2026-27 Metro Top 10 Players: McKnight, Wucherpfennig and a Wave of Newcomers

2026-10-13

The Metro's best-player discussion is unusually dependent on development and transfer translation this season.

Keith McKnight and Declan Wucherpfennig return after promising freshman years. Bryce Eaton and Jadin Collins-Roberts can organize new supporting casts. Pace Prosser and Jojo Wallace arrive with substantial Division II production, while several Division I transfers have an opportunity to become more important in a new role.

This list ranks projected 2026-27 influence, not last season's scoring leaders. The historical numbers below are for 2025-26. They come from the player's prior program and do not represent a forecast.

1. Keith McKnight - Quinnipiac Bobcats

2025-26: 11.0 PPG / 5.9 RPG at Quinnipiac.

McKnight gets the first spot because his rim pressure and room for a sophomore jump make him central to a plausible championship team. Better perimeter shooting would add another layer to a player who already creates problems going downhill. Blue Ribbon names him its preseason Player of the Year; MMH shares that choice without assuming his freshman averages are his ceiling.

2. Declan Wucherpfennig - Fairfield Stags

2025-26: 12.1 PPG / 8.5 RPG at Fairfield.

The coaches' preseason Player of the Year gives Fairfield scoring and rebounding from a 6-7 player who can occupy more than one frontcourt role. The departure of Brandon Benjamin increases the importance of Wucherpfennig's development and rebounding. He could reasonably lead this list, especially if the expanded role remains efficient.

3. Pace Prosser - Siena Saints

2025-26: 18.6 PPG / 5.4 RPG / 4.5 APG at Gannon (DII).

Prosser brings scoring, rebounding and passing from a Division II national champion. His free-throw accuracy and experience making decisions under pressure are useful features for a new coaching staff. Third reflects the expected importance of his role rather than treating a Division II scoring average as a direct forecast for the Metro.

4. Bryce Eaton - Saint Peter's Peacocks

2025-26: 11.1 PPG / 3.0 RPG / 4.0 APG at Saint Peter's.

Eaton's organization matters to every other part of the Saint Peter's sleeper case. He can give incoming scorers usable possessions while supplying his own offensive pressure. His unanimous preseason first-team selection supports the view that his value exceeds the team's seventh-place coaches' pick.

5. Kosy Akametu - Iona Gaels

2025-26: 11.0 PPG / 5.0 RPG at Iona.

Akametu can pressure the defense off the dribble and gives Iona a returning creator with positional size. The incoming guard and frontcourt additions should let him attack within a deeper offense. Better decision-making and perimeter consistency would make him an even more influential player.

6. Abdou Khadre Kébé - Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers

2025-26: 7.7 PPG / 5.6 RPG at Mount St. Mary's.

Kébé's placement is a two-way judgment, not a ranking by scoring average. He made the league's all-defensive team and is a unanimous preseason first-team choice. His length, rebounding and defensive versatility help give the Mount a path upward; more reliable outside shooting would expand his offensive impact.

7. Denver Anglin - Merrimack Warriors

2025-26: 9.3 PPG / 2.1 RPG at Iona.

Anglin joins the defending regular-season champion with a significant scoring job available. His past shooting at Rice shows why Merrimack sees more upside than last season's percentage at Iona might suggest. He must make that shooting rebound happen against current competition, but the projected role makes him one of the league's consequential perimeter players.

8. Jojo Wallace - Sacred Heart Pioneers

2025-26: 24.8 PPG / 4.5 RPG / 2.5 APG at Southern New Hampshire (DII).

Wallace is among the most interesting scoring bets in the conference. He already experienced Division I at Iona before a productive Division II season. The appeal is his ability to create points in a substantial role, while the uncertainty is how efficiently he does it within Sacred Heart's new rotation. The past average is not a prediction of 24.8 points in the Metro.

9. Jadin Collins-Roberts - Marist Red Foxes

2025-26: 7.2 PPG / 4.5 RPG / 3.1 APG at Marist.

Collins-Roberts can make Marist's younger roster more functional. His rebounding and passing from the point guard position are particularly useful when the surrounding scorers are still learning their roles. A larger scoring contribution would help, but his place here primarily reflects his influence on the team's decisions and structure.

10. Keyshawn Mitchell - Iona Gaels

2025-26: 3.2 PPG / 2.7 RPG at VCU.

Mitchell's last-season numbers came in a smaller role at VCU. His earlier production at Bryant provides a stronger reason to expect an interior impact at Iona. Size, finishing and passing give him ways to contribute beyond a raw scoring average. His ranking is a projection of a larger Metro role, not a claim that his recent statistics already lead the league.

Just outside the Top 10

Ken Walker, Saint Peter's: A 21.3-point scorer at Division II Davenport who could change the Peacocks' offensive ceiling if his production translates efficiently.

Jeremiah Anderson, Merrimack: Felician's high-production lead guard could become the next important creator in Joe Gallo's system.

Todd Brogna, Merrimack: Passing and spacing can make him more useful than a scoring-only comparison suggests.

Tony Williams, Fairfield: A returning sophomore with a larger offensive opportunity on one of MMH's leading contenders.

Ben Tweedy, Manhattan: A proven Division I guard expected to help organize a substantially rebuilt roster.

Full Metro preview | Saint Peter's sleeper

Sources: Blue Ribbon Yearbook 2026-27; current school rosters and player biographies; official preseason honors. MMH rankings are editorial projections as of October 13, not the coaches' all-conference teams.

Official preseason honors | Eaton biography | Wallace preseason profile