The NEC enters 2026-27 without last year’s dominant team. Fairleigh Dickinson went 18-0 in league play and won the tournament title, but it lost three of its best players and is projected to slip, leaving the race wide open. Four teams finished at 9-9 or 8-10 in league play, and several brought back good production from last year.
The Big Picture
Saint Francis (PA) is no longer in the league after dropping to Division III, leaving the NEC with nine teams. LIU has a new head coach in Baronton Terry, who replaces Neil Harrow after a 21-11 season. Le Moyne is now eligible for the NCAA Tournament for the first time, while Mercyhurst and New Haven are still working through the Division I reclassification process. Roster turnover is heavy, with over half the league having eight or more newcomers.
The two teams at the top of my order are built differently than most other programs in the league. Mercyhurst returns its leading scorer, its Rookie of the Year, and two other double-figure scorers, then adds four transfers. Stonehill brings back its top five scorers from a 12-18 team. Fairleigh Dickinson still has the pedigree to win the title again. Still, its three leading scorers, including the Defensive Player of the Year, are gone, and the replacements are a mix of transfers and freshmen who have to prove themselves. That is why I have the Knights fourth, a notch below a Le Moyne team that returns nearly everyone and should improve. Chicago State also returns the bulk of its production, and LIU is the biggest question mark after losing Kadidia Toure, the league’s Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, and changing coaches.
Skim Milkey’s Predicted 2026-27 Order of Finish
1 - Mercyhurst
2 - Stonehill
3 - Le Moyne
4 - Fairleigh Dickinson
5 - Chicago State
6 - LIU
7 - Wagner
8 - New Haven
9 - Central Connecticut
Skim Milkey’s Preseason All-NEC Conference Team
Jessica Farrell, G, Central Connecticut
Keona McGee, G, Chicago State
Leah Crosby, F, Fairleigh Dickinson
Rebecca Osei-Owusu, F, Fairleigh Dickinson
Ashley Buragas, F, Le Moyne
Eli Clark, G, Le Moyne
Peyton Dincher, G, Le Moyne
Janessa Williams, G, LIU
Cici Hernandez, G, Mercyhurst
Lena Walz, G, Mercyhurst
Sofia Wilson, G, Mercyhurst
Brooke Paquette, G, Stonehill
Ella Pelletier, G, Stonehill
Julia Webster, F, Stonehill
Reese Roggenburk, F, Stonehill
Mercyhurst
Record: 15-17, 14-4 NEC (2nd, tie, WNIT appearance)
Coach: Erin Mills-Reid, 2nd season, 15-17
Mercyhurst was one of the league’s top teams in Mills-Reid’s first year. The Lakers tied for second in the standings at 14-4, beat Stonehill in the quarterfinals, fell to LIU in the semifinals, and earned a WNIT bid, where they lost to Binghamton at home in the first round. The only significant departure is Jenna Van Schaik, who led the team in scoring and was a first-team all-conference pick before moving on to Illinois State.
The core is intact, and it is a good one. Cici Hernandez, the league’s Most Improved Player, made the first team at 13.7 points a game. Sofia Wilson took Rookie of the Year honors while running the offense with more than three assists a game, and Lena Walz gives the Lakers a third double-figure scorer. Erica Hall adds another reliable frontcourt scorer, and Alena Fusetti, Shannon Heine, Julia Lewis, and Ella Cupka provide continuity.
Mills-Reid used the portal to add depth. Carmaya Bowman arrives from Jacksonville, where she averaged 6.7 points and 4.5 rebounds as a junior. Layke Fields comes from Robert Morris, where she averaged 2.4 points and 2.3 rebounds as a freshman; Lauren Filien comes from Stony Brook; and Maya Aguilar comes from Division II Minot State. The freshmen are Niera Stevens, Natalie Spano, and Brooke Missry.
Bowman is the one newcomer who should step into a major role right away. One caution: the Lakers went 0-11 outside the league against a schedule that included Michigan State, Iowa State, West Virginia, and Syracuse, so all their wins came against NEC opponents. They beat Stonehill all three times and return three double-figure scorers, and with Fairleigh Dickinson retooling, I have Mercyhurst winning the regular season.
Players to watch: Cici Hernandez, Sofia Wilson, Lena Walz, Carmaya Bowman
Stonehill
Record: 12-18, 8-10 NEC (6th, tie)
Coach: Trisha Brown, 26th season, 445-265
Stonehill finished 12-18, tying for sixth in the league, and fell to Mercyhurst 70-64 in the quarterfinals. Five of its losses came by five points or fewer, and its scoring margin was just -5.1 points a game. Only Amaya Dowdy and Paige Martin are gone, the least attrition of any team in the conference.
