Sparkill, N.Y. - St. Thomas Aquinas College was chosen to finish first in the 2023 East Coast Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the ECC on Tuesday afternoon.
The Spartans received 78 points and six first-place votes, just ahead of Daemen, who were picked second with 75 points and three first-place votes. District of Columbia and Staten Island were both selected third with 50 points apiece, while Queens (5th/48 points), Molloy (6th/34 points), Roberts Wesleyan (7th/33 points), D'Youville (8th/21 points) and Mercy (9th/16 points) roundout the poll.
STAC went 26-5 overall and 15-1 in the ECC during the 2022-2023 season, winning both the conference Regular Season and Tournament titles. The Spartans advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the eighth consecutive season, before falling to Southern New Hampshire in the East Region Quarterfinal.
St. Thomas Aquinas will return ten players from the 2022-2023 team; ECC Rookie of the Year, All-Met and All-Conference honoree James Patterson (14.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg) returns to Sparkill, along with teammates Rich Smith (4.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg), Ethan Millirons (3.3 ppg), Jordan Green (3.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg), Kyle Pulliam (7.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg), Kyle Jones (5.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg), Lawrence Foreman (1.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg), Jamal Barnes (12.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg), Vasilis Tolias (5.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg) and Luis Risquez (9.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg).
Zion Ruckard (Aurora, Colo./Western Wyoming C.C), Shaun Arnold (Indianapolis, Ind.), Deshawne Crim (Cincinnati, Ohio), Javion Patterson (Richmond, Va./Patrick Henry C.C.), Chris Whyte-Luciano (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) and Michael Parrotta (Armonk, N.Y./St. Francis College-Brooklyn) are set to make their debuts in maroon and gold, as the six makeup the team's new recruiting class.
ECC and Met Writers Coach of the Year Matt Capell returns for his second season as head coach (11th overall) and will feature a lineup filled with size, speed and skill as the Spartans seek their eighth ECC Championship and ninth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.
St. Thomas Aquinas begins their new season on the road at the College of Staten Island Tournament of Heroes, taking on Southern New Hampshire University and Saint Anselm College on November 10 and 11. Their 28-game schedule features 12 non-conference games and 12 home games at Aquinas Hall. The Spartans first conference game comes on December 2 against Mercy University.
| Team | Pts. | Last Year's Record |
| 1. St. Thomas Aquinas (6) | 78 | 26-5 (15-1 ECC) |
| 2. Daemen (3) | 75 | 20-8 (12-4 ECC) |
| T-3. District of Columbia | 50 | 13-14 (10-6 ECC) |
| T-3. Staten Island | 50 | 9-19 (7-9 ECC) |
| 5. Queens | 48 | 8-20 (5-11 ECC) |
| 6. Molloy | 34 | 11-18 (10-6 ECC) |
| 7. Roberts Wesleyan | 33 | 10-16 (7-9 ECC) |
| 8. D'Youville | 21 | 4-21 (3-13 ECC) |
| 9. Mercy | 16 | 6-20 (3-13 ECC) |
( ) - first place votes
Preseason Player of the Year – Joey Atkins, Daemen (Gr., F., Watervliet, N.Y.)