Navy (0-0 / 0-0 PL) at George Washington (0-0 / 0-0 A10)
Monday, Nov. 2 I 7:30 p.m. I Smith Center I Washington, D.C.
Game Information
• The 2026-27 Navy men's basketball season begins Monday night when the Mids play a 7:30 p.m. game against George Washington in Washington, D.C.
• The game will be streamed through ESPN+, with a link available on NavySports.com.
• Also, Matt Sabados will call the game live on WNAV.
About Navy
• Navy returns from the 2025-26 season:
* 2 of 5 starters
* 9 of 17 letter winners
* 10 of 24 players
• The Mids have 13 freshmen on the roster.
Statistic Returning Lost
Games Played 47% 53%
Games Started 31% 69%
Minutes Played 40% 60%
Field Goals Made 31% 69%
3-Point Field Goals Made 62% 38%
Free Throws Made 31% 69%
Rebounds 25% 75%
Assists 32% 68%
Blocked Shots 26% 74%
Steals 31% 69%
Points 34% 66%
Navy Fifth in Preseason Polls
• The Mids placed fifth in the 2026-27 Patriot League Preseason Poll of head coaches.
2025-26 Preseason Patriot League Poll - Men
1. American, 81 points (9 first-place votes)
2. Lehigh, 72 (1)
T3. Colgate, 61
T3. Boston U., 61
5. Navy, 42
6. Bucknell, 39
7. Lafayette, 29
8. Holy Cross, 28
9. Loyola, 26
10. Army West Point, 11
George Washington Preview
• George Washington compiled an overall record of 19-16 last season and tied for eighth place in the 14 team Atlantic 10 Conference with an 8-10 record.
• The Revolutionaries were seeded ninth in the conference tournament, won a second round game and then lost in the quarterfinals.
• George Washington defeated Utah Valley 79-78 in the first round of the NIT before losing an 86-71 decision to New Mexico in the second round. Both of those games were played on the road.
• George Washington placed fifth out of 14 teams in the 2026-27 Atlantic 10 Conference Preseason Poll.
Series Notes
• George Washington holds a 22-21 advantage in the all-time series between the teams, which dates back to the 1929-30 season.
• The Revolutionaries have posted an 11-1 record against the Mids when the game is played in their home arena.
• GW posted a 79-77 overtime victory against Navy in the last meeting, which took place Dec. 5, 2023, in Washington, D.C.
• Navy has compiled a 64-90 record against teams currently in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
• George Washington has tallied a 96-44 record against teams in the Patriot League.
New Faces on the Bench
•
Jon Perry's coaching staff includes four new assistants this season.
•
Quentin Acree spent the last three seasons as an assistant at Christopher Newport.
•
Blake Gray arrives after spending seven seasons on the staff at Tennessee Tech.
•
Thomas Messinger was a three-year assistant at NJIT before arriving in Annapolis this fall.
•
Bo Waggoner handled operations at Notre Dame during the 2025-26 season after having spent the previous two years as a video associate with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
• The lone holdover from last season's staff is associate head coach
Scott Wagers.
Cole Named Captain of the Captains
•
Cam Cole has been elected by as peers as the 2026-27 Athletic Team Commander, which is more commonly referred to as the Captain of the Captains.
• Each of Navy's 36 varsity sports selects one team captain through a vote of the players.
• The captains for each of the sports then selects in a vote a Captain of the Captains to serve as their voice throughout the USNA.
• Established with the 2005-06 academic year, Cole is the third Mid within the last seven years to serve as the Captain of the Captains.
2025-26 Season Notes
• Navy posted an overall record of 26-8 and won the Patriot League regular season with a 17-1 record.
• It was just the second 17-1 record tallied by a Patriot League team since an 18-game slate was played starting with the 2013-14 season.
• Three of Navy's pre-league losses were road defeats to Penn State, North Carolina and UNCW.
• Navy made its first trip to a national postseason tournament since 1998 when it received a berth into the NIT. The Mids, who were playing in the NIT for the second time and first since 1962, lost a game at Wake Forest.
• The 26 wins were the most for a Navy team that did not have David Robinson on the roster. Only the 1985-86 Elite Eight team that won 30 games won more games than the 2025-26 Mids (Navy also won 26 games in 1985 and 1987).
• Navy won the league regular season title for the first time since it tied for first in 1999-2000.
• The Mids ranked sixth nationally in defensive scoring average (64.3 ppg) and seventh in defensive three-point field goal percentage (29.7%).
• Head coach
Jon Perry was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year and the College Insider Hugh Durham Award recipient for being the Mid-Major Coach of the Year.
•
Austin Benigni was named the Patriot League of Player the Year and also the league scholar-athlete of the year. Additioally, he was College Insider Lou Henson Award winner (Mid-Major Player of the Year) and garnered Second-Team All-District accolades from the NABC.
• Benigni left Navy ranked first in games played (130), second in starts (106), second in minutes (3,990), third in points (1,923), first in free throws made (618) and fourth in assists (483).
•
Aidan Kehoe was named the 2026-27 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year and also garnered first-team all-league honors.
• He led the NCAA in field goal percentage (73.1%) and ranked sixth in rebounds (10.9 rpg), ninth in defensive rebounds (7.06 drpg), 10th in offensive rebounds (3.79 orpg) and fifth in double-doubles (15).
• Kehoe set the Navy record for career field goal percentage (66.9%) and ranks seventh in rebounds (758), second in offensive rebounds (285) and third in defensive rebounds (473).
•
Donovan Draper was named to the Patriot League All-Defensive Team last season.
• Despite playing three seasons of basketball after being a member of the football team as a freshman, he left Navy ranked sixth in rebounds (773), sixth in offensive rebounds (245), second in defensive rebounds (528) and fifth in steals (178).
