Men's Basketball Welcomes Six Newcomers Ahead of 2026-27 Season

HANOVER, N.H. – Dartmouth men's basketball head coach Brett MacConnell announced six talented newcomers to the Big Green's roster ahead of the 2026-27 season, his first at the helm of the program, on Wednesday, Aug. 26.

First-years CJ Aldrich III, Acen Jimenez, Jacob Pollack and Ernas Valauskas will join the Big Green ahead of the 2026-27 season along with transfers Landon Williams, a redshirt sophomore, and Dan Civello, a junior.

"We are really excited about the four incoming first-years," said MacConnell. "We are hopeful that Acen and CJ can provide ball handling as we do not have much depth at point guard on our roster of returnees. Acen put up strong numbers on the very competitive Adidas 3ssb circuit last summer, while CJ had similar success on the Under Armour circuit. Ernas is a high-level shooter and competitor from basketball-obsessed Lithuania; no surprise that he is a gym rat! Jake is a skilled big who has shot a high percentage from three-point range throughout his career. He'll fit well with our desire to have three-point shooting at every position on the floor.

We're also thrilled to have two transfers joining us.

Dan is pushing 7-feet after growing a few inches in college. He shot 40% from three-point range on five attempts per game at Colby, and his passing may be equally as strong as his shooting ability. We want to be able to play through skilled bigs on the perimeter and Dan is exactly that. Landon started 15 games for Niagara last season as a redshirt freshman, where he shot 37% from 3-threeoint range. We believe he will be an excellent defender and provide versatility on both sides of the ball. Offensively he can play on the ball and off the ball and can score in a variety of ways another great fit for our "positionless" basketball."

#0 CJ Aldrich III
Class: 2030
Position: Guard
Height: 6'2"
Hometown: San Diego, California
High School: Rancho Buena Vista
Major: Film & Media Studies
Club/Junior Team: All In Elite / Dreamvision

Before Dartmouth: Two-time All-San Diego Section First Team (2025-26, 2024-25) and one-time All-San Diego Section Second Team (2023-24) selection … Four-year North County Coastal First Team member and North County Coastal Player of the Year (2023-24) … Rancho Buena Vista High School's all-time leading scorer with 2,712 points … Named a Cal-Hi Sports Boys Basketball Player of the Week and to the Pro Insight 3SSB All-Session List … Academically, earned AP Scholar with Honor recognition, four-year Honor Roll, two-time Scholar Athlete honors, and was named to the Superintendent's Student Council and VUSD April Rising Star … Active in the Links Achiever Program, National Honor Society, and California Scholastic Federation.

Why Dartmouth: "I chose Dartmouth because of the welcoming environment, not just within the basketball program and campus, but the entire town of Hanover. I felt that Dartmouth was not only an amazing place to thrive as an athlete, but also academically and as a person overall. The stellar academics paired with the opportunity to compete and win in the Ivy League led me to choose Dartmouth, and my goal is to win the Ivy League and make it to the NCAA Tournament."

#2 Landon Williams
Class: Redshirt Sophomore
Position: Combo Guard
Height: 6'5"
Hometown: Farmington Hills, Michigan
High School: North Farmington High School
Previous Institution: Niagara
Major: Economics
Club/Junior Team: Great Lakes Warriorz

2025-26 (at Niagara): Played in 27 games, started 15 ... Shot 41.8 percent from the field on 122 attempts ... Shot 37.3 percent from three-point range on 75 attempts ... Averaged 5.0 points per game and 2.4 rebounds per game ... Finished second in three-point percentage and blocks ... Scored season high 18 points versus Siena on Jan. 30

Before Dartmouth: All-State Second Team selection and McDonald's All-American nominee … A state runner and three-time team captain … Earned the American Legion Award (his high school's second-highest honor), the Superintendent's Award, and a State Governor's Certificate … A National Honor Society member who also competed in volleyball … Enjoys painting in his free time … Cousin Mario played basketball at Akron.

Why Dartmouth: "I chose Dartmouth for the opportunity to maximize every aspect of myself, from my craft on the court to the classroom. The environment from my coaches, teammates, and even students on campus at Dartmouth I haven't got a chance to meet yet make that house of opportunity into a home."

