Poughkeepsie, NY - The #RV Vassar College Men's Basketball team begins its Liberty League title defense this weekend at the Chuck Resler Tournament at the University of Rochester as the Brewers will take on #RV Denison on Friday at 3:00 p.m. and then will close the weekend with a matchup against the Yellowjackets or Allegheny on Saturday. Vassar is receiving votes in the D3hoops.com Preseason Poll and was picked as the preseason favorite in the Liberty League Coaches Poll.

Quick Glance

• Vassar earned its second Liberty League crown in program history last season after winning a program-best 20 games, including a program-best 13 conference games, and defeated second-seeded Union and top-seeded RPI in its Liberty League title run.
• VC returns four of its five starters from a season ago while Vassar ranked in the top-20 nationally in multiple defensive categories.
• The Brewers were fourth in three-point defense (27.6-percent), 14th in field goal percentage (38.8-percent), 15th in scoring defense (64.2) along with ranking 17th in rebounding at 42.6 per game.
• Vassar made its second NCAA appearance in school history against nationally-ranked Hood last season after winning its second conference title on the campus of RPI.

A Look at the Brewers

• D3hoops.com Preseason Fourth Team All-American senior Shea Fitzgerald spearheads the returning starters for Vassar as he averaged 16.8 points per game and recorded career-highs in three-pointers made (84), rebounds (5.0 per game), assists (85) and free-throw percentage (88.4-percent) to earn All-Liberty League First Team and All-Region Second Team status.
• Fitzgerald enters the season ranked fourth all-time in points with 1,344 along with being fourth in three-pointers made in a career with 184. His career scoring average of 17.0 points per game sits third all-time in Vassar history and he is just six made free throws away from breaking the Vassar program record. The senior currently ranks third all-time in steals in his career with 126 and is in the top-10 in assists and assists average.
• Junior Parker Neuenhaus returns following his All-Liberty League Second Team selection following his 14.0 points per game, 6.1 rebounds and 24 blocked shots.
• Senior Avery Lee is back following his injury from a season ago as he was averaging 16.7 points and 3.8 assists per game over the nine contests he started in.
• Seniors Sebastian Medina and Kreekor Karageuzian are back to help lead the stingy Vassar defense behind Medina's 29 steals and 26 blocks along with 77 assists while Karageuzian finished with 96 assists, 38 steals and added 4.5 rebounds per game.
• Sophomore Kas Mirza made a huge late season impact last season as he poured in 18 points in the Liberty League First Round win over Skidmore and had a career-high 21 points in the NCAA First Round matchup against Hood.
• Sophomore Gyasi Zinn returns following a season that saw him lead the team in blocks with 37, which ranks top-10 in program history in a single season, and added 4.7 rebounds off the bench.
• Junior Will Gregory knocked down the second-highest total in three-pointers last season with 23 and senior Eric Zhang provides key impact off the bench as he helped Vassar to a key win over St. Lawrence last season with a career-high 18 points.
• Senior Noah Mann, senior Kale Elmhors and sophomore Jack Moineau also return to provide important depth off the bench for the Brewers. Sophomore Preston Neuenhaus also returns after missing all of last season with an injury.
• Vassar welcomes its first year class of Eshan Kulkarni, Lawrence Lam, Arthur Shevick and Chris Ferrare to the mix in 2026-27.

Preseason Poll

1. Vassar - 79 (8 first place votes)
2. RPI - 70 (1 first place vote)
3. Union - 70 (1 first place vote)
4. Ithaca - 54
5. Hobart - 46
6. Skidmore - 46
7. Clarkson - 33
8. St. Lawrence - 23
9. RIT - 20
10. Bard - 9

Coaching Staff

• Head Coach Ryan Mee returns for his ninth season at the helm of the Brewers along with assistant coach Leo Clibanoff entering his third season on the bench. The duo earned the Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year honor in 2024-25.

The Schedule

• Following the opening weekend at Rochester, Vassar will play its lone home game of the first semester against Williams on November 18.
• The Brewers head to the Governors Challenge in Salisbury, Maryland against Notre Dame of Maryland and Randolph-Macon on November 21 and 22.
• Next will be an exhibition against Bryant on December 1 before opening conference play on the road against Ithaca and Hobart on December 4 and 5.
• VC then takes on Skidmore on the road on December 9 followed by playing Stevens and Cortland at the Stevens Holiday Classic on December 29 and 30.
• Vassar enters the new year in the North Country against Clarkson and St. Lawrence on January 8 and 9.
• The first home games of 2027 will take place on January 15 against RIT and January 16 against Union.
• Vassar will close its three-game homestand against Skidmore on January 19 before hitting the road against RPI on January 22 and Bard on January 23.
• The Brewers will open a four-game homestand against St. Lawrence on January 29 followed by Clarkson on the 30th.
• VC will end the homestand against Bard on February 5 and RPI on February 6.
• The final road conference games of the season will take place on February 12 at Union and February 13 against RIT.
• Vassar will close the regular season at home on the weekend of February 19 and 20 against Hobart and Ithaca.
• The First Round of the Liberty League Championship will be played on February 23 followed by the semifinals on February 26.
• The conference champion will be crowned on Sunday, February 28.