The East Coast Conference men's basketball season enters 2026-27 with Daemen Men's Basketball once again at the top of the conference.
The Wildcats went undefeated in ECC play and won their second straight conference tournament title last season. Despite some major changes in Amherst, including a new head coach and the departure of several award-winning players, Daemen was picked to finish first in the 2026-27 ECC preseason poll.
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Daemen received eight of nine first-place votes in the preseason poll, while St. Thomas Aquinas, College of Staten Island and Roberts Wesleyan rounded out the top four.
Here are five things to know about ECC men's basketball heading into the 2026-27 season.
1. Daemen Is The Two-Time Defending ECC Champion
Daemen enters the season as the two-time defending ECC regular-season and tournament champion. The Wildcats finished 33-2 overall in 2025-26 and went a perfect 16-0 in conference play for the second consecutive season.
The Wildcats became just the third program in conference history to record two undefeated ECC seasons, joining C.W. Post and Philadelphia University. Daemen has now won 32 consecutive ECC regular-season games and enters 2026-27 riding a 42-game conference regular-season winning streak that dates back to February 2024.
Daemen capped its conference tournament run with an 86-66 victory over Roberts Wesleyan in the championship game. Benjamin Bill was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player as the Wildcats captured their second ECC tournament title in program history.
The Wildcats didn't stop there. Daemen won the NCAA Division II East Region championship and advanced to the Elite Eight before its season ended with a 77-74 loss to Lander.
2. Daemen Has A New Head Coach And A Different-Looking Roster
The defending champions will look different in 2026-27.
Mike MacDonald stepped down after 12 seasons as Daemen's head coach to take over at St. Bonaventure. Ryan Grandits, who spent nearly a decade as an assistant under MacDonald before serving as the head coach at Point Park in 2025-26, takes over the Wildcats program.
Daemen also lost some of the biggest names from last season's championship team. 2025-26 ECC Player of the Year Zach Philipkoski and two-time First Team All-ECC selection Benjamin Bill followed MacDonald to St. Bonaventure, while Defensive Player of the Year Justin Hemphill was a redshirt senior last season.
Despite those departures, Daemen returns seven players from its 2025-26 roster and was still the overwhelming choice to finish first in the ECC preseason poll, receiving eight of nine first-place votes.
3. Phil Nwugwo Is The ECC Preseason Player Of The Year
One of Daemen's most important returners is redshirt senior forward Phil Nwugwo, who was named the 2026-27 ECC Preseason Player of the Year.
Nwugwo appeared in all 35 games last season and averaged 8.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 61.9 percent from the field.
His production increased when he moved into the starting lineup. Across 11 starts, Nwugwo averaged 13.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.
With Philipkoski, Bill and Hemphill no longer leading the Wildcats, Nwugwo enters the season as one of the key pieces of a new-look Daemen team trying to extend its run atop the ECC.
4. St. Thomas Aquinas, Staten Island And Roberts Wesleyan Lead The Challengers
Daemen may be the preseason favorite, but several programs enter 2026-27 with hopes of ending the Wildcats' run.
St. Thomas Aquinas was picked second in the ECC preseason poll after finishing 13-3 in conference play and 17-12 overall last season. The Spartans have won eight ECC tournament championships, the most in conference history.
College of Staten Island was picked third after going 20-9 overall and 11-5 in conference play in 2025-26. The 20 victories were the most in a season for the Dolphins since moving to Division II.
Roberts Wesleyan sits fourth in the preseason poll and received the only first-place vote that didn't go to Daemen. The Redhawks entered last year's ECC tournament as the No. 6 seed before upsetting Staten Island and St. Thomas Aquinas on their way to the championship game.
Daemen remains the team to beat, but the preseason poll gives the Wildcats several clear challengers entering the new season.
5. Nine Teams Will Compete For The ECC Title
The East Coast Conference features nine men's basketball programs in 2026-27:
- Daemen
- District of Columbia
- D'Youville
- Mercy
- Molloy
- Queens
- Roberts Wesleyan
- St. Thomas Aquinas
- College of Staten Island
The top six teams will advance to the 2027 ECC Men's Basketball Championship. The No. 3 and No. 4 seeds will host first-round games on March 3, while the semifinals and championship game will be played March 6-7 on the home court of the No. 1 seed.
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