2023-24 season starts Thursday at Menlo

Game 1

Cal Maritime Keelhaulers (0-0)
at
Menlo Oaks (0-0)

Thursday, Oct. 26 – 7:30 p.m.
Haynes-Prim Pavilion – Atherton, Calif.  

Video
Live Stats
Tickets



VALLEJO, Calif. – The long wait is over for Cal Maritime men's basketball fans because the 2023-24 season, the first with Colin Johnson as the Keelhaulers' head coach, will commence Thursday night with a 7:30 p.m. non-conference matchup at Menlo — the first of a season-opening block of action that includes three road games in a row.

This is the first of two head-to-head matchups taking place within a three-week timespan with the return game set for November 16th inside PEAC Main Gym.

Not only does this season opener feature a familiar face to the Keelhauler faithful — Menlo head coach Brendan Rooney spent three seasons at Cal Maritime as its head coach — Thursday's clash is the latest chapter of fiercely competitive series that was decided by two possessions or less in four of the last six contests.

An experienced roster will take the floor this season for Cal Maritime, one that includes two graduate students, 2023 All-Cal Pac Honorable Mention selection Lunden Taylor and forward Everett Perrot, seniors Justice Cole and Shawn Kelly, and seven juniors — a group comprised by Daniel Andreyev, Lucky Hampton, Chris Herrera, Alex Maze, DeAndre Minor, Angelo Nicandro and Illyaas Rafiq — all looking to make an immediate impact and accelerate the learning curve for freshmen DJ Henry,  Aidan Kwan, Miles Macayan and Jake Matteson.

Taylor, Kelly and Perrot were three of the team's top four scorers last season; that trio is ready to fill the void left behind by All-Cal Pac First Team honoree Miles Pennington who graduated last spring.

Cole and Perrot each ended their first season at Cal Maritime with matching team-high 6.1 rebounds per game averages and will surely frustrate opponents all season long with their defensive prowess, shot blocking and play-altering abilities since each were a regular member of the CSUM's starting lineup throughout conference play.

Thursday's game at Menlo is one of six non-conference matchups taking place before Westcliff visits Vallejo on November 30 for the start of Cal Pac play.