PITMAN—After winning both the NJAC regular season championship and the ECAC Metro/Upstate Tournament in 2015-16, New Jersey City University has been selected as the favorite to win the 2016-17 New Jersey Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Championship in a preseason poll of the league’s 10 head coaches. The Gothic Knights will be seeking their 13th NJAC championship since 1960-61 and their first since 2010-11.
NJCU received a league-high six first-place votes cast by the league coaches. The 2015-16 Gothic Knights won the NJAC regular season championship with a 15-3 record en route to a 21-8 mark overall. NJCU then produced wins over Centenary, Baruch, and Ithaca in a five-day span to claim the 2016 ECAC Metro/Upstate Tournament crown. Now in his 10th season at the helm of the NJCU program, 2015-16 NJAC Coach of the year Marc Brown has guided the Gothic Knights to an overall record of 136-106. NJCU returns a pair of all-conference performers from its 2015-16 NJAC regular season championship team, including senior guard Jalen Harris and the reigning NJAC Defensive Player of the Year in graduate student forward Chinewe Wosu.
Ramapo College, led by the longest-tenured active NJAC men’s basketball coach in Chuck McBreen, was selected to place second and received one first-place vote. The 2015-16 Roadrunners finished 16-10 overall while earning a fourth-place conference finish with a 12-6 mark in league play. McBreen has guided Ramapo to an overall record of 317-169 during his tenure in Mahwah. The Roadrunners return a pair of all-league players from their 2015-16 squad, including junior forward Thomas Bonacum and junior forward Christopher Moseley.
The College of New Jersey, which advanced to the championship game of the 2015-16 NJAC Tournament, was selected to place third and received three first-place votes. The 2015-16 Lions posted a fifth-place NJAC regular season finish with a 9-9 mark in league play before producing upset tournament wins over fourth-seed Ramapo and top-seeded NJCU. Second-year head coach Matt Goldsmith guided the Lions to a 16-12 overall record during his rookie season of 2015-16. TCNJ returns one all-conference player from its 2015-16 NJAC runner-up squad in junior guard Eric Murdock.
Stockton University, which will be led by first-year head coach Scott Bittner, was selected to place fourth. Bittner inherits an Ospreys team which has won three consecutive NJAC Championships, claiming the 2015-16 crown with NJAC Tournament wins over Rutgers-Newark and TCNJ. The 2015-16 Ospreys then fell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Keene State in overtime to finish 21-7 overall. Stockton, which finished second in the 2015-16 NJAC regular season race with a 14-4 league mark, returns one all-conference player from its NJAC Championship squad in junior forward Marcus Harmon.
Rutgers University-Newark, led by 16th-year head coach Joe Loughran, was selected to place fifth. Loughran led the 2015-16 Scarlet Raiders to a third-place finish in the NJAC regular season with a 14-4 league mark. Loughran has guided Rutgers-Newark to an overall record of 244-169 during his tenure in Newark. The 2015-16 Scarlet Raiders earned the top-seed in the ECAC Metro/Upstate Tournament en route to a 20-8 overall record.
The coaches’ dark horse selection, Montclair State University was selected to finish sixth. Second-year head coach Marlon Sears led the Red Hawks to an 11-14 overall record during his rookie season of 2015-16. MSU returns one all-conference performer from its 2015-16 squad in senior forward Brandon Channer.
Rowan University, which will be led by new first-year head coach Joe Crispin, was selected to finish seventh. Crispin inherits a Profs team which finished 9-16 overall in 2015-16 and returns one all-conference player in senior guard Shawn Wilson.
William Paterson University, which earned an NJAC Tournament berth with a sixth-place showing in 2015-16, was selected to finish eighth. Second-year head coach Brian Chapman guided the Pioneers to a 13-13 overall record during his rookie season of 2015-16.
Kean University, led by 10th-year head coach Rob Kurzinsky, was selected to place ninth. Kurzinsky has guided the Cougars to 88 victories during his tenure in Union, including an overall mark of 4-20 in 2015-16.
Rutgers University-Camden, led by seventh-year head coach Jason Curbison, was selected to finish 10th. Curbison has guided the Scarlet Raptors to 40 victories during his tenure in Camden, giving him 46 career collegiate coaching wins. The 2015-16 Scarlet Raptors finished 3-22 overall.
The 60th season of NJAC men’s basketball will tip-off on Tuesday, November 15 with six league teams in non-conference action. Conference play will begin just seven days later with all 10 teams competing in their conference-openers on Tuesday, November 22.
The top six finishers in the conference standings will qualify for the 2016-17 NJAC Championship Tournament. First round tournament games will take place on Saturday, February 18, with the third-seeded team hosting the sixth-seeded team, and the fourth-seeded team hosting the fifth-seeded team. The top two seeds will each receive first round byes.
The NJAC Tournament Semifinals will be hosted by the top two seeds on Tuesday, February 21. The two semifinal winners will advance to the 2016-17 NJAC Championship Game on Friday, February 24, to be contested at the site of the highest remaining seed.
The NJAC Tournament Champion receives the conference’s automatic qualification to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament.
2016-17 NJAC Men's Basketball
Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. New Jersey City (6)
2. Ramapo (1)
3. The College of New Jersey (3)
4. Stockton
5. Rutgers-Newark
6. Montclair State (dark horse)
7. Rowan
8. William Paterson
9. Kean
10. Rutgers-Camden
First Place Votes In Parentheses