New Hampshire vs Rider prediction: Rider rebuilds from zero as New Hampshire visits Lawrenceville

Rider starts over entirely

Rider went 4-25 last season and finished 357th of 365 in adjusted net efficiency (points per 100 possessions, adjusted for opponents). That number describes a team that no longer exists. The Broncs return 0.0% of last season's minutes, which makes their 2025-26 profile close to useless as a guide.

The two leading scorers are gone. Flash Burton averaged 15.1 points and Zion Cruz 13.8, and the roster lists neither. In their place comes a rebuilt backcourt led by Mark Butler, who started all 32 of his games at Lafayette last season and averaged 4.2 assists. His 111.6 offensive rating there was efficient for a lead guard. Junior center Stephen Avegah Semey arrives from Western Oklahoma State and junior guard Nasir Washington from Casper College, alongside three freshmen. Kevin Baggett is listed as head coach.

The open question is who scores. Butler took only 20 threes all of last season, and Khalil Farmer, coming off the UMass Lowell bench, shot 32.1% from deep. Rider's spacing will be a work in progress.

New Hampshire's three-point habit

New Hampshire, in its fourth season under Nathan Davis, went 9-21 last season and leaned on the perimeter. The Wildcats ranked 100th in 3-point attempt rate, taking 43.5% of their shots from deep, but made only 30.9% of them, 328th nationally. The result was an offense that ranked 355th of 365 in adjusted offensive efficiency in last season's final ratings.

Last season's Rider defense would have been a welcome sight: opponents shot 37.4% from three against the Broncs, 358th in the country. But with a fully new roster, that defensive number carries little weight now. New Hampshire's own returning core isn't listed in our data, so its 2025-26 tendencies are a starting point rather than a certainty.

Glass and the free-throw line

The Wildcats' clearest strength last season was finishing defensive possessions. They grabbed 74.1% of available defensive rebounds, 25th in Division I, which limited second chances for opponents. If that holds, a Rider offense still learning its personnel will need to make its first shot.

The weakness sits at the line. New Hampshire shot 66.0% on free throws, 355th of 365, and rarely got there, ranking 332nd in free throw rate (free throw attempts per field goal attempt). In a low-possession game between two rebuilding sides, missed free throws late could swing the result.

A new event, an early test

This game is part of the Thursday slate of the inaugural America East–Metro Basketball Challenge, which runs Nov. 5 through Nov. 8. Rider is among four Metro schools taking part only on the men's side.

New Hampshire opens the season Nov. 2 at Brown before the trip to Lawrenceville. That would give the Wildcats one look at their rotation before facing a Rider team whose pieces are mostly playing together for the first time at Alumni Gymnasium. Rider played slowly last season, ranking 295th in pace, while New Hampshire was middle of the pack at 193rd, so a methodical game is a reasonable expectation.