After a 19–10 season that included the Liberty League Championship Tournament — its first since 2020 — and a trip to the second round of the NCAA Division lll Championships, the Ithaca College men’s basketball team is looking to build on its success and prove that last year’s run was no coincidence.
With high expectations surrounding the program, the Bombers return the bulk of last season’s core, including three of their five leading scorers, but they will need to adjust after graduating leading scorer Logan Wendell ’25, who averaged 17.9 points per game. The team has entered a new era under head coach Mike McSloy, who took over following Waleed Farid’s departure to New York University in June.
McSloy brings more than 13 years of coaching experience, including successful head coaching stints at St. Joseph’s University, New York on the Long Island campus and Drew University, where he developed competitive programs. McSloy said he is thrilled about the foundation he inherited on South Hill coming off the conference championship with many returning key players.
“I feel very fortunate that the program was left in a good place by Coach Farid,” McSloy said. “We have a lot of returners, we’re implementing a new system, and the guys are leaning into it and doing a really good job with it so far.”
The new system will feature a similar offensive rhythm but a transformed defensive identity. McSloy said the Bombers plan to play with greater pace and intensity, emphasizing constant pressure and depth throughout the rotation.
“The most drastic difference is just the pace — how fast we’re trying to play and the rate of the game,” McSloy said. “Defensively, we’re pressing more, which gives us the chance to play more guys. With how we want to play, we need 10 or 11 guys ready to go. They’re an ankle turn away from being out there, so everyone’s got to be ready.”
Sophomore forward Chris Leysath doubled down on finding a defensive identity during the off-season and its emphasis on the play style of the bombers this off-season.
“It’s a pride thing when you’re playing against somebody,” Leysath said. “You don’t want that guy to score on you. Defense is still one of our top goals — to be the best defensive team in the league and in the nation.”
Junior guard Jaylon O’Neal, who grew up playing in an up-tempo system at Central Valley Academy in New York, said the team’s commitment to energy and accountability will be crucial this season.
“With the new play style, we’re pretty much pressing the whole game,” O’Neal said. “It’s going to take more than all you’ve got — that extra step. We do a really good job holding each other accountable for that.”
Having lost only three seniors, the Bombers return a tight-knit group led by an experienced core of sophomores, juniors and seniors who have developed strong chemistry both on and off the court.
“Our core is super tight,” O’Neal said. “We’re always building chemistry and pushing forward. Last year was great, but it’s a new season, new experiences, and we’re hoping to do some really good things this year.”
Despite last year’s championship banner, the Bombers know that every season starts at 0–0. The target on their back as defending Liberty League champions only increases the desire to win.
“We got to go past those expectations that are put on us,” Leysath said. “We already experienced what it’s like to win. We’re trying to win even more. We’re trying to go beyond that point that we’ve been.”
It is not just one player who is hungry for more. O’Neal added the importance of realizing that it is a new season for Bomber basketball and the target that comes with being defending conference champions.
“We want to come in with that underdog mentality again,” O’Neal said. “I know where we were last year, but that doesn’t mean anything to the success we’ll have this year.”
After a long and rigorous off-season of tough practices and conditioning, Leysath along with the rest of the team is excited to not just begin the conquest of defending the league championship but chase more.
“Yeah, we’re all ready to play,” Leysath said. “Like, we’re all competitive. We’re all willing to just get on the floor and give 110% effort. We’re all ready to play and ready to get on the floor and show people what we’ve been working for all this time.”
With the high expectations come both pressure and excitement for the men on the team. Part of that excitement is putting on that uniform and not just making Ithaca proud, but providing excitement and pride to Bombers fans all over the country.
“I’m excited just to play with these guys again and just keep on winning and making the families proud, the community proud and putting us on a national level,” Leysath said.
As the Bombers prepare for their Nov. 13 game against Cortland and the upcoming season, McSloy hopes to keep the team grounded and focused on steady growth and improvement in the new play style rather than chasing perfection.
“When we talk about trying to play our best basketball late in the season, we have to focus on the process,” McSloy said. “We’re not striving for perfection — just for improvement. If we do that every single day, we’ll get to where we want to be when it matters most.”
