LaGuardia's Men's Basketball began the 2025/2026 season with one goal in mind: qualify for the Region 15 playoffs. In preseason, Head Coach Jarrett Lockhart and the Men's Basketball coaching staff pushed the players hard through intense, physically demanding sessions. Through the hellfire of training, the team forged a strong desire to win and the resilience to overcome adversity in pursuit of their goal.
The Red Hawks struggled early in the regular season. After starting the season 1-1, they dropped seven straight games, and yet the team did not buckle under the stress from the losing streak. Instead, they bounced back with a critical 69-61 victory over Suffolk County Community College and then went on to defeat Bronx Community College 67-45. The Red Hawks were determined to fight for a spot in the playoffs, no matter what challenges they faced.
Injuries took a toll on the squad. For most of the season, LaGuardia was only able to put six players on the court for any given game. Most of their opponents had deep benches and were able to rotate players at will and take advantage of fresh, rested substitutes. All the hard work the LaGuardia players had put in during preseason paid off. The players battled through every game, despite being outnumbered, and finished the regular season with a record of 8 wins and 16 losses. Through grit and dedication, the team had accomplished their goal - they earned their place in the Region 15 playoffs.
The Red Hawks confronted towering obstacles in the postseason. In the first round of the CUNY Conference Tournament, they faced Queensborough Community College, the top team in the CUNY Conference. A tough loss saw LaGuardia fall out of the CUNY tournament. In the Region 15 playoffs, it was the same story; #8 LaGuardia CC against #1 Dutchess CC. The Red Hawks played with tremendous heart. After one player fouled out of the game, LaGuardia fought on with only four players for the remainder of the game. The game finished 75-93 in favor of Dutchess County Community College, but the Red Hawks players had shown remarkable tenacity and discipline when faced with disadvantage.
The season featured several standout performances from LaGuardia players. Freshman Djeri Ben Sangare was named to the All-CUNY Conference team and the All-Region 2nd Team. Sangare earned several impressive statistical honors during the season. He finished the season as the number one leader in the country for blocks, averaging 7.2 blocks per game, and he also broke the school record for most blocks in a season. He finished third in the nation for rebounds, averaging 14.5 rebounds per game. During the course of the season, he recorded an incredible six triple-doubles.
Sophomore Charlie Hall earned a place on the All-CUNY Conference team. He also led the team in points, scoring 422 points all season. Fellow Sophomore, Lorenzo Santino netted the most three point shots for the Red Hawks, scoring 99 points from the three point line. Freshman Chase McCray earned the Sportsmanship Award for both the CUNY Conference and Region 15. McCray served up 133 assists during the season, leading the Red Hawks in that category. He also led the team with the most steals, 48, the most minutes, 882, and the best free-throw percentage, converting 76.1% of 113 attempts from the line.
Coach Lockhart is proud of the players and of what the team achieved this year. It's no easy feat making the playoffs. The team worked hard and maintained their focus throughout the season, and ultimately they reached their goal and got into the playoffs.
The Red Hawks are looking to build on what they accomplished this year, and next year they want to go deeper into the postseason. Players who are interested in joining the team for the 2026/2027 season can show off their skills at the open gym sessions LaGuardia hosts throughout the Spring and Summer months.
