The Chatham Cougars are the reigning PAC champs.
Last season saw the Chatham Cougars emerge as conference champions for the second time since 2019, running the table as the four seed for the second time as well. Despite being the defending champs, Chatham ended up second in the PAC preseason coaches poll. Let’s preview the PAC men’s basketball field for the 2023-24 season in order of the preseason poll results.
#1 WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON PRESIDENTS (90 points)
Key returners: Senior guard Nick Gearhart, senior guard J.R. Mazza, sophomore guard Matt Seidl
Key loss: Kyran Mitchell
The Presidents racked up 16 conference wins last year to earn the top seed in the PAC Tournament. They unfortunately fell short of the ultimate goal but they’re geared up for another run at it this season, led by senior guard Nick Gear…hart (you like that?). Gearhart averaged just under 13 points per game last season while shooting 33% from three. He and fellow senior J.R. Mazza will be relied upon for their leadership and steady play throughout the season.
“Nick and JR are among our leaders with their experience and the example they set with their play,” said head coach Ethan Stewart-Smith. “We have a pretty collective leadership group that includes most of our seniors. We are fortunate to have many veterans in our locker room that have experienced winning at a high level. We will lean on our entire senior class for collective leadership as the year progresses.”
Leading scorer Matt Seidl also returns for the Presidents who finished the regular season as the 2nd-highest scoring team in the conference. They’ll also try to repeat their performance in the turnover margin, leading the PAC by a large number over the rest of the field.
According to Stewart-Smith, the roster is similar to the past two seasons in which they’ve had great success and he’s also hopeful they’ll have more of an interior presence with sophomore Alex Acosta and freshman Nathan Plotner, who both have developed their offensive game.
#2 CHATHAM COUGARS (88 points)
Key returners: Senior guard Simon Boyer, junior guard Isaiah Smith, junior guard Blaine Gartley
Key loss: Marcus Cintron
The Cougars are coming off a magical run in which they ran the table as a four seed all the way to another PAC championship. Sure, they lost their top scorer in Marcus Cintron, but they’ve got plenty of firepower on the roster to make another run at it.
Head coach David Richards already addressed a title defense to his team.
“We discussed it in our first team meeting and now it’s in the past,” said Richards. “This team knows last year’s success has nothing to do with this year. We have to focus on the process of getting better every day to prepare for PAC play.”
Blaine Gartley returns after being named the PAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player last season. Gartley averaged just under 10 points per game in the regular season but came alive in a big way when his team needed him most.
“Blaine has improved his game each season he’s been here. He’s become a guy where it’s really hard to take him out of games because of how much he impacts the game on both ends of the floor,” Richards said. “He has made himself into one of the best on ball defenders and playmaking point guards in the league. He’s another coach on the floor for us. His leadership and toughness fuels our team. I believe Blaine will have his best season yet. He put a ton of work in in the offseason and preseason. The best thing about Blaine is he’s willing to do whatever it takes to win.”
Simon Boyer and Isaiah Smith return as double digit scorers as well. Expect this team to hold it’s same overall identity as last season, playing fast with great ball movement and perimeter scoring. Richards says they should have more of an inside presence offensively and play with the same defensive energy and intensity.
#3 ALLEGHENY GATORS (73 points)
Key returners: Senior forward Andre Wilder, junior guard Luke Barker, sophomore guard Ryan Lang
Key loss: Caden Hinckley
The Gators made a run to the title game last season after putting together a 15-5 record in PAC play. They lost their top scorer Caden Hinckley from last season, but Andre Wilder, Luke Barker and Ryan Lang all averaged over 14 points per game last year and are all coming back.
“We aren’t too worried about replacing Hinckley’s impact on offense. We know a long list of guys who are ready to step up and make some extra shots,” head coach Josh Clemens said. “We have challenged our upperclassmen to replace him on defense and his leadership in the locker room. That is always a harder hole to fill, but we know our guys can do it.”
They will certainly have a high bar to reach again offensively. Allegheny was the PAC’s top scoring team last season and led the conference in scoring margin by eight points. Clemens says his team will adopt a “space and pace” mentality on offense, trying to control the tempo and dominate the possessions.
In his first full year on campus, Clemens will have plenty of talent to work with and a hungry team that came so close to the ultimate prize last year.
#4 SAINT VINCENT BEARCATS (71 points)
Key returners: sophomore forward Jaden Gales, sophomore guard Mike Iuzzolino
Key losses: Shemar Bennett
The Bearcats are looking to take another step forward after compiling a winning record in conference play last season. Jaden Gales burst onto the scene with a fantastic season, averaging over 17 points per game, shooting 50% from the field as a freshman. It was enough to earn him first team All-PAC honors and you’d think that his game is only going to evolve from here.
