INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The RMU men's basketball team has been selected to finish second in the 2026-27 Horizon League regular-season standings, according to the #HLMBB Preseason Poll of league head coaches and media members.
 
The Colonials are coming off a 2025-26 campaign in which they finished second in the Horizon League with a 22-11 overall record and 13-7 mark in conference play, and advanced to the conference semifinals for the second consecutive season.
 
Under the leadership of Pat Gallagher Head Coach Andy Toole, who enters his 17th season at the helm of the program, RMU received 446 total votes in the preseason poll. Wright State claimed the top spot with 492 votes.
 
The Colonials also had a pair of players selected to the #HLMBB Preseason All-League Second Team in sophomore guard Darius Livingston and senior guard Ace Valentine.
 
Livingston, a native of Orlando, Fla., enters his sophomore season after an impressive rookie campaign. The guard was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team and earned Horizon League Freshman of the Week honors three times. Appearing in 27 games while making seven starts, Livingston averaged 10.1 points per contest. He also ranked eighth in the Horizon League in three-pointers made per game, knocking down 2.3 triples per contest.
 
Valentine joins the Colonials after spending his first three collegiate seasons at UMBC. The Columbia, Md., native earned America East All-Conference Second Team honors during the 2025-26 season after helping lead the Retrievers to the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. Valentine averaged 11.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game last season.
 
2026-27 Under Armour #HLMBB Preseason Poll
Pl.       Team – Pts.
1.         Wright State – 492
2.         RMU – 446
3.         Green Bay – 367
4.         Oakland – 354
5.         Northern Kentucky – 336
6.         Milwaukee – 309
7.         Detroit Mercy – 271
8.         Purdue Fort Wayne – 244
9.         Youngstown State – 192
10.       NIU – 142
11.       Cleveland State – 121
12.       IU Indianapolis – 80
 
#HLMBB Preseason Player of the Year
Kellen Pickett, Wright State
 
Preseason All-League First Team (alphabetical order by school)
Marcus Hall, Green Bay
Danilo Jovanovich, Milwaukee
DeAndre Craig Jr., Purdue Fort Wayne
CJ O'Hara, Wright State
Kellen Pickett, Wright State
 
Preseason All-League Second Team (alphabetical order by school)
Tyler Spratt, Detroit Mercy
Chandler Jackson, Milwaukee
Darius Livingston, RMU
Ace Valentine, RMU
Dominic Pangonis, WSU