PITMAN—After winning both the NJAC regular season and tournament championships en route to a 26-3 overall record in 2016-17, Ramapo College has been selected as the favorite to win the 2017-18 New Jersey Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Championship in a preseason poll of the league’s 10 head coaches. The Roadrunners will be seeking their fifth NJAC title since 2004-05.
Ramapo received all 10 of the first-place votes that were cast by the league’s head coaches. Led by the longest-tenured active NJAC men’s basketball coach in Chuck McBreen, the Roadrunners have produced an overall record of 343-172 under the 2016-17 NJAC Coach of the Year.
After securing the NJAC regular season championship with a league-best 16-2 mark in conference play, Ramapo produced NJAC Tournament wins over Rowan and NJCU, claiming the league crown with a dramatic 67-64 win over the Gothic Knights on a half-court shot by NJAC Player of the Year Thomas Bonacum. Ramapo then went on to notch an NCAA Tournament first round victory over Misericordia before falling 92-91 in overtime the second round to Keene State. The Roadrunners return a league-high three all-conference players from their 2016-17 NJAC Championship squad, including senior forward Christopher Moseley, senior guard Josh Ford, and the reigning NJAC Player of the Year in senior forward Thomas Bonacum.
Stockton University, which claimed the championship of the newly formatted 2017 ECAC Tournament with postseason wins over Baruch, Carnegie Mellon, Bethany, and Penn State-Behrend during a five-day span, was selected to place second. The 2016-17 Ospreys claimed a sixth-place finish in the NJAC regular season race with a 9-9 mark in league play en route to an 18-11 record overall under first-year head coach Scott Bittner. Stockton returns one all-conference player from its 2016-17 ECAC Championship squad in senior forward Marcus Harmon.
New Jersey City University, which earned an at-large selection to the 2016-17 NCAA Tournament en route to a 21-8 overall record, was selected to place third. The Gothic Knights finished third in the 2016-17 NJAC regular season race with a 13-5 league mark and advanced to the NJAC Tournament Championship Game with wins over Stockton and TCNJ. Now in his 11th season at the helm of the NJCU program, Marc Brown has guided the Gothic Knights to an overall record of 157-114. NJCU returns one all-conference player from its NCAA Tournament squad, the 2016-17 NJAC Rookie of the Year, sophomore forward Sam Toney.
Rowan University, which produced a 17-10 overall record in 2016-17 under first-year head coach Joe Crispin, was selected to finish fourth. The 2016-17 Profs posted a fourth-place conference finish with an 11-7 mark in league play while advancing to the NJAC Tournament semifinals with a first round victory over Montclair State. Rowan returns a pair of all-conference performers from its 2016-17 squad in junior guards Nick DePersia and Rob DePersia.
The coaches’ dark horse selection, Rutgers University-Newark was selected to finish fifth. Now in his 17th season at the helm of the program, Joe Loughran has guided the Scarlet Raiders to an overall record of 251-187, including a mark of 7-18 in 2016-17. Rutgers-Newark returns one all-conference player from its 2016-17 squad in junior forward Mark Thomas.
The College of New Jersey, which finished as the 2016-17 NJAC regular season runner-up with a 14-4 record in league play, was selected to place sixth. Third-year head coach Matt Goldsmith has guided the Lions to a 34-20 overall record during his first two seasons in Ewing, including a mark of 18-8 in 2016-17. TCNJ returns one all-conference performer from the 2016-17 season in senior guard Eric Murdock.
Montclair State University, which earned a berth in the 2016-17 NJAC Tournament as the fifth seed, was selected to finish seventh. Third-year head coach Marlon Sears led the Red Hawks to a 13-13 overall record in 2016-17, including a mark of 10-8 in conference play. Sears has guided MSU to 24 victories during his first two seasons in Montclair.
William Paterson University, which posted an 11-14 overall record in 2016-17, was selected to place eighth. Third-year head coach Brian Chapman has guided the Pioneers to 21 victories during his first two seasons at the helm of the program. WPU returns one all-conference player from the 2016-17 season in senior forward Richy Espinal.
Rutgers University-Camden, led by eighth-year head coach Jason Curbison, was selected to finish ninth. Curbison has guided the Scarlet Raptors to 46 victories during his tenure in Camden, giving him 52 career wins on the collegiate level. The Scarlet Raptors return all-conference player from a 2016-17 squad which finished 6-19 overall in junior forward Isaac Destin.
Kean University, led by 11th-year head coach Rob Kurzinsky, was selected to place 10th. Kurzinsky has guided the Cougars to 89 victories during his tenure in Union, including a mark of 1-24 in 2016-17.
The 61st season of NJAC men’s basketball will tip-off on Tuesday, November 15 with five league teams in non-conference action. Conference play will begin just six days later with all 10 teams competing in their conference-openers on Tuesday, November 21.
The top six finishers in the conference standings will qualify for the 2017-18 NJAC Championship Tournament. First round tournament games will take place on Saturday, February 17, 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 Wednesday, February 21. The two semifinal winners will advance to the 2017-18 NJAC Championship Game on Saturday, 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.
2017-18 NJAC Men's Basketball
Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Ramapo (10)
2. Stockton
3. New Jersey City
4. Rowan
5. Rutgers-Newark (dark horse)
6. The College of New Jersey
7. Montclair State
8. William Paterson
9. Rutgers-Camden
10. Kean
(first place votes in parenthesis)