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Men's Basketball

Randolph-Macon Edges Roanoke for Top Position in ODAC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll

Yellow Jackets Earn Seven First Place Votes, Maroons Receive Remaining Five

FOREST, Va. --- The two teams that played in the 2026 conference championship game are again under the spotlight as we enter the new season with Randolph-Macon College and Roanoke College separated by just two points atop the 2026-27 ODAC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll.

The Yellow Jackets, runners-up to the Maroons in 2025-26, garnered seven first place votes from the league's head coaches on the way to a table-topping 117 points. Roanoke collected the remaining five top nods to power its 115 markers.

Hampden-Sydney College came in more tally shy of the century mark to take up third position. Batten University sits fourth with 84 points, two markers clear of fifth-place Washington and Lee University.

In the sections below, we look back to the 2025-26 season to set the tone for this year and then dive into some features of ODAC men's basketball for the upcoming 2026-27 campaign.

2026-27 ODAC MEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLL
(#) Denotes First Place Votes

1.Randolph-Macon College (7)117 pts.
2.Roanoke College (5)115 pts.
3.Hampden-Sydney College99 pts.
4.Batten University84 pts.
5.Washington and Lee University82 pts.
6.University of Lynchburg66 pts.
7.Guilford College62 pts.
8.Averett University56 pts.
9.Shenandoah University40 pts.
10.EMU29 pts.
11.Bridgewater College27 pts.
12.Randolph College15 pts.
    • ODAC win totals were less top-heavy in 2025-26 with two teams cracking the 20-win mark compared to five the season prior.
    • Eight total squads featured .500 or better winning percentages – Randolph-Macon (.871, 27-4), Roanoke (.767, 23-7), Batten (then VWU; .704, 19-8), Hampden-Sydney (.630, 17-10), Washington and Lee (.654, 17-9), Averett (.600, 15-10), Lynchburg (.538, 14-12), and Guilford (.500, 13-13).
    • The ODAC Tournament featured the following eight teams (in seed order) – Randolph-Macon (14-2), Batten (13-3), Roanoke (12-4), Hampden-Sydney (10-6), Lynchburg (9-7), Washington and Lee (9-7), Averett (8-8), Guilford (7-9)
      • QF: RMC def. GC, 94-73; HSC def. LYN, 82-70; RC def. WLU, 92-68; BATN def. AU, 71-65
      • SF: RMC def. HSC, 69-41; RC def. BATN, 78-69 in OT
      • Champ: RC def. RMC, 59-58
    • The title for Roanoke marked their 11th overall and first since 2000; the 11 overall tie Hampden-Sydney for the most in ODAC history.
    • Roanoke has appeared in both of the most recent championship games
    • Randolph-Macon, which has lifted 10 ODAC trophies, has appeared in the ODAC final six times since 2019 with four crowns.
    • Two ODAC teams competed in the Division III Men's Basketball Championship bracket of 64 squads.
      • Automatic Qualifier: Roanoke – traveled to Emory University (Atlanta)
      • At-Large Entry via NPI: Randolph-Macon – selected to host an opening pod
    • Both ODAC squads won games in the tournament and eventually saw their seasons close with tight losses
      • 1st Round: RMC def. N.C. Wesleyan, 76-52; RC def. Rhodes, 88-84
      • 2nd Round: RMC def. TCNJ, 68-45; Emory def. RC, 83-81 in OT
      • 3rd Round: Christopher Newport def. RMC, 59-57
    • ODAC Record Book Updates
      • FT Made: 204 - Braylen Salters (GC)
    • ODAC Tournament Record Book Updates
      • 3FG Made - Game: Caleb Franz (RC) w/ 7 vs. WLU to tie for 1st (13th player to do so)
      • 3FG Pct. - Game: Jalen Chambers (AU) at 4-of-4 at BATN to tie for 1st (min. 4 attempts - 5th player to do so)

  • From the national outlets entering the new season…

    • D3hoops.com Preseason Top-25
      • Randolph-Macon starts the season slotted 7th with 383 points
      • Roanoke slots 15th with 286 markers
      • Hampden-Sydney (5) is receiving votes towards the top-25
      • Defending Division III champion Mary Washington leads the poll with 607 points
    • D3hoops.com Preseason All-Americans
      • No ODAC players feature on any of the five five-player preseason All-America squads

  • Exactly half of last year's All-ODAC allotment of honorees returns for another run in 2026-27. That figure includes two members of the All-ODAC First Team, two more from the All-ODAC Second Team, and five from the All-ODAC Third Team.

    Two special individual award winners return, led by reigning and eight-time ODAC Coach of the Year Josh Merkel from Randolph-Macon. Washington and Lee forward Addison Newkirk returns after earning ODAC Rookie of the Year laurels. He represented two straight seasons of Generals earning that distinction.

