OPENING TIP
Lafayette men's basketball travels to the far end of Pennsylvania to face Mercyhurst for the first time in program history. The contest sets off a trio of road trips in December before closing out 2024 in Easton with Stonehill on the 29th.

Last time out, the Leopards concluded the Lafayette Classic with an 82-81 overtime loss to Binghamton for a 2-1 record in the inaugural tournament. Four players finished in double figures, led by freshman Alex Chaikin (16).

The Maroon and White return 10 players, including five seniors, most of whom saw significant playing time last season. Lafayette concluded 2023-24 with an 11-21 (10-8 PL) overall record, advancing to the Patriot League Tournament's quarterfinal round. 

The Leopards host a total of six non-conference games while traveling to seven opponents before Patriot League play begins in the new year. Boston U. will make the journey to Easton, Pa. on Jan. 2 to open the conference slate. 

Next up, men's hoops heads to George Washington for a 7 p.m. tip-off on Dec. 18. A 10-day break following this afternoon's contest at Mercyhurst will be held due to Lafayette's final exams period. 

THE MATCHUPS
Mercyhurst finished the 2023-24 regular season at 15-16 overall, remaining at .500 throughout Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play before losing to IUP in the first round of the conference tournament. This season, the Lakers moved to the Northeast Conference (NEC) when they made the transition from Division II to Division I. Six players are returning, including leading scorer Jeff Plantius (17.4 ppg).

LAST TIME OUT
Andrew Phillips and Ryan Pettit netted 14 as Mark Butler rounded out the squad of Leopards in double figures with 12 in the overtime loss to Binghamton, 82-81, on Sunday. The Maroon and White shot 93 percent from the free throw line, making 27-of-29 attempts, continuing a three-game streak of season highs. Lafayette turned it over just 10 times. Binghamton's Tymu Chenery's double-double, 21 points and 11 rebounds, led the Bearcats.

WEEKLY LAURELS
Freshman Alex Chaikin was named the Patriot League Men's Basketball Rookie of the Week on Dec. 2. The Williamsburg, Va. native picked up his first collegiate award after compiling 34 points, 13 rebounds and two assists to help the Leopards finish 2-1 in the inaugural Lafayette Classic. Chaikin scored a weekend-high 16 points on four-of-eight shooting from the floor and a trio of 3-pointers to take Binghamton to overtime on Sunday. He also netted a career-high five-of-six from the charity stripe against the Bearcats. Senior center Justin Vander Baan was named an honorable mention for his efforts in the Classic.

GOING THE OTHER WAY
Junior guard Ryan Pettit has 19 steals in nine games for the Leopards and is leading the conference in total steals and steals per game (2.11).

ROOKIE CAMPAIGN
Lafayette paces the Patriot League in bench points per game at 34.44, good for 16th in the nation. Freshmen Alex Chaikin (18, fifth) and Caleb Williams (16, eleventh) stand out in the conference for their number of 3-pointers. All Leopard freshmen have seen court time and contributed in the young season.

PASS THE ROCK
Lafayette is currently second in the Patriot League for its 1.54 assist/turnover ratio and third for its 15.6 assists per game. Mark Butler and Misha Bednostin lead the way with 2.9 and 2.0 dimes per game, respectively.

TOTALLY BOARD
Sophomore center Misha Bednostin collected a team- and career-high 15 rebounds against Penn. He leads the team and ranks fourth in the Patriot League with 7.0 rebounds per game.

INJURY REPORT
Senior Chris Rubayo (knee) and sophomore Joshua Wyche (head) have missed the previous nine and four games, respectively, this season due to injury. Misha Bednostin was also injured (ankle) and unavailable against Niagara and Binghamton. Justin Vander Baan was out from Nov. 9-28 with a hand injury.

POST-SEASON ACCOLADES
Devin Hines, Mark Butler, Kyle Jenkins and Justin Vander Baan earned recognition from the Patriot League on March 4, as the 2023-24 men's basketball post-season honors were announced. Hines, Jenkins and Vander Baan were named to the All-Patriot League Third Team while Butler took home All-Rookie honors. Vander Baan was listed on the All-Defensive squad.

Lafayette has had at least one player on the Patriot League All-Rookie squad since 2019. Butler continued that streak and earned All-Rookie Team status after totaling 225 points and starting in every game of his initial Leopard campaign. He averaged 7.4 points, 3.7 assists and 2.8 rebounds. Josh Rivera (2022-23), CJ Fulton (2021-22) and Leo O'Boyle (2019-20) are all past Leopard honorees.

EXCELLENCE IN ACADEMICS
Lafayette's athletic programs stood out among the nation's best on Nov. 20 in the NCAA's Division I annual Graduation Success Rate (GSR) release. College Hill claimed a 97 percent GSR overall based on the 19 sports measured. Sixteen Leopard teams, including men's basketball, achieved a graduation success rate of 100 percent. Following the 2023-24 season, Luka Savicevic and Justin Vander Baan were named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court. The men's hoops program was crowned a Team of Academic Excellence for completing the year with a team GPA of 3.0 or higher. 

RECENT RENOVATIONS
Kirby Sports Center, the Leopards' home arena, has seen major upgrades over the past year. A state-of-the art Daktronics control and video display system can now be seen above center court, showcasing 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 RETURNERS
The program returns 10 players from last season. TJ Berger and Justin Vander Baan will provide senior leadership for the Leopards, followed by junior Ryan Pettit, as a trio of captains.

