WESTWOOD, Mass. – With five first place votes, Worcester Polytechnic Institute has nabbed the top spot in the 2023-2024 NEWMAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll. The Engineers, led by Head Coach Chris Bartley went 22-4 overall, and 13-1 in NEWMAC play, reaching the NEWMAC Championship game in 2023. Four starters will return to the court, headlined by John Adams, who was named First Team All-NEWMAC a season ago. Adams averaged 11.4 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game.  Aidan Callahan will also return, coming off a season in which he averaged 12.5 points per game and earned Second Team All-NEWMAC honors.
 
Defending NEWMAC Champions Babson College claims the second spot, securing two first place votes. Head Coach Stephen Brennen enters his 29^th season at the helm for the Beavers, who will return three starters from the championship team. Headlining the returners is Nate Amado, who was fifth in the league with 16.9 points per game last season.
 
Landing in third is Clark University, who nabbed the remaining first place vote. Clark returns 96% of the squad’s scoring and minutes from a season ago after reaching the NEWMAC Semifinals. Among the returners is junior Isaiah Taylor, who earned a spot on the All-NEWMAC Second Team after averaging 15.1 points, 4.1 assists, and 1.8 steals per contest.
 
In the fourth spot is Emerson College. The Lions are coached by Bill Curley, and went 11-3 in conference play in 2023, reaching the NEWMAC tournament semifinals. Brendan McNamara is among the Lion returners, as he comes off a season in which he averaged 7.7 points per game, and 3.07 assists per game.
 
Fifth place goes to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who will be under the direction of 29th-year head coach Larry Anderson. The Engineers return three starters from last year's team, including NEWMAC Rookie of the Year Rome Delgado-Gonzalez. He is also the second MIT player in program history to be named as the D3Hoops.com Region 2 Rookie of the Year, after he averaged 17.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game while shooting 89.6 percent from the free throw line.

Springfield College, coached by Michael McClendon, slides into the sixth spot, and will return 10 players from last year’s squad, including three starters, headlined by Josiah Evely’s 8.2 points per game.
 
U.S. Coast Guard Academy and Wheaton College landed in a tie for seventh place. Coast Guard is coached by Kevin Jaskiewicz, and will return Declan Rooney, who led the Bears with 13.9 points per game last season.
 
Wheaton is coached by Brian Walmsley, and will look to Ty Murphy to make an impact, as he comes off a season in which he averaged 8.0 points per game.
  
NEWMAC newcomer Salve Regina University rounds out the poll in the ninth spot. The Seahawks are coached by Sean Foster, and return several key contributors from last season’s team, including Declan Walmsley, who averaged 11.08 points per game in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC).
 
The 2024 NEWMAC Men’s Basketball Championship will be held on Saturday, February 24.
 
2023-2024 NEWMAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
 
1. WPI (5) 
2. Babson (3) 
3. Clark (1) 
4. Emerson 
5. MIT
6. Springfield 
T7. Coast Guard
T7. Wheaton 
9. Salve Regina 
 
 About the NEWMAC

The NEWMAC is an association of 12 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with four Associate Members: Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), while sponsoring 20 sports.