Complete NAC Men's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll

WATERVILLE, Maine--The Maine Maritime Academy men's basketball team received 10 points and is predicted to finish in fourth place in the 2024-25 North Atlantic Conference East Division race, as the NAC office announced the preseason coaches' poll. The Mariners were just three points behind third UMaine-Presque Isle (13) and three ahead of Thomas College (7).

According to a vote of the division's five head coaches, the preseason conference rankings in the East are Husson University (25 points, 5 1st place), UMaine-Farmington (20), UMPI (13), Maine Maritime (10) and Thomas (7).

With their five top scorers returning--including four starters and a fifth part-timer--the Mariners figure to be more competitive than their fourth-place moniker given in the coaches' poll. Last season, Maine Maritime (10-15 Overall, 6-8 NAC) made the NAC postseason for the first time since 2019.

Senior center Curt Heinz headlines the group as he earned a slew of accolades in 2023-24: NAC Defensive Player of the Year, All-NAC First Team, D3 Hoops Region 1 Third Team, Maine Men's Basketball Coaches and Writers Association's Co-Player of the Year, MMBCWA Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-State and MMBCWA All-Defensive Team. The recognition was well-earned after averaging 19.6 points, 15.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists for tops in the state for all three categories, while shooting 55.2 percent from the field and 76.7 percent from the line. Heinz also recorded career highs with 61 blocks and 30 steals. He had a state-best 20 double-doubles and led NCAA Division III in total rebounds and defensive rebounds per game. For good measure, he reached the 1,000-point plateau (1,101) as a junior.

Fellow senior captain Carter Rubin, a forward, averaged 7.9 points and 3.6 rebounds. He is a three-year starter.

Classmate Markus Ramirez was the team's second-leading scorer at 11.4 points per game from his guard spot, making 46.8 percent of his field goal attempts and pacing the team with 47 three-pointers (.388). He chipped in 51 assists.

Junior guard Josiah Dancy is another multi-year starter for the Mariners. He had a career year across the statistical board with 239 points (10.0 ppg), 3.8 rebounding average, 89 assists and 19 steals.

Junior forward Isaiah Oquendo started in 11 of 20 games that he appeared last season. He averaged career bests of 7.2 points and 3.9 rebounds, as well as 45.9 field goal shooting and 35 assists.

Maine Maritime is under the direction of first-year head coach Cedric Gillette, who comes to Castine from NCAA Division I program Merrimack College out of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. There, he served as an assistant on the coaching staff and helped the 2023-24 Warriors to a 21-12 overall record (setting the program's season wins total as a Division I member) and a 13-3 record for a share of the regular-season title in the Northeast Conference--their last in the NEC. He helped in the development of Jordan Derkack (Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-NEC), Adam "Budd" Clark (Rookie of the Year, Second Team All-NEC, NEC All-Rookie Team) and Bryan Etumnu (NEC Most Improved Player) into earning postseason awards.

The Mariners have gotten off to a good start with a 78-66 exhibition victory at Central Maine Community College on Sunday. Sophomore forward Jack Banks came off the bench to pour in a game-high 22 points on 10 of 18 shooting in just 24 minutes. Banks also had seven rebounds. Heinz recorded a double-double with 15 points and game-high 17 rebounds to go along with nine assists, four steals and four blocked shots, and Ramirez chipped in 17 points. Maine Maritime outrebounded CMCC 44 to 25 and held the host team to 35.8 percent from the field.

Maine Maritime begins the 2024-25 season this weekend at the Messiah University Springhill Suites Camp Hill Tip-Off Tournament in Grantham, Pa. The Mariners open with the host Falcons on Friday at 7:30 p.m. MMA will play either Wilson or Mary Baldwin the following day in the third-place (1 p.m.) or championship (3 p.m.) game.