WESTERVILLE, Ohio — The Marietta College men's basketball team was picked second in the Ohio Athletic Conference preseason poll in voting by the conference coaches. The Pioneers received one first place vote and will sit a notch below top-rated Mount Union in the OAC Preseason Poll announced Friday (Oct. 31) morning by the league office.
 
"We are flattered to be picked preseason second in the OAC, one of the best conferences in the country," said new Marietta head coach Andy Bucheit. "However, it's never about preseason rankings or how you start the season. Our hope is that the players, coaches, and everyone associated with our program will work relentlessly to ensure we finish the season the right way."
 
The University of Mount Union received eight first place votes and led the poll with 64 total points. The Pioneers got the other first-place vote and totaled 53 points in the poll.
 
Muskingum University is projected to finish third, earning 47 points. Otterbein University was fourth with 44 points, while Baldwin Wallace University was fifth with 34 points.
 
The bottom four includes Capital University in sixth place with 31 points, Heidelberg University in seventh place with 22 points, Ohio Northern in eighth place with 19 points, and Wilmington College in ninth with 10 points.
 
Marietta will look improve upon a 11-14 regular season record, including a 5-13 record in the OAC, last year. They will open the 2025-26 campaign at the Ursinus Bear Bash Tip-Off Tournament in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. The Pioneers will play Misericordia University on Friday (Nov. 7) at 5:30 p.m. If they win, they will battle the winner of the Elmira College/Ursinus College matchup on Saturday (Nov. 8) at 3:00 p.m. If they fall on Friday, the Pioneers will play in the consolation game at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
 
"Win today will always be our focus," concluded Coach Bucheit. "Not what's behind us or a couple days ahead of us. We have been proud of our group so far; they've embodied this mindset."
 
The complete poll is below. First place votes are in parenthesis.
 
OAC Preseason Coaches Poll:
1. Mount Union (8) — 64
2. Marietta (1) — 53
3. Muskingum — 47
4. Otterbein — 44
5. Baldwin Wallace — 34
6. Capital — 31
7. Heidelberg — 22
8. Ohio Northern — 19
9. Wilmington — 10