Men’s basketball recap — Jon Surratt

Women’s basketball recap — Eric Kerr

The college basketball season — officially under three weeks away — started to feel much more real on Thursday.

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference announced its preseason awards and coaches poll Thursday night, naming Siena and Manhattan as its men’s and women’s favorites.

The Quinnipiac men’s team was picked to finish seventh — one year after a third-place projection — and the women’s team tied for second with Fairfield, earning two first-place votes to the Stags’ four.

A quartet of Bobcats also took home some hardware, with two players from each squad earning a preseason All-MAAC nod.

Junior guard Tyrese Williams and senior forward Jacob Rigoni were named to the preseason All-MAAC second and third teams, respectively.

Senior guard Shaq Edwards and sophomore forward Mikala Morris earned spots on the preseason All-MAAC second team.

Opening week is quickly approaching, with the first games of the college basketball season scheduled for Nov. 25. The Quinnipiac women tip off with a multiteam event at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Nov. 28-29. The men will play in a similar event on Dec. 3-4.