MOUNT VERNON – Cornell men's basketball coach Dave Schlabaugh has many reasons for optimism this season with the return of five starters and his top seven scorers from a year ago.
 
On top of that, the Rams field 11 seniors on the roster, the program's largest such class in quite some time.
 
Cornell will draw on the vast experience during an anticipated 2024-25 campaign, which tips off at 7 p.m. Friday against rival Coe inside the Small Athletic and Wellness Center.  
 
"We have good leadership from our entire senior class," said Schlabaugh, who enters his eighth season at the helm. "Obviously, we're fortunate to have both all-conference players back. They're both going to have great senior years."
 
Schlabaugh is referring to his dynamic backcourt duo of Jayden Meeker and Zach Ingle. Both are two-time all-Midwest Conference performers and on pace to join the 1,000-point club before Christmas.
 
Meeker earned first team all-MWC honors last season, when he averaged 18.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. The versatile 6-foot-4 guard shot 48.3 percent from the field. He's netted 880 points through three seasons.
 
Ingle, a second team all-MWC selection the past two years, is another lethal scoring threat who drained 77 3-pointers last season, two shy of the school record. The 6-foot-5 wing averaged 16.2 points and shot 39.1 percentage from beyond the arc. Ingle has totaled 894 career points.
 
The Rams bring back two more double-digit scorers in junior Nate Jacobson (11.7 ppg) and senior Dylan Hurley (10.2 ppg), both in their second seasons with the Rams. Jacobson canned 31 3-pointers in only 10 games last season. Hurley led the team with 129 rebounds (5.2 rpg) and 40 steals.
 
Seniors Julian Cleary, Connor Barnett, Jaxson Herring and Wallace Schmotzer all held starting roles at stages last season.  
 
"We'll need to figure out a rotation. We have lots of good options for different lineups," Schlabaugh said. "The competition has been great at practice."
 
The Rams will also be aided by a host of talented newcomers, led by a trio of junior transfers in Arnav Jain, Jaylan Bradberry and Caleb Leslie.
 
"We know we have to be better defensively and shoot the ball better," said Schlabaugh, poised to improve on last season's 9-16 overall finish and 6-10 mark in MWC play.
 
The Rams are picked sixth in the MWC Preseason Coaches' Poll. They open MWC play Dec. 3 at league favorite Illinois College.
 
Cornell has qualified for the MWC Tournament three of the past four years. The Rams won the title in 2022 and also reached the championship game in 2021.