Forest, Va. -- The University of Lynchburg men's basketball team was selected sixth in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Preseason Coaches Poll, as announced by the conference office Wednesday.
Randolph-Macon headlines this year's preseason poll with 117 points and seven first-place votes. However, the race for the top spot was narrowly contested, as Roanoke finished just two points behind with 115 points and the remaining five first-place selections. Hampden-Sydney rounded out the top three with 99 points, while Randolph edged Washington and Lee for fourth place by a two-point margin, 84-82.
On the national stage, Randolph-Macon and Roanoke both earned recognition in the D3hoops.com Men's Top 25 Preseason Poll, checking in at No. 7 and No. 16, respectively. Hampden-Sydney also received five votes in the national rankings. Last season, Randolph-Macon and Roanoke represented the ODAC in the NCAA Division III Tournament.
During the 2025-26 campaign, Lynchburg finished with 14 victories, including a 9-7 record in conference play. The Hornets secured the fifth seed in the ODAC Tournament before their season concluded with a quarterfinal loss to Hampden-Sydney.
This season, head coach Hillary Scott and the Hornets enter the campaign with a balanced mix of returning talent and newcomers, featuring 21 players on the roster. Lynchburg returns three of its top five scorers from last season in Jesse Mitchell, Michael Gray and Jayson Easton. The Hornets also bring back two of their leading distributors in Jake Hart and Deondre Ross Jr.
Among the newcomers, Lynchburg welcomes a pair of junior transfers who will look to make an immediate impact. Andrew DaCosta joins the Hornets from Cairn, while Max Williams arrives from Western Carolina. During his most recent season at Cairn, DaCosta appeared in 28 contests, averaging 8.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.
The Hornets have also added considerable size to their frontcourt entering the new campaign. Standing at 6-foot-7, sophomore Kaden Hammond is set to make his Lynchburg debut after missing the entirety of last season due to injury. A pair of first-year forwards, 6-foot-7 Luke Anderson and 6-foot-6 Ryan Briggs, will also look to establish a presence in the paint.
Lynchburg will tip off its 2026-27 season on Nov. 11 against Pfeiffer, opening a six-game road stretch to begin the campaign.
MEN'S BASKETBALL ODAC PRESEAON POLL
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Randolph-Macon College (7) 117 pts.
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Roanoke College (5) 115 pts.
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Hampden-Sydney College 99 pts.
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Batten University 84 pts.
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Washington and Lee University 82 pts.
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University of Lynchburg 66 pts.
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Guilford College 62 pts.
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Averett University 56 pts.
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Shenandoah University 40 pts.
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EMU 29 pts.
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Bridgewater College 27 pts.
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Randolph College 15 pts.
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