WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson men's basketball team looks to build off its run to the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship last season. The youthful team returns all of its contributors from a season ago and looks primed for another run in 2025-26.
 
The Presidents begin their 2025-26 slate with a trip to Lancaster, Pa., to face the Lancaster Bible Chargers on Saturday (Nov. 8) at 6:00 p.m.
 
2024-2025 Season Review: The Presidents closed out last season with a 21-7 overall record and a 15-5 conference record. 
 
W&J propelled themselves to a 7-3 start last season, working to crucial victories over Clarkson, Grove City, and Geneva.
 
The Presidents passed some notable milestones last year.  Head Coach Ethan Stewart-Smith passed the 100-win mark while leading the team past Bethany, 100-93.  Matt Seidl (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) also became the 27^th player in W&J men's basketball history to join the 1000-point club with a win over Thiel.
 
The team closed out their 2024-25 season by making the PAC Championship game. A high-powered Chatham unit bested W&J by an 81-69 score.
 
"It was important for us to get that experience, that nobody in our locker room had done before, and have a deeper understanding of what it takes to compete at the highest level in our conference," said Stewart-Smith. "It was a humbling experience for us to get there and not be good enough, so I think that was a big motivating factor for our team this offseason."
 
Nathan Plotner (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg South) was voted as the PAC Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first W&J player to win the award. He finished the season as the PAC's block leader and ranked 10th nationally with 70 blocks. Plotner added 55 steals, which ranked eighth most in the conference. The sophomore also cleaned up on the glass, ranking second in the league with 9.4 rebounds per game. He pulled 174 rebounds on the defensive end.
 
Additionally, Cameron Rowell (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) was voted the PAC Newcomer of the Year.  This was the first time that a W&J player has won this award since the 2021-22 season. The freshman averaged 10.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game over 28 games (five starts). His 60 steals ranked second on the team. Rowell added 34 assists and 15 blocks to his stat totals.  
 

2025-26 PAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll (South Division)
School (first-place votes)	Points	2024-25 record (conference)
1. Washington & Jefferson College (9)	63	21-7 (15-5 PAC)
2. Saint Vincent College (1)	55	20-6 (16-4 PAC)
3. Chatham University (2)	46	23-5 (18-2 PAC)
4. Franciscan University	40	15-12 (10-10 PAC)
5. Waynesburg University	26	7-18 (5-15 PAC)
6. Bethany College	16	7-18 (2-18 PAC)

 

W&J Players to Watch
Name	Yr.	Pos.	Ht.
Alex Acosta (Acworth, Ga./North Cobb)	Sr.	F	6-6
Matthew Carte (Ravenswood, W.Va./Ravenswood)	Jr.	G	6-2
Nathan Plotner (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg South) (2)	Jr.	F	6-7
Cameron Rowell (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional)	So.	G/F	6-4
Matt Seidl (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) (HM)	Sr.	G	6-3

 
"We don't put much stock in preseason polls, so our goals & expectations will not change based on where we have been picked," stated Stewart-Smith. "We have high expectations for ourselves, and that's how we approach each year – we want to max out our team. Our goal is to finish in the top four, specifically in the top two of our division, to compete for a PAC title on our home floor."
 
Team Captains: Alex Acosta (Acworth, Ga./North Cobb), Matt Seidl (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills), and Nathan Plotner (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg South)
 
"They have been through it all, and I'm really happy for them to be able to lead this team with a high ceiling," said Stewart-Smith. "We expect them to continue to do whatever our team needs in order to be successful."
 
Key Returners: The Presidents have all five of their main starters returning for the 2025-26 season. 
 
"It's very important to have a veteran group returning. One thing that has been consistent with our conference champions the last 2 years is that it has been veteran teams that have been through it before," stated Stewart-Smith. "Experience is really important, and our team should have a really good understanding of what it will take to take the next step with such a long, grueling season."
 
The Presidents will be led by their core group of seniors, including Alex Acosta (Acworth, Ga./North Cobb) and Matt Seidl (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills). This lineup also includes a strong junior class featuring Nathan Plotner (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg South) and Matthew Carte (Ravenswood, W.Va./Ravenswood).
 
Seidl has been a staple for the Presidents the past four seasons, earning All-PAC laurels in his freshman and junior seasons. The senior averaged 12.9 points per game, a .695 free-throw percentage, and averaged 4.3 rebounds per game last season.  He also had 65 steals and 25 blocks throughout the 2024-25 campaign.
 
