Colonia, N.J. – The East Coast Conference (ECC) released the results of the 2026-2027 Men's Basketball Preseason Poll Tuesday morning, with the Molloy men's basketball team selected to finish sixth with a total of 45 points voted on by the coaches of the league.
Daemen was chosen as the favorite, collecting 80 points and eight first-place votes, followed by St. Thomas Aquinas who tabbed 61 points. Staten Island placed third with 56 points, while Roberts Wesleyan finished fourth with 51 points and one first-place vote. The playoff picture was rounded out by D'Youville with 46 points in fifth and Molloy. Queens (28), Mercy (21), and UDC (17) rounded out the nine-team poll from seventh through ninth, respectively.
Molloy finished the 2025-26 season with an 8-19 overall record and an 8-8 tally in East Coast Conference play. Under first-year Head Coach
Joe Conefry, the Lions earned the fourth seed in the ECC Tournament and hosted a first-round contest for the first time since the 2022-23 season. Molloy saw their season come to a close against fifth-seeded D'Youville.
The cardinal and white return four of their top five scorers from a season ago, led by senior
Bryce Merchant, who averaged 17 points and seven rebounds per game on 51 percent shooting. The senior become the 23
rd player in program history to eclipse 1,000 points in a career after putting together a 24-point performance at Mercy on February 22. Senior
Chris Stokel, who averaged 13.7 points and 3.6 assists per game, and sophomore
Chase Timberlake who totaled 11.8 points and 1.4 steals per game bring stability to the back court that combined to shoot over 40 percent from the floor last year.
The front court will be anchored by senior
Jared Weakly, who made an immediate impact in his first season in Rockville Centre. The Valley Stream, N.Y. native averaged 9.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game a season ago, serving as one of the most versatile big men in the conference. His presence in the middle was felt throughout the campaign ranking fourth in the country in blocks per game and eighth in total blocks (71), highlighted by a program-record nine-block performance against Mercy on January 24.
Conefry will look to build on his first season in RVC as he brings in 10 new faces to the den, led by eight freshman and two transfers.
The campaign begins with four straight road games, starting Tuesday, November 10 at Bloomsburg before returning for the home-opener Saturday, November 21 against Georgian Court. The home-opener will serve as the first contest of a seven-game homestand with East Coast Conference play beginning Thursday, December 3 against Roberts Wesleyan. The East Coast Conference Tournament is slated to begin on Wednesday, March 3.
