BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian University men's basketball team is ready to host the 43rd Steel Club Classic in Johnston Hall on Friday and Saturday, December 29-30.

The first two years of the tournament were played as a season-opening tournament before switching to a January tournament during the 1980-81 season. The tournament was not held in 2014-15 or 2015-16 due to a conflict with the Landmark Conference schedule and the tournament was also cancelled in 2020-21 due to the pandemic. The tournament was also held twice in the calendar year of 2022 in both January and last December.

Host Moravian has a 53-30 record in the 42-year history of the tournament, and the Hounds have won 17 tournament titles, most recently in January of 2014. The Hounds will take on Hunter College on Friday at 4:30 p.m. in the first game of the tournament with the Hawks making their tournament debut. Friday's second game features Alvernia University, which is making its second tournament appearance and tournament newcomer Penn State Behrend playing at 6:30 p.m. The Consolation game is set for 3:30 p.m. on Saturday and will be followed by the championship contest at 5:30 p.m.

The Greyhounds had a 13-day break after hosting Keystone on December 16. Moravian heads into the tournament with a 4-5 mark and a 1-3 slate in Landmark Conference action. Moravian is led by head coach Darryl Keckler, who is in his second season leading the Hounds and 16th as a collegiate coach.

Sophomore forward Marquis Ratcliff leads the Greyhounds with averages of 22.6 points and 9.6 rebounds per game to go along with 20 blocked shots, nine steals, eight assists and seven three-pointers. Junior forward Gary Francis is contributing 12.9 points and 2.9 rebounds per contest to go with 12 assists, six three-pointers, five blocked shots and four steals while sophomore guard Porter Kelly is registering 10.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per outing with 20 assists, 17 three-pointers and eight steals.

Senior guard Alex Dietz is netting 9.6 points per game to go along with 33 assists, 27 rebounds, 15 three-pointers and 11 steals while junior guard/forward Michael Leonardo is averaging 8.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest with 42 assists, 14 steals, 12 blocked shots and 12 three-pointers. Sophomore forward Liam Cummiskey is adding 4.1 points per outing with 16 rebounds, 11 three-pointers and nine assists while senior guard Mark Howell has 32 points, nine assists and eight boards.

Freshman guard Taylor Perlmutter has contributed 29 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists while junior forward Nate Santiago has 14 points and 13 rebounds and senior forward Mike DiPietro has 12 points and seven boards. Sophomore forward Uma Kalu has added eight points and four rebounds while senior guard Filippo Baldo and freshman guard Riley Flood both have scored five points.

Alvernia University from Reading, Pennsylvania took a 6-3 record in its semester break, which began after a game on December 18. The Golden Wolves compete in MAC Commonwealth Conference and have not played a conference game yet this season. Alvernia is led by Mike Miller, Jr., who is in his first season.

Senior forward Jakob Kelly leads the Golden Wolves with averages of 15.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game to go with 17 assists, 15 steals, nine three-pointers and six blocked shots. Senior guard Robert Mullan is contributing 13.2 points per contest to go along with 26 rebounds, 18 assists, 13 three-pointers and ten steals while senior guard Nigel Cooke is recording 12.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per outing to go with 18 assists, 18 steals and 15 three-pointers.

Freshman guard Alex Cercado is adding 11.9 points per game with 19 assists, 17 rebounds, eight three-pointers and six steals while sophomore guard Jalil Schenck is registering 7.4 points per contest to go with 25 rebounds, 14 three-pointers, five assists and five steals. Senior center Kyle Gordon has averages of 6.9 rebounds and 6.2 points per outing to go with 27 blocked shots while senior guard Malike Slay is netting 6.1 points per game to go with 4.4 rebounds per outing 11 assists, nine steals and six three-pointers.

Senior guard Jacob Stout has contributed 33 points, nine three-pointers and seven rebounds while sophomore forward Kegan Hertz has added 23 rebounds and 16 points and graduate student forward Mickeel Allen has 12 points and 10 boards.

Hunter College from New York, New York headed into its break, which started after a contest on December 11, with a 3-7 overall mark. The Hawks compete in City University of New York and are 0-1 this season. Hunter is led by Jamel Gist, who is in his first season.

Sophomore forward Kareem McDonald leads the Hawks in scoring at 13.8 points per game to go with 33 rebounds, 29 assists, 18 steals and 15 three-pointers. Senior forward Luka Jakic is averaging 11.4 points and 10.1 rebounds per contest to go along with 31 assists, 21 blocked shots and six steals while senior guard Jack Meyers is contributing 11.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per outing with 16 three-pointers, 15 assists, 11 steals and five blocked shots.

Junior guard Casey Meyers is recording 7.7 points per game to go with 34 rebounds, 27 assists, 17 steals, 12 three-pointers and four blocked shots while graduate student guard Corey Jones, Jr. is also scoring 7.7 points per contest to go along with 27 rebounds, 17 three-pointers, 14 assists and four steals. Senior guard Ryan Lau is registering 5.4 points per outing with 23 rebounds, 12 three-pointers, nine assists and five steals while junior guard/forward Jeremy Montrose has 32 points and 35 rebounds.

Senior forward Donovan Cola has 34 points, 16 rebounds and six three-pointers while senior guard William Brown has added 33 points, 15 boards, five three-pointers and five assists. Junior guard Enzo Caceres-Roussel has contributed 17 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and three steals while junior guard Gene Propper has 15 points, 15 boards and nine assists.

Penn State Behrend from Erie, Pennsylvania took a 6-3 record in its semester break, which began after a game on December 9. The Nittany Lions compete in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference and are 2-2 this season. Penn State Behrend is led by Dave Niland, who is in his 29th season.

Senior guard Tommy DiRenzo leads the Lions with averages of 20.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game to go along with 20 assists, 17 three-pointers, 12 steals and six blocked shots. Sophomore guard Matthew McDonough is averaging 14.8 points per contest to go with 26 three-pointers, 18 assists, 18 boards and seven steals while senior guard RJ Marsh is contributing 10.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per outing with 14 assists and 12 steals.

Sophomore guard/forward Michael Sopko is recording 8.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game to go along with eight assists, eight steals, seven three-pointers and five blocked shots while sophomore guard Mason Blankenberg has averages of 7.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per contest to go with 11 steals, eight assists and six three-pointers. Senior guard Matt Niland is netting 5.2 points per outing to go along with 19 rebounds, 20 assists, eight steals and six three-pointers while freshman guard Shawn Mason is tossing in 5.1 points per game with ten rebounds, nine three-pointers and six assists.

Senior forward Stefan Milinkovic has contributed 23 points and 15 rebounds while senior guard Isaac DeGregorio has 14 points and eight assists and freshman forward Jake Ziegler has added ten points and three boards.