By Matt Koll
The PAC men’s basketball tournament is upon us. It’s when all the hard work, all the long hours of preparation, all of the games spent refining these teams culminates into their shot at a conference championship.
Only five teams made it out of the PAC schedule with a .500 record or better while W&J and Chatham stood as the only 20+ game winners of the season.
Let’s look at each team in the bracket as the tournament is set to begin.
#1 WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON (21-4) (16-2)
The Presidents put the ball through the nylon. A lot. They come in as the PAC’s top scoring team averaging 88.7 points per game and have scored 90+ points on 12 separate occasions this season, while posting over 100 points in six.
W&J comes into the tournament winners of nine in a row, though head coach Ethan Stewart-Smith says that the late season surge is nothing more than a relatively young team coming together.
“It has taken some time to build our identity and I believe we are beginning to reach our potential at the right time. We now have a pretty clear vision of our individual roles and what each guy needs to do in order for us to be successful. It has been really rewarding to see the growth of our sophomore class as a whole, and their maturation is a big reason why we are so successful this year.”
That sophomore class features three of the Presidents’ top four scores (Gearhart, Mazza, Bigley) yet it’s junior Kyran Mitchell who leads this team averaging 17.2 ppg.
“Kyran’s competitiveness is what separates him from everyone else,” said Stewart-Smith. “He has a high motor and is a relentless competitor that is willing to do whatever we need on a nightly basis to win. He has started to trust his teammates more as they continue to produce at a high level, so he understands that some nights we need him to defend and rebound, some nights we need him to score, and some nights we need him to facilitate. He is the most complete basketball player I have coached, and we rely on him to do a little bit of everything on a nightly basis.”
They’ll use their depth and versatility to try to make run at a title, two things they’ve relied on to earn the top seed.
Next game: Tuesday vs. winner of #8 Grove City-#9 Saint Vincent
#2 Chatham (19-4) (14-4)
The Cougars finish the regular season with the best scoring margin in the league at +16.1, four points better than any other team in the league. Head coach David Richards says it speaks to their consistency, but also their team defense.
“Our guys have done a great job competing night in and night out on the defensive side of the ball. We had a huge focus early in the year on improving defensively and they have really bought into it.”
The Chatham men’s basketball program continues to build and grow as it found early success in coming to the PAC, winning the title in 2019 and now posting another stellar season. Malik Potter (17.4 ppg) leads the way in scoring, while Marcos Cintron (14.5 ppg) and Ben Pollock (12.0 ppg) provide some horsepower behind him.
They have all the components to challenge for a title. But, it’s worth noting that they ended the regular season on a 2-game losing streak and having lost three of their final five games, although Malik Potter didn’t play in the final game against Franciscan.
Next game: Tuesday vs. winner of #7 Franciscan-#10 Bethany
#3 WESTMINSTER (16-8) (13-5)
The Titans are a top-5 team across the board in virtually every statistical category, leading to this #3 seed in the PAC Tournament. They’ve gained their edge on the offensive boards though, finishing the season ranked 2nd in offensive rebounding.
They’ll rely on the senior Ritter brothers, Daniel (16.4 ppg) and Anthony (12.5 ppg) as well as the rebounding prowess of Josh Hutcherson (8.9 rebs/gm) and Tyler James (7.5 rebs/gm) to buoy them through the playoffs.
Next game: Tuesday vs. #6 Thiel
#4 GENEVA (14-9) (12-5)
You’re almost always in for a fast-paced, high-scoring affair when you play this Geneva team. The Golden Tornadoes are the third-highest scoring team in the PAC, but have given up an average of over 80 points per game.
Leading that all-out attack is junior Lyle Tipton, the PAC’s leading scorer averaging a whopping 25 points per game, backed by his 3rd-best field goal shooting percentage (52.6%). Tipton is a six-time 30+ point scorer this season. If they get into a tight game late, Geneva can use the free line as a weapon as well. They own the league’s best free throw shooting percentage as a team and junior Ryan Rachic is the top free thrower shooting in the conference at 84.4%.
Next game: Tuesday vs. #5 Waynesburg
#5 WAYNESBURG (13-12) (9-9)
The Yellow Jackets surprised some people with how well they fared this season under head coach Tim Fusina. Fusina himself calls it a “rebuilding process” and is proud of the progress they’ve made.
“From where this program was when we started to where we are today is night and day,” said Fusina. “Having nine wins in our first two years (albeit an abbreviated second season), to thirteen wins in year three (our second full season) is something we are proud of. It is because of the people we have in the program. They are all amazing young men with bright futures. Their work ethic, attention to detail and selflessness allows them to be coached on a daily basis and they are a pleasure to work with.”
Waynesburg has turned to senior guard Matt Popeck for leadership, averaging 20.7 points per game, which is second to only Geneva’s Lyle Tipton.
“I am extremely proud of all that Matt has accomplished over our time together. He leads by example and his example is to always give his best and do whatever it takes to win basketball games. He is as pure a scorer as there is in the PAC and is a huge reason for our quick turnaround,” said Fusina.
The Yellow Jackets ran into a rough patch to end the season though, losers of five of their final six games. They’ll need to rely on their top-ranked defense as well if they want to get through Geneva in the first round and beyond.
Next game: Tuesday @ #4 Geneva
#6 THIEL (8-15) (7-10)
Another year, another Thiel team that relies on its rebounding and second-chance opportunities to score. While Thiel doesn’t boast the best shooting numbers, they’re the league’s 2nd-best offensive rebounding squad and the top ranked defensive rebounding team. They’re +8 rebounding margin is 2nd in the PAC as well.
Senior Ahmad Tejumola provides leadership averaging over 13 points per game but also as the conference’s top rebounder (11.5 rebs/gm). The Tomcats are hot right now, winners of their last five games to round out the regular season.
Next game: Tuesday @ #3 Westminster
#7 FRANCISCAN (9-15) (7-11)
Grad student Sean Hickey is a star, averaging 20 points per game and finishing the regular season as the PAC’s 3rd-best scorer. Redshirt sophomore Travis Zimmerman (12.6 ppg) and sophomore Tristen McDannell (10.3 ppg) are their other double-digit scorers.
The Barons can score, they’re averaging 84.5 points per game. The problem is, they give up an average of 87.3 points per game. Teams have to protect the ball against them as well, they are second in the PAC in team steals. If they can find a way to tighten up on defense, they could be dangerous.
Next game: Monday vs. #10 Bethany
#8 GROVE CITY (9-15) (5-12)
An unfortunate three game losing streak to end the season sunk Grove City’s seeding in the PAC Tournament and relegated them to the play-in round. The Wolverines do their best work on the boards, owning the PAC’s best rebounding margin (+12.2) and snagging more offensive rebounds than any other team in the league as well.
They’ve got a strong defense as well, but some lapses in scoring have held them back.
Next game: Monday vs. #9 Saint Vincent
#9 SAINT VINCENT (3-21) (2-16)
The Bearcats have had a tough 2021-22 season, but you can chalk it up to growing pains as the Bearcats roster featured all freshman and sophomores. Sophomore Osyon Jones and sophomore Nelson Etuk are among those who have shown promise this season.
Next game: Monday @ #8 Grove City
#10 BETHANY (2-18) (2-13)
Junior Asa Klimchock put together a fine season, averaging 12.4 points per game, good for 16th in the conference overall. Sophomore Travis Zimmerman finished just outside the top 20 scorers, while also ranking in the top 12 in rebounding. The Bison did notch a 103-100 win against their play-in round opponent Franciscan earlier this season.
Next game: Monday @ #7 Franciscan
