2026-27 Patriot League Preview: American, Lehigh and Colgate Set the Pace
2026-10-21
2026-27 Patriot League Preview: American, Lehigh and Colgate Set the Pace
The Patriot League has three legitimate preseason championship cases, but they are not identical. American brings back a cohesive core from a young team that lost too many close games. Lehigh has the league's most established interior force and the momentum of a conference tournament championship. Colgate has an emerging star and a proven system, but needs new answers in the backcourt.
Navy is the cautionary tale of this preseason: the Midshipmen were 17-1 in league play, but losing Austin Benigni changes the entire offensive equation. Boston University can disrupt the top three, and the middle of the conference is close enough that one effective transfer or freshman guard can move a team several places.
MMH's editorial forecast favors American by a narrow margin. The projected records below are independently assigned judgments, not outputs from the site's locked game-prediction model. Projected lineups and depth assignments are still being verified; this article does not mislabel an incomplete roster pool as a confirmed starting five.
MMH projected order and preseason comparisons
| Rank | Team | Projected Patriot record | Coaches | Torvik | Blue Ribbon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American | 13-5 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | Lehigh | 12-6 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 3 | Colgate | 12-6 | T-3 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | Boston University | 10-8 | T-3 | 4 | 4 |
| 5 | Navy | 9-9 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 6 | Lafayette | 8-10 | 7 | 6 | 8 |
| 7 | Bucknell | 8-10 | 6 | 9 | 6 |
| 8 | Holy Cross | 7-11 | 8 | 7 | 10 |
| 9 | Loyola Maryland | 6-12 | 9 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | Army | 5-13 | 10 | 10 | 7 |
The forecast balances to 90 wins and 90 losses over 18 conference games per team. The coaches' poll was released October 1. Torvik order is taken from the user-supplied 2027 preseason T-Rank screenshot; it is not a live feed. Blue Ribbon order is from its printed Patriot League conference forecast.
What the Torvik snapshot adds
Torvik gives American the strongest national position at No. 193, ahead of Colgate (217), Lehigh (261) and Boston University (297). The gap is notable: American's displayed adjusted offense is 105.0 and adjusted defense 107.8, compared with Lehigh's 100.7 and 108.6. Torvik also reports American returning 86.1 percent of its minutes, an unusually strong continuity signal. Lehigh returns 82.9 percent, so its preseason strength is not simply a product of last March's tournament title.
Colgate's 53.0 percent returning minutes is a different profile. The Raiders have a premier frontcourt player, but the model suggests more change around him. Boston University's 41.9 percent returning minutes reinforces the need for its newcomers to fit quickly. Navy's 40.1 percent returning minutes supports caution after its historic regular season.
In the lower half, the clearest disagreement is Bucknell: Torvik ranks the Bison ninth in this conference and projects 7-11, while the coaches and Blue Ribbon place them sixth. MMH projects 8-10, leaving a plausible path to an upside surprise but not claiming that the transfer additions are already proven Patriot League starters.
Last season's conference standings
| Team | 2025-26 Patriot record |
|---|---|
| Navy | 17-1 |
| Lehigh | 11-7 |
| Colgate | 11-7 |
| Boston University | 10-8 |
| American | 9-9 |
| Loyola Maryland | 8-10 |
| Lafayette | 8-10 |
| Bucknell | 6-12 |
| Army | 5-13 |
| Holy Cross | 5-13 |
Navy won the regular season at 17-1. Lehigh captured the Patriot League tournament, beating Boston University 74-60 in the final. The 2026-27 league race should not be reduced to last season's finish: Navy loses its lead guard, American retains most of its rotation, and Colgate is adjusting its playmaking structure.
Team-by-team outlook
1. American — projected 13-5
The most convincing continuity case in the conference belongs to Duane Simpkins. American played through major frontcourt injuries, finished 9-9, and still brought nearly its entire eligible core back. Madden Collins scored 13.4 points per game as a freshman, while Greg Jones added 12.5 points and 4.8 rebounds and was selected the league preseason defensive player of the year. Kade Sebastian made 37.9 percent of his threes. The Eagles have the ingredients to improve without learning an entirely new system.
The challenge is not simply generating more shots. American went 1-5 in one-possession league games, so late-game shot selection and defensive rebounding could be worth several wins. Collins must choose when to attack rather than force a difficult three, and the Eagles need their centers healthy enough to balance a wing-heavy offense.
MMH outlook: MMH narrowly favors American over Lehigh because of the combination of returning perimeter scoring, defensive identity and continuity.