#4 Dan Civello
Class: 2028
Position: Center
Height: 6'11"
Hometown: South Weymouth, Massachusetts
High School: Boston College High School
Previous Institution: Colby
Major: Government
Club/Junior Team: Rise Above Basketball

2025-26 (at Colby): Earned All-NESCAC Second Team honors, averaging 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game... Opened the season with a 13-point first half in a win at Rivier in Sean Rutigliano's debut as head coach (11/14)... Exploded for a career-high 35 points on 7-of-10 shooting from three to push Colby to 4-0 in a win over Endicott (11/25)... Turned in a 30-point, seven-rebound, four-assist, two-block performance on 12-of-19 shooting to close out 2025 with a win over Springfield (12/30)... Closed the regular season with 19 points on 9-of-16 shooting and a team-high eight rebounds in the finale at nationally-ranked Wesleyan (2/15).

2024-25 (at Colby): Recorded the first double-double of his career with 21 points and 13 rebounds off the bench in Colby's NESCAC opener, a win at Connecticut College (1/11)... Helped the Mules to a 13-12 overall, 4-6 NESCACfinish.

Before Dartmouth: Three-year letter winner in basketball, Catholic Conference All-Star, and Boston Herald/Globe All-Scholastic selection at BC High … A National Honor Society member and honor roll student, he was also a Hyde Global Scholar at BC High and an Education Research Fellow at Colby College

Why Dartmouth: "I chose Dartmouth because it is a place where I can challenge myself on the court and in the classroom, alongside a collection of special people. I believe in what Coach MacConnell is building and I trust that Dartmouth gives me a great opportunity to become the best player I can be. Being able to compete and win at the highest level while receiving a world-class education is something very unique. I can't wait to get to work with my teammates and coaches."

#8 Jacob Pollack
Class: 2030
Position: Forward
Height: 6'9"
Hometown: Deerfield, Illinois
High School: Deerfield High School
Major: Economics
Club/Junior Team: Illinois Wolves UAA

Before Dartmouth: State runner-up and First Team All-State selection, leading Deerfield High School to its first state tournament appearance in program history … Scored 1,000 career points … A National Honor Society member, he also earned the JFK Medal of Honor and served as editor-in-chief of the yearbook … His father played football at Curry College and his brother, Luke, played football at the University of Iowa.

Why Dartmouth: "I chose Dartmouth because I could really see myself fitting in with the people. Everyone is very welcoming and made me feel at home instantly. I am looking forward to being pushed not only as an athlete, but academically as well. Athletically, I am excited to compete in the Ivy League and improve over my four years. My goal is to make the NCAA tournament."

#13 Ernas Valauskas
Class: 2030
Position: Shooting Guard/Point Guard
Height: 6'4"
Hometown: Siauliai, Lithuania
High School: The McCallie School
Major: International Relations (Social Sciences Division)
Club/Junior Team: Team SippUnited

Before Dartmouth: Selected to the Top-five at the JR NBA Europe and Middle East selection camp and finished 4th at the U16 European Championship … A five-time National Students League Basketball Champion, two-time Tennessee East Region Player, and ANGT Euroleague 3-Point Contest runner-up … A Cum Laude Society member (top 10% of his class), he also earned Head of School List and Faculty Recognized List honors.

Why Dartmouth: "I chose Dartmouth because I felt it was the perfect place to continue improving as a student and as an athlete. I was really drawn to the strong sense of community I experienced during my visit. I also loved how friendly and supportive the environment is while still being competitive. The combination of a great basketball program, excellent academics, and an outstanding atmosphere on campus is the reason why I am here."

#15 Acen Jimenez
Class: 2030
Position: Point Guard
Height: 6'2"
Hometown: Whittier, California
High School: La Habra
Major: Economics
Club/Junior Team: Dreamvision (3SSB)

Before Dartmouth: Named Orange County Player of the Year and finished as La Habra High School's all-time leading scorer … Four-year varsity starter and two-time league MVP … A Scholar Athlete who earned his Bilateracy Seal … Active member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Why Dartmouth: "I chose Dartmouth because of the tight-knit community - everyone feels like family. As soon as I stepped on campus, I felt welcomed and at home. Not only am I excited to play basketball but also be able to connect with new peers and make lifelong friendships."

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