Acosta was a dominant presence again last season. The senior big man averaged 10.0 points, a .549 free-throw percentage, and averaged 5.5 rebounds last season. He also represented W&J on the National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court.
 
The Presidents will also receive some valuable minutes from role players, including seniors Nick Colucci (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) and Josh Chambers (Hanover, Md./Indian Creek). Brandon Learn (New Stanton, Pa./Hempfield), Raine Gratzmiller (Butler, Pa./Butler), and Connor Roberts (Washington, Pa./Trinity) also return as seniors in 2025-26.
 
Plotner partnered well with Acosta last season, wreaking havoc in the paint as one of the taller pairings. The junior led the team in multiple categories, averaging 14.4 points per game, 9.4 rebounds, and had 70 blocks throughout the 2024-25 season.
 
Carte was a lethal offensive contributor for the Presidents last season. The now junior posted his best season yet in Red & Black, averaging 11.3 points per game with 53 made triples. Carte made six three pointers in two games last season against Franciscan and Allegheny.
 
Fellow juniors Nick Sukernek (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair), Michael Pfeuffer (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon), and Harrison Sowers (Irwin, Pa./Hempfield) all return as well this season.
 
A trio of freshmen contributors added a needed boost to the 2024-25 team. Quinton Burlenski (Bridgeport, Ohio/Central Catholic), Michael Plasko (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette), and Cameron Rowell (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional).
 
"They played such a big role in our success, and we had really high expectations for them last year," replied Stewart-Smith. "That doesn't change now, and we expect more growth & consistency over the course of a full season as sophomores."
 
Burlenski played valuable minutes for the Presidents in the starting lineup last season. The guard started 24 of 25 games, averaging 9.2 points and 1.6 steals per game. Burlenski looks to reprise his role as one of the starting guards.
 
Plasko added a spark as a crucial rotational bench piece last season. Plasko averaged 9.5 points and had 31 total steals off the bench for the Presidents. Plasko also shot 45.2 percent from the field in 2024-25.
 
Rowell was a force for the Presidents, finishing as the PAC Newcomer of the Year. Rowell played in 25 games and started five, averaging 11.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Rowell flashed defensive prowess last season as well, averaging 2.2 steals per game.
 
Newcomers: The men's basketball team enters the 2025-26 season with two incoming freshmen.
 
"We feel that our newcomers are a perfect fit for our team," said Stewart-Smith. "They are showing up to practice with positive energy every day, and we expect them to continue to improve as they get more experience with what it takes to be successful as a college basketball player."
 
Lucas Luteran (Meadville, Pa./Meadville)               G            6-0        165                                                                  
Parker Schramm (Williamstown, W.Va./Williamstown)         G            6-2        180
              
Coaching Staff:
Head coach Ethan Stewart-Smith (Penn State Altoona '07) returns for his 11^th season as the head coach of the Presidents. Stewart-Smith's career record is 115-132 as the head coach of the Presidents. 
 
Evan Bonnaure begins his sixth season as the assistant coach of the Presidents. This is the first year with Bonnaure as the full-time assistant. Bonnaure has been the intern assistant here at W&J since the 2020-21 season. The tenured assistant coach stepped up as the interim head coach on two occasions this season, winning both games during the season. Most notably, he helped elevate W&J over their first ranked opponent victory since 2008-09 in an 84-73 victory over Carnegie Mellon.
 
"His presence has been so critical to our success, and I'm really excited to continue to work alongside him. Our coaching is extremely collaborative, and he's done an incredible job installing & improving our pressure systems," replied Stewart-Smith. "He has taken the lead on many of our recruiting efforts and has done an incredible job building a competitive, cohesive roster that fits who we are. I'm excited for another year of growth from our staff."
 
Looking at the Schedule: The Presidents are scheduled for 16 conference games this season.
 
The Red & Black will tip off the season with five non-conference games against Arcadia (Nov. 14), Penn State Abington (Nov. 15), Carnegie Mellon (Nov. 18), Case Western Reserve (Nov. 21), and Maryville (Tenn.) (Nov. 22).
 
The Presidents close out non-conference play by hosting the Great Lakes Invitational.  This is the first time that a PAC team has hosted the tournament, and the first time that a school from Pennsylvania has been selected to host the prestigious event.
 
W&J finishes the regular season with a home matchup against Waynesburg on Saturday (Feb. 21).  The eight-team PAC championships are slated to begin on Tuesday (Feb. 24).
 
Final Word from Stewart-Smith: "I'm just excited to coach our team as a whole. I feel like our guys put in a lot of work in the offseason, and now we get to see it pay off with competing against other teams."