WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University men's basketball team is set to begin the 2023-24 season tonight on Thursday, November 9 with a home game in the newly renovated Marts Center against Keystone College at 7:00 p.m. This season marks the first for the Colonels in the Landmark Conference as head coach Izzi Metz transitions the program in his tenth season.

"We are definitely excited, it is a whole new adventure for our program and our university moving to the Landmark Conference and obviously for this group of guys getting to play someone else," Metz said.

Last season the Colonels finished 13-12 overall and 8-8 in their final season in the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom.

The Colonels roster is 13 deep with five seniors, one junior, three sophomores, and four first-year student athletes. Four of the five regular rotation starters return for the Colonels and six of their top seven scorers from last season.

"We are excited about the returning core, and we think we should have a strong product on the court this year," Metz said.

Senior forward Trent Fisher (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge) is a three-time All-Conference performer as he was named First Team All-MAC Freedom as a sophomore and Honorable Mention as a first year and a junior. Fisher was second on the team with 13.1 points-per-game (ppg) and first with 8.2 rebounds-per-game (rpg) last season. Junior guard Cayden Merrifield (Scranton, PA/West Scranton) was third on the team in scoring last season with 10.4 ppg. He led the team with 3.7 assists-per-game (apg) and with 45 three-pointers made.

Senior guards Joey Zvorsky (New Cumberland, PA/Cedar Cliff) and Matthew Davidheiser (Reading, PA/Exeter Township) bring vast starting experience back to the lineup for the Colonels this season as Zvorsky started all 21 of his games and Davidheiser started 24 of his 25 games in 2022-23. Zvorsky scored 7.9 ppg and was third on the team with 4.4 rpg and second with 2.8 apg. Davidheiser scored 5.9 ppg and led the Colonels with a .427 three-point shooting percentage. Senior forward Jason Eberhart (Lebanon, PA/Cedar Crest) and senior guard Zachary Gula (Walnutport, PA/Northampton) provide depth experience for Wilkes as the two have played in 45 and 31 games respectively for the Blue and Gold.

Sophomore forward Lucas Lesko (Northampton, PA/Northampton) was fourth on the team in scoring last year with 9.5 ppg as he played in all 25 games with nine starts. Sophomore guard Jack Argento (Hershey, PA/Hershey) also played in all 25 games last season and scored 6.3 ppg. Fellow sophomore guard Colin Ackerman (Manasquan, NJ/Wall Township) saw action in 19 games for the Colonels last season.

First year guards Drew Sechleer (White Haven, Pa./Crestwood) and Travis Linn (Harrisburg, PA/Central Dauphin) along with forwards Caden Fisher (Sellersville, PA/Pennridge) and Eli Becker (Palmyra, PA/Palmyra) join the Colonels fold to add depth and push the upperclassmen in their first collegiate season.

"I think the jump from high school is really difficult to college, now more than ever, but all four of them bring good experience and come from really good high school programs where they were well coached," Metz said of the first-year players.

The Colonels open with Keystone and then have four more non-conference tune ups, including an exhibition at Division I Lafayette College on Sunday, November 19, before Landmark Conference play begins on Wednesday, November 29 hosting the University of Scranton to start a stretch of four league games in the fall semester. A December 18th non-conference game at Clarks Summit University and two games in Daytona Beach for the Florida Sunshine Shootout against Centre College (Dec. 28) and Hamline University (Dec. 29) rounds out the non-league slate.

Once the calendar turns to January the Colonels close the 2023-24 regular season with 14 Landmark Conference games.

"I honestly think it has to be one of the top conferences in the region from a depth standpoint and just a quality of opponent, you look at NCAA Tournament success the last few years it is definitely a really good league," Metz said.