WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – Monmouth University Men's Basketball was selected to finish third in the 2020-21 MAAC Preseason Poll by the league's coaches, officials announced on an awards show Thursday evening on ESPN3. Senior guard Deion Hammond (Mitchellville, MD/Riverdale Baptist School) was a unanimous selection to the All-MAAC Preseason First Team after earning a First Team spot last season.

The Hawks were chosen to tie for third, the same position they closed the 2019-20 season in. Siena was a unanimous choice to finish atop the standings, while Iona listed second. The Hawks were tied with Saint Peter's at 89 votes apiece, with Manhattan behind them at 77. Niagara and Quinnipiac followed in sixth and seventh, while Fairfield and Marist in eighth and ninth were separated by just three votes. Canisius was picked 10^th, with Rider rounding out the poll in 11^th.

Hammond was named a unanimous selection to the All-MAAC First Team, becoming the first player in Monmouth history to earn a spot on a MAAC Preseason Team three times. The guard was a Third Team choice prior to 2018-19 and a Second Teamer last year before improving to First Team by the end of the season. He is also the third Hawk to be a unanimous choice, joining Justin Robinson in 2016-17 and Micah Seaborn in 2017-18. A season ago, Hammond was named to the NABC All-District Second Team as well as being named an ECAC Second Team selection. He was one of two Hawks to start all 31 games, and led Monmouth in scoring at 16.3 points per game, threes made with 82, and field goals made with 174. The guard scored in double figures 27 times, and ranked second in the MAAC in total points with 505 and third in points per game. In addition, the Maryland native tied for the league high in threes made with 82 and ranked seventh in the MAAC in free throw percentage at 80.6%.

Monmouth's schedule for the upcoming 2020-21 season will be released shortly.