27.
The Gulls are led by reigning National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Second Team All-American Elijah Kinney in his senior season. Last year, Kinney established career highs in scoring (20.7 points per game), rebounding (11.6), blocks (2.6) and shooting percentages (56.4% from the field, 36.7% from three-point range and 82.3% from the free-throw line). Following the graduation of star forward Marcus Montagnino M’26, Kinney is set to be the primary option on both sides of the ball.
Montagnino, a two-time All-American and two-time CNE Player of the Year, moves to the sidelines as an assistant coach under head coach Kevin Bettencourt. His familiarity with the program will provide another valuable resource for the Gulls this season.
GORDON COLLEGE
2026-27 Schedule | 2026-27 Roster
Returners: 10 | Graduated: 3 | Newcomers: 8
2025-26 Results: 7-18 (6-10 CNE) | 2025-26 Overall Stats
2025-26 Conference Finish: Eighth Place
Gordon returns 10 veterans and welcomes eight newcomers for the upcoming season. The Fighting Scots finished last year with a 7-18 overall record and a 6-10 mark in conference play.
Ryan Brooks averaged 13.9 points per game and paced Gordon with 7.8 rebounds per contest. Brandon Swann saw action in all 25 games and made six starts while contributing 5.0 points per game.
Led by 18th-year head coach Tod Murphy, Gordon opens the season against New England College on November 6.
JOHNSON & WALES UNIVERSITY
2026-27 Schedule | 2026-27 Roster
Returners: 11 | Graduated: 2 | Newcomers: 4
2025-26 Results: 3-22 (2-14 CNE) | 2025-26 Overall Stats
2025-26 Conference Finish: 11th Place
First-year head coach Derrick Seldon II takes over a JWU men’s basketball team in transition. Eleven players return from last year’s squad, which finished 11th in the conference.
Three of the team’s top four scorers from a year ago have departed, paving the way for four newcomers to compete for playing time. Sophomore Omar Grullon, who joined the program in January, is JWU’s top returning scorer at 10.3 points per game. Sophomores De’Angelo Owens (4.0 points per game) and Landon Bodington (3.5) each started more than a dozen games in 2025-26 and will provide experience as the Wildcats implement Seldon’s system.
Transfers Jason Hines from Dean and Adrian Alicia from Mitchell, along with freshmen Orden Roberts and Jonathan Jones, look to inject energy into the program and propel the Wildcats back into the playoff hunt.
NICHOLS COLLEGE
2026-27 Schedule | 2026-27 Roster
Returners: 13 | Graduated: 7 | Newcomers: 7
2025-26 Results: 15-12 (9-7 CNE) | 2025-26 Overall Stats
2025-26 Postseason Finish: CNE Semifinals
Coming off a 15-win campaign that included a postseason victory and another appearance in the Conference of New England Tournament, the Nichols College men’s basketball team enters the 2026-27 season looking to take another step forward under third-year head coach Tyler Hundley.
The Bison finished the 2025-26 campaign with a 15-12 record, earning their 14th consecutive conference tournament appearance and securing a postseason victory over Roger Williams University in the CNE First Round.
Nichols returns key contributors Ethan Minarik, Luke Chapman and Cassidy Bonsu while welcoming seven newcomers to The Hill. The incoming class includes three transfers, highlighted by Simon Percy, who returns to Nichols after earning All-CNE Second Team honors in 2024-25.
Minarik provides an experienced perimeter scoring threat after averaging 9.3 points per game last season and shooting 48.1% from three-point range. Percy adds a proven scoring presence, having averaged 14.8 points per game during his previous season with the Bison.
With a mix of returning experience and new talent, Nichols will look to build momentum as it pursues another postseason run. The Bison open the season at home against WPI on Saturday, November 7, at 1 p.m., before traveling to Rhode Island College on November 11.
