OPENING TIP
 Lafayette hosts American this evening in the first meeting of the season as each program nears the end of the initial round of the Patriot League slate. 

 The Maroon and White shot 55.6 percent from long distance in a 70-44 road victory at Loyola Maryland on Jan. 24 in Reitz Arena. The win pushed the Leopards to a program record-tying 7-0 conference start for the first time since the 2003-04 season.

 Mark Butler was named the Patriot League Men's Basketball PenFed Credit Union Rookie of the Week on Jan. 22. He picked up his second-straight collegiate award after averaging 15.0 points, 5.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds against Bucknell and Holy Cross.

 The Leopards recently released two promotional schedule themes that will take place during the upcoming home men's basketball games: Game Day Recycling Challenge (2/7) and Autism Speaks (2/24). 

 Next up, Lafayette seeks a series sweep of Army on Saturday. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. in West Point, N.Y.

THE MATCHUP
American finished the 2022-23 season with a 17-15 (7-11 PL) overall record, progressing to the conference semifinal round. The Eagles were knocked out by Lafayette in double overtime, 84-76, on March 5, 2023. 

With 11 years of assistant coaching experience, Duane Simpkins enters the 2023-24 season at the helm of the Eagles. American was selected to finish third in the Patriot League during the preseason poll. Senior forward Matt Rogers leads the squad by averaging 15.1 points per game. The Knoxville, Md. native also records 6.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. He was selected to the five-member Preseason All-PL Team prior to registering his 1,000th point on Jan. 12 versus Army.

LAST TIME OUT
Lafayette was dealt its first Patriot League loss this season in a 62-48 upset against Boston U. on Saturday afternoon in Kirby Sports Center. The team shot 31.5 percent from the floor while being held to 5-of-19 from beyond the arc overall.

FAMILIAR FOES
Lafayette has played 491 games against current Patriot League members. In conference play, the Leopards are 210-280 in the regular season and 25-29 in the Patriot League Tournament.

MORGAN'S MESSAGE
Today's game is dedicated to the life and legacy of Morgan Rodgers, a former Duke University lacrosse student-athlete who died tragically in July 2019 after battling mental health struggles. Morgan's Message amplifies stories, resources and expertise to confront student-athlete mental health, build a community by and for athletes and provides a platform for advocacy. For more information, please visit morgansmessage.org.

1K FOR KJ
Senior forward Kyle Jenkins is closing in on 1,000 points as a Leopard with 930 career points. He will need to average at least 7.0 points through the remaining 10 regular-season games. The Higganum, Conn. native would become the 49th Leopard to reach the grand plateau at Lafayette.

BIG BLOCKER
Junior center Justin Vander Baan blocked 31 shots (1.1 per game) last season, good for fifth in the conference. He has already surpassed his season block total from 2022-23 this winter (averaging 2.52 per game). The Northbridge, Mass. native continues to sit atop the Patriot League leaderboard and ranks eighth in the country for his 53 stops. As a program, Lafayette currently ranks first in the conference in blocks per game with 4.5.

A DYNAMIC DUO
Justin Vander Baan and Mark Butler were named the Patriot League Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively, as announced by the conference office on Jan. 15. Vander Baan averaged 16.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocked shots in the two-game stretch while Butler averaged 14.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists on the week. Butler, a Philadelphia, Pa. native picked up his second-straight collegiate award on Monday after averaging 15.0 points, 5.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds to help the Leopards improve to 6-0 in League play.

LEOPARDS CALLED GAME
Ryan Pettit hit a crucial 3-pointer with 29 seconds remaining during the Jan. 17 contest at Holy Cross to keep a late advantage that allowed Lafayette its fifth-straight Patriot League victory. The sophomore guard connected on four-of-six from the field, including 3-of-4 from long distance, to go with five rebounds off of the bench.

On Jan. 20 against the Bison, Lafayette had possession of the ball and was down by three, 64-61, with eight seconds left in regulation. Head coach Mike McGarvey called a timeout to draft one final regulation play, which was a perfectly executed 3-pointer by senior guard Eric Sondberg. The three-ball from Sondberg near the Leopards' bench tied the game at 64-64 with four seconds left for an eventual overtime victory.

