For the second time in the past six seasons, Colgate University’s men’s basketball team fell short of a ticket to the NCAA’s March Madness tournament. The Raiders lost in the semifinals to eventual Patriot League champions, Lehigh University, on Sunday, March 8th. While it certainly wasn’t the ideal season for head coach Matt Langel and his squad, the team experienced significant improvements from the previous season and has a lot of reason to be optimistic about what the future holds for them.
Langel said that despite falling short in the Patriot League Tournament, the team demonstrated its competitive spirit throughout the season, no matter the opponent.
“[From] Michigan State, right until the last game at Lehigh, there were very few times that we did not go toe-to-toe with the opposition,” he said.
The Raiders played tough against Illinois and Michigan State, two top-ranked teams that both made it to the NCAA Tournament, and on Feb. 14, they lost by just four points in overtime to a Navy team that suffered only one loss against Patriot League opponents all season. Colgate also beat Siena College back in November — notable since Siena held a double-digit advantage over Duke University in the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the entire first period — thanks to a half-court buzzer beater from Jalen Cox.
Langel said the drive to succeed is never an issue with his team, and he believes that their experience in close games this year could bode well for next season.
“Bringing that competitive spirit every day and figuring out what it takes to win close games is certainly something I hope we can retain from this season headed into ’26-’27,” he said.
While Langel would be the first to agree that injuries are not excuses for the team’s shortcomings this season, the Raiders experienced their fair share of adversity that put them in a tough spot. Without sophomore guard Blake Forrest and junior guard Parker Jones for most of the season, the Raiders were forced to rely on young, underclassmen talent in their absence.
One of these young players, 6’10” forward Ayomi Odetoyinbo, showed flashes of being a key piece for the Raiders in the coming years. When asked about the lessons he learned from his first year, Odetoyinbo said it took him some time to feel comfortable in Langel’s high-level offense. The first-year forward also echoed Langel’s reflective spirit in that he believed the team became more connected as the season went on. Odetoyinbo feels ready to get back at it this summer with the rest of the guys to begin the quest for another Patriot League title.
When asked about the mindset and goals going into next season, Odetoyinbo had a clear and emphatic response.
“Win it all,” he said. “We’re all working hard and improving this offseason so we can bring the Patriot League Championship back to Hamilton.”
Another rising star on Langel’s squad was Patriot League Rookie of the Year Andrew Alekseyenko. Since the loss to Lehigh, Alekseyenko has been expressing similar positive feelings alongside his coach and teammates. Alekseyenko said he has come to adapt to the changes that come with the transition to college basketball.
“I learned to embrace hardship and that the game is really physical and fast in college compared to high school,” he said.
The first-year forward added that he feels he has already overcome the adjustment period from high school to college sports and next year he’ll feel confident from the start. The collective toughness that Coach Langel said was a real area of improvement for the Raiders this season was corroborated by Alekseyenko, who noted his mental growth throughout the year.
“I really feel like my biggest improvement was mental, and that controlling my emotions and staying calm has helped my game a lot,” he said.
Alekseyenko said his number one goal for next year is the same as Odetoyinbo’s: get revenge and win the Patriot League. Buoyed by their sense of team confidence and unity, the Raiders are knocking on the door of greater success. For Coach Langel, Odetoyinbo and Alekseyenko, the quest to reclaim dominance over the Patriot League is officially underway.
