Saint Anselm and New Haven Picked First in NE10 Men's Basketball Coaches' Poll

MBB Coaches' Poll

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hawks and Chargers Enter the Season as NE10 Favorites.


MANSFIELD, Mass. – Saint Anselm and New Haven have been chosen as preseason favorites in the Northeast-10 Conference Men's Basketball Coaches' Poll, as the league office announced the results on Wednesday afternoon following a vote by all 14 head coaches.

The Hawks, the reigning East Region champion and NCAA semifinalist, received 78 points and five first-place votes to gain the top spot in the Northeast Division. The Chargers, NE10 runners-up and East Region qualifier, recorded a league-best 91 points on 13 first-place votes to gain control of first in the Southwest Division.

In the Northeast, Stonehill (72 points, five first-place votes) and Bentley (62 points, one first-place vote) followed Saint Anselm in the top three spots. Franklin Pierce tied with Southern New Hampshire for fourth, as the Ravens gathered the remaining three first-place tallies.

Adelphi (69 points, one first-place vote) and Southern Connecticut (61 points) trailed New Haven on the Southwest side, as both teams are coming off NE10 Tournament appearances in the 2018-19 season.

Saint Anselm had arguably the greatest season in program history in 2018-19, going 26-6 (18-3 NE10) on its way to an East Regional title with a victory over Saint Thomas Aquinas. It took the No. 1 team in the country, Northwest Missouri State, to finally wrestle the Hawks out of the postseason in the NCAA semifinals.

Leading scorer and NE10 Player of the Year Tim Guers has graduated, but a good group of returners beginning with junior forward Chris Paul will make the Hawks formidable yet again. It is the third-straight year that the Hawks have been picked first in the preseason poll for the Northeast Division.

New Haven is coming off a strong 2018-19 campaign, recording a 21-10 record (13-7 NE10) and runner-up status for the NE10 Championship. The Chargers advanced to the East Regional, defeating Daemen in the quarterfinals before nearly knocking-off Saint Anselm in the semifinals with a narrow 70-69 loss.

Head coach Ted Hotaling returns all his key contributors from a year ago, including leading scorer Elijah Bailey (19.2 points per game). The Chargers picked up all first-place votes they were eligible for, as coaches cannot vote for their own teams. It is New Haven's first time at No. 1 in the Coaches' Poll since the 2013-14 season.

For full poll results, see the graphic below.

NE10 teams begin the season on Friday, Nov. 8, which marks the second year that basketball will be broadcast on NE10 NOW – the conference's digital streaming platform. All home games and conference matchups will be broadcast through the network, free of charge, throughout the entire season.

MBB Poll

ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.