NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Head Coach Kevin Siroki looks to return the Westminster College men's basketball program to the Presidents' Athletic Conference crown; however Siroki realizes it will be a competitive process.
"The PAC will be very competitive, as usual. From top to bottom every team is very competitive, so we will have to play our best every night," summarized Siroki (11th season, 120-137, 46.6%, but 76-58, 56.7% during the last 6 seasons).
Westminster went 17-9 overall (13-5 PAC) a year ago, defeating Thiel College (68-66) in its postseason tournament opener, but bowing to Chatham University (72-62) in the semifinals.
"As practice got under way on Oct. 15 our team is excited about the upcoming season," said Siroki ('93, who led Westminster to a 4-year won-lost ledger of 78-29 during his playing career). "We welcome 10 new student-athletes (7 freshmen, 3 transfers) to the program, plus 10 returners.
"We have a solid nucleus returning, with Austin O'Hara returning from being injured all of last year," Siroki said. "Jordan Zupko, Reese Leone and Drew Clark will be our leaders, (and) I expect our new players to make an immediate impact on our program this year, as well."
The trio of Titans' guards includes Leone (Beloit, Ohio/West Branch High), a 5-10 junior, Zupko (Mineral Ridge, Ohio/Mineral Ridge High), a 6-1 senior, and Clark (New Middletown, Ohio/Springfield Local High) a 6-4 junior.
Tyler James (Youngstown, Ohio/John F. Kennedy High), a 6-6 senior forward, is ineligible, Siroki said, adding, "We hope to have him back at the end of the semester."
Last year James, in 25 games (24 starts), tallied 10 points-per-game and 7.5 rpg., while adding 38 assists, 14 steals, and 33 blocked shots.
In 24 games last season Leone lent 13.8 points and a team-high 103 assists, while adding 39 steals and connecting on 38.% of his 3-point field-goal attempts; Clark contributed 7.9 ppg., 6.7 rebounds-per-game, 31 assists and 27 steals while shooting 33% from beyond the arc in 26 games (2 starts), and Zupko, in 26 games (2 starts) chipped in 2.8 ppg. 2.2 rpg, 26 assists and 12 steals.
Last season the Titans tallied 75.1 ppg on 42% shooting (34.8% from 3-point range)., and converted 68.8% of their free-throw attempts. Westminster outscored (75.1 to 73.2) and out-rebounded (43.4 to 39.9) opponents, but averaged 14.7 turnovers-per-game as opposed to 13.1 for foes.
"Our strengths are our returnees and them getting the new faces adapted to the faster pace of college basketball," Siroki assessed. "Also, we have a lot of players who can play multi-positions, so that will help us tremendously. So we will try to push the ball up the court quickly and play tough man-to-man defense."
The transfers include Peyton Mele (Hermitage, Pa./Hickory High), a 6-3 sophomore guard; Jacob Scarff (Pittsburgh/Seton-LaSalle High), a 6-10 sophomore – "who is injured right now, but we hope to have back soon," Siroki said – and Joey Donofrio (Youngstown, Ohio/Heartland Christian School), a 6-4 sophomore guard.
Mele (Oakland University of Michigan), Scarff (California University of Pa.) and Donofrio (Youngstown State University) will look to lend depth.
Russell Kwiat (New Castle, Pa./Neshannock High), a 6-3 sophomore guard, has been lost for the season due to a torn Achilles tendon, Siroki said.
"We always take pride in being the toughest team on the floor, so we want to continue to do that," emphasized Siroki, who took the 2020-21 Titans to the PAC championship during the COVID-19 pandemic-plagued season – Westminster program's first conference crown since 2003-04.
Continuing, Siroki said, "We have two very competitive (preseason) scrimmages – at Pitt-Greensburg and West Liberty (W.Va.), which is always ranked in the top three in the nation in (NCAA) Division II. I believe they will get us prepared for another challenging schedule, both non- and conference, which will open up with Southern Virginia University on Nov. 11 at home in the Buzz Ridl Classic. We also play Youngstown State University on Dec. 8 in non-conference."
Assessing the season, Siroki summarized, "Our goals always remain the same, and that is to win the PAC championship and get into the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately, when we won the PAC championship in 2021 the NCAA didn't have a (postseason) tournament, so we're striving to get into the tournament."
Siroki will be assisted by Brian Danilov, Dale Blaney and Dylan O'Hara, " … which is really good. (Siroki and his staff) are excited to see how this team gels together and can be one of the top teams in the PAC."
Westminster will open the season Nov. 11-12 with the annual Buzz Ridl Classic. The Titans take on Southern Virginia University at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 11, then Penn State-Shenango beginning at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12.
