Steve Finkernagel

Wilkes Men’s Basketball 2026-27 Season Preview

11/4/2026 4:00:00 PM

Wilkes Men's Basketball 2026-27 Season Preview

WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University men's basketball team prepares to turn the page to the 2026-27 season, one where the Colonels will look to replace three All-Conference members from a team that played in the Landmark Conference title game a year ago.

Wilkes' 2025-26 season saw the Colonels finish with a winning record for the fourth consecutive season at 18–10, and going 11–7 in Landmark play. The Colonels earned the number four seed in the Landmark championship, upsetting top-seeded Catholic before falling to Susquehanna in the final. On Wednesday, Wilkes was picked to finish sixth in the Landmark Conference Preseason Poll, and head coach Izzi Metz returns for his 13th season.

The biggest challenge Wilkes faces this season will be the departure of three valuable seniors from last season's team, and Metz discussed how the Colonels expect to replace their impact.

"I think we're going to do it collectively," said Metz. "The exciting part about this year's team is we've got a roster of 15 guys, and on any given night, a number of those guys are going to step up and fill those voids."

The most notable departure is three-time All-Conference forward Lucas Lesko (Northampton, PA/Northampton), whose 1,723 points rank third in Wilkes history. Lesko finished the 2025-26 season averaging 19 points a night, and also led the team in rebounds (7.4) and blocks (1.1) per game. The Colonels also lost Landmark Honorable Mentions Jack Argento (Hershey, PA/Hershey) and Colin Ackerman (Manasquan, NJ/Wall Township) to graduation, both of whom averaged at least 12 points and five boards, and Ackerman led the team with 4.5 assists per game.

Wilkes' 15-man roster includes two seniors, six juniors, three sophomores, and five first-years.

Daniel Santaniello (Roaring Brook Twp., PA/Scranton Prep) returns as the Colonels' lone starter from last season. The junior guard averaged 12.3 points a contest, knocking down 42 three-pointers at a 31 percent clip, leading Wilkes in made threes. Santaniello also led the Colonels as an 83 percent free throw shooter.

Looking to replace four starters, the Colonels may look to turn to some veterans who played off the bench last season to step into a bigger role. Junior forward Mason Fedor (Clarks Summit, PA/Abington Heights) started three games in place of Lesko, averaging 2.5 points in 10.8 minutes per contest. Sophomore forward Antonio Brittain (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) showed flashes of being a scorer in his first season, scoring 17 points at Moravian and 11 in a win over Juniata, both off the bench. Junior Isaac Thomas (Schuylkill Haven, PA/Blue Mountain) played in 15 games last year, and six-foot-nine sophomore Matt Remias (Rutherford, NJ/Rutherford) also gives the Colonels size in the paint, scoring eight points in limited action as a first-year.

In the backcourt, junior Brendan Styer (Wayne, PA/Conestoga) played all 28 games off the bench as a pass-first guard, racking up 44 assists and 24 steals while playing 15.7 minutes per game. Guard Travis Linn (Harrisburg, PA/Central Dauphin) is a senior who could see an uptick in minutes after playing sparingly last season. Junior Brian Britton (Elysburg, PA/Southern Columbia) and sophomore Ethan Sheffey (Lothian, MD/Southern) return for the Colonels with two and one years of program experience respectively.

Wilkes welcomes five newcomers to its 2026-27 roster, a group Metz is very excited to have.

"I think all five of those guys can play," Metz said. "We expect them to help us out, so definitely excited about those five guys."

Kael Berry (Dallas, PA/Dallas), Connor Lee (Rockaway, NJ/Oratory Prep), and Noah Walakovits (Northampton, PA/Northampton) are first-year guards, and Troy Strelec (Hackettstown, NJ/Hackettstown) is a six-foot-five first-year forward. The Colonels also added junior transfer Vuk Stanic (Belgrade, Serbia/Virginia Episcopal School), a big six-foot-five guard from Serbia, who spent his first two seasons at Wartburg College in Iowa.

Wilkes opens the 2026-27 season on Friday, Nov. 6 at 6 p.m. with a trip to Rowan to take on the Profs.

"They're going to be very talented," Metz said when asked about the Profs. "Anytime you play an NJAC team, especially on the road early in the year, you're going to expect good enthusiasm by them, good athleticism. I expect that's going to be a hard-fought game with high energy, and we have to go down there and play together and be unified to get a road win, so that should be a fun one."

The two teams met at the Marts Center to open last season, where Eli Becker (Palmyra, PA/Palmyra) and Lesko both recorded double-doubles in an 86–77 victory. The Colonels' home opener is on Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. against Arcadia, and Landmark play begins on Nov. 18 at Lycoming.

Print Friendly Version