The Metro Conference coaches dropped their preseason polls Tuesday morning, slotting the defending champion Siena men’s basketball squad at third while picking the women’s team to finish second. It’s an interesting spot for both programs, especially with the men coming off a title win last season and facing some major shake-ups.
Can the Men Defend Their Crown From Third?
The Siena men, defending Metro Conference champions after beating Merrimack last season, were still picked third despite snagging two first-place votes and 132 points. Fairfield landed the top spot with six first-place votes and 154 points, just ahead of Merrimack’s second-place finish with three first-place votes and 148 points.
The biggest story for the Saints men is the new era. Head coach Gerry McNamara packed his bags for Syracuse, and he didn’t go alone. He took all-conference guard Gavin Doty, all-rookie forward Francis Folefac, and center Tasman Goodrick with him. That’s a huge hole for first-year head coach Nevada Smith, but he’s got some talent coming back. Graduate forward Brendan Coyle, a Niskayuna guy, is back for his fifth season and earned a preseason second-team All-Metro nod. He’s joined by junior guard Pace Prosser, a transfer from DII national champion Gannon who played for the U.S. in Chile. They’re gonna need to step up big time, especially with Fairfield’s sophomore forward Declan Wucherpfenning grabbing Men’s Preseason Player of the Year.
The Women Are Hunting Fairfield’s Four-Peat
Over on the women’s side, the Saints are coming in hot at second, getting 141 points. The only team ahead of them is three-time defending champion Fairfield, who cleaned up with all 13 first-place votes and 169 points. The Stags are gunning for one more title before they jet off to the Coastal Athletic Association in 2027-28, so you know they’ll be hungry. But Siena, under third-year head coach Terry Primm, is chasing their first Metro title since 2001. That’s a long time!
The Saints aren’t short on talent, though. They landed three players on the preseason All-Metro teams. Sophomore guard Francesca Schiro was a unanimous first-team pick, joined by sophomore guard Kaiya Rain Tucker on the second team and redshirt junior guard Nicole Melious on the third team. Fairfield’s Kaety L’Amoreaux is picked to repeat as Women’s Player of the Year, and Jillian Huerter, last year’s tournament MOP, is on the second team. The league sees Fairfield as the team to beat, but Siena is right there, ready to make some noise.
The polls are out, the stakes are set. Can the men, with a new coach and a new lineup, prove the doubters wrong? Can the women finally break through and take down a powerhouse Fairfield squad? The regular season is about to kick off, and it’s time to see if the Saints can climb those standings!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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