Before they begin their inaugural season playing at the brand new Stony Brook Arena, the SBU men’s basketball team will get to celebrate another first.

On Thursday afternoon, it was announced that the Seawolves have finished in first place in this year’s America East men’s preseason coaches’ poll.

It is the first time in the program’s history that Stony Brook has been selected as the conference’s preseason favorite.

The Seawolves were able to top the poll after receiving six out of a possible eight first place votes.

Last year, Stony Brook finished with an overall record of 23-11 and went 13-3 in America East play.

The team then made it all the to the conference championship game before falling to Albany in the Seawolves final game at Pritchard Gymnasium.

A pair of Seawolves players also received individual preseason honors.

Juniors Jameel Warney and Carson Puriefoy were selected to the preseason America East All-Conference team.

Other selections included Albany’s Peter Hooley, Hartford’s Mark Nwakamma and Binghamton’s Jordan Reed.

Last season Warney averaged 14.5 points and eight rebounds a game.

Puriefoy averaged 12.9 points per game and led the Seawolves with 86 assists.

The Stony Brook women’s basketball team also enters the season with high expectations from coaches around the conference, as they finished in second place in the America East women’s preseason coaches poll.

Ranked first is Albany, who defeated the Seawolves in last year’s conference
championship game.

Senior forward Sabre Proctor was also named the to the all-conference team for the second consecutive season.

Last year she finished third in the conference in scoring, averaging 14.4 points per contest.

The four other players named to the all-conference team were Albany’s Shereesha Richards, Maine’s Liz Wood, UMass-Lowell’s Shannon Samuels and New Hampshire’s Corinne Coia.

The Stony Brook men’s basketball team will begin their season on Nov. 14, when they host Columbia.

The SBU women’s basketball team will tip off their season the following day when the Seawolves welcome Saint Peter’s to Stony Brook Arena.