No. 1 Navy Midshipmen (25-6, 17-1)
Navy has won 13 straight. The Midshipmen are clearly the top team in the conference, leading the conference in most categories. They hold a 14-1 home record, with only a loss to Yale early in the season.
The Midshipmen are among the top two shooting teams, shooting 49.7% from the field and 38.0% from 3-point range . They are an outstanding passing and rebounding team, holding a seven-rebound advantage.
Defensively, Navy is elite, holding opponents to 62.4 points on 39.3% shooting from the field and 28.2% from the 3-point line. They also force a lot of turnovers and don’t foul.
2026 Patriot League Player of the Year Austin Benigni leads a veteran squad with 18.1 points and 1.9 threes with shooting splits of 42.6/45.7/88.7. While not deep, the Midshipmen do get production from their top seven players. 6-10 center Aiden Kehoe is a highly efficient force on both ends, averaging a double-double for the season (15.4 points, 11.0 rebounds).
No. 2 Lehigh Mountain Hawks (15-16, 11-7)
Lehigh has won three straight and five of seven. The Mountain Hawks swept Colgate and lost to Navy (at home) by three. The Mountain Hawks are a strong shooting team, connecting on 48.2% of their field goal attempts, 37.5% from the 3-point line, and 78.8% from the free throw line. Additionally, they share the ball well but can be careless.
Nasir Whitlock is the Patriot League’s top scorer at 20.2 points, connecting on 47.8% from the field and 2.2 threes at 43.1%. Hank Aley is an efficient low-post threat who is the league’s top shot-blocker at 1.8 a contest.
Defensively, Lehigh struggles to contain elite guards. The Mountain Hawks also get outrebounded by nearly 3.5 boards a game.
No. 3 Colgate Raiders (17-14, 11-7)
Colgate has lost two straight and four of five. Still, the Red Raiders extended their consecutive winning seasons in the Patriot League to nine straight.
Colgate is a well-balanced offensive team, ranking second in scoring at 76.8 points per game, and executes its halfcourt offense well. While the Raiders don’t shoot it extremely well, they get to the free-throw line a considerable amount of time. Jalen Cox leads the way at 17.6 points and a league-best 5.1 assists. Six-foot-eight forward Andre Alekseyenko is a solid inside-outside scorer who averages 14.6 points on 49.7% shooting from the field and 1.2 threes at a 38.4% clip. He also grabs 6.7 rebounds per game.
Defensively, the Red Raiders are a touch below Navy, Boston U., and Lehigh. Athletic guards give them the most difficult time.
No. 4 Boston University Terriers (15-16, 10-8)
Boston U. has finished around .500 and with a 10-8 conference mark for the third straight season. However, the Terriers have won two straight and seven of eight. While the Terriers lost both games to Navy, both setbacks were by single digits.
BU is the Patriots League’s top offensive team, averaging 77.1 in conference play as they shoot a league best 49.8% from the field and 40.2% from the 3-point line while making 9.4 treys a contest. Junior Michael McNair, the conference’s top 3-point shooter at 45.1% clip on 3.3 makes, leads a guard-oriented team at 17.0 points a game.
The Terriers are also a tough, physical defensive team. The Terriers hold opponents to 72.8 points on 44.5% shooting from the field,d and while they don’t foul a lot, their three-point defense is a concern. Additionally, they protect the rim well and outrebound their opponents by four boards a game.
No. 5 American University Eagles (16-15, 9-9)
American, the defending Patriot League tournament champions, extended its non-losing season streak to four. The Eagles have lost two straight and seven of 10. The Eagles are an average-shooting team, featuring three players in double figures and disciplined in the halfcourt. However, they don’t have a go-to-scorer.
American is outstanding on the defensive end, especially on the perimeter — led by forward Greg Jones. The Eagles hold their conference opponents to 68.5 points, the second-fewest in the league, and 6.7 threes. They are not a great rebounding team.
No. 6 Loyola Maryland Greyhounds (12-19, 8-10)
Loyola (MD) 2ill finish below .500 for the 13th consecutive season, which is every year the Greyhounds have been a member of the Patriot League. The Greyhounds have split their last eight.
Loyola plays fast and shoots 3-pointers. While the Greyhounds average nearly 75 points per game and 10 threes in Patriot League play, they are not a good-shooting team or get to the free-throw line. However, defense is their biggest problem.
No. 7 Lafayette Leopards (11-21, 8-10)
Lafayette is out of the Patriot League tournament after falling to Holy Cross on Tuesday . The Leopards are relatively young and struggle offensively, though they don’t turn the ball over. Guard Caleb Williams led four players in double-figures with 15.6 points per contest, and the Leopards did a good job at getting to the free-throw line. They also struggle defensively.
No. 8 Bucknell Bisons (10-22, 6-12)
Bucknell has posted its worst record under head coach John Griffin. The Bisons, who struggle offensively, have lost six of eight. The Bisons do shoot it well from the free-throw line and do a good job forcing turnovers. But they don’t shoot it well from the 3-point line or defend the arc well.
No. 9 Army Black Knights (11-21, 5-13)
The Army has alternated between winning and losing seasons over the last six campaigns. The Black Knights are out of the tournament, losing nine of 10.
The Army makes the most three-pointers (10.8) in the league, but only connects on 33.7% of its attempts and is the worst-shooting squad in the conference at 41.5%. They turn the ball over a lot, are the worst defensive team, and have issues with fouls.
No. 10 Holy Cross Crusaders (10-2w, 5-13)
Holy Cross has finished the year with 12 straight losing seasons. The Crusaders have lost 11 of 14.
Holy Cross is also relatively young and doesn’t shoot the ball well. While the Crusaders don’t turn the ball over much, they also don’t force many turnovers. However, they do a good job at defending the 3-point line and don’t foul.