LAFAYETTE ON ESPN+
A reminder that the Patriot League is paired with ESPN and you will be able to find the remaining non-conference games on ESPN+ with the same high broadcast quality you've come to expect. ESPN+ is a subscription-based service that offers monthly and yearly packages. Visit plus.espn.com now to check out the bundles including live sports and ESPN+ originals. 

BIG BLOCKERS
Senior center Justin Vander Baan blocked 13 shots (2.6 per game) this season, good for 83rd in the country and second in the Patriot League. In just three years wearing the Maroon and White, he has quickly climbed the program ranks and is currently fourth all-time with 119 career stops. As a program, Lafayette sits at fifth in the conference in blocks per game with 2.7.

ALUMNI IN THE PROS
Former Leopard standout Justin Jaworski '21 is dominating the German BBL! Jaws leads the league with 20 ppg and 33.7 mpg for EWE Baskets Oldenburg. On Nov. 22, he shattered his personal records with 39 points and 11 assists in the 102-92 victory against the Skyliners.

SEASON TWO
Mike McGarvey took over as the 20th head coach in Lafayette men's basketball history on March 29, 2023, following a one-year tenure as the associate head coach and acting head coach. In 2022-23, he led the Leopards
 to Patriot League Tournament victories over Lehigh in the quarterfinal round and American in the semifinal, before falling to Colgate in the championship game.

He arrived on College Hill after a four-year tenure as the men's basketball head coach at Lycoming College where he led the program to three-straight MAC Freedom Conference championship games, including two conference crowns. McGarvey guided the Warriors to a remarkable resurgence in his second year as head coach, taking the team from a 5-11 conference record in 2018-19 to a 10-6 mark in 2019-20 while managing a roster filled with a school-record 11 freshmen.

As a player, McGarvey was a consensus two-time All-American and two-time Centennial Conference Player of the Year.  Ursinus retired McGarvey's No. 11 jersey on Dec 1, 2010, honoring a career in which his teams won three conference championships.

He started every game of his career, and finished fourth on the school's all-time scoring chart with 1,460 points and he is still 14th in the Division III record book with 754 career assists. McGarvey holds the Centennial Conference records for career assists and steals, and single-season assists and steals. He was inducted into both the Ursinus College Hall of Fame (2016) and the Sam Cozen Philadelphia Area Small College Hall of Fame (2015).

FRESH MEAT
Lafayette brings four first-year student-athletes aboard this season in Caleb Williams, Folabomi Fayemi, Alex Chaikin and Malik Rasul. Quotes about each student-athlete provided by head coach McGarvey.

Caleb Williams | G | 6-0 | 165 | Jacksonville, Fla. | Jean Ribault
Williams was a four-year varsity starter experience in high school, posting a 23.6 points, 6.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game average. He holds the Jean Ribault High School career record for scoring over 1,500 points and doling out 600 assists and is a two-time Northeast Florida Boys Basketball Player of the Year, a three-time Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) All-State selection, a three-time FACCA Class 4A District 5 Player of the Year, and a three-time All-Gateway Conference Team honoree. "Caleb is a dynamic playmaker. Not only does he bring an array of talent, but he also has great confidence and determination to lead and win."

Alex Chaikin | G | 6-5 | 170 | Williamsburg, Va. | Trinity Episcopal
Chaikin comes to College Hill after four years at Trinity Episcopal, averaging 22 points, six rebounds and two assists per game in his senior season, where he was named an All-Prep League Team, a VISSA Division 1 All-State and an 804 All-Star Game selection. The senior captain set both the school's single-season record for 3-pointers made (108) and the career record for shots from beyond the arc (231) as the eighth all-time leading scorer. "A true shot maker from all over the court! As one of the best 3-point shooters with unlimited range from the state of Virginia, Alex's size for a guard in addition to his shot-making ability classifies him as an exciting addition to the Leopards."

Folabomi Fayemi | G | 6-4 | 205 | Chicago, Ill. | Culver Military Academy/South Kent
Fayemi played two years of basketball at Culver before competing for South Kent prior to Lafayette. At Culver, he averaged 12 points, six rebounds and three assists per game as an IHSAA Sectional Champion. He was crowned the Academy Defensive Player of the Year and an Academic All-State honoree in 2022-23 while performing as an Officer in the Corps of Cadets. "Folabomi was coached by Leopard alumni Raphael Chillious '96 at the extremely successful South Kent School last season. He brings an unprecedented physical presence and athleticism to our team."

Malik Rasul | F | 6-7 | 200 | Tucson, Ariz. | Westtown School
Rasul, averaging a double-double each year, has been a starter for Westtown for three seasons. The wing helped the Moose compete in the Friends School League semifinals. Rasul was selected to play in the 520 Exclusive Showcase in 2020 and has club experience with Strive For Greatness under coach Ed in Los Angeles, Calif. as well as WeR1 under coach Ron Martin in Wilmington, Del. "Malik is a versatile forward that has the ability to impact play on both ends of the court. Additionally, he has an infectious positive spirit that we look forward to welcoming in our locker room."

HISTORY MATCHED
The 70-44 win at Loyola Md. on Jan. 24, 2024 pushed the Leopards to a program record-tying 7-0 conference start for the first time since the 2003-04 season. Lafayette shot 55.6 percent from long distance on 18 attempts in the season-high 26 point margin of victory.