HACKENSACK, N.J. - FDU men's basketball continues the three-game homestand to ring-in 2023 on December 29 and 31 as the Knights, currently 6-8, play host to Merrimack in the first Northeast Conference contest in 2022-23 on Thursday and put a bow on non-conference action Saturday, welcoming Centenary to Stratis Arena inside the Rothman Center. Both games will air live on NEC Front Row and the NEC on the Run App. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. against the Warriors and noon versus the Cyclones.

Looking to begin NEC play 1-0 for the second-consecutive season, the Knights - picked tied for sixth with Central Connecticut in the NEC Preseason Coaches Poll - take on the top-picked Warriors, currently 2-12 on the year. Ziggy Reid leads the fourth-year NEC member in scoring through 14 games, logging 191 points averaging 13.6 per game. Yet to beat a Division I member on the season, Joe Gallo's Warriors program holds the all-time series edge with FDU, officially leading with six wins though the sides have only played five times (Merrimack was awarded a win via COVID-19 forfeit last season). Having joined the NEC in 2019-20, the Warriors won the conference regular season title in their first campaign as a reclassifying institution - finishing .500 or better in two of their first three Division I seasons.

Due to a change in the NEC's schedule during the 2020-21 season to account for COVID-19 precautionary measures, the last time Merrimack paid FDU a visit on the banks of the Hackensack was back on February 6, 2020, a four-point win for the visitors from North Andover, Mass. With one overtime game in the all-time series, the two sides have kept it close except for their lone meeting at Hammel Court last season which resulted in a 20-point win (64-44) for Merrimack. No returning Knights scored in double figures in the road bout.

After new head coach Tobin Anderson's squad takes on Merrimack, the Knights close-out non-conference play on New Year's Eve (Dec. 31) welcoming non-Division I Centenary in the first-ever countable contest between the two North Jersey foes. The Cyclones (5-6, 0-0 Atlantic East) feature seven North Jersey products on their roster this season and are led in scoring by Fort Lee, N.J. native Billy Veras who has tallied 190 points in nine starts including a double-double on December 10 against Five Towns with 24 points and 16 rebounds.

Two of FDU's next three NEC games come on the road with the Knights heading to St. Francis Brooklyn for a game at Pratt's ARC on January 5 at 1 p.m. followed by a home game against LIU on Jan. 7 at 1 p.m. The Burgundy and Blue then take-on Central Connecticut in New Britain on Jan 14 at 1 p.m. before heading to Stonehill for the first time.

The 2022-23 men's basketball season is presented by Bogota Savings Bank.