BRADENTON, Fla. – New College of Florida men's basketball tips off its fourth season Monday as the Mighty Banyans host No. 24 Wayland Baptist at 7 p.m. at Bradenton Christian School's Pentecost Athletic Center.
Head coach Andrew Wingreen has led NCF since the program's inaugural season. The Mighty Banyans enter 2026-27 with a returning group led by senior guard Giovanni Toscanini and a transfer class that includes former NCAA Division I guards Dezmond McKinney and Cyncier Harrison.
Monday marks the first meeting between the programs and presents an early test against a Wayland Baptist team that reached the second round of last season's NAIA Men's Basketball Championship.
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YEAR FOUR UNDER WINGREEN: New College begins its fourth season in program history, all under Wingreen. The Mighty Banyans are seeking their second Sun Conference Tournament appearance after earning their first berth in 2025.
TOSCANINI RETURNS FOR YEAR FOUR: Toscanini has been with the Mighty Banyans since their inaugural season and enters his senior year as NCF's Sun Conference Player to Watch. He averaged 13.7 points last season while shooting 53.5% from the field, appearing in 26 games and making 25 starts. His 355 points marked the highest-scoring season of his career.
CLIMBING THE CAREER CHARTS: Toscanini enters the season fourth in program history with 643 career points, 150 behind career leader Jordan Clark, who scored 793 from 2023-25. Toscanini also ranks fifth in career rebounds with 163 and fourth in steals with 40. Through 74 career appearances, he has shot 52.5% from the field.
EXPERIENCE IN THE BACKCOURT: Redshirt sophomore Jonathan Olodude returns for his third year with the program after earning The Sun Conference's Champion of Character award last season. Olodude appeared in 23 games with six starts in 2025-26, averaging 4.1 points and 3.0 rebounds while recording 25 steals.
GELIN BACK IN THE FRONTCOURT: Senior forward Carlin Gelin begins his second season at New College after averaging 5.2 points and 4.7 rebounds in 16 appearances last year, including eight starts. Gelin shot 55.2% from the field and totaled eight blocks. He scored a season-high 13 points against Southeastern and collected a season-best 10 rebounds against Trinity College of Jacksonville.
EDWARDS BUILDS ON FRESHMAN SEASON: Sophomore guard Benett Edwards returns after appearing in 24 games and making 15 starts last season. He averaged 4.7 points and 2.3 rebounds while adding 36 assists and 17 steals. Edwards delivered his highest-scoring performance against Florida College on Jan. 24, finishing with 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting, seven rebounds and four assists.
DIVISION I EXPERIENCE JOINS THE GUARD GROUP: Graduate transfers McKinney and Harrison bring NCAA Division I experience to the NCF backcourt. McKinney arrives from Bellarmine, while Harrison joins the Mighty Banyans from Stetson. Junior guard Ricardo Corvil, a transfer from Kankakee Community College in Illinois, adds another experienced option.
NEW FACES ADD SIZE AND DEPTH: Junior forward Zachary Chambers joins the frontcourt at 6-foot-9 after transferring from Southwestern Illinois College. NCF also welcomes junior guard Carson McCormick from Madison College and junior guard/forward Ashton Romney from Palm Beach State College. Parker Dunnihoo, Ace Walker, Will Murphree and Ty Townsend also return for the Mighty Banyans.
FAMILIAR AND NEW FACES ON THE BENCH: Scott Townsend returns for his third season on the coaching staff, while Alex Sommers begins his second. Alex Cummings and Devin Gilligan join Wingreen's staff for the 2026-27 season.
KNOW THE PIONEERS: Wayland Baptist enters the season ranked No. 24 in the NAIA preseason poll. The Pioneers finished last season 24-8 and earned an at-large berth in the NAIA Men's Basketball Championship. Wayland Baptist defeated Carroll in the opening round before falling to Arizona Christian in the second round.
SERIES HISTORY
All-Time Series vs. Wayland Baptist: 0-0
Last Meeting: Monday marks the first meeting between the programs.
Wayland Baptist Key Player: Jordan Logan averaged 6.5 points and 4.2 rebounds last season while shooting 52.5% from the field. He appeared in 33 games with 10 starts and totaled 35 blocks and 31 steals.
UP NEXT: NCF returns home Thursday to host Baptist University of Florida at 7:30 p.m.