ROGER WILLIAMS UNIVERSITY
2026-27 Schedule | 2026-27 Roster
Returners: 10 | Graduated: 6 | Newcomers: 3
2025-26 Results: 12-14 (8-8 CNE) | 2025-26 Overall Stats
2025-26 Postseason Finish: CNE First Round — Fifth Seed
The Roger Williams men’s basketball team returns to the Campus Recreation Center for the 2026-27 season after reaching the CNE Tournament First Round last year. The Hawks finished 12-14 overall and 8-8 in conference play before falling to Nichols, 104-91, in the opening round. Head coach Mike Tully, associate head coach Mark Ward and assistant coach Kyle Valenzuela will lead a group that returns 10 players.
Senior guard Finn Miller, who led the Hawks with 15.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, headlines the returners. Junior guard Ashton Leclerc averaged 13.8 points per game and shot 46.5% from three-point range, while junior forward Ryan Hammarlund added 13.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per contest. Senior guard Joey Dwyer, junior guard Ryan Higgins and sophomore forward Adam Flauto also return after contributing last season.
The Hawks welcome first-year guards Jake Sliwinski, Daylen Roscoe and Colby Hurlock. The newcomers join a returning group that averaged 80.5 points per game last season and ranked among the conference’s most productive offenses.
Roger Williams opens its season Friday, November 6, against Coast Guard at the Campus Recreation Center. The Hawks begin CNE play Wednesday, November 18, when they travel to Endicott.
SUFFOLK UNIVERSITY
2026-27 Schedule | 2026-27 Roster
Returners: 14 | Graduated: 1 | Newcomers: 10
2025-26 Results: 16-11 (10-5 CNE) | 2025-26 Overall Stats
2025-26 Postseason Finish: CNE Semifinals — Third Seed
Suffolk men’s basketball enters its 12th season under head coach Jeff Juron, who guided the Rams to back-to-back conference championship game appearances in 2022-23 and 2023-24. Suffolk reached the CNE Semifinals last season after finishing 16-11 overall and 10-5 in conference play. The Rams defeated the University of New England, 75-67, in the CNE First Round before falling to Western New England, 77-58, on the road in the semifinals.
The Rams did so with one of the youngest cores in the conference and now bring back 14 players after graduating just one member. The returning group is headlined by CNE Rookie of the Year James Jones, who made an immediate impact in his freshman campaign. The point guard averaged 12.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while adding 1.6 steals per contest.
Senior Nick Verdile also returns after averaging 13.8 points per game and establishing himself as one of the CNE’s top outside threats, knocking down more than two three-pointers per game at a 37% clip. In total, seven of Suffolk’s top scorers from last season are back in the lineup.
Defense was the Rams’ calling card a season ago, with Greg Keane serving as a catalyst. Keane averaged 3.0 blocks per game to rank among the top five in NCAA Division III and helped Suffolk rank 13th nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 64.1 points per game. With that defensive foundation and the bulk of last year’s core intact, Suffolk enters the new campaign looking to make another push toward the top of the CNE.
The Rams open the season at home Saturday, November 7, against Farmington at 2 p.m. at Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court.
UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD
2026-27 Schedule | 2026-27 Roster
Returners: 12 | Graduated: 0 | Newcomers: 3
2025-26 Results: 13-12 (7-9 CNE) | 2025-26 Overall Stats
2025-26 Conference Finish: Seventh Place
The University of Hartford men’s basketball team has one goal for the 2026-27 season: making the Conference of New England playoffs. The Hawks finished last year just outside the postseason field in seventh place, ending the campaign with a 13-12 overall record and a 7-9 mark in CNE play.
The Hawks return their top six players in minutes played, including All-CNE Second Team selection Kyle Winters. Winters averaged 15.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game to lead Hartford. Other key returners include Kaosi Chijioke, Joshua Petion and Drew Stack, who have all been staples of the team for the past two seasons.
Head coach Aaron Toomey and the Hawks open the season November 6-7 at the Farmingdale State Tip-Off Tournament, beginning with a matchup against Montclair State University.
UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND
2026-27 Schedule | 2026-27 Roster
Returners: 11 | Graduated: 7 | Newcomers: 11
2025-26 Results: 12-14 (8-8 CNE) | 2025-26 Overall Stats
2025-26 Postseason Finish: CNE First Round — Sixth Seed
The University of New England and 15th-year head coach Ed Silva will look to 11 returners, three transfers and eight first-year players in 2026-27 following the graduation of last season’s top three scorers and both all-conference honorees.
The Nor’easters figure to see increased roles for several experienced returners, including senior forward Kha Cao Ra James, who averaged 7.7 points and posted team bests of 6.7 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game. Senior guard Jaelen Jackson is the team’s top returning scorer at 8.6 points per game and also contributed 2.6 assists per contest. Junior forward Gabe Galarraga averaged 7.2 points, while senior guards Julius Silva and Dylan Crowley add further experience.
UNE’s 11 newcomers will aim to help the program make consecutive postseason appearances, a feat last achieved in 2018-19.
WENTWORTH INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
2026-27 Schedule | 2026-27 Roster
Returners: 11 | Graduated: 3 | Newcomers: 7
2025-26 Results: 6-19 (4-12 CNE) | 2025-26 Overall Stats
2025-26 Postseason Finish: Did Not Qualify
Head coach Jason Chornyei enters his second season in charge of the Black & Gold. After losing three seniors to graduation, Chornyei returns 11 players, including Colin Mannke, who led the team with 340 points in 24 games last season.
Wentworth also returns Chase Mello and Jayden Williams, two of last year’s top five scorers. Davis Lunn, Sean Racette and Hunter Larson return at guard, while Donovan Holway, Andy Weeman and Aiden Flaherty return at forward.
Chornyei welcomes seven newcomers for the 2026-27 season, a class that includes five guards and two forwards. The incoming group will look to make its mark, earn playing time and help bring Wentworth back into the postseason.
Wentworth opens the season at home against Bridgewater State on November 6.
WESTERN NEW ENGLAND UNIVERSITY
2026-27 Schedule | 2026-27 Roster
Returners: 11 | Graduated: 5 | Newcomers: 4
2025-26 Results: 21-6 (14-2 CNE) | 2025-26 Overall Stats
2025-26 Finish: CNE Runners-Up
Coming off its first back-to-back seasons with 20 or more wins in over 25 years, the Western New England men’s basketball team looks to continue its success in 2026-27 under 12th-year head coach Colin Tabb.
The Golden Bears’ roster will look different following the graduation of three key starters. Western New England returns graduate student Cody Palazzesi (Somers, Conn.), who missed significant time last season but enjoyed a career year during his junior campaign while helping lead the Golden Bears to the NCAA Sweet 16. Palazzesi averaged more than 11 points per game that season and increased his production to 17 points per game over the final 10 contests.
Junior Eddie McCoy (Mansfield, Mass.) played in all 27 games last season, making 26 starts and averaging nearly eight points per game. Sharpshooter Avery Mickens (Newington, Conn.) will look to build on a successful first season in which he averaged 10 points per game and connected on a team-high 53 three-pointers.
WNE will also look to Will Laplante III (Plainville, Mass.) for offense, while Frantz Pierre Jr. (Winston-Salem, N.C.), Jason Garretson (Middlefield, Conn.) and Jason Britschge (Hilton Head Island, S.C.) will provide support on the defensive end.
Western New England adds first-year players and transfers to bolster the roster ahead of its season opener Saturday, November 7, at 5 p.m. at Brandeis University.
ABOUT THE CONFERENCE OF NEW ENGLAND
Originally founded in 1984 as the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), and reconstituted as the Conference of New England (CNE) in 2024, the CNE is an NCAA Division III athletic conference composed of 11 full member and nine associate member institutions throughout the New England region.