BALTIMORE, Md. – Coming off a 2025–26 campaign that saw the Bowie State men's basketball team compete throughout the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), the Bulldogs have been selected to finish ninth in the 2026–27 CIAA Men's Basketball Preseason Predicted Order of Finish, the conference announced Tuesday during CIAA Basketball Media Day in Baltimore, Md.
In addition to the preseason poll, Bowie State senior Jaiden McGhee was selected to the 2026–27 Preseason All-CIAA Team, earning recognition among the conference's top returning student-athletes. McGhee was one of 11 student-athletes named to the preseason team and was also a returning All-CIAA selection from the 2025–26 season.
McGhee enters the 2026–27 season as one of the Bulldogs' key returning pieces and will look to build upon his All-CIAA campaign from a year ago. His preseason recognition provides Bowie State with a proven veteran presence as the Bulldogs prepare for another competitive CIAA season.
Head coach Bryan Wilson and McGhee represented Bowie State at the 2026 CIAA Basketball Media Day in Baltimore, where coaches and student-athletes from all 12 CIAA institutions gathered to preview the upcoming season.
The Bulldogs enter the 2026–27 campaign looking to make their mark in a competitive CIAA men's basketball landscape. Fayetteville State University, the defending CIAA champion, was selected as the preseason favorite, followed by Bluefield State University, Virginia State University, Claflin University and Virginia Union University to round out the preseason top five.
Bowie State was selected ninth, behind Lincoln University (Pa.) and ahead of Livingstone College, Shaw University and Elizabeth City State University.
The 2026–27 season will culminate with the 81st CIAA Men's Basketball Tournament, scheduled for February 23–27, 2027, at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, Maryland.
2026–27 CIAA Men's Basketball Predicted Order of Finish
- Fayetteville State University
- Bluefield State University
- Virginia State University
- Claflin University
- Virginia Union University
- Winston-Salem State University
- Johnson C. Smith University
- Lincoln University (Pa.)
- Bowie State University
- Livingstone College
- Shaw University
- Elizabeth City State University
The 2027 CIAA Basketball Tournament will bring the conference's 12 men's and women's basketball programs together in Baltimore for five days of championship competition, with the men's tournament marking its 81st edition.
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