COLUMBUS, Ga. | After finishing among the league's top two teams in each of the past two seasons, the Columbus State University Men's Basketball team has been picked second in the 2026-27 PBC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
The Cougars received 86 points and one first-place vote. Lander was selected as the preseason favorite with 99 points and nine first-place votes, while Flagler followed CSU in third with 74 points.
Columbus State enters the 2026-27 campaign after posting a 23-9 overall record and a 15-5 mark in PBC play last season. The Cougars reached the semifinals of the PBC Tournament before earning a berth in the NCAA Southeast Regional, where CSU defeated Catawba in the opening round before falling to Lander in the regional semifinals.
"We have done a great job over the last few years as an entire program, from our administrative staff, coaches, and players, of being ready to compete at a high level, and we have been able to achieve a lot lately," Head Men's Basketball Coach Robert Moore said. "We have to keep pushing in a positive direction because our main goal is to win a Division II national championship."
Senior guard Lee Langstaff II highlights the returning group after being named to the 2026-27 Preseason All-PBC Team. Langstaff started all 30 games he appeared in last season, averaging 10.1 points and 2.6 rebounds in 25.1 minutes per game. He shot 48.2 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from three-point range while finishing third on the team in scoring and steals.
The Cougars enter the new season following a 2025-26 campaign that produced several individual honors. Marlon Smith was named the PBC Player of the Year and earned First Team All-PBC, D2CCA All-Southeast Region First Team, NABC All-District Southeast Team, and NABC Division II All-America honors. Jordan Mitchell earned Second Team All-PBC recognition.
Lander sits atop the preseason poll with 99 points and nine first-place votes, followed by Columbus State with 86 points and one first-place vote. Flagler was selected third with 74 points, North Georgia fourth with 69, and USC Beaufort rounded out the top five with 63.
USC Aiken received the remaining first-place vote and was selected sixth with 60 points, followed by Augusta with 43, GCSU with 42, Georgia Southwestern with 37, Middle Georgia with 20, and Clayton State with 12.
Columbus State opens the 2026-27 season at home on Monday, Nov. 9, against Auburn University at Montgomery. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. inside the Frank G. Lumpkin Jr. Center.
