By: Eli Fishman '25, athletics communications student assistant
ITHACA, N.Y. - The Ithaca College men's basketball team is set to open the 2024-25 season this weekend at the NYU Tip-Off Classic, facing a pair of NCAA tournament teams from last season in Rowan on Saturday, November 9 at 7 p.m. and Babson on Sunday, November 10 at 2 p.m.
The Bombers narrowly missed a Liberty League tournament berth last season, finishing with a 12-13 overall record and 7-11 mark in conference play.
Fourth-year head coach
Waleed Farid holds a career record of 47-30, as he looks to guide the Bombers back to the playoffs. Farid is joined by first-year assistant
Mike Sasso, who comes to Ithaca after spending seven seasons involved with the Rutgers University men's basketball program in various roles, most recently serving as the team's video coordinator for the past two seasons.
"I'm really excited about our team and how hard we've worked in the off-season and preseason," said Farid. "The guys really prioritized their development, and it has shown on the court in these first few weeks of practices. Our new guys have transitioned well and continue to improve on a daily basis."
The Bombers return 11 players to their roster, including five of their top six starters from 2023-24. This season's roster features three seniors, three juniors, six sophomores, and four first-years.
Leading the returning roster is senior captain
Logan Wendell, a 2023-24 Liberty League First Team pick, who led Ithaca in scoring and finished the year second among the league's leaders with 18.4 PPG. Wendell started all 25 games for the Bombers last season, where he also averaged 4.2 RPG and 3.9 APG. Wendell made a team-high 50 three-pointers and totaled 20 or more points 11 times. His standout season also earned him a spot on the D3hoops.com Region 3 Second Team and a place in program history as the 30th player to reach 1,000 career points.
The Bombers second returning captain comes in the form of senior guard
Aidan Holmes. Holmes played in all 25 games last season, starting 24 and averaging 7.4 PPG and 2.9 RPG. Holmes surpassed double-digit points nine times, highlighted by a 28-point effort in the Bombers Liberty League opener vs. Vassar.
Other returning starters include
Evan Cabral,
Cole Wissink, and
Gavin Schauder. Cabral made a strong impression as a first year, playing in all 25 games with 24 starts and leading the team with 41 steals, while finishing fourth on the team in scoring with 8.5 PPG and shooting 46.1% from the field. Wissink started ten games and played in all 25 last season, placing fifth on the team with 23 steals and cashing in 5 PPG. Schauder's 11 blocks last year accounted for the second most on the team.
The Bombers also welcome back returners
Bryce Bleibtrey,
Yoav Regev,
Alex Penders,
Jose Padilla,
Laurence Brady,
Jaylon O'Neal, and
Cole Wissink.
Ithaca welcomes six newcomers including five first-years;
Chris Leysath,
Michael Porter,
Thomas McKiernan,
Max Nierenberg, along with sophomore
David Luberoff, a transfer from Division ll Adelphi University. Luberoff played in 29 games and made 18 starts in his debut season at Adelphi, where he averaged 6.0 PPG and 4.1 RPG.
"I'm always looking forward to watching our team grow from the start of the year to the end of the year," Farid continued. "I enjoy watching the connections, the relationships and the chemistry develop. I'm also always looking forward to competing whether that be in practice every day or when we get to go up against someone else. It's always fun when the competitive juices get flowing."
After opening weekend, the Bombers will return to the South Hill for their home opener the following Wednesday against rival Cortland, before notable non-conference matchups on the road with Utica on November 20, and Rochester on December 3. Liberty League action begins on December 7 at home against Vassar, followed by a matchup against Bard on December 8.
"We always play a challenging non-conference schedule but this year it's even tougher," Faird added. "Every game will be an opportunity for us to measure ourselves against some of the best programs in Division III basketball. All of that will prepare us really well for another competitive conference season. If we shoot the ball well, improve our defensive efficiency and stay disciplined in close games, we will have a successful season."
Ithaca wraps up 2024 with a home game against Hamilton on December 10 and begins 2025 at Ben Light Gymnasium with their second all-time meeting against Carnegie Mellon on January 4.
From there, the Bombers play 16 Liberty League games to round out the 2024-25 slate, ending the regular season with four games on the road vs. St. Lawrence, Clarkson, Bard, and Vassar. The Liberty League Tournament starts on February 25 and the semifinals are scheduled for February 28, with the championship set for March 1.
