COLONIA, N.J. – The Mercy University Men's Basketball Team has been picked to finish eighth in the East Coast Conference (ECC) Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the conference office earlier today. The top six teams at the end of the season qualify for the ECC Championship.

Daemen received eight first-place votes and 80 points overall to top the poll. St. Thomas Aquinas recorded 61 points to place second in the poll. Daemen's Phil Nwugwo was named Preseason Player of the Year.

Mercy went 3-23 last season and 2-14 in ECC play. The Mavericks are looking to make the ECC Championship for the first time since 2021 and make it for the first time without every team making it since 2016.

Head Coach Charles Marquardt and the Mavericks return five student-athletes from last year's team and add 10 newcomers. Leading the returners is junior Kohen Rowbatham who was named Third Team All-ECC last season and MBWA All-Met Honorable Mention after averaging a team-high 20.5 points and 2.7 assists per game. The junior was second in the ECC in points per game. Also returning are senior Jordan Trahan who averaged 15.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game last season and junior James Connolly who appeared in 25 games last season, making four starts.

Marquardt and the Mavericks open their 2026-27 season on Tuesday, November 10th when they play at Pace at 7 p.m.