OPENING TIP
Lafayette embarks on its first non-conference game of the 2026-27 season, traveling to Indianapolis to take on Butler for the first time in program history. 

Head coach Mike McGarvey welcomes seven newcomers to don the Maroon and White alongside nine returning players. Shareef Jackson is set to reprise his role in the starting lineup, with Misha Bednostin, KaiMani Murdock, and Malik Rasul expected to play a significant part in the upcoming campaign. 

Shareef Jackson returns after a successful freshman season. The Philadelphia, Pa. native started in 30 of the Leopards' 32 contests last season, while finishing fourth on the team in scoring (10.0), second in rebounding (5.5) and first in blocks (24).

In the annual Preseason Patriot League Men's Basketball Poll, the Maroon and White were tabbed to finish in seventh, with 29 points. Lafayette finished ahead of Holy Cross (28), Loyola (26) and Army (11).

The Leopards claimed a 0.31 turnover margin last season and were one of four squads in the Patriot League to finish with a positive margin.

SCOUTING BUTLER
Butler begins the 2026-27 season after finishing with a 16-16 record and a 7-13 mark in Big East play in 2025-26. The Bulldogs will have a new head coach on the sidelines this season, hiring former player Ronald Nored in March of 2026. Nored, a 2012 graduate of Butler, begins his collegiate coaching tenure after a three-year stop as an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks (2023-26).Butler's Jalen Jackson, who started in six games last season before a season-ending injury, projects to be the Bulldogs' leading scorer following 27 and 19-point outbursts in exhibition contests against Ohio State and Indiana State, respectively. 

LAST TIME OUT
Lafayette's 2025-26 campaign ended in the Patriot League Tournament First Round following a 82-77 loss to Holy Cross. Shareef Jackson collected 12 points, three rebounds and two blocks in 24 minutes of action, while KaiMani Murdock chipped in nine points via 3-5 shooting from beyond the arc.

TRIPLE THREAT
Leopard guard KaiMani Murdock was one of four Lafayette players to shoot 30 percent or better from downtown. Murdock (.333) connected on 21 of his 63 attempts from three-point range. 

FRESH FACES ON COLLEGE HILL
Head coach Mike McGarvey will have seven new Leopards at his disposal this season. Lafayette added four players through the portal and inked three others. Among the Maroon and White's signing class are two players from Australia (Jasraj Gill, Patrick D'Arcy), one from New Zealand (Aaron Sievert), and four from the United States (AJ Collins, Owen Kelly, Shelton Henton, Cooper Kesler).

NEW COACH ON THE BLOCK
The Leopards added assistant coach Muhamadou Kaba during the offseason. Kaba comes to College Hill following a five-year stint as the head coach of Delaware Valley, where he earned 2025 MAC Freedom Coach of the Year after winning the league tournament championship.