The Pitt-Johnstown men's basketball team will open the 2022-23 season with the Mountain Cat Tip-Off Classic, Friday and Saturday in the Sports Center.
 
      On Friday, the University of Charleston (WV) will face Lock Haven at 5 p.m., before Pitt-Johnstown takes on West Virginia Wesleyan College at 7 p.m.  The Classic will conclude on Saturday with West Virginia Wesleyan and Lock Haven scheduled for 2 p.m., and Charleston and Pitt-Johnstown at 4 p.m.
 
      Charleston, receiving votes in the 2022-23 NABC Preseason Division II National Poll, was 24-7 last season and advanced to the Mountain East Conference (MEC) championship game.
      Tenth-year Head Coach Dwaine Osborne's Golden Eagles return four of its top-five scorers from the 2021-22 season, led by senior guard Keith Williams, who averaged 13.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game.  In addition, junior forward Eddie Colbert III (13.2 ppg., 5.6 rpg.), junior guard Jeremiah Keene (10.8 ppg., 3.1 rpg., 3.9 apg.), and sophomore forward Shunta Wilson (9.2 ppg., 4.6 rpg.) are also back in the Charleston lineup.
 
      Lock Haven, under 11^th-year Head Coach Mike Nestor, enters the 2022-23 season looking to make its fourth straight trip to the PSAC postseason tournament.  Last season, the Bald Eagles posted an 11-16 overall record and an 8-14 record in the PSAC Eastern Division, including a 4-0 start to the season.
      Junior guard Eli Washington was crucial to the Lock Haven offense in 2021-22.  Washington (13.4 ppg., 5.3 rpg., 4.3 apg.) posted a team-high and seventh-best conference mark of 115 assists and was The Haven's leading scorer with 362 total points.
      The Bald Eagles also welcome back senior guard Dymir Montague (9.7 ppg., 4.4 rpg., 3.6 apg.), and senior forwards James Price (4.5 ppg., 3.7 rpg.) and Adam Freese (2.9 ppg., 2.8 rpg.).
 
      Head Coach Bob Rukavina's (35^th-year) Pitt-Johnstown squad is coming off of back-to-back-20-win seasons and returns four starters and seven of the team's top-eight contributors from 2021-22.  The Mountain Cats, who secured their seventh straight berth in the PSAC Tournament and third consecutive appearance in the PSAC Quarterfinals, are led by National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-American and three-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West Defensive Player of the Year John Paul Kromka (17.5 ppg., 8.1 rpg., 3.0 bpg., 3.0 apg.).
     Along with Kromka, the paint will be anchored by senior guard/forward hybrid Jared Jakubick (7.0 ppg., 5.0 rpg.) and senior forward Caiden Landis (4.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg.).
      The Mountain Cats will have a new point guard in red-shirt freshman Andrew Shull (14.0 ppg. and 3.0 apg.),  a transfer from NAIA Rio Grande (OH) University, where he earned all-conference honors as a true freshman.  Joining Shull in an experience and talented backcourt is senior Joe Batt (11.6 ppg., 5.5 rpg.) sophomore Ryan Smith (9.2 ppg., 3.6 rpg.), senior sharp-shooter Drew Magestro (9.1 ppg., 2.8 rpg.) and COVID sophomore Andy Zuchelli (3.9 ppg., 1.2 rpg.).
      Pitt-Johnstown also has talented freshmen in guard Will Kromka and forward Nick Watts, and additional depth that can provide quality minutes coming off the bench.
 
      West Virginia Wesleyan, under second-year Head Coach Derek Sloan, looks to bounce back from a tough 2-26 season in 2021-22.
      The Bobcats return four of their top players from a year ago, including guard Anthony Craven Jr., who started 22 games and averaged 8.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game as a red-shirt freshman.  Also returning are sophomore forward Tyler Slone (7.4 ppg., 3.2 rpg.), red-shirt sophomore guard Shawn Moran (7.0 ppg., 2.5 rpg.), and red-shirt senior forward Ike Dove (6.5 ppg., 2.8 rpg.).
      West Virginia Wesleyan also welcomes guards Darius Green, a transfer from Cameron (OK) University, and Jordan Cannon, and forwards D'Vante Rivera and Jackson Rhodes.
 
      Following this weekend's Tip-Off Classic, the Mountain Cats visit eighth-ranked West Liberty (WV) on Wednesday, before traveling to Florida to take on Lynn on November 21 and fourth-ranked Nova Southeastern on Nov. 22.  Pitt-Johnstown will play its next home game when Penn Stats Schuylkill comes to the Sports Center for a non-conference game on Nov. 28.