With only two players leaving the roster, Stonehill has a ton of continuity in their program this season. Brooke Paquette led the team at 14.8 points and made the all-league first team. Julia Webster averaged nearly 11 points and nearly six rebounds, and Ella Pelletier earned All-Rookie honors with more than 10 points and six boards. Reese Roggenburk averaged 9.7 points and 7.3 rebounds in only seven games, so her return to a full season is a major boost. Breana Delaney, Emma Arcà, Phoena Dadson, Catelyn Wheeler, Shira Elkis, Bella Mallory, Rissi Smith, Sydney McLaughlin, and Megan Sias give Brown depth at every spot.
The only newcomers are freshmen Mollie Mullen, Skyler Walker, and Caitlin Boyle, and none of them have to play major minutes.
Brown has been at Stonehill for 25 years, and four returning players who scored close to or above 10 points a game should turn some of those close losses into wins. Mercyhurst beat the Skyhawks three times last season, which is why they sit behind the Lakers, but Stonehill is the main challenger.
Players to watch: Brooke Paquette, Julia Webster, Ella Pelletier, Reese Roggenburk
Le Moyne
Record: 12-21, 9-9 NEC (4th, tie)
Coach: Nick DiPillo, 3rd season, 19-45 (6th overall, 77-53)
Le Moyne improved a great deal in DiPillo’s second year, tying for fourth in the league and beating Wagner in the quarterfinals before losing to Fairleigh Dickinson by 20 in the semifinals. The Dolphins are now eligible for the NCAA Tournament for the first time. The biggest losses are senior Sierra Linnin, who averaged nearly 10 points per game, along with Amya McLeod and Michelina Lombardi.
Nearly everyone else is back, and the top of the group is strong. Ashley Buragas made the second team at 12.6 points and 7.2 rebounds, Eli Clark ran the offense and scored almost eight a game, and Peyton Dincher earned All-Rookie honors. Kayden Clark averaged 5.7 points, Jessica Wangolo 4.7, and Sydney Postell 4.6, and Ava Johnson, Rachel Lynch, Praise Matthews, Sophia Bonnell, and Ava Lucarotti add depth.
The newcomer list is short. Kendal Moxey arrives from Bowling Green, where she averaged 2.7 points last season, after earlier stops at Chesapeake and Daytona State. Gianna Nichols and Ava Bluhm are the freshmen.
Buragas gives the Dolphins a star, and the only real question is who replaces Linnin’s 9.6 points. With nearly everyone else back and few newcomers to integrate, Le Moyne should be better than a year ago, and with this much returning, I have the Dolphins third.
Players to watch: Ashley Buragas, Eli Clark, Peyton Dincher, Kendal Moxey
Fairleigh Dickinson
Record: 30-5, 18-0 NEC (1st, NCAA Tournament appearance)
Coach: Stephanie Gaitley, 4th season, 73-26 (40th overall, 757-419)
The Knights were unbeatable in the league, going 18-0 and beating Saint Francis, Le Moyne, and LIU to win the tournament title, then losing to Iowa in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Gaitley was the Coach of the Year. The losses are heavy: Ava Renninger, a first-team pick who led the team in scoring and assists, Kailee McDonald, a second-team selection, and Madlena Gerke, the Defensive Player of the Year, are all gone, along with Akeelah Lafleur and Bella Toomey.
Leah Crosby, an All-Rookie pick as a freshman, is the most important returner after posting more than seven points and nearly six rebounds. Rebecca Osei-Owusu put up 7.1 points and 6.5 rebounds, and Reese Downey gives the Knights a steady wing scorer. Jada Elston, Madison Stuart, and Theresa Biladi are back in smaller roles.
The portal class is large and varied. Jordis Reisner arrives from Central Arizona; Iriona Gravley comes from Drexel, where she averaged 1.3 points; Ane Valle from Felician; and Sofia Tavarez from Connecticut College. Only Gravley comes from a Division I team, so the bar is not high on paper. The freshmen are Megan Ngo, Ally Kaminski, Analyse Intenzo, Ophir Weintraub, Ryan Prunzik, and Maggie Bishopp.
Gaitley has won this league enough that nobody should bet against her, but no returner averaged more than 7.4 points, and the best newcomers come from outside Division I. This is a rebuilding year by Fairleigh Dickinson standards, but Gaitley’s track record is enough to keep the Knights fourth and ahead of Chicago State, and the transfers will have to settle in quickly if they want to defend their tournament title.
Players to watch: Leah Crosby, Rebecca Osei-Owusu, Reese Downey, Jordis Reisner
Chicago State
Record: 9-23, 8-10 NEC (6th, tie)
Coach: Corry Irvin, 3rd season, 16-49 (5th overall, 62-57)
Chicago State took a step forward in Irvin’s second year. The Cougars tied for sixth, won nine games after winning seven the year before, and lost to LIU by 22 in the quarterfinals. Aiyanna Culver only played 10 games, and Natalia Williams, Kayla Mount, Tania Allen, and Kace Urlacher are gone as well.
