Jackson Kulik dunks the ball with 2 hands through the rim

Unbeaten Wildcats Maintain #2 National Ranking

1/20/2026 2:30:00 PM

AMHERST, N.Y. - For the fifth consecutive week, Daemen University finds itself as the No. 2 ranked team in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II Poll. The Wildcats have now been ranked in 24 successive national polls, including 21 straight weeks in the top five, dating back to last season.

Daemen is off to a 20-0 start this season, including an 8-0 mark in East Coast Conference play. The Wildcats are one of just three remaining unbeaten teams at the NCAA Division II level, all of which are ranked in the top 5 this week (No. 1 Washburn, No. 5 Cal Stat East Bay). Daemen's 20-game winning streak is the third longest across all three levels of NCAA basketball, behind only Division III Trinity (31 straight wins) and Division I Nebraska (22 straight wins). In addition, Daemen owns the longest active regular season (51 consecutive) and road (18 consecutive) winning streaks across all three NCAA divisions.

NABC Division II Coaches Poll for Jan 20 2026

NABC Division II Coaches Poll for Jan 20 2026

Daemen's success this season has been rooted at the defensive end of the court. The Wildcats rank 20th nationally (and first among ECC teams) in scoring defense, allowing just 65.2 points per game. Daemen's field goal percentage defense (.395) ranks 18th nationally (also first in the ECC). The Wildcats also lead the country in blocks per game (6.2) and rank fourth in rebounding margin (+11.1).

The Wildcats have been led this season by veterans Zach Philipkoski (New Hartford, N.Y.), Justin Hemphill (Buffalo, N.Y.) and Benjamin Bill (Hamburg, N.Y.). Philipkoski, who is a three-time ECC Player of the Week, is shooting 51.7 percent from the field and averaging a team-high 17.9 points to go with 7.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. He has posted eight 20-point outings so far, and ranks fifth among the ECC leaders in scoring, rebounding and assists.

Hemphill leads the team in assists (5.1 apg) and steals (2.1 spg) while scoring 11.9 points and grabbing 8.5 rebounds per game. He recently became the first player in program history to total more than 1,000 points, 700 rebounds and 300 assists in a career, and ranks in Daemen's top 10 all-time for rebounds, assists, blocks and steals.

Bill, the 2025-26 ECC Preseason Player of the Year and a consensus All-American last season, has posted six double-doubles and is producing 17.5 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. But, the junior center has missed nine straight games after going out with an injury in a win at Mercy on Dec. 12. Redshirt junior forward Phil Nwugwo (Rochester, N.Y.) has stepped up in Bill's absence, averaging 11.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per over the last 11 games.

The Wildcats have also gotten solid contributions from the backcourt duo of Justin Glover (Buffalo, N.Y.) and Ryan Heath (Rochester, N.Y.). Now in his third season as a full-time starter, Glover played in more than 100 games with 80 starts to his credit. He scored a season-high 20 points in win over Staten Island earlier this month, and is just 24 points shy of 1,000 for his career, while averaging 11.2 points per outing this season.

Heath is in the starting lineup for the first time in his career, and has responded by averaging 9.9 points, 3.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game - all career highs. He's also been a two-time ECC Defensive Player of the Week selection.

Daemen is now 48-1 since the start of the 2024-25 season, and the Wildcats have won a staggering 51 consecutive regular season games - a streak that dates back to the 2023-24 campaign. Included in that total is a quartet of wins against nationally-ranked teams this season, as they've defeated No. 19 Lenoir-Rhyne (Nov. 1), No. 5 Fairmont State (Nov. 18), No. 21 Assumption (Dec. 17) and No. 22 Adelphi (Jan. 1).

The No. 2 Wildcats put their unblemished record on the line tomorrow evening (Jan. 21) when they visit No. 10 Gannon for a 7 p.m. tip-off at the Highmark Events Center in Erie, Pa.

Daemen University features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.

Follow the Daemen University men's basketball program on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @DaemenMBB.

Print Friendly Version