ANGOLA, Ind. – For the first time in program history, the Trine University men's basketball team sits atop the D3hoops.com Top 25 poll in the final edition of the national rankings for the 2023-24 season. The Thunder had been as high as #2 in the country both in the 2020-21 season and earlier this year. Trine collected all 25 first-place votes to be the unanimous number one as the reigning National Champions.
Under the direction of the D3hoops.com and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) National Coach of the Year Brooks Miller, the team had an NCAA DIII era record 29 wins on the year, including six in the NCAA Tournament to claim the final trophy in their first appearance.
The Thunder had to defeat the previous number one team in Hampden-Sydney College to move up from the #13 spot in the rankings. During the run for a national title, Trine also defeated nationally-ranked Coe College, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and Trinity (Conn.) College. At the national level, the team was 5th in steals per game (11.8), 11th in turnover margin (+5.0) and 25th in field goal percentage (48.1%). Emmanuel Megnanglo was fourth in blocks per game (3.1) this year and Aidan Smylie ninth in steals per game (2.8) in NCAA DIII.
Cortez Garland was named D3hoops.com Fifth Team All-American to wrap up his collegiate career as well as Second Team All-Region, Second Team All-District and First Team All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA). Fred Garland was also First Team All-MIAA while Megnanglo was the conference's Defensive Player of the Year. Smylie and Brent Cox were named to the Second Team All-MIAA as the team won their third MIAA regular season championship in the last six seasons.