Wheeling, W. Va. - A new era of Wheeling University Men's Basketball is on the horizon as 11 freshmen and transfers join a team of strong returners for the 2022-23 season. That new era of Cardinals basketball kicks off on Friday with the first of two games at the West Liberty Crossover. Wheeling will begin their season on Friday when they take on Cal-U at 7:30 PM and follows that up with a meeting against Shepherd on Saturday at 6 PM.

Last season, the Cardinals finished 10-20 overall and 8-14 in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play as they earned the #9 seed in the MEC Tournament. They drew the #7 seed Glenville State in their first-round matchup and got out to a 42-24 lead in the first half. They would need every bit of that lead as Glenville State battled back in the second half. However, Wheeling held on for the 78-72 win and was able to advance to the MEC Quarterfinals. There, they met up with rival West Liberty and were locked in a back-and-forth affair. The game came down to its final two minutes as the Cardinals went shot for shot with the Hilltoppers' high paced offense. In the end, they fell 88-81 ending their season, but giving them a taste of success.

While the Cardinals lost their top three scorers from last season, they return a strong group of veterans who look to be leaders in 2022-23. Leading the way is senior Brent Price, who finished with 8.6 points per game and was one of the team's top shooters at .449 from the floor. Price began the year as a spark player off the bench for the Cardinals and transitioned into a regular in the starting lineup. This season, he will be one of the leaders right from the get-go as he helps shape this young team. The Cardinals also bring back their top two rebounders in John Korte and Andrew Taylor as they look to control the hoop. Korte led the way with 6.0 rebounds per game and Andrew Taylor finished right behind him with 5.6 rebounds per game to tie for second.

Joining that group are young and hungry freshman and transfers who are looking to make an immediate impact. Sophomore Marcus Johnson is the lone transfer, coming to Wheeling from Parkland College, where he was a signature off the bench. He appeared in 29 games, making four starts, and shot just over 50% while averaging 8.6 points per game. Joining him are 10 freshmen including many stars from the OVAC (Ohio Valley Athletic Conference). Raef Wykes and Caleb Murray join the Cardinals after leading their team to the 2021-2022 OVAC 3A Championship. S.J.Hutchinson (Philadelphia) and Kevin Coleman (Harrisburg) join the Cardinals as well, bringing first-team All-Conference talent to this year's team.

Before the Cardinals kick-off Mountain East Conference (MEC) play in a week, the Cardinals will go through the ringer with a tough non-conference schedule. They begin with this West Liberty crossover where they will play two tough teams from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). They then return home for their home opener against D'Youville from the East Coast Conference (ECC). The Cardinals will look to mesh and get their chemistry going before they take on the everyday rigors of the MEC schedule.

The Matchups