WESTWOOD, Mass. – With five first place votes, defending NEWMAC Champions Babson College claim the top spot in the 2024-2025 NEWMAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll. Head Coach Stephen Brennen enters his 30^th season at the helm for the Beavers, who will return three starters from the championship team. Headlining the returners is all-conference selection Nate Amado, who led the league with 20.5 points per game last season.
 
Landing in second is Clark University, who nabbed the remaining first place votes. The Cougars return 90 percent of the teams scoring from a season ago. Among the returners are All-NEWMAC first team recipients, seniors Bruce Saintilus and Isaiah Taylor, who were third and fifth in the league in scoring with 16.6 and 14.6 points per game, respectively.
 
WPI has nabbed the third spot. Four-year starter and two-time All-NEWMAC selection Aidan Callahan leads the way for the defending NEWMAC regular season champions, after averaging 10.8 points per game last season.
 
Wheaton takes the fourth spot after finishing third in the NEWMAC a year ago. Coached by Brian Walmsley, Wheaton returns all but one player from last year’s squad, headlined by Ty Murphy, who led the team with 12.8 points per game.
 
In the fifth spot is Emerson College. The Lions are coached by Bill Curley and bring back 11 returners. Brendan McNamara is among the Lion returners, as he comes off a season in which he led the NEWMAC with 4.0 assists per game. Teammate Trevor Arico also returns after tying for third in the league with 14.6 points per game.
 
Sixth place goes to MIT, who will be under the direction of 30-year head coach Larry Anderson. The Engineers return last season’s NEWMAC Rookie of the Year Isaac Dobie, who averaged 14.6 points per game, good for a tie for third in the league.
 
Coast Guard takes the seventh spot and is coached by Kevin Jaskiewicz. The Bears return Declan Rooney, who led the team with 12.4 points per game last season, and Cameron Brown who led the NEWMAC with 1.9 blocks per game.
   
Salve Regina University fills out the eighth spot. The Seahawks are coached by Sean Foster, and return several key contributors from last season’s team, including Declan Walmsley, who was an All-Conference honoree after averaging 13.8 points per game.
 
Springfield College, coached by Michael McClendon, rounds out the poll in the nine spot and returns 11 letterwinners, paced by the efforts of John Paulino and Curtiss Blische. 

The 2024 NEWMAC Men’s Basketball Championship will be held on Saturday, March 1.
 
2024-2025 NEWMAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
 
1. Babson (5) 
2. Clark (4) 
3. WPI
4. Wheaton  
5. Emerson
6. MIT
7. Coast Guard
8. Salve Regina
9. Springfield
 
 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.