Saint Vincent was stingy defensively last season, averaging the third fewest points against in the league. They were also efficient offensively, finishing as the 2nd-best field goal shooting team in the PAC, though they were the bottom dwellers in three point shooting percentage.
Returning sophomore guard Mike Iuzzolino averaged 15.1 points per game, putting together a fantastic freshman season himself. Saint Vincent is full of young talent, with potentially their best days still to come.
#5 THIEL TOMCATS (66 points)
Key returners: senior guard Marlon Ellerbee, sophomore guard Elijah Harden, senior forward Rashod Hooper
Key losses: Ethan Barnes, Ahmad Tejumola, Beni Lavodrama
The Tomcats look to get into the upper echelon of the PAC this season, overcoming a few seniors that have left the program. But, seniors Marlon Ellerbee (14.6 ppg) and Rashod Hooper (9.2 ppg, 7.8 rebs per game) will provide leadership and experience this season. Ellerbee was their leading scorer and their 2nd-leading scorer, Elijah Harden (13.6 ppg) is also back looking to build on a solid freshman season.
Thiel has long been a strong rebounding team under head coach Tim Loomis and this year should be no different.
#6 GENEVA GOLDEN TORNADOES (60 points)
Key returners: junior guard/forward Trevor Tipton, senior forward Ryan Rachic, junior guard Mark Rachic
Key loss: Lyle Tipton
One (very significant) Tipton gone, but another very significant one remains. While Lyle averaged an incredible 24.5 ppg last season, Trevor takes over the offensive reins after averaging 13.1 ppg last season. Senior Ryan Rachic is right there with him with essentially the same offensive average.
One will have to wonder how much losing Lyle Tipton will impact the Geneva offense that ranked first in three point shooting, in large part because of him. Outside of that, the Golden Tornadoes will try to repeat their success at the free throw line (1st in PAC last season) and hit the boards as well as they did defensively last season as well (2nd in PAC).
#7 WESTMINSTER TITANS (55 points)
Key returners: senior guard Drew Clark, senior guard Reese Leone
Key loss: Austin O’Hara
The Titans finished last season third in team shooting percentage, something they’ll look to repeat this season. Drew Clark averaged over 13 points last season and returns for his senior season, while Trey DiPietro and Qunicy Jones look to build on solid freshman campaigns.
#8 GROVE CITY WOLVERINES (37 points)
Key returners: junior guard Jonah Bock, junior guard Chase Yarberough
Key losses: Josh Bryan
Grove City will have their two leading scorers back for another two seasons with Bock (13.3 ppg) and Yarberough (10.4 ppg).
But what made Grove City a tough opponent to play against was their defense and rebounding. They finished first in the PAC in total team rebounds, offensive rebounds and rebounding margin while finishing first in team defense (70.2 ppg allowed) and third in opponent field goal percentage.
If they can get the consistent offense to compliment that style of play, this could be a dangerous team.
#9 WAYNESBURG YELLOW JACKETS (30 points)
Key returners: senior forward Antone Baker, senior forward Jansen Knotts
Key losses: Matt Popeck
The Yellow Jackets will have to overcome the loss of their leading scorer in Popeck from last season, but they’ll return seniors Baker (14,2 ppg) and Knotts (10.9 ppg) who were their leading scorers otherwise.
Fellow seniors Jake Scheidt, Bryson Wilt and graduate student Ryan Felberg will also provide some experience for this veteran-laden group.
#10 FRANCISCAN BARONS (22 points)
Key returner: junior forward Josh Zimmerman
Key losses: Travis Lien, Colton Hage
The Barons lose two of their top three scorers after what ended up being a rough season in PAC play last year.
But Zimmerman is a complete player, averaging over 13 points per game last season while averaging nearly six rebounds per game and shooting over 48% from the field. He’ll need some help along the way to avoid where the Barons are being picked to finish in the preseason.
#11 BETHANY BISON (13 points)
Key returners: sophomore forward Cole Dailey, junior forward Chance Wells, sophomore guard Troy Hixson
It looks like brighter days are ahead for the Bison after a fantastic freshman season from Cole Dailey, leading Bethany in scoring (15.0 ppg), while fellow freshman Troy Hixson (9.6 ppg) put together a solid debut season as well.
Bethany’s biggest issue to fix is rebounding where they ranked last in the conference in 2022-23.
