AMHERST, N.Y. -- The No. 4 Daemen University men's basketball team is one of 10 teams in the East Region listed as under consideration for NCAA bids in the first
NCAA Division II men's basketball East Region rankings, as released by the regional advisory committee with games played through Feb. 15. The East Region consists of the top teams from the East Coast Conference, the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, and the Northeast-10 Conference, and the regional rankings are used to determine at-large bids to the East Regional portion of the NCAA Tournament following conference tournaments at the end of the season.
Listing the teams in alphabetical order for the first regional rankings, the 10 teams consists of Adelphi (16-9 regional record, NE10), Assumption (14-9 regional, NE10), Bentley (15-7 regional, NE10), Daemen (22-1 regional, ECC), Felician (20-3 regional, CACC), Pace (15-8 regional, CACC), Saint Anselm (19-6 regional, NE10), Saint Michael's (14-10 regional, NE10), St. Thomas Aquinas (14-7 regional, ECC) and Staten Island (16-6 regional, ECC).
The Wildcats are in the midst of another outstanding season and sit No. 4 in the nation in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II Poll, marking the 25th consecutive week that the Wildcats have been ranked in the top-five nationally. Daemen boasts a record of 26-1 on the year and is undefeated (14-0) in East Coast Conference play for the second straight season. After cruising to big victories over Mercy (86-60) and St. Thomas Aquinas (82-67) in the final regular season home stand this past weekend, the Wildcats locked up the league's regular season title for the second consecutive season and extended their ECC win streak to 36 straight games (dating back to February of 2024). The Wildcats are one of just four Division II teams with one or fewer losses, and their 26 wins are the most in the country. Daemen is outscoring its opponents by an average of 16.8 points per game and rank 20th nationally (and first among ECC teams) in scoring defense, allowing just 65.8 points per game.
With six players averaging 9+ points per game in head coach
Mike MacDonald's 12th season, the Wildcats are led offensively by veterans
Zach Philipkoski (New Hartford, N.Y.),
Benjamin Bill (Hamburg, N.Y.),
Justin Hemphill (Buffalo, N.Y.) and
Justin Glover (Buffalo, N.Y.) who are all averaging double-digit points. Philipkoski is having a breakout junior campaign, leading the Cats with 17.2 points per game while also averaging 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. After missing a month of play with a lower body injury, Bill returned to the lineup on Jan. 31 and ranks second on the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 15.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game while shooting a team-high 67.5 percent from the field over 16 games this season. Hemphill leads the team in assists (5.2 apg) and steals (1.9 spg) while scoring 11.6 points and grabbing 8.7 rebounds per game. Philipkoski and Bill were recently named to the Bevo Francis Award Top 50 Watch List, putting them in contention for one of Small College Basketball's highest honors, which goes to the non-Division I player deemed to have had the finest overall season. Hemphill was recently named to the Trevor Hudgins Award Top 25 Watch List, an honor that goes to the non-Division I player with the best overall career. Glover is averaging 11.4 points per outing with a career-high 53 three-point field goals this season.
Ryan Heath (Rochester, N.Y.) is in the starting lineup for the first time in his career, and has responded by averaging 9.6 points, 3.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game - all career highs.
Daemen is now 54-2 since the start of the 2024-25 season, and the Wildcats have gone 4-1 against nationally ranked teams this year. They own wins over 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. 4 Wildcats are back in action with crosstown rivalry when they travel to play at D'Youville this Sunday, Feb. 22. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. at the Saints Center Gymnasium.
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.
