Men’s Basketball 2023-24 Schedule Announced
NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College men's basketball team recently released their schedule for the upcoming 2023-24 season, the first for the program as a member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC).
Entering his 25th season as head coach, Todd Peretz will look to guide the Mariners into a new conference, while balancing the expectations of success that have come to define the program. Prior to their move into the GNAC this academic year, Mitchell made four straight appearances in the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) title game, resulting in three championships and NCAA tournament berths.
Last season, Peretz elevated the program to new heights, guiding the Mariners to their second consecutive conference title with an overall record of 23-5. The 23 wins were the most in a single season during the Division III era of the program, and the team went undefeated at home for the first time with a record of 15-0 at the Yarnall Athletic Center. The Mariners were dominant in conference play, going 6-0 to earn the top-seed in the NECC tournament before taking down third-seeded New England College to earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
On the national stage, Mitchell squared off against 11th ranked Johns Hopkins University, a team that went on to advance to the Sweet 16.
Despite a number of significant losses to graduation, including Alfonzo Stokes, the 2022-23 NECC Player of the Year, and Mikey Buscetto, the NECC tournament MVP, the Mariners return an experienced core, led by key returners Dontae Pollard (Fort Walton Beach, Fla.), Robert Zirlis (Clinton, Conn.), Wilton Causey (Worcester, Mass.), and Bishop Taylor (Aberdeen, Md.).
Pollard, a versatile forward and the lone senior on the squad, saw action in all 28 games a year ago, finishing in double-digit scoring on three separate occasions. Similarly, Taylor, a guard, played in 26 games and made five starts, ranking third on the team with a 34.8 shooting percentage from three-point territory.
Meanwhile, Zirlis and Causey will anchor the paint, as the former started 27 games a year ago and the latter came on strong down the stretch, scoring in double-figures in four of the final six games of the season and led the conference in blocks.
"I am very excited about the 2023-2024 men's basketball season," said Peretz. "With a host of returning players who have been a part of back to back NCAA Tournament appearances, coupled with an infusion of talented newcomers, I am confident that we will compete in the GNAC. It's going to be a challenge night in and night out, but having gone head to head with many of the current members over the years, I feel as Mariners that we can navigate these waters."
An infusion of new talent is also expected to make immediate contributions, highlighted by junior college transfer Jaylyn Clardy (Pensacola, Fla.). Clardy, who played the past two seasons at Ridgewater College in Minnesota, averaged 17.7 points and 6.5 per game last winter for the Warriors.
The Mariners will open their season with an out of conference showdown against crosstown rival Connecticut College on Saturday, November 11th, and they will then face Westfield State, CCNY, Coast Guard, and Anna Maria, all non-conference games. GNAC play for Mitchell is slated to begin on Saturday, December 2nd, with a home game against Lasell University, while the regular season will conclude on Saturday, February 17th, against Norwich.