SONDBERG FROM DEEP
Senior guard Eric Sondberg is ranked sixth in the conference for his total 3-point FGM (41). The Davidsonville, Md. native recorded a season-high six 3-point field goals on Dec. 5 at Columbia on 13 attempts from beyond the arc.

SAME STARTERS
The Maroon and White have used the same starting lineup for 18 contests this season: guards Devin Hines, Eric Sondberg and Mark Butler, forward Kyle Jenkins and center Justin Vander Baan. The trio of change-ups appeared against Richmond (Dec. 30), Bucknell (Jan. 20) and Loyola Md. (Jan. 24) with Ryan Pettit in for Hines at guard.

INJURY REPORT
Junior guard TJ Berger will miss the 2023-24 season due to an injury sustained in preseason practice. 

LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL
Mark Butler led four Leopards in double figures to help Lafayette quiet Colgate, 69-64, on Jan. 10. He shot a team-high 14 points while Justin Vander Baan added 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. Sophomore Ryan Pettit cleaned up with a career-high 12 points and delivered two crucial three-pointers in the second half. The Jan. 10 victory shut down the Raiders' six-game series streak and handed Colgate its first Patriot League loss on Cotterell Court since Jan. 3, 2021. 

EXCELLENCE IN ACADEMICS
Lafayette's athletic programs stood out among the nation's best on Dec. 6 in the NCAA's Division I annual Graduation Success Rate (GSR) release. College Hill claimed a 98 percent GSR overall for the second straight year based on the 19 sports measured while 17 Leopard teams, including men's basketball, achieved a graduation success rate of 100 percent.

RECENT RENOVATIONS
Kirby Sports Center, the Leopards' home arena, has seen major upgrades over the past fall semester. A state-of-the art Daktronics control and video display system can now be seen above center court, showcasing exciting promotional team videos and updated branding to enhance the fan experience. By featuring Daktronics' latest version of Show and Venus Control Suite, it allows Lafayette to expand on in-game presentations. Lafayette fans may order birthday video board messages for display during the remaining home basketball games at tinyurl.com/yslx5esh.

THE PORTAL
One student-athlete made his way to College Hill after playing two seasons for Eastern Michigan. Luka Savicevic is a 6-3 junior point guard from Skopje, North Macedonia. At EMU, he totaled 83 points, 41 assists, 40 rebounds and 12 steals in two seasons and was named to the Academic All-MAC team following his final season with the Eagles.

On the flipside, the Leopards will watch last year's Third Team All-Patriot League guard CJ Fulton play for the College of Charleston and second leading scorer Josh Rivera play for Fordham.

FRESH MEAT
Lafayette brings five first-year student-athletes aboard this season in Mark Butler, Joshua Wyche, Luke Rasmussen, Mike Bednostin and Andrew Phillips. All incoming players have seen the court during multiple games so far.

Butler is a four-year varsity point guard out of Philadelphia, Pa., who attended William Penn Charter School. While starting in all games of his rookie campaign, he has the highest scoring average out of all the Lafayette underclassmen. His career-high 16 points came in overtime against Bucknell on Jan. 20.

Wyche is a three-year varsity guard/forward from Philadelphia, Pa., who attended Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School. He has seen consistent second-half minutes against each opponent.

Rasmussen, a 6-7 guard, is a Haverford, Pa. native who lists three years of basketball experience at the Hill School and the Haverford School. He averages over 15 minutes per game, most notably 27 at Columbia, this season.

Bednostin, who attended Trinity High School and Crestwood Prep, stands in as a 6-11 center from Dillsburg, Pa./Kyiv, Ukraine. He tallied his first collegiate points in the home-opening victory versus Wilkes on Nov. 19.

Phillips is a 6-4 wing who hails from Downingtown, Pa. with three years of varsity experience at Malvern Prep. He posted a career-high eight points and added three steals in 10 minutes of play at Richmond on Dec. 30.