Men's Basketball

Saint Michael's Enters Men's Basketball Season as NE10 Favorite

Purple Knights Finished 2025-26 as NE10 Championship Finalist

NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Saint Michael's will enter the 2026-27 men's basketball season as the league favorite, according to the Northeast 10 Conference Coaches' Poll announced on Tuesday morning.

Saint Michael's, the 2026 NE10 Championship finalist, tallied 80 points and eight first-place votes. It is the second time in three years that the Purple Knights have earned the top spot in the NE10 Coaches' Poll. Head coach Eric Eaton led Saint Michael's to 19 victories in 2025-26 - helping the team reach NCAA Championship play for just the second time since 2001. 

The Purple Knights will return three of their top four scorers from a year ago in Latiek Briscoe, Jr., Quintin Floyd and Greg Kenney. Floyd was selected to Third Team All-Conference in his rookie season, while both he and Kenney were named to the NE10 All-Championship Team. 

Bentley, under first-year head coach Danny Lawson, was second in the poll with 72 points and two first-place votes. The Falcons finished in second place in the NE10 standings last year, but lost in the opening rounds of both NE10 and NCAA Championship play. Cooper Farrall returns to Bentley one year after leading the team in points (17.0) and rebounds (8.6) per game. 

Southern New Hampshire (SNHU) is third with 54 points, while Assumption (52 points) and Pace (49 points) complete the top five. SNHU has won two of the past three NE10 Championship titles. Assumption is the most recent NE10 program to win the NCAA East Regional in 2025. 

Adelphi finished sixth in the poll, followed by Saint Anselm, Southern Connecticut (SCSU), American International (AIC) and Franklin Pierce, respectively.

The 2026-27 NE10 season opens with Adelphi playing in the Hoops in Hawaii Classic, which begins on Friday, October 30th. The full slate starts on Monday, November 9th. All home games and conference games can be watched this season on NE10 NOW on FloCollege. 

2026-27 NE10 Men's Basketball Coaches' Poll
Rank Team Votes (1st Place)
1 Saint Michael's 80 (8)
2 Bentley 72 (2)
3    SNHU 54
4 Assumption 52
5 Pace 49
6 Adelphi 46
7 Saint Anselm 37
8 SCSU 29
9 AIC 22
10 Franklin Pierce 9

ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 10 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
 
Fans can subscribe via this link to follow NE10 NOW on FloSports this season.  The partnership between the NE10 and FloSports works to provide funds back to the athletic departments of the Northeast 10 Conference in support of student-athletes while promoting the league on a national platform.