Staten Island, NY – The Wagner College men's basketball team was picked as the Northeast Conference (NEC) preseason co-favorite, the league announced on Thursday as part of its virtual Media Day.
Wagner and CCSU share the top place in the annual poll conducted by the league's head coaches, with Wagner picking up four first place votes. FDU, Le Moyne, and LIU are predicted to round out the top five of the poll, with newcomers Chicago State and Mercyhurst coming in sixth and seventh, respectively. Saint Francis U and Stonehill complete the poll.
Head Coach
Donald Copeland and senior guard
Javier Ezquerra represented the reigning NEC champions at the virtual event that aired on ESPN+.
The 2023-24 Seahawks became the second team in school history and first since team 2003 to win the NEC title. Wagner also earned its first-ever NCAA Tournament victory by defeating #16 Howard 71-68 in the First Four of the 2024 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.
With a thrilling, 54-47, victory over #2 Merrimack, the Seahawks became the first NEC team to win three road games en route to a conference championship, running the perpetual gauntlet by defeating #3 Sacred Heart and #1 CCSU before dethroning the reigning NEC Champion Warriors.
With just seven healthy scholarship players, this year's Wagner team tied the 1999 Mount St. Mary's team for the lowest seed to ever win the NEC title after becoming the first team since the 2005 Seahawks to qualify for the NEC championship game as the #6 seed.
The Seahawks will open the 2024-25 season at #25 Rutgers on Wednesday, November 6. Wagner's home-opener is set for November 9 against Manor College at the Spiro Sports Center.
