DAHLONEGA – The University of North Georgia (UNG) men's basketball team has been picked to finish fourth in the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) Preseason Poll, as announced by the league Tuesday afternoon. 

Lander, last season's NCAA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship Runner-Up, comes in at the top spot with nine first-place votes. Columbus State has been tabbed at two with one first-place vote, while Flagler rounds out the top three. 

In addition to the preseason rankings, Zack Hawkinson has been announced as a PBC Preseason All-Conference selection. The junior forward is fresh off a 2025-26 campaign in which he started all 30 games for the Nighthawks, averaging a career-high 9.8 points per game while shooting 57.7% from the field. This award marks Hawkinson's first Preseason All-Conference nod of his career. 

Hawkinson and the Nighthawks head into the 2026-27 season after a 22-8 finish last year, highlighted by trips to the PBC Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history. 

North Georgia returns eight players from the 2025-26 roster, five of which are veterans that have been with the program for at least three seasons. UNG has also added six exciting freshmen to the team, ready to make an impact in the new season. 

The Nighthawks will kick off the 2026-27 campaign on Wednesday, Oct. 28 against Toccoa Falls in an exhibition matchup for Lumpkin County Community Schools 5th Graders Day Out.