Daemen Stays At No. 2 In NABC Poll For 3rd Straight Week

1/6/2026 2:00:00 PM

AMHERST, N.Y. - Daemen University is the No. 2 ranked team in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II Poll for the third consecutive week. The Wildcats have now been ranked in 22 successive national polls, including 19 straight weeks in the top five, dating back to last season.

Daemen is off to a 16-0 start this season, and the Wildcats have won 47 consecutive regular season contests dating back to the 2023-24 season. The Wildcats already own a quartet of wins against nationally-ranked teams, defeating No. 19 Lenoir-Rhyne (Nov. 1), No. 5 Fairmont State (Nov. 18), No. 21 Assumption (Dec. 17) and No. 22 Adelphi (Jan. 1).

NABC Division II Men's Basketball Poll for January 6, 2026

NABC Division II Men's Basketball Poll for January 6, 2026

Daemen's success this season has been rooted at the defensive end of the court. The Wildcats rank 23rd nationally (and first among East Coast Conference teams) in both scoring defense (64.9 ppg) and field goal percentage defense (39.5%). They're also blocking 5.7 shots per game and out-rebounding opponents by 12.7 board per game, ranking fourth and third in those respective categories nationally.

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 is shooting 52.2 percent from the field and averaging a team-high 18.0 points to go with 7.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Hemphill leads the team in assists (4.9 apg) and steals (2.3 spg) while scoring 11.3 points per game. He scored his 1,000th career point in the win over Fairmont State and recently became the first player in program history to total more than 1,000 points, 700 rebounds and 300 assists in a career.

Bill, the 2025 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 five 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 averaged 12.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in Bill's absence.

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 is scored a season-high 19 points in a recent win over Saint Michael's (Dec. 20), and is contributing 10.2 points per outing while shooting 35.5 percent from three-point range. Heath is in the starting lineup for the first time in his career, and has responded by averaging 10.4 points, 3.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game.

The No. 2 Wildcats put their unblemished record on the line this Friday, Jan. 9 when they welcome the District of Columbia Firebirds to Lumsden Gymnasium for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.

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.

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