According to the MAAC coaches, the Rider men’s basketball team will have its work cut out.
The Broncs were voted 10th in the annual talking-point preseason poll that was revealed on Tuesday at the league’s media day at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
Two-time defending regular-season champion Quinnipiac garnered eight of the 11 first-place votes and is the preseason favorite. Siena (three) and Sacred Heart (two) were the others to receive first-place tallies and are second and third in the poll, respectively.
Manhattan and Marist round out the top five, followed by Iona, Merrimack, Fairfield, Mount St. Mary’s, Rider, Saint Peter’s, Niagara and Canisius.
The top 10 qualify for the MAAC Tournament.
Rider’s senior guard Zion Cruz was named to the preseason All-MAAC Third Team. The Trenton native started 24 of 30 games played a year ago, finishing third on the team at 10.1 points. He shot 35.6% from beyond the three-point arc, best on the team among those with more than one three-point field goal made per game and 15th in the MAAC.
Over the last 11 regular-season games, Cruz averaged 13.2 points on 50.8% shooting overall and 50% on 3-pointers.
Returning MAAC Player of the Year Amarri Monroe of Quinnipiac was the voted the Preseason Player of the Year. He was one of three unanimous selections on the first team along with Manhattan’s Will Sydnor and Siena’s Justice Shoats. Manhattan’s Devin Dinkins and Sacred Heart’s Anquan Hill round out the first team.
Second team selections include: Marist’s Elijah Lewis, Quinnipiac’s Jaden Zimmerman, Sacred Heart’s Mekhi Conner, Saint Peter’s Bryce Eaton and Siena’s Gavin Doty.
Joining Cruz on the third team: Fairfield’s Deuce Turner, Marist’s Jadin Collins-Roberts, Mount St. Mary’s Xavier Lipscomb and Sacred Heart’s Nyle Ralph-Beyer.
Women
The Fairfield women collected all 13 first-place votes on their way to a unanimous selection atop the preseason poll.
Quinnipiac grabbed second in the poll, followed by Mount St. Mary’s, Marist, Siena, Iona, Manhattan, Merrimack, Canisius, Saint Peter’s, Niagara, Sacred Heart and Rider.
The Broncs, under first-year coach Jackie Hartzell, received just 14 votes, meaning they were placed in the number 13 spot by all but one coach.
Originally Published: September 30, 2025 at 9:24 AM EDT