MARLBOROUGH, Mass. – With three first-place votes, WPI has claimed the top spot in the 2025-2026 NEWMAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll. Entering his 25th season at the helm, Head Coach Chris Bartley returns a strong core from a team that won 26 games, claimed its fourth consecutive outright NEWMAC regular-season title, and advanced to the Sectional Round of the NCAA Division III Tournament last year. Graduate student Tim Reidy is back after earning First Team All-NEWMAC and NABC All-Region honors, having led the team with 79 3-pointers at a 41.1% clip. Senior J.R. Newman also returns to lead the defensive unit after anchoring an Engineer defense that ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring defense (62.3 ppg) and led all of Division III in opponent three-point field goal percentage (26.1%).
 
Babson College took the second spot in the poll, nabbing two first-place votes. Head Coach Stephen Brennen enters his 31st season at the helm for the Beavers, who return 13 players from a team that finished 16-10 overall and 10-6 in league play last season. The Beavers must replace their top three scorers but bring back reigning NEWMAC Rookie of the Year Timmy Mulvey, who averaged 9.5 points per game and 2.54 assists per game. Three-year starter Timmy O’Toole also returns to the court for the Beavers.
 
Defending NEWMAC Champions Clark University, coached by Tyler Simms, landed in third, securing three first-place votes. The scarlet and white bring back nine players from last year’s Championship-winning team, headlined by rising junior Quentin Pridgen. Pridgen averaged 8.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game during the year and averaged 18.0 points between the NEWMAC Championships and NCAA Tournament. Senior Reid Neumann also returns after hitting 57 three-pointers a season ago and averaged 7.9 points per night. The Cougars also welcome eight newcomers to the squad this season.
 
In the fourth spot is Emerson College. The Lions are coached by Bill Curley and bring back second-team All-NEWMAC performer Linus Helmhold. Helmhold averaged 11.4 points and ranked third in the NEWMAC with 7.5 rebounds per game on the season.  Jacob Armant also returns after leading the Lions with 2.4 assists per game, to go along with 12.0 points per game.
 
With the remaining first-place vote, MIT takes fifth place in the poll. MIT will be under the direction of first-year head coach B.J. Dunne, who led Gettysburg to the NCAA tournament last year. The Engineers return 13 players, including two former NEWMAC Rookie of the Year recipients, Isaac Dobie and Rome Delgado-Gonzalez. Dobie averaged 14.8 points per game, which was top-ten in the league, along with 1.9 steals per game, good for third in the NEWMAC.

Springfield College, coached by Michael McClendon, landed in sixth place. The Pride return their second leading scorer in Xoren Livingston, who averaged 10.1 points per game.

In seventh place is Coast Guard, which is coached by Kevin Jaskiewicz. Headlining their returners is Luke Farrell, who had a breakout 2024-25 season and established himself as one of the NEWMAC's top two-way players on the way to a Second Team All-Conference selection. He led the team in points per game (14.2) and rebounds per game (5.9) and returns as the league leader in blocks per game (1.3).
 
Wheaton takes the eighth-place spot and will have a new head coach at the helm in Alex DuBrow. The Lyons return First Team All-Conference junior guard Dimetri Iafrate, who was one of just two players in the NEWMAC to rank among the top 20 in points (14.8), rebounds (4.6), assists (4.0), and steals per game (2.4), as well as field goal percentage (.50) and assist/turnover ratio (1.6). 

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 the team’s leading scorer last season, Sean Seymour, who averaged 16.5 points per game.  

The 2026 NEWMAC Men’s Basketball Championship will be held on Saturday, February 28.
 
2025-2026 NEWMAC Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
 
1. WPI (3)
2. Babson (2)
3. Clark (3)
4. Emerson
5. MIT (1)
6. Springfield
7. Coast Guard
8. 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 eight Associate Members: Brandeis University (Women's Lacrosse, 2026-2027), New York University (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), SUNY New Paltz (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), and Vassar College (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), while sponsoring 20 sports.