The 2025–26 season will be remembered as one of the most successful in recent years for the SUNY Cortland Red Dragons men’s basketball. Cortland combined strong offense, consistent defense, and experienced leadership to capture the SUNYAC Men’s Basketball Tournament championship and make a run in the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Throughout the season, the Red Dragons showed they were one of the top teams in the State University of New York Athletic Conference. The team built momentum during conference play and finished the year tied for the school record for single-season victories. Their consistency helped them earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament and put together one of the best seasons in program history.
One of the biggest turning points of the season came late in conference play, when Cortland went on a dominant run. The Red Dragons entered the NCAA Tournament riding a 15-game winning streak, the second-longest single-season streak in program history. During that stretch, Cortland defeated several SUNYAC opponents by large margins and showed how dangerous the team could be when playing at its best.
The Red Dragons had several standout performances throughout the year. In one of their most dominant wins of the season, Cortland defeated SUNY Potsdam 104-41 on Senior Day. The team also picked up key conference wins over SUNY Oneonta (74-60) and SUNY Plattsburgh (81-62) as they pushed toward the top of the SUNYAC standings. Cortland’s offense was explosive at times, including a 99-73 victory over Morrisville and a 90-60 road win against the Mustangs later in the season.
Cortland’s success was built on strong team play and leadership from experienced players. Senior guard Aaron Coston helped lead the offense throughout the year with scoring and playmaking ability. Another key contributor was senior Kendall Arcuri, who reached the milestone of 1,000 career points during the season, a moment that reflected years of work and development. His leadership and experience played a major role in guiding the team through key conference matchups and into the postseason.
Arcuri described the achievement as “a surreal milestone,” especially after not reaching it in high school, and said it served as “a nice reminder of all the hard work” he put in over the years. The accomplishment carried added meaning, as he noted his father was also a 1,000-point scorer in college, making it “all worthwhile” to share that achievement. He also credited SUNY Cortland for his growth, saying the program helped him become “a better basketball player and a better human,” and called reaching the milestone there “unforgettable.”
The Red Dragons carried their momentum into the SUNYAC Tournament, which was hosted at Whitney T. Corey ’43 Gymnasium. Cortland opened the tournament with a strong 96-71 semifinal win over Plattsburgh, controlling the game with balanced scoring and solid defense. The team followed that performance with an impressive 84-51 victory over Oswego in the championship game to claim the conference title and secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
In the NCAA Tournament, Cortland continued its strong play in the opening round. The Red Dragons defeated Franklin & Marshall 75-66, earning the program’s first NCAA tournament victory since 2016 and advancing to the second round. Cortland shot extremely well in the game and controlled much of the action to secure the win.
Their postseason run came to a close in a tight second-round matchup against Endicott, where Cortland fell by just one point, 58-57, in a hard-fought game.
Even with that narrow loss, the 2025-26 season stands out as a memorable one for Cortland basketball. With a conference championship, a long winning streak, and an NCAA Tournament victory, the Red Dragons showed the strength of their program and capped off a season filled with major accomplishments.