The Emory University men’s basketball team has established solid momentum halfway through its season, reaching the No. 7 ranking in Division III. The Eagles have an overall record of 14-3 and are 4-2 within the University Athletic Association (UAA).
The team’s first loss came at the hands of Trinity University (Texas) in their second game of the season during the Midway Tournament in Chicago. After the early setback, the Eagles responded with a 13-game winning streak, the second-longest winning streak in program history.
Much of the Eagles’ success this season stems from the dynamic duo of senior guards Ben Pearce and Jair Knight, who both earned spots on the Top 100 Watch List for the 2026 Bevo Francis Award, given out annually to the player with the best season in small college basketball. Pearce and Knight are two of 20 players on the list from DIII. Additionally, Small College Basketball selected Pearce and Knight for the Trevor Hudgins Award Top 25 Watch List.
Despite the individual accolades, Pearce said the team’s success this season has stemmed from strong chemistry and contributions across the roster.
“It’s been probably the best that it’s been in my four years,” Pearce said. “Nobody’s really pressed about individual stats or accolades. We all really just want to compete and win and play well as a team, and so that feeling is really good, and everybody is happy for each other.”
Like Pearce, Sophomore forward Liam Mullins said the team’s connection and focus this season has been key so far, adding that those qualities will be especially important for the team down the stretch.
“We have a strong culture,” Mullins said. “If we just focus on what we’re doing and continue the path that we’ve been going down, we’re going to be unstoppable and make a run this season and the postseason.”
While the team is confident, given its strong start, Pearce said the team recognizes they have more work ahead to reach their lofty goals by the end of the season.
“The best part is that everything’s still right in front of us,” Pearce said. “We understand that even though we’re winning these games, and of course we want to win every game, we just want to get better as it goes and be able to play our best basketball when we get into March and get into the NCAA tournament.”
Freshman guard Gus Fried echoed Pearce’s emphasis on long-term growth over short-term results, saying the Eagles’ mindset already proved useful after their loss to Trinity in November.
“You can either allow that to dictate the rest of your season and influence it in a negative way, or you can use it as a rallying cry to try to make sure that doesn’t happen again,” Fried said. “We talked a lot as a team on the bus ride back, the plane back, and just decided we didn’t like that feeling and we wanted to make sure that it didn’t happen again.”
The team’s competitive mindset runs throughout the roster, but particularly through their veteran leadership. Fried praised senior guard Tyson Thomas as a central voice, calling him the “heart and soul” of the team as he consistently steps in during difficult moments to lift his teammates’ spirits.
“He’s been a great example for how to be a great teammate, a great leader and overall he’s been a great person for me to look up to,” Fried said.
As the team enters an intense stretch of conference play in the second half of the season, Pearce said that the upcoming competition will be fierce, but the team is handling them each game one at a time.
“As we get closer to the end of the season, and hopefully start to see a conference championship within reach, that’ll probably be the most exciting,” Pearce said. “At the same time, we have to handle each game and each weekend at a time.”
On Jan. 30, the team suffered its first UAA loss on the road against Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) (Mo.), falling 89-74. WashU went on an early 15-0 run and built on that momentum through the second half. Pearce’s 21 points were unable to close the early deficit, marking the end of Emory’s 13-game winning streak. Just a few days later, while still on the road, the Eagles lost their second consecutive game 74-64 to the University of Chicago (UChicago), on Feb. 1.
The Eagles will return home for a pair of pivotal rematches to avenge their UAA losses, beginning with WashU on Friday, Feb. 6, before taking on now-No. 1 UChicago on Feb. 8. Both games present opportunities for the Eagles to defend their unbeaten home record and bounce back in conference play. With the second half of conference play underway, the Eagles remain well-positioned in the UAA standings as they continue their push toward the postseason.
