Pfeiffer vs Longwood prediction: Longwood's rebuilt backcourt gets its first look against Division III Pfeiffer
With barely a quarter of last season's minutes back, the Lancers' opener against a Division III visitor is more about finding out who these players are than about the result.
- Longwood should control a Division III visitor it beat 101-55 last December, with the real interest in how its new guards fit.
- Watch MJ Williams, the Eastern Kentucky transfer who averaged 4.2 assists last season, running a backcourt that returns little.
- No spread or total has been posted; Longwood returns only 26.7% of last season's minutes, so last season's numbers are a weak guide.
A roster starting over
Ronnie Thomas enters his second season at Longwood with a mostly new team. The Lancers went 16-16 last season, but the players back on this roster account for just 26.7% of last season's minutes and 23.3% of its points. All four of last season's biggest contributors are gone, including forward Elijah Tucker, who scored a career-high 24 points in the December rout of Pfeiffer.
The returning core is guards. Alphonzo Billups III averaged 8.1 points and Jaylen Benard 7.3 off the bench. The arrivals carry more of the load: MJ Williams posted 10.0 points and 4.2 assists at Eastern Kentucky, and TJ Robinson averaged 9.6 points at Saint Peter's. The roster also lists Estonian freshman guard Jorke Aav, and no starting lineup has been reported.
Will the pressure carry over
Last season's Longwood lived on chaos. Its defence forced turnovers on 21.2% of possessions, 13th of 365 nationally, and its steal rate ranked 26th. It also crashed the glass, ranking 47th in offensive rebound rate, the share of its own misses it grabbed back.
The flip side was sloppiness: Longwood's own turnover rate ranked 341st. With so much turnover on the roster, it's unknown which of those traits survive. Billups, who averaged 1.5 steals last season, and Williams, who matched that at Eastern Kentucky, are the natural candidates to keep the pressure going against a Division III backcourt.
The visitor and the calendar
Pfeiffer plays in Division III's USA South, and the Lancers have dominated the series, winning 101-55 in Dec. 2025 and 109-69 in Jan. 2022. Pete Schoch led the Falcons to their first Division III tournament in 2024-25, but one listing suggests his tenure may have ended, and nothing confirms who is coaching them this season.
The date itself is unsettled. Longwood lists this game for Monday night in Farmville, while Pfeiffer's schedule shows a Dec. 29 trip to Longwood instead. Bettors should confirm the game is on before looking for a line, which had not been posted as of Oct.
Key players
- MJ Williams (Longwood): Averaged 10.0 points and 4.2 assists at Eastern Kentucky last season, the most playmaking on the roster.
- TJ Robinson (Longwood): Carried a 29.3% usage rate at Saint Peter's last season while scoring 9.6 points a game.
- Alphonzo Billups III (Longwood): The top returner averaged 8.1 points and 1.5 steals in 23.1 minutes last season.
- Jaylen Benard (Longwood): Scored 7.3 points a game off the bench last season without making a start.
Numbers that matter
| Returning minutes | 26.7% | Longwood brings back barely a quarter of last season's minutes, so last season's team stats say little about this group. |
|---|---|---|
| Forced turnover rate, last season | 21.2% | Ranked 13th nationally and was the identity of last season's Longwood defence. |
| Turnover rate rank, last season | 341st | Longwood gave the ball away nearly as often as it took it. |
| Last meeting | 101-55 | Longwood's margin over Pfeiffer in Farmville on Dec. 3, 2025. |
Pfeiffer vs Longwood: quick answers
When is Pfeiffer vs Longwood?
Monday, November 2, 2026 at 7:30 PM ET.