By: Brendon Reese
WESTERVILLE, Ohio – Mount Union's men's basketball team was picked to finish first in the Ohio Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll.
The Purple Raiders are coming off a season where they went 23-4 overall and went 14-2 in OAC play, claiming the OAC Regular Season Championship and qualifying for the NCAA Tournament.
Mount Union returns the reigning OAC Player of the Year and Second Team All-American in senior
Elijah Farrington (Massillon / Massillon Washington) along with another OAC selection in senior
Kevin Hamilton (Akron / St. Vincent St. Mary). As they, along with first year head coach
Josh Twiddy will try to lead the Raiders their second consecutive OAC Regular Season Title and make it back to the NCAA Tournament.
The Raiders open their season on Friday, November 6 against Franklin and Marshall at 7 p.m. in the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex in Alliance.
2026-27 OAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
- Mount Union 62 (6)
- Otterbein 54 (2)
- Ohio Northern 45 (1)
- Capital 32
- Muskingum 31
- Heidelberg 30
- Marietta 21
- Baldwin Wallace 17
**First place votes in parenthesis, coaches could not vote for their own team