Nine players returned, giving Irvin a solid base. Keona McGee led the team with 12.2 points and earned All-Conference Second Team honors. Marisa Gant averaged 7.3 points, Kyara Champagne 6.1, Brianna Hill 4.9, and Chloe Sisco 4.8, and Paris Bass, Elani Randall, Kitali Youmans, Jade Hamilton-Gill, and Leya Landin provide the depth.
All five newcomers are freshmen: Mia Carter, Aunyai’ Deere, Eva Young, Emmanuelle Kaldjob, and Mazzy O’Brien. This gives Chicago State a solid talent base to develop this season and over the next few years.
The Cougars were outscored by 12.5 points a game last season, so they have a long way to go. They return nine players while LIU, Wagner, and New Haven each lost most of their scoring, which is why I have Chicago State fifth, with McGee as the go-to scorer.
Players to watch: Keona McGee, Marisa Gant, Kyara Champagne, Brianna Hill
LIU
Record: 21-11, 14-4 NEC (2nd, tie)
Coach: Baronton Terry, 1st season, 0-0
LIU had a strong season, tying for second at 14-4, beating Chicago State and Mercyhurst in the tournament, and losing to Fairleigh Dickinson by 22 in the final. Kadidia Toure was the conference Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year at 19.3 points and 10.6 rebounds, and she is now at Wisconsin. Solangelei Akridge, Kionna Gaines, Hannah Humphrey, and Janiya Reed are also no longer in the program. The team lost significant scoring, and Terry takes over for Harrow with a rebuilt roster.
Janessa Williams is the player to build around after earning first-team honors with 13.3 points and 6.9 rebounds. Anna Laura Molnárová averaged nearly seven points, and Leila Nunez, Camille Wiley, Saran Diallo, Carmela Nunez, and Kennady Gordon give Terry some continuity.
The newcomers are the biggest part of the roster, and only one of the transfers comes from Division I. Sydney Huskey comes from junior college Monroe, where she averaged 13.3 points as a freshman and 9.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists last season, and her Monroe teammate Fabiana Poindujour averaged 8.4 points and 3.0 assists. Ashlee Lee arrives from Dodge City Community College, where she averaged 2.6 points in a reserve role last season. Kylie Morris comes from Division II Davis & Elkins, where she averaged 11.0 points and 4.8 rebounds last season, and Meagen Scott arrives from Alabama State, where she averaged 0.9 points as a freshman. The freshmen are Teriyah McFadden, Symone Pittman, and Portia McLean.
Terry spent last season as an assistant on the LIU men’s staff that won the NEC and reached the NCAA Tournament, but this is his first college head coaching job. No one on the roster besides Williams has carried a scoring load in Division I. Huskey and Morris scored at lower levels and need to show it carries over, and a drop from 14-4 is the safe bet.
Players to watch: Janessa Williams, Anna Laura Molnárová, Sydney Huskey, Kylie Morris
Wagner
Record: 13-17, 9-9 NEC (4th, tie)
Coach: Terrell Coburn, 6th season, 59-86
Wagner finished tied for fourth, a five-win improvement on the year before, and lost to Le Moyne in the quarterfinals. Then most of the roster left. Lijirin Modesayor, a second-team pick at 11.0 points, Irene Fernandez de Caleya, Keana Foz, an All-Defense selection, Klea Kaci, and Priscila Varela are all gone.
Only four players returned, and none were major contributors. Saioa San Francisco averaged 2.7 points and Alivia Landy 1.6; Jada Johnson did not score, and Shamique Cummings has no recorded stats.
Coburn rebuilt through the portal. Stella Sgro arrives from San Jose State, where she averaged 4.5 points and 3.0 rebounds, and Lana Beslic arrives from Wyoming, where she averaged 2.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. Agatha Agba comes from Southern Illinois, where she rarely played, and Sophia Priestley comes from San Francisco. Neither averaged more than a point per game. Janna Dauer comes from Westcliff, Nahia Esnaola from Southwest Baptist, and Fati Fall from Fort Hays Tech Northwest. The freshmen are Avery Blue, Sylia Vigka, Layla Mapp, and Ama Ofori.
This is the league’s biggest overhaul, and the best returning scorer on the roster averaged 2.7 points. Sgro is the most proven newcomer. Even so, the portal class has only modest Division I production, so the Seahawks should need a full season to find their footing.
