ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – Siena Basketball laid a solid foundation in Year One under Gerry McNamara. After equaling the ninth best turnaround nationally – and with four of their top-five scorers back – expectations have been set high for Year Two. The Saints have been projected to finish second – including receiving a total of three first-place votes – according to the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll announced at the MAAC Basketball Tipoff at Ocean Casino Resort.
 
The second-place prediction is the highest preseason prognostication for Siena in five years, since begin picked as the unanimous favorite heading into the 2020-21 season. The Saints finished tied for eighth in the MAAC Standings following a ninth-place prediction last season, but the bar has been raised significantly thanks to the impact of McNamara, strong roster retention, and the addition of eight newcomers highlighted by three impact transfers.
 
In addition to their three first-place votes, Siena received 152 points in the polling, coming in just behind MAAC preseason favorite and two-time defending regular season champion Quinnipiac, which secured 158 points and eight of the other 10 first-place votes. Sacred Heart garnered the remaining two first-place votes while coming in third in the polling with 140 points.
 
Three other teams – Manhattan (133), Marist (115) and Iona (104) – also received more than 100 points in being predicted to finish fourth, fifth, and sixth respectively. Merrimack (85), Fairfield (74), defending MAAC Tournament Champion Mount St. Mary's (69), Rider (59), Saint Peter's (48), Niagara (26), and Canisius (20) rounded out the 13-team polling.
 
A pair of Saints also secured Preseason All-MAAC honors. Justice Shoats was one of only three conference players to earn unanimous Preseason First Team All-MAAC acclaim, while Gavin Doty received Second Team recognition. Reigning MAAC Player of the Year Amarri Monroe of Quinnipiac was selected the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year for the second straight season.
 
A senior guard from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Shoats made an immediate impact in his first season donning the Green and Gold last winter after transferring in from Division II Lock Haven. A 2024-25 Second Team All-MAAC selection, he was one of just five players named a USBWA Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week last Nov. 12 while also earning MAAC Player of the Week honors. Shoats ranked fourth in the MAAC last season in assists (4.7), fifth in scoring (16.1), and eighth in steals (1.8). He scored in double figures in 28 of 32 games, highlighted by nine 20-plus point performances. Shoats was especially sharp in conference action, averaging 17.3 points, 5.2 assists, and 2.0 steals in MAAC regular season play.
 
Doty was a unanimous MAAC All-Rookie Team honoree last season after earning a league-high five MAAC Rookie of the Week awards – two more than any other freshman – including four over the final six weeks. The sophomore guard from Fulton, New York ranked fifth amongst all players last season in the MAAC with six double-doubles and was eighth in free throw percentage (.802). Overall, Doty averaged 11.3 points and a team-high 6.1 rebounds while shooting at a 49.2% clip from the field. In conference action, he led all MAAC freshmen last season in scoring (14.1), rebounding (7.9), field goal percentage (.480), and free throw percentage (.815).
 
2025-26 Siena Men's Basketball season tickets are on sale now. Existing season ticket holders can renew their seats through Account Manager, while new season tickets can be secured online through MVP Arena.
 
Season tickets can also be purchased by contacting the Siena Fan Relations Management Center directly by phone at (518) 487-2202 or by e-mail at sienatickets2@siena.edu. Individual game tickets will go on-sale in October. For more information on Siena Basketball tickets, log-on to sienasaints.com/tickets.