Key rotation candidates to evaluate: Madden Collins, Greg Jones, Kade Sebastian, Dean Hogans, Kamran Prince. These are documented player names from the yearbook research, not a verified five-man starting lineup.
2. Lehigh — projected 12-6
Brett Reed brings back a championship-level foundation, starting with 6-foot-9 Hank Alvey, the league preseason player of the year. Alvey averaged 15.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocks while shooting 62.4 percent. His interior efficiency gives Lehigh a dependable answer when opponents slow the game. The Mountain Hawks won the 2026 tournament after finishing 11-7 in the regular season.
The departure of Nasir Whitlock leaves a genuine perimeter creation gap. Jalen Vazquez, Peter Kramer, Joshua Ingram and other guards will need to make the offense work around Alvey rather than merely feeding him stationary post touches. Teams will send help unless Lehigh proves it can punish the extra defender.
MMH outlook: Blue Ribbon ranks Lehigh first; MMH puts it a close second. The tournament title makes the ceiling credible, while the changed guard hierarchy is the separator.
Key rotation candidates to evaluate: Hank Alvey. These are documented player names from the yearbook research, not a verified five-man starting lineup.
3. Colgate — projected 12-6
Andrew Alekseyenko is a potential conference player of the year after averaging 14.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists while making 38.3 percent of his threes. The sophomore gives Matt Langel an unusually versatile offensive centerpiece. Parker Jones returns after missing the previous season, and Colgate has useful size with Sam Wright, Ayomi Odetoyinbo and Ethan Brown.
Jalen Cox is gone, so the Raiders need a new way to create advantage before the defense is set. Josh Ahayere, Blake Forrest, freshman Kingston McKoy and George Mason transfer Isaiah Skinn offer possible combinations, but no single guard can simply be assumed to replace Cox. The spacing around Alekseyenko will matter as much as his scoring.
MMH outlook: MMH places Colgate third, close enough to challenge both favorites if the guards settle early.
Key rotation candidates to evaluate: Andrew Alekseyenko, Josh Ahayere, Parker Jones, Blake Forrest, Kingston McKoy, Isaiah Skinn. These are documented player names from the yearbook research, not a verified five-man starting lineup.
4. Boston University — projected 10-8
Joe Jones has a credible upper-division core after the Terriers reached the league tournament final. Kyrone Alexander returns as an established scoring wing; his 2024-25 season included 12.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Azmar Abdullah, Sam Hughes and Donte Tisinger Jr. provide additional continuity, with newcomers competing for a significant share of the rotation.
The question is whether BU has enough consistent half-court creation to win close games against American, Lehigh and Colgate. Alexander offers a veteran starting point, but the offensive hierarchy and interior rebounding must hold together when the Terriers face the league’s strongest frontcourts.
MMH outlook: Fourth is a reasonable base case, but this is a plausible top-three team if its returning wings carry the offense.
Key rotation candidates to evaluate: Kyrone Alexander, Azmar Abdullah, Sam Hughes, Donte Tisinger Jr.. These are documented player names from the yearbook research, not a verified five-man starting lineup.
5. Navy — projected 9-9
The Midshipmen went 17-1 in Patriot League play last season, one of the best league records in conference history. That achievement reflects a disciplined system and excellent late-game execution, but the roster is not the same. Austin Benigni, the league player of the year, has departed.
Replacing Benigni means replacing decisions as well as points. Nyles Howard, Julian Gabbidon and Matt Gaffney are among the returning guards mentioned in Blue Ribbon, but a reliable new offensive hierarchy must emerge. Navy cannot count on last year’s historic record to generate this year’s offense.
MMH outlook: MMH puts Navy fifth: respect for the program’s structure, tempered by substantial turnover at its most important position.
Key rotation candidates to evaluate: Nyles Howard, Julian Gabbidon, Matt Gaffney. These are documented player names from the yearbook research, not a verified five-man starting lineup.
6. Lafayette — projected 8-10
Lafayette is one of the more intriguing middle-tier teams because its guard additions offer a route to a stronger offense. Cooper Kesler and Aaron Sievert arrive with junior-college experience, while Shelton Henton brings Division II scoring. Shareef Jackson is a more established interior option and should provide a dependable target.
Those additions bring different kinds of production, but their prior averages do not automatically translate to Division I. The Leopards must replace Caleb Williams’s ballhandling and establish a defensive identity quickly enough to stay in the middle of the standings.
