ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – Senior guard Zion Cruz (Trenton, NJ/Donda [DePaul/Pratt CC]) was picked to the Preseason All-MAAC Third Team and the Rider University men's basketball team was picked 10^th in the MAAC Preseason Coaches Poll, the league office today announced. Two-time defending Regular Season Champion Quinnipiac was picked as the preseason favorite with eight first-place votes and 158 points. Siena (152 points, 3 first-place vote), Sacred Heart (140 points, 2 first-place votes), Manhattan (133 points) and Marist (115 points) rounded out the top five.

Iona (104), Merrimack (85), Fairfield (74) and defending MAAC Tournament Champion Mount St. Mary's (69) preceded the Broncs (59) in the poll, ahead of Saint Peter's (48), Niagara (26) and Canisius (20).

Cruz started 24 of 30 games played a year ago finishing third on the team at 10.1 ppg. He shot 35.6 percent from beyond the three-point arc, best on the team among those with more than 1.0 three-point field goal made per game and 15^th in the MAAC. He scored in double figures 16 times.

Also back for the Broncs is point guard Flash Burton (Philadelphia, PA/Cardinal O'Hara), who started 12 of 33 games played, including the final 10 games of the season, averaged 7.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, posting a 1.4 assist-to-turnover ratio (15^th-MAAC). Cole McCabe (Miami Beach, FL/Miami Country Day/IMG Academy) also returns after playing in 26 games, including one start, as a true freshman.

Joining the cast of returners is a group of 10 incoming student-athletes. The class includes seven transfer student-athletes, including five with previous Division I experience and three freshmen. Transfers Davis Bynum, Mohamad Diallo, Shemani Fuller, Daniel Helterhoff, Caleb Smith, Devean Williams and Antwan Wilson join true freshmen AB Coulibaly, Kristupas Kepežinskas and Jamir McNeil.

The Broncs play host to Rowan in an exhibition game on Oct. 25 at 3 p.m. at Alumni Gym, before traveling to Virginia for their season opener on Nov. 3.