The Duquesne basketball teams will kick off their 2025-26 seasons looking to earn a measure of respect after both were swept aside Tuesday in voting for the top teams in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

The Dukes men’s team was chosen to finish ninth and the women’s team came in seventh in a preseason poll of the league’s coaches and select media members at the annual A-10 media day at PPG Paints Arena.

Both defending league champions — the VCU men and Richmond women — were installed as favorites to repeat.

The Duquesne men, who open the season Nov. 3 against Niagara as part of a doubleheader at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, return 10 players, including senior guard Cam Crawford, who led the A-10 in 3-point shooting percentage (43.1).

Eight newcomers will join the Dukes, among them former Pitt big man John Hughley IV, who spent the past two seasons at Oklahoma and Xavier, before transferring to Duquesne.

The Duquesne women, who open Nov. 3 against Saint Francis in the other game at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, return eight letterwinners but are tasked with replacing all-conference guard Megan McConnell, the team’s leading scorer a year ago.

Sophomore guard Mackenzie Blackford, who ranked second in the A-10 in 3-point shooting percentage (38.7) heads the list of women’s returnees, which includes three juniors and five sophomores.

A-10 preseason basketball polls

Men’s poll

Rank, team, points

1. VCU (11), 342

2. Saint Louis (11), 341

3. Dayton (3), 321

4. George Washington, 296

5. Loyola Chicago (2), 286

6. George Mason, 254

7 Saint Joseph’s, 195

8. St. Bonaventure, 185

9. Duquesne, 155

10. Richmond, 142

11. Davidson, 107

12. Rhode Island, 102

13. La Salle, 56

14. Fordham, 53

Women’s poll

Rank, team, points

1. Richmond (9), 188

2. George Mason (4), 185

3. Davidson (1), 167

4. Rhode Island, 137

5. Dayton, 123

6. Saint Joseph’s, 120

7. VCU, 110

8. Duquesne, 95

9. Saint Louis, 86

10. George Washington, 75

11. Fordham, 63

12. La Salle, 56

13. Loyola Chicago, 43

14. St. Bonaventure, 22

Note: First-place votes in parentheses.

Dave Mackall is a TribLive contributing writer.