Last season: 10-18 overall, 6-10 UE regular season, 8-11 all UE.

Coach: Geoff Hensley, seventh season. Career record: 45-108.

Top returnees: (height, position, last season statistics) Junior Landon Reeder, of Montoursville (6-7 power forward, 4.4 points per game, 2.8 rebounds per game); sophomore Joe Savage, of Williamsport (6-5 forward, 3.5 ppg., 2.4 rpg.); junior Colby Bost, of West Nottingham, New Hampshire (6-2 guard, 1.4 ppg., 0.4 rpg.)

Key losses: Livingston Cross (22.3 ppg., 13.2 rpg.), Gavin Barrett (16.1 ppg., 5.3 rpg.), Michael Woolridge (5 ppg., 5 rpg.), Ronn Flood Jr. (7.6 ppg., 4.7 rpg.), Christian Chandler (2.1 ppg., 0.5 rpg.), Cade Cavanaugh.

Top newcomers: Junior Jay Henry, of Warminster (6-0 point guard, 10.5 ppg., 4.1 rpg. in 30 games at Bucks County Community College); junior Octavio Alexander, of Dallas, Texas (6-1 small forward, 10.9 ppg., 5.6 rpg. in 30 games at Bucks County Community College); junior Brian Rivera, of Shenandoah (6-5 small forward, 14.5 pts., 5.3 rpg. in 22 games at Jefferson Community College); freshman Ethan Roman, of Bethlehem (6-0 point guard); freshman Neyshawn Mabry, of Lewisburg (6-5 power forward); freshman Jenssyn Shuey, of Coal Township (6-4 power forward), freshman Kendall Bratten, of Philadelphia (6-5 forward). 

Season/UEC Outlook: Last season, the Wildcats entered the United East Conference postseason as the 12^th seed and knocked off fifth-seeded St. Mary’s and fourth-seeded Keystone College before losing in overtime against top-seeded Bryn Athyn in a semifinal.

“We are a brand new team. This year will be a collective process of all of us coming together to play great team basketball. We will never be able to replace last year’s senior class, but instead we tried to reload with some talented transfers and new freshmen to come in and fill those shoes. The United East is extremely competitive in men’s basketball with some very good teams that compete at the national level. We understand it will take some time to get to the level we want to play at. We are hoping to build each day and start peaking come tournament time in February,” Hensley said.

Inside the UE: In a preseason poll, Penn College and Keystone College tied for eighth. With 14 teams vying for 10 playoff positions, Penn State Harrisburg earned the top spot and is followed by Lancaster Bible College, Notre Dame (Md.) University, St. Mary’s (Md.) College, Cairn University, Penn State Altoona, Wilson College, Penn College, Keystone College, Penn State Berks, Penn State Brandywine, Valley Forge University, Gallaudet University and Rosemont College. Defending champion Bryn Athyn ended its athletic program at the end of last season and St. Elizabeth University moved to the Atlantic East Conference. UEC first-round playoff games are set for Feb. 18 with the quarterfinals on Feb. 21, the semifinals on Feb. 24 and the championship on Feb. 28.

UPCOMING GAMES

Saturday, Nov. 8 — host King’s College, 1 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 10 — at Penn State Hazleton, 6 p.m.

For additional information, visit the Wildcats Athletics website.

For more about the United East, visit the conference website.