MMH outlook: Torvik is more favorable toward Lafayette than Blue Ribbon. MMH’s sixth-place call reflects potential offensive improvement but leaves room for the translation risk.
Key rotation candidates to evaluate: Cooper Kesler, Aaron Sievert, Shelton Henton, Shareef Jackson, Luke Bevilacqua, Misha Bednostin, Beckett Currie. These are documented player names from the yearbook research, not a verified five-man starting lineup.
7. Bucknell — projected 8-10
Bucknell is the chosen MMH sleeper because the outside forecasts disagree about the Bison’s ceiling. Blue Ribbon and the coaches put them sixth; Torvik’s national ratings put them ninth. Rocco Lamuno arrives after averaging 18.5 points at Division II Spring Hill, and John Griffin has a reworked roster with several candidates for expanded roles.
A strong lower-division scoring average is not proof of immediate Patriot League production. Bucknell must establish reliable point-guard play, enough perimeter shooting to keep driving lanes open, and defensive rebounding against more settled rosters. Newcomer fit is the risk and the opportunity.
MMH outlook: MMH projects Bucknell seventh rather than declaring a breakout inevitable. The sleeper case is that the new pieces outperform that baseline and push into the top five.
Key rotation candidates to evaluate: Rocco Lamuno, Ludvik Bergseng, Matt Lange, Kellen Welch, Joe Youakim, Anderson Hoctor. These are documented player names from the yearbook research, not a verified five-man starting lineup.
8. Holy Cross — projected 7-11
Holy Cross enters with unusually divergent outside expectations: Blue Ribbon ranks the Crusaders tenth, while the coaches place them eighth and Torvik seventh. The Crusaders finished 5-13 last season, leaving substantial room for improvement.
The first test is whether the new rotation can produce efficient half-court possessions without giving up too much on the defensive glass. The lower ranking in Blue Ribbon is a warning against assuming that simply returning players will produce better results.
MMH outlook: MMH projects seventh, a cautious improvement rather than a declaration that Holy Cross has solved its underlying problems.
Projected lineup: Awaiting full official-roster reconciliation; MMH will not invent five starters to fill a table.
9. Loyola Maryland — projected 6-12
Loyola Maryland was 8-10 last year, better than several of the programs that finished near the bottom, but the preseason forecasts remain cautious. The Greyhounds need a dependable scoring structure to avoid giving away close games.
The challenge is turning role clarity into better possessions. A balanced lineup is useful only if it has someone who can create a shot late in the clock and enough defensive rebounding to finish stops.
MMH outlook: MMH begins Loyola ninth while recognizing that a relatively small improvement in close games could move it into the middle.
Projected lineup: Awaiting full official-roster reconciliation; MMH will not invent five starters to fill a table.
10. Army — projected 5-13
Army enters with senior Ryan Curry as a recognizable veteran guard and a program looking to rebound from a 5-13 league season. Blue Ribbon is more optimistic than the coaches and Torvik, which makes the Black Knights worth watching rather than dismissing.
Curry needs reliable scoring support, and Army must improve its defensive efficiency to avoid constantly chasing games. The difference between seventh and tenth in this conference is small enough that sustained improvement on one end can matter.
MMH outlook: MMH starts Army tenth but will revisit that assessment if its younger perimeter contributors develop quickly.
Key rotation candidates to evaluate: Ryan Curry. These are documented player names from the yearbook research, not a verified five-man starting lineup.
What will decide the race
The top three will be separated by perimeter creation and defensive execution. American has the most stable collection of perimeter players, Lehigh has the strongest established interior centerpiece, and Colgate has a versatile scorer who forces opponents to choose between guarding the paint and respecting the arc. Boston University is the team most likely to make the race a four-way fight if its offensive hierarchy settles.
Navy's season is a test of how much continuity of system can offset the loss of an elite guard. In the middle and lower tiers, the best team may be the one that identifies its lead ballhandler and defensive rebounding lineup first. Bucknell is the upside case, but its newcomers must demonstrate that their previous production translates.
More Patriot League coverage
Sources and projection notes
The primary scouting source is the user-provided Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook 2026–27, Patriot League section, printed pages 326–335. Official conference honors and the coaches' poll were published October 1, 2026 by the Patriot League. The user-provided Bart Torvik 2027 screenshot supplies the preseason ratings and returning-minutes figures. Official 2026-27 rosters checked include Lehigh and Colgate. The projected order is an MMH editorial forecast, not a simulation or a revision to MMH Model V1. The research package includes a separate rotation verification worksheet; incomplete depth charts have not been silently invented.