Gwynedd Valley, Pa. – (11/5/2024) – "We want to play a style of basketball that is fun for our fans to watch." noted Gwynedd Mercy University Head Men's Basketball Coach John Baron. "But more importantly, we want to play a style of basketball that empowers our players to execute with confidence and creativity." The Griffins embark on their 23^rd season under Coach Baron and look to return to the Atlantic East Conference (AEC) Championship contest for another chance at the league crown.
 
Gwynedd Mercy University (17-10, 9-3) earned the #2 seed in the 2023-2024 AEC Men's Basketball Championship Tournament with a 9-3 league record that included a January-27 win at Neumann University (W, 87-79) and season sweeps of Marywood University (W, 99-77 on Jan. 24/W, 91-74 on Feb. 14), Immaculata University (W, 74-58 on Jan. 20/W, 90-64 on Feb. 7), Cabrini University (W, 96-75 on Jan. 6/W, 75-64 on Feb. 3), and Centenary University (NJ) (W, 97-80 on Jan. 10)/W, 92-65 on Jan. 31). The Griffins finished the campaign 17-10 overall after an 86-76, AEC Semifinal win over #3 Marywood University and a postseason exit versus eventual AEC Champion, #1 Marymount University (L, 72-83 on Feb. 24). In all, four Griffins surpassed 1,000 career points and two garnered All-AEC accolades in senior guards Aziz Parker '24 (1^st Team) and JoHaan Vinson (Philadelphia, Pa.) (2^nd Team). The duo also served as Gwynedd Mercy University's top two scorers, respectively averaging 14.4 and 13.7 points per game (PPG). Additionally, the program said farewell to backcourt stalwart Manny Clark '23 (Pottsgrove, Pa.); the five-year guard averaged 8.7 points and 4.4 rebounds during his graduate season.
 
Parker and Clark were two of the four 1,000-point scorers, leaving the others; senior captains Aquil Stewart (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Mike Marable (Philadelphia, Pa.) as the Griffins most established producers. They are joined in the captain ranks by junior guard D.J. Johnson (Norristown, Pa.), who earned the AEC Rookie of the Year award for a 2022-2023 season that saw him debut among the AEC Top-10 in assists (7^th, 75), assists per game (APG) (8th, 2.8), steals (1st, 62), and assist/turnover ratio (3^rd, 1.67). He averaged 6.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game during the 2023-2024 campaign, while totaling three blocks and 30 steals. His backcourt mate, Stewart finished third in scoring on the 2023-2024 squad with 10.5 PPG and totaled a league-high 91 assists (3.4/game). Meanwhile, Marable emerged be an integral part of the rotation as he recorded 202 points (7.8/game), 117 rebounds (4.5/game), 59 assists (2.3/game), 28 steals (1.1/game), and a team-high 21 blocks (0.9/game) while starting 12 of the Griffins' final 13 contests.
 
In addition to their captains, Gwynedd Mercy University returns senior forward Dom Thomas (Mullica Hill, N.J.), juniors Devin Benson (Williamstown, N.J.), Jake Okon (Yonkers, N.Y.), and Jalen Snead (Philadelphia, Pa.), as well as sophomores Mazen Sayed (Chichester, Pa.) and Travon Mack (Coatesville, Pa.) – whose size bolstered the Griffins' ability to protect the rim last season (41 rebounds, 14 blocks). A defensive-minded forward, Thomas averaged 7.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in addition to totaling eight blocks and a dozen (12) steals as a junior. Benson and Okon can be counted on for solid perimeter shooting, while Snead and Sayed are proven playmakers who offer defense as well as toughness and versatility.
 
Newcomers to the Red and Gold roster include freshmen Cam Lane (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Pat Bean (North Wildwood, N.J.), as well as three transfers; graduates Shawn Summers (Montclair, N.J./William Paterson University) and Dylan Harris (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg University), and sophomore Justin Savage (Philadelphia, Pa./Delaware Valley University). Summers was an All-New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Second Team performer for William Paterson University during the 2022-2023 season when he averaged a team-best 16.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Harris is a three-point specialist from NCAA Division II, Bloomsburg University, while Savage posses a toughness and versatility that led to helped him average 11.6 points and 4.5 rebounds during Delaware Valley University's 2022-2023 season.
 
"Our depth and pace should be a strength for us. We want to be fluid, fast, and fun." Said Coach Baron. "I expect us to be highly competitive in a very tough AEC."
 
The 2024-2025 Gwynedd Mercy University men's basketball season gets underway on Saturday, November 9, when they Griffins host Rosemont College for 5:00 p.m. tip-off to the Purplestride Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Classic.