NEC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll Announced
The Blue Devils have won back-to-back regular season NEC crowns.
The NEC announced the Men's Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll on Monday that tabbed Central Connecticut second.
Head coach Patrick Sellers, a two-time Jim Phelan NEC Coach of the Year, has brought the regular season crown to New Britain in back-to-back years. The Blue Devils will have to replace six of their top seven scorers, but preseason All-NEC selection Darin Smith Jr. along with Max Frazier and Jay Rodgers will provide a solid returning foundation. Among a group of a dozen newcomers, talented sharpshooters Roddy Jones and Melo Sanchez will be joined in the backcourt by transfers Gabe Spinelli and Ja'Kobe Williams, while the frontcourt is bolstered by the transfer additions of Nico Ashley, Jayden Mott and Daniel James.
With each of the league's nine head coaches on board, LIU was named the unanimous favorite to finish atop the league. Picked to win it all four times prior to this year's vote, LIU is one of only three other programs have turned the preseason favorite/NEC Tournament champ trick since 1987-88.
Each NEC program will once again play a 16-game double round-robin schedule that begins on Friday, January 2. The 2026 NEC Men's Basketball Championship will remain an eight-team playoff format with all games taking place at the home of the higher seed. Tournament dates are set for March 4, 7 and 10.
CCSU begins the 2025-26 campaign on November 3, tipping off at home against Vermont State Johnson at 7 p.m. Single-game and season tickets are ON SALE NOW. The complete 2025-26 schedule can be found here.
2025-26 NEC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
1. LIU (unanimous)
2. CCSU
3. Stonehill
4. Mercyhurst
5. FDU
6. Chicago State
7. Saint Francis
8. Wagner
9. Le Moyne
10. New Haven
2025-26 Preseason All-NEC Men's Basketball Team
Bernie Blunt III, MU, Gr, G, 5-11, 180 lbs., Morgantown, PA/Peddie School (Edinboro/Quinnipiac)
Malachi Davis, LIU (unanimous), R-Sr, G, 6-4, 172 lbs., Scarborough, Canada/Central Tech (Tallahassee CC/Lake Land College/Arizona St.)
Jamal Fuller, LIU (unanimous), Gr, G/F, 6-5, 215 lbs., Toronto, Canada/Central Tech (Hill College/Academy of Art)
Hermann Koffi, STO, So, G, 6-4, 203 lbs., Quebec City, Quebec/Polyvalente de Thetford Mine
Darin Smith Jr., CCSU, So, F, 6-7, 210 lbs., Springfield, MA/Vermont Academy
