The reigning Landmark Conference champion University of Scranton men's basketball team will host FDU-Florham as part of the annual Hilton Scranton Invitational to open the 2023-24 season on Friday night at 5:30 p.m.
Head coach Carl Danzig's team is coming off a 21-8 record a season ago and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after a thrilling 65-64 victory over NC Wesleyan in the first round.
Scranton is slated to play each of their first four games inside the friendly confines of the John Long Center as they will battle Marywood/Farmingdale State on Saturday, national runner-up and No. 5 Mount Union (Nov. 15) and Stevens (Nov. 18). Landmark Conference play begins at Wilkes on Nov. 29.
Click here to view the Royals' full 2023-24 schedule.
Junior forward Will McLoughlin (Glen Rock, N.J./Glen Rock)Â headlines the key returners for the Royals as he averaged 15 points and 6.8 rebounds per game en route to earning D3hoops.com All-Region Third Team and All-Landmark First Team honors. He also ranked third in the conference in field goal percentage at 56.2%.
In the backcourt for the Royals, senior Tahaj Parland (Neptune, N.J./Mater Dei) and sophomore Jon Spatola (Marlboro, N.J./Marlboro) both return after starting all 29 games a season ago. Parland averaged 6.8 points and 2.7 assists per game, while Spatola checked in at 5.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Spatola ranked third in the conference in assists and Parland was sixth.
Sophomore guard EJ Matthews-Spratley (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill East) averaged 6.9 points and shot 46.8% from the floor along with 35.6% from long range in 29 games for Scranton during his debut season.
McLoughlin and Parland will serve as team captains for the Royals during the 2023-24 season.
Danzig and assistant coaches Jeff Frank and Chris Sload will welcome four freshmen to the roster for the upcoming campaign in guard Brendan Carr (Northport, N.Y./Northport), center P.J. Kellachan (Rockville Centre, N.Y./Chaminade), forward Hamilton Roth (Oradell, N.J./River Dell) and forward Nick Ruisi (Greenlawn, N.Y./Harborfields/Cheshire Academy).
--ROYALS--