    • All-ODAC First Team Returners
      • Jackson Bell, G, Roanoke
      • Connor Amorosi, F, Washington and Lee
    • All-ODAC Second Team Returners
      • Braylen Salters, G, Guilford
      • Travis Stickney, G, Hampden-Sydney
    • All-ODAC Third Team Returners
      • Mason Mitchell, G, Averett
      • Aaron Brooks, G, EMU
      • Peter Moye, G, Hampden-Sydney
      • Theo Antinori, G, Randolph-Macon
      • Gavin O'Malley, F, Roanoke

  • The athletes listed below represent the top-three returning statistical leaders for major statistical categories from the 2025-26 season. * Denotes ODAC record

     PLAYER #1PLAYER #2PLAYER #3
    PPG23.8Braylen Salters, GC17.3Ellis Wright, SU16.5Jackson Bell, RC
    Points618Braylen Salters, GC496Jackson Bell, RC432Ellis Wright, SU
    FG%.492Ellis Wright, SU.488Jahmir Brown, BC.455Peter Moye, HSC
    FGM183Jackson Bell, RC177Braylen Salters, GC157Ellis Wright, SU
    3FG%.425Jayson Easton, LYN.397Mason Mitchell, AU.383Ellis Wright, SU
    3FGM64Jackson Bell, RC65Jayson Easton, LYN60Braylen Salters, GC
    FT%.842Jackson Bell, RC.836Braylen Salters, GC.774Aaron Brooks, EMU
    FTM204Braylen Salters, GC107Connor Amorosi, WLU84Gavin O'Malley, RC
    RPG7.2Addison Newkirk, WLU6.2Gavin O'Malley, RC6.1Tyler Stephens, AU
    Rebounds185Gavin O'Malley, RC181Addison Newkirk, WLU159Tyler Stephens, AU
    APG4.2Travis Stickney, HSC4.1Aveion Tucker, RAND4.0Aaron Brooks, EMU
    Assists114Travis Stickney, HSC100Aaron Brooks, EMU93Jake Hart, LYN
    SPG2.4Aaron Brooks, EMU2.0Braylen Salters, GC1.6Reynolds Escher, GC
    Steals61Aaron Brooks, EMU52Braylen Salters, GC39Reynolds Escher, GC
    BPG1.4Alex Cannon, HSC0.6Several Players  
    Blocked Shots37Alex Cannon, HSC16Mason Mitchell, AU16Paul Anderson, BATN
    Ellis Wright, SU

  • Randolph-Macon head coach Josh Merkel opens the season with the highest winning percentage (.770) among active coaches in Division III. Batten mentor joins him on that list in 10th-position (.727) with the 26-year veteran eighth in victories (529).

    Below are the win-loss records for each coach entering the 2026-27 season.

    COACH     SCHOOL     SEASON (AT SCHOOL)     OVERALL (PCT.)     AT SCHOOL (PCT.)
    David Doino Averett 13th (13th) 148-157 (.485) 148-157 (.485)
    Mike Maczko Bridgewater 7th (3rd) 46-117 (.282) 15-35 (.300)
    Melivin Felix Eastern Mennonite 9th (9th) 52-127 (.291) 52-127 (.291)
    Jesse DeLoof Guilford 6th (2nd) 72-60 (.545) 13-13 (.500)
    Caleb Kimbrough Hampden-Sydney 11th (8th) 149-94 (.613) 123-54 (.695)
    Hilliary Scott Lynchburg 19th (19th) 249-212 (.540) 249-212 (.540)
    Evan Kee Randolph 8th (3rd) 102-91 (.528) 14-36 (.280)
    Josh Merkel Randolph-Macon 16th (12th) 318-95 (.770) 252-54 (.824)
    Clay Nunley Roanoke 20th (11th) 306-194 (.612) 183-78 (.701)
    Nick Doyle Shenandoah 5th (5th) 46-59 (.438) 46-59 (.438)
    Dave Macedo Virginia Wesleyan 27th (27th) 529-199 (.727)    529-199 (.727)
    Chris McHugh Washington and Lee 10th (10th) 132-81 (.620) 132-81 (.620)
    • ODAC men's basketball squads compete in a 16-game single round-robin plus schedule as they face each conference team once and six squads a second time at the reverse location.
    • The season for all Division III basketball programs begins on Friday, November 6.
    • The first conference game is an early affair with rivals Hampden-Sydney and Randolph-Macon meeting on November 18; a full slate of six conference games brings all teams into the fold on Wednesday, December 2.
    • The ODAC Men's Basketball Tournament features an 8-team field with quarterfinal matches played on campus before conducting the semifinals and championship at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Va.
      • Quarterfinals: Wednesday, February 24, at #1-4 Seeds
      • Semifinals: Saturday, February 27, at the Salem Civic Center
      • Championship: Sunday, February 28, at the Salem Civic Center