LANCASTER, Pa. – Defending champion Gettysburg and 2025-26 runner-up Johns Hopkins have been selected as co-favorites in the 2026-27 Centennial Conference men's basketball preseason poll. Both the Bullets and Blue Jays received five first-place votes and totaled 77 points to tie for the top position in a vote among conference had coaches. 

Franklin & Marshall (59) and Ursinus (58) were separated by just one point in third and fourth place, respectively, while Swarthmore (49) and Dickinson (45) were also projected as playoff teams. 

Haverford was picked seventh with 27 points, followed by Muhlenberg (25), McDaniel (23) and Washington College (10). 

The 2026-27 season tips off this weekend. The conference season begins in early Janaury, with the six-team CC tournament set for Feb. 23-26-28 with the higher seeds hosting each round. 

2026-27 Centennial Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Poll

2026-27 Schedule | 2025-26 All-Centennial Team | D3hoops.com Preseason Poll

Gettysburg ended a lengthy championship drought last winter, defeating Johns Hopkins 51-47 in the title game to hoist the Centennial trophy for the first time since 2009. With the win, the Bullets moved into a three-way tie for the third-most championships in conference history with four. F&M owns a conference-best nine CC crowns, followed by Hopkins with six, Gettysburg, Swarthmore and Ursinus with four each, Dickinson with three and Muhlenberg with two. 

Three teams represented the CC in the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in conference history as Gettysburg, Johns Hopkins and F&M qualified for the national postseason. The only other season that the CC qualified three teams for the tournament was in 2018 (Swarthmore, Hopkins and F&M). All three squads went on to bow out in the opening round of NCAAs. 

Eight All-Centennial honorees return to the Centennial hardwood this winter, led by Gettysburg with two returning all-stars. Sophomore guard Caleb Gillus is the reigning CC Rookie of the Year and D3hoops.com Region 5 Rookie of the Year and was an honorable mention pick last season, while senior guard Ray Zamloot was a second team All-CC pick last year. 

Six other teams welcome back one all-conference honoree. Swarthmore junior guard Zander Jimenez leads the way as a two-time honoree. Jimenez was a second team pick and Rookie of the Year in 2024-25 before securing honorable mention laurels last season. Dickinson senior forward Dane Moran is the lone returning first-teamer, while F&M junior guard Steve Donahue and Johns Hopkins junior guard Wyatt Eglinton Manner were both second team picks last winter. Haverford junior forward Adam Strong-Jacobson and Ursinus junior guard Jamie Murphy both received honorable mention accolades last year. 

Four new head coaches will be on the sidelines this season in the CC - F&M's Tim Sweeney, McDaniel's T.J. Jordan, Muhlenberg's Quinn Newton, and Washington College's Tom Primosch. Sweeney was previously the hhead coach at Connecticut College for seven seasons, Jordan was the inaugural coach at Notre Dame (Md.) for three seasons, Newton coached Maine at Farmington for two seasons, and Primosch was an assistant at Ursinus for three seasons. 

Johns Hopkins is ranked No. 22 in the D3hoops.com preseason poll. 

Returning All-Region (1)

Caleb Gillus, Gettysburg, So., G (2025-26 D3hoops.com Region 5 Rookie OTY) 

Returning All-Centennial (8)

Dane Moran, Dickinson, Sr., F (2025-26 First Team)

Steve Donahue, Franklin & Marshall, Jr., G (2025-26 Second Team)

Ray Zamloot, Gettysburg, Sr., G (2025-25 Second Team)
Caleb Gillus, Gettysburg, So., G (2025-26 Honorable Mention, 2025-26 Rookie OTY)

Adam Strong-Jacobson, Haverford, Jr., F (2025-26 Honorable Mention) 

Wyatt Eglinton Manner, Johns Hopkins, Jr., G (2025-26 Second Team)

Zander Jimenez, Jr., G, Swarthmore (2025-26 Honorable Mention, 2024-25 Rookie OTY, 2024-25 Second Team)

Jamie Murphy, Ursinus, Jr., G (2025-26 Honorable Mention)