Eastern Michigan at Coastal Carolina Preview: Opening Night in Conway

College basketball is back. The 2026-27 season tips off on Monday, and Coastal Carolina kicks off their new campaign in Conway against Eastern Michigan.

For the Chanticleers, opening night marks the start of another season full of new faces and questions that will be answered once the ball is tipped.

Coastal enters the season looking to showcase their new identity, with portal additions, freshman, and returning players all set to play important roles. Monday’s opener provides the first opportunity, that counts, for the Chants to put their offseason work together.

On the other side of the ball, Eastern Michigan also enters the season with plenty of new faces and fresh opportunities, but also with a new coach ready to leave a good first impression on the fanbase.

Year Three of Justin Gray in Conway Begins

Justin Gray is entering his third season at the helm of Coastal Carolina hoops, coming off a 19-win season. However, he only returns three players.

Returning from last year’s 11-7 Sun Belt team is Tristan Thompson, DaJohn Craig, and Derrick Green. Thompson played just under 20 minutes per game for the Chants as a freshman, averaging 4 points and 4.2 rebounds. Now a captan, Thomspon is set to take a starting role. Craig and Green both played over 10 minutes per game, and expect to take leaps in roles this season.

The Chants lose 11 guys from last season’s roster, including one of the nations most prolific guard trios in Joshua Beadle, RaSheed Jones, and AJ Dancler. The three combined for just over 48 points per game, and were all amongst the top scoring guards in the conference.

To begin replacing some of that production, the Chants grabbed Trey Perry from the transfer portal. Perry comes to Conway from Miami OH, and while he only averaged 5.8 points, he was a big part of the RedHawks undefeated season and showed flashes of scoring brilliance. In Coastal’s exhibition, the 6-foot-2 guard scored 27 points, and looks in position to be the Chants’ leading scorer.

Expected to join him in the backcourt is Wake Forest transfer Jaylen Cross. The 6-foot-4 guard only appeared in 12 games for the Demon Deacons last season but the now sophomore will take a big leap in action, also being named one of three captains for the team.

Our captains 👌 pic.twitter.com/K0PbWyCSNC

— Coastal Men's Basketball (@CoastalMBB) October 23, 2026

Rounding out the backcourt are freshman Q Williams IV and JT Kelshiemer. Williams is a 5-foot-9 North Carolina native, who led his high school to a state championship in 2026. Kelsheimer is another sub 6-foot guard, who followed associate head coach Tim Koenig from Fairmont State. Both did not see action in the exhibition game.

The frontcourt is where things get interesting for the Chants. To keep it simple at the center spot, Elon transfer Caleb Middleton will likely split 40 minutes with the returning Green. While he only averaged 3.1 points and 3.4 rebounds last season, the big-man showed he can do more, going for 8 and 10 in the exhibition win.

At the four position, it will likely be by committee for Coastal. Jordan Buzzard, a 6-foot-9 freshman, made a surprise start in the exhibition, and looks poised to have a big role at the position. Memphis transfer Ashton Hardaway, yes that Hardaway, played nearly 20 minutes per game for the tigers last season, and will play a huge role this season. Marshall transfer Drew Fuquay and Division II transfer Jaevian Alston also saw minutes at the four in the exhibition game.

A New Era Begins for EMU

Eastern Michigan has a new head coach heading into the 2026-27 season, naming Billy Donlon their head coach in March.

Donlon lands at EMU after spending the last four seasons as the associate head coach at Clemson. The 49-year- old does have head coaching experience at the Division I level, spending time at the helm of Kansas City and Wright State.

Despite the new coaching staff, the Eagles are able to bring back 3 big contributors from last season, but none bigger than Mohammed Habhab.

Habhab returns to the Eagles after a season where he averaged 14.2 points and 8.3 rebounds as a sophomore. The 6-foot-9 forward will post a mismatch problem for the Chants’ frountcourt, who will need all hands on deck. Braelon Green and Gregory Lawson II both come back as well. Both guards played around 20 minutes per night last season, and did the same against Michigan in an exhibition this year.

Reintroducing Mohammad Habhab, a native of Dearborn, Michigan! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/xVhYdWOz0M

— Eastern Michigan Men's Basketball (@EMU_MBB) June 15, 2026

Longwood transfer Emmanuel Richards will also be a big part of the Eagles season, as he put up a team high in minutes, and tied for the team-high with 11 points in the Michigan exhibition. After starting in 31 games for Longwood last season and averaging nearly 10 points, Richards seems bound to be back in that role once again.

Two forwards who look to make instant impacts for EMU are Killian Brockhoff and Kaden Johnson. Brockhoff, a 6-foot-8 German, started for the Eagles in their exhibition after transferring in from William & Mary, where he started 31 games. 6-foot-11 forward Kaden Johnson averaged a double-double at Huntington last season, and played the most bench minutes against Michigan.

Jaiden Martin, Jabri Fitzpatrick, Aviv Aronov, and Jordan Wright also saw double-digit minutes off the bench in their exhibition.

Eastern Michigan Eagles @ Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

HTC Center — Conway, S.C.

Tipoff: Monday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. EST

TV: ESPN+

Radio: Chanticleer Sports Network WRXZ 107.1 / WEMU 89.1