Players to watch: Stella Sgro, Lana Beslic, Saioa San Francisco, Janna Dauer
New Haven
Record: 7-22, 5-13 NEC (8th)
Coach: Debbie Buff, 8th season, 95-99 (23rd overall, 306-299)
New Haven struggled through another reclassification season, finishing eighth at 5-13 and missing the conference tournament field. The Chargers lost all nine of their games against Division I non-conference opponents. The league record was closer than the final standing suggests, with seven of the 13 losses coming by five points or fewer, including both games against Wagner and a 48-53 loss at Le Moyne. Two of the five league wins were one-point decisions over Saint Francis, which has left the NEC.
The bigger issue is who is gone. Aniya McDonald-Perry, a second-team all-conference selection, nearly averaged a double-double at 11.4 points and 9.3 rebounds while playing more than 35 minutes a night, and Lindsay Hogan, Addisen Sulikowski, and Merit Innocent are gone as well.
Schuyler Coles is the top returning scorer, averaging 6.4 points in nearly 24 minutes a game, and freshman Jasmine McKay scored 5.9 points in just 13.5 minutes a game. Teaira Kelley scored 5.2 points and was the team’s best returning rebounder, averaging just 2.8 rebounds, while Renelle Grannum added 2.2 assists and rebounds but scored little. Eveani Okwuosa, Mallory Farr, Samantha Battle, Jeeanna Pierantoni, and Simone Pugh-Greaves return with limited experience. This is a guard-heavy roster, so the biggest concern is the lack of size.
The three transfers are all former Division I freshmen who barely played. Carla Ramirez arrives from Central Arkansas, where she averaged 0.7 points in seven games; Claudia Lazaro from Rider, where she averaged 1.2 points in five games; and Laura Vera Ramirez from Albany, where she averaged 0.4 points in 10 games. Lazaro is a 6-2 forward and the tallest player on the roster, making her the most likely newcomer to help on the glass. The freshmen are Tanavia Turpin, Ailani Davila, Kaydence Daniels, Zanri Barnett, Kate Hennessy, Mia Gamon, and Tanaiya Clarke.
The Chargers lost close games and then lost the players who played the most in them, and the replacements have almost no college production. Coles is a steady piece, but a roster this thin up front is more likely to finish with another single-digit win total.
Players to watch: Schuyler Coles, Jasmine McKay, Teaira Kelley, Renelle Grannum
Central Connecticut
Record: 2-27, 2-16 NEC (10th)
Coach: Kristin Caruso, 2nd season, 2-27 (10th overall, 68-166)
Central Connecticut had a brutal 2025-26, winning two games and finishing last in the league at 2-16. They lost all 11 non-conference games against Division I opponents, including a 98-30 loss at Maryland, and their only two wins came against Chicago State and New Haven. All-Rookie selection Kiyah Lewis, who led the team with 13.8 points and 4.9 rebounds, is gone, as is Lucia Noin, who scored 13.5 points and grabbed 5.7 rebounds. Kayla Henry and Cierra Pearson are also gone.
Six players return, and Jessica Farrell, at 8.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in nearly 30 minutes a game, is the clear top option. Na-Kyah Williams scored 5.0 points but played only five games; Nicora Patrick scored 4.2 points with nine starts; and Mathilda Toure, Christa Ramos, and Jah’Nae Stevens round out the group, with none of the returners scoring in double figures.
Caruso added eight freshmen and no transfers, which means eight of the 14 players on the roster have never played a college game. The guards are Jill Dingler, Isys Dunphy, Liana Salamone, Valentina Vrcan, and Kyndal Box. The new size comes from Nyasia McKelvey, a 6-2 center, and Taryn Campbell and Vanyah Otey, both listed at 6-0, who join Toure and Stevens in a frontcourt that needs to be much better on the glass and around the rim.
The Blue Devils lost three of their top four scorers and replaced them with freshmen, and a defense that allowed more than 72 points a game has little margin for error. I have them last again, and a high-single-digit win total would be progress.
Players to watch: Jessica Farrell, Na-Kyah Williams, Nicora Patrick, Liana Salamone
NEC Round-Up
The regular season race comes down to Mercyhurst and Stonehill, who have the most returning scoring, and the Lakers beat the Skyhawks all three times last season. Le Moyne has the roster stability to take the third spot, while Fairleigh Dickinson has the coaching to make a run, but it has the most to replace. Chicago State returns nine players but must close a big scoring gap, and LIU is the wild card after losing its Player of the Year and coach.
With Saint Francis gone, the field is smaller, and with a new coach at LIU, a newly NCAA-eligible Le Moyne, and Mercyhurst and New Haven still in reclassification, the race will be more open than last year’s 18-0 result suggests.
Editor’s Note: Records and conference standings reflect the final 2025-26 NEC regular season and postseason. Player stats reflect 2025-26 production, unless noted. All nine rosters have been confirmed against official, live 2026-27 team pages as of October 21st. Coaching and roster notes reflect known offseason moves as of October 21st. Roster additions may shift rosters before the season opens in November and may affect the order as of this writing.
