WATERVILLE, Maine - The University of Maine at Farmington men's basketball team, winners of the 2026 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Championship, were picked to repeat as NAC Champions this season by the conference coaches, as announced on Tuesday afternoon in the Preseason Poll.
The 2025-26 season for the Beavers was one of the most successful in program history. The season saw them win their first NAC Championship trophy since 2010, earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament, and defeat the 10th-ranked team in the nation to secure the program's second NCAA Tournament victory in program history.
The Beavers finished with a 23-6 record a season ago, going 17-1 in NAC play to earn the top seed in the NAC Tournament and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. As the No. 1 seed, Farmington earned a bye into the NAC Semifinals, where they faced off against fifth-seeded SUNY Cobleskill. Farmington earned a 94-63 victory over the Fighting Tigers to advance to the championship game against third-seeded the University of Maine at Presque Isle. Farmington led wire-to-wire, topping the Owls, 84-58, to earn the NAC's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. Farmington drew a trip to New Jersey for a matchup with Montclair State in the opening round. The Beavers battled to a 96-84 victory over the Red Hawks to advance to the second round, where they faced Yeshiva University. The memorable season came to a halt there as the Beavers fell, 92-69.
The conference consists of just eight teams this season, with SUNY Cobleskill and SUNY Delhi departing at the beginning of the 2026-27 academic year. The top six teams will once again earn a playoff berth this year, with the top two teams receiving a bye into the semifinal round.
Poll Results
- UMaine-Farmington – 60 pts (6)
- Husson University – 52 pts (1
- )UMaine-Presque Isle – 49 pts
- Maine Maritime Academy – 39 pts (1)
- Thomas College – 32 pts
- Lesley University – 25 pts
- Vermont State University Lyndon – 23 pts
- Vermont State University Johnson – 8 pts
The Team
Farmington returns its top six players from last year's roster in reigning NAC Player of the Year Zach McLaughlin (Hampden, Maine), NAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year Jason Reynolds (Winslow, Maine), Third Team All-Conference recipient Gabe Michaud (Gorham, Maine), double-figure scorers Kory Donlin (Warren, Maine) and Charlie Houghton (Dixfield, Maine), and the team's defensive ace Brayden St. Pierre (Readfield, Maine). The group combined to account for 89% of the team's points last season.
McLaughlin had the best scoring season in program history, totaling 670 points to set a new program record and surpass the previous mark, which had stood for nearly 50 years. He averaged 25.8 points per game, good for sixth in all of Division III. Reynolds also had a storybook season a year ago for the Beavers, averaging 17.3 points and 15.5 rebounds per game. Reynolds led the country in rebounding, regardless of division, in both total rebounds (449) and rebounds per game. In 29 games last season, Reynolds recorded 26 double-doubles, which was also the highest total in the country.
Farmington's offense is orchestrated under the direction of Michaud, who is one of the best passers in the conference and finished with a conference-high 5.9 assists per game last season. Michaud also led the team in minutes played, averaging 33.3 per game during his sophomore campaign.
Donlin and Houghton provide great secondary scoring for the Beavers behind McLaughlin and Reynolds. Donlin finished third on the team in points per game last season, averaging 12.7, primarily coming off the bench. Donlin scored at an extremely efficient clip, shooting 50.6% from the floor last season. Houghton averaged 10.3 points per game last season, starting all 29 games for Farmington. He also finished second on the team in rebounding, averaging 4.8 per game.
St. Pierre provides phenomenal defense and three-point shooting for the Beavers. Last season, he was routinely tasked with defending the opponent's best player and finished the season with 28 steals and 11 blocks. As a shooter, St. Pierre shot an efficient 45.7% from beyond the arc, knocking down 42 three-pointers last season.
First-years Jameson Fitzpatrick (Cumberland, Maine) and Mason Nguyen (Warren, Maine) should seamlessly fit in and earn minutes this season for a Beavers team that will look to repeat as conference champions.
Season at a Glance
The Beavers opened their season over the weekend with a 67-57 victory over Suffolk University on Saturday afternoon. The game kicked off a difficult non-conference schedule that includes matchups against NESCAC opponents Williams, Connecticut College, and Bowdoin, as well as two-time defending GNAC Champions Saint Joseph's College of Maine. The matchup with the Monks will serve as the Beavers' 2026-27 home opener on November 24 at 7:30 p.m. in what is expected to be one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the season.
Farmington opens conference play at home against the University of Maine at Presque Isle on January 9 in a rematch of last season's NAC Championship. All teams in the conference will play each other twice, once at home and once on the road.
