INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The No. 4 ranked Daemen University men's basketball team remains No. 1 in the third and final NCAA Division II Men's Basketball East Region rankings, released Wednesday afternoon by the NCAA. The Wildcats are in prime position for a bid to the 2026 NCAA Division II Championship. The NCAA announces 10-team rankings for each of the eight regions across the country for three successive weeks leading up to the NCAA Championship selection announcement, which will be made on Sunday, March 8.
Under the guidance of the 2026 East Coast Conference Coach of the Year
Mike MacDonald, Daemen boasts a 28-1 overall record this season, including a 23-1 mark against regional opponents. Daemen's 28 wins this season matches the program record, set last year as the Wildcats put together a storybook 28-1 season after rattling off 28 straight victories. for The Wildcats have posted an impressive 9-0 record against teams included in the East Region rankings this week, with wins over No. 2 Felician, No. 3 Saint Anselm, No. 5 Assumption, No. 6 Adelphi, No. 7 Saint Michael's, No. 9 St. Thomas Aquinas (twice) and No. 10 Staten Island (twice).
The East Region of NCAA Division II is comprised of teams from the East Coast Conference, the Northeast-10 Conference and the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference. The eight-team NCAA East Regional —one of eight regional tournaments that comprise the 64-team NCAA Championship—will consist of three automatic berths and five at-large selections, and it takes place March 14-17 at a site that is yet to be determined. Daemen is bidding to host the East Regional for a second consecutive season.
The Wildcats also own wins over several other regionally-ranked squads this season: Fairmont State (Atlantic No. 3), California (Pa.) (Atlantic No. 6), Charleston (W.Va.) (Atlantic No. 9), Lenoir-Rhyne (Southeast No. 2) and Alaska Anchorage (West No. 5). Daemen has been ranked in the top five of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II poll for the entire season, rising as high as No. 2 in the nation (currently ranked No. 4).
Daemen won their second straight ECC regular season title after going 16-0 in conference play for the second year in a row. As the top seed in the tournament, Daemen will host the 2026 ECC Tournament at Lumsden Gymnasium this weekend (March 7-8). The Wildcats are searching for the program's second consecutive conference tournament title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament next week.
The Wildcats open ECC Tournament play in the semifinals on Saturday, March 7 at 5 PM where they will face the winner of No. 4 Molloy / No. 5 D'Youville.
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.
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