ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (Sept. 16, 2026) –– For the first time in two seasons there’s a new squad atop the Metro Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll as Fairfield tallied six first-place votes (158 points) as the Stags enter the 2026-27 campaign as the preseason favorites in the Metro, as voted on by the Metro’s head coaches, it was announced Wednesday. Fairfield sophomore guard/forward Declan Wucherpfennig was named the Conference’s Preseason Player of the Year.

Finishing 22-13 overall with an 11-9 record in conference play, the Stags advanced to the 2026 championship semifinal as the No. 7 seed, falling to eventual champion Siena, 63-58, in Atlantic City. All-time the Stags have made 10 appearances in the Metro championship final, tied for second most (Siena). Fairfield has been crowned conference champion three times, the most recent being 1997. Fairfield last won the regular-season title in 2010-11, finishing 15-3 in conference play. 

Merrimack was voted second in the poll with 148 points (three first-place votes), followed by Siena (132 points, two first-place votes), Iona (131 points, one first-place vote) and Marist (120 points) to finish out the top five. Saint Peter’s, voted seventh, received one first-place vote.

Wucherpfennig averaged nearly 32 minutes a night as a freshman and shot 55.2% from the field in 20 league games last season. Wucherpfennig averaged 12.6 points a game in conference play last season. On the boards, the Teaneck, New Jersey, native finished fourth in the Conference in rebounding, averaging 8.4 caroms a night. He was one of five Metro players to average at least 5.6 defensive rebounds a game a season ago.

Wucherpfennig was one of four unanimous selections to the Preseason All-Metro First Team, joined by Saint Peter’s redshirt junior Bryce Eaton, Mount St. Mary’s junior Abdou Khadre Kebe and Quinnipiac sophomore Keith McKnight. Rounding out the First Team were Iona graduate student Kosy Akametu, Merrimack graduate student Denver Anglin and Marist graduate student Jadin Collins-Roberts.

2026 Metro Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1	Fairfield	154 (6)
2	Merrimack	148 (3)
3	Siena	132 (2)
4	Iona	131 (1)
5	Marist	120
6	Quinnipiac	109
7	Saint Peter’s	90 (1)
8	Mount St. Mary’s	89
9	Sacred Heart	78
10	Manhattan	45
11	Canisius	34
12	Niagara	31
13	Rider	22

Preseason Player of the Year

Declan Wucherpfennig – Fairfield

Preseason All-Metro First Team
Player	Year	Institution
Abdou Khadre Kebe (unanimous)	Jr.	Mount St. Mary’s
Keith McKnight (unanimous)	So.	Quinnipiac
Bryce Eaton (unanimous)	R-Jr.	Saint Peter’s
Declan Wucherpfennig (unanimous)	So.	Fairfield
Kosy Akametu	Gr.	Iona
Jadin Collins-Roberts	Gr.	Marist
Denver Anglin	Gr.	Merrimack

 

Preseason All-Metro Second Team
Player	Year	Institution
Brendan Coyle	Gr.	Siena
Todd Brogna	Sr.	Merrimack
Pace Prosser	Jr.	Siena
JoJo Wallace	Jr.	Sacred Heart
Tony Williams	So.	Fairfield

                                                                                                                                           

Preseason All-Metro Third Team
Player	Year	Institution
Kevon Vanderhorst	Jr.	Iona
Keyshawn Mitchell	Sr.	Iona
Griffin Barrouk	Gr.	Sacred Heart
Jack Graham	Sr.	Marist
AJ Lesburt	Gr.	Merrimack
Ben Tweedy	Jr.	Manhattan

The Metro Basketball Championships will feature the league’s top 10 teams. The championships will be held from Thursday through Tuesday, March 4-9, 2027, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with the Metro Conference champions earning the league’s automatic qualifiers to the NCAA tournament. For more information on the Metro Women’s Basketball Championship, please click here.