BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – Following the departure of one of the most successful senior classes in program history, the Geneva men's basketball team looks to reset things with a new core group this upcoming year. The Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) released its preseason poll Tuesday morning, voted on by coaches throughout the conference, and the Golden Tornadoes were picked to finish fourth out of six teams in the PAC's North Division. This is the first year the PAC has moved to a two-division structure, with six teams in the North and six in the South. The top four teams from each division will earn a spot in the PAC playoff tournament.

Geneva suffered a slew of injuries and other health-related issues in the early goings of last year, but the men rebounded from a slow start to finish the season with a 14-12 overall record, 12-8 in PAC play. The GTs won their final five games of the regular season, including a victory over eventual conference champion Chatham, to earn the No. 4 seed in the PAC playoffs. Unfortunately, their season ended with a quarterfinal loss to Grove City, 69-61.

Head coach Jeff Santarsiero returns for his 30^th year on the Geneva sideline, fresh off a season in which he earned his 400^th career victory as the Golden Tornadoes' head man. He will have his work cut out for him in replacing graduates Ryan Rachic, Mark Rachic, Trevor Tipton, KC Johns, and Payton Triplett, all of whom were key members of the GTs' championship-winning team in the 2023-24 season.

Heading up the charge for the Golden Tornadoes is a group of five seniors in Jonathan Bertovich, Nick Million, Trey Barker, Alec Srock, and Danny Lauer. Bertovich started a number of games for the men last season, averaging 4.3 points per game, and will handle the point guard duties this year. Million and Srock are the other two seniors who played meaningful minutes in 2024-25, with Million averaging 5.3 points per game and Srock leading the team with a .649 field goal percentage off the bench. Barker was also a key contributor for the GTs as a sophomore but had to sit out all of last season due to injury.

Junior Ryan Edwards and sophomores Tommy Coletti and Austin Matthews also look to play a large role in the lineup this year. Coletti started the majority of Geneva's games as a freshman last year, averaging 7.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.

Coach Santarsiero brings in a class of eight newcomers, with seven freshmen and one transfer. He will look for a few members of the group to step up and fill the holes left by last year's senior class.

The men open their season with an exhibition game at Division I Robert Morris on Tuesday, November 10^th, at 7:00 p.m. They will be back in action that weekend as they host Lancaster Bible, Carlow, and Grove City in the Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament.

Through purposeful learning in a community reflecting the full spectrum of God's kingdom, a Geneva College experience inspires students to discover a faith-life calling in service to God and neighbor. Offering 195+ traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality and affordability. Geneva was founded and is governed by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) and is a founding member of both the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and the International Association for Christian Education (IACE).