Montclair, NJ – The Montclair State University men's basketball team will open the 2025-26 season ranked in the national Top 25 for the first time since the 2003-04 campaign, as D3hoops.com lists the Red Hawks at No. 23 in its preseason poll.
 
Since its debut in 1999, D3hoops.com has served as the primary source for Division III men's basketball rankings. This marks just the second preseason Top 25 appearance in program history. The previous came ahead of the 2003-04 season, when Montclair climbed as high as No. 7 following a 23-6 record, an NJAC Championship, and an NCAA Tournament victory.
 
Montclair earned its 2025-26 preseason ranking after finishing 14th in last year's National Power Index (NPI). The Red Hawks went 22-7 overall, capturing both the NJAC Regular Season and Tournament Championships. They also hosted their first-ever NCAA Tournament pod, defeating Utica 79-57 in the opening round before falling to Western New England 79-61.
 
Montclair is one of two NJAC programs featured in the Top 25, joined by TCNJ at No. 24.
 
Below is how the rankings look heading into the season:

 

Rank	School (No. 1 Votes)	2024-25 Record	Points
1	Trinity (Conn.) (23)	30-3	623
2	Randolph-Macon (1)	24-5	537
3	Emory	23-6	529
4	Tufts	22-6	520
5	Washington U.	23-7	499
6	Redlands (1)	25-5	492
7	UW-La Crosse	25-6	397
8	Carthage	21-7	396
9	Christopher Newport	23-6	394
10	Roanoke	25-6	341
11	Chicago	18-8	340
12	Calvin	21-7	310
13	Wesleyan	30-2	278
14	Virginia Wesleyan	22-7	262
15	Mary Washington	15-15	239
16	Illinois Wesleyan	24-6	227
17	Hampden-Sydney	23-6	220
18	UW-Platteville	26-3	213
19	WPI	26-4	187
20	Hardin-Simmons	20-10	176
21	Maryville (Tenn.)	21-6	151
22	Catholic	25-6	112
23	Montclair State	22-7	111
24	TCNJ	20-8	84
25	St. Joseph (Conn.)	19-8	69

 






























The Red Hawks tip off the season at the Penn State–Harrisburg Tip-Off Classic on Saturday, November 8, taking on Dickinson at 6:00 p.m.