PITMAN, N.J. – All 10 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) head men's basketball coaches voted anonymously on the 2021-22 preseason poll, and collectively they all picked reigning champions New Jersey City University and conference runner-up Stockton University to run it back for a rematch. The NJAC released its preseason poll today, Friday, Oct. 29, and the Gothic Knights and Ospreys received five first-place votes each, combining for all possible votes.

NJCU and Stockton faced off three times last season, with the Gothic Knights winning two of three – both on their home Coach Charlie Brown Court at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (JMAC) – via dramatic buzzer-beaters. Senior captain Denzel Banks sank the first game-winner on Feb. 13, 2021, to give the Knights the 67-65 win. Then, on March 19, 2021, junior Kayton Darley capped off a dramatic 21-point comeback with a buzzer-beating three to win the championship for NJCU.

The rest of the top five in the preseason poll is rounded out by Rowan University – the historically competitive Profs opted out of the 2020-21 abbreviated season – The College of New Jersey and Montclair State University. See below for the full preseason NJAC coach's poll:

1.    (tie) NJCU (5) / Stockton (5)
3.    Rowan
4.    TCNJ
5.    Montclair State
6.    Ramapo College
7.    Rutgers-Newark
8.    Kean University
9.    William Paterson University
10.  Rutgers-Camden

Jersey City – which enters the season ranked #24 in the nation by d3hoops.com – returns the majority of last season's title-winning squad. They are led by Banks, junior Derryen Whyte (Irvington, N.J./Union) and head coach Marc Brown. Banks was a First Team All-NJAC selection, a First Team All-Met selection by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) and a Second Team d3hoops.com All-Atlantic/Mid-Atlantic Region honoree. Whyte was a Second Team All-NJAC selection after leading NJCU in scoring last year. Coach Brown was selected as the NJAC's Coach of the Year and also received the same honor from the d3hoops.com All-Atlantic/Mid-Atlantic region.

The Gothic Knights season officially kicks off next weekend on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 6-7, with the USJ Tip-Off Tournament, which will be hosted by #9 University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) in West Hartford, Conn. NJCU faces Alvernia University at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday in the First Round and then matches up with either the hosting Blue Jays or the University of Maine-Augusta on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. or 3:30 p.m.