FLORENCE, SC – The Francis Marion University men's basketball program will begin the 2025-26 campaign on Friday (Nov. 14) by hosting the Conference Crossover at the Smith University Center with a pair of matchups against Flagler College and USC Beaufort.
The initial two games will kick off a 28-game schedule this winter, including 15 home contests at the Smith University Center. Daily admission to Patriot home games is $10 for adults and $5 for students with FMU students admitted free with identification.
Following the season-opening tournament, the Patriots will travel to the University of North Georgia for their first road game of the season on Wednesday, Nov. 19. Over the weekend, Francis Marion will begin Conference Carolinas play at home against Shorter University, with tip-off set for 4 p.m.
Under the direction of fourth-year head coach Jake Zehnder, FMU features a revamped roster ahead of the 2025-26 season with 15 newcomers and three returners. Last season, FMU posted a 10-19 overall record with an 8-12 mark in conference play while making an appearance in the first round of the Conference Carolinas Tournament.
The Patriots were tabbed eighth in the recently released Conference Carolinas Men's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll for 2025.
Leading the returnees is graduate student 6-3 guard Farid SaintCyr Jr. and senior 6-1 guard/forward Adonis Cole – both players missed last season due to injury.
"Adonis and Farid have been with our program for over four years. Adonis is invaluable and the foundation for the group. His voice may not be the loudest, but he leads by example, and his actions speak far louder than any words could", expressed Zehnder. "Farid is the opposite. His voice is going to lead the way, but he knows how I want things done. He is the only player who has seen me as a head coach and an assistant, so he knows me on a different level, and we have built a lot of trust between each other."
As a junior, SaintCyr Jr. averaged 9.7 points, 37 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game in 24 contests. Cole registered a double-double (12 pts, 13 rebs) in the season-opener last season before missing the rest of the year. As a sophomore, he contributed 5.3 points and 5.2 rebounds in 28 games.
The 2025-26 roster includes 11 transfers and four freshmen.
"The sole focus of the offseason was identifying players that fit our culture. We didn't focus on individual achievements; we wanted individuals who could succeed academically at Francis Marion and had no off-court issues. This group fits the exact identity of the type of people we want to be around every day, and they seem connected."
With this revamped roster, the Patriots added several players with experience in the Southeast Region and the Conference Carolinas. Fifth-year 5-11 guard Patrick Antonelli transfers in from the University of Louisville but played a majority of his college career at Emory & Henry. He has averaged 5.8 points and 3.9 assists per game while shooting 44.3 percent from the field in 72 career games. The Patriots also bring in some height underneath the baskets in transfers – senior 6-11 forward Duncan Alevok (Texas A&M International) and junior 6-9 forward Will Asken (Barton College). Senior 6-5 guard Cole Deptula transfers to FMU after averaging 10.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in two seasons at Young Harris College.
The Patriots feature a competitive schedule in 2025-26, facing a trio of NCAA Tournament programs and six teams that achieved 20 or more wins last season. "I want to be playing the best programs in February and March, so if we win a couple of our non-conference regional contests in November and December, I believe that will make us better for the later part of the season."
The 2025 Conference Carolinas Men's Basketball Championship is scheduled to start with preliminary rounds on March 1 and 2 before the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final will be played at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium on the campus of Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on March 6-8.
