A quick glance at the Presidents’ Athletic Conference men’s basketball statistics shows Saint Vincent is tops in assists per game (16.1) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.52).

That makes sense for a team that shares the ball, plays at a breakneck pace and throws alley-oops in transition.

Social media videos tell the story. Turn up the volume, press play and listen to the crowd swell as Jaden Gales thunders down a dunk.

But the Bearcats also lead the PAC in attendance, averaging 500 fans a home game.

Translation: This team is fun to watch.

“It has been fun,” the high-flying Gales said. “The talent we have is hard to beat.”

The hot-ticket Bearcats are 8-0, and they’re averaging 87.5 points. Six of the wins have come at the raucous Carey Center.

Free admission helps.

Giveaways carry meaning too: “We give out PS5s and gift cards at halftime,” veteran coach D.P. Harris said. “We want to create a community environment and have people want to watch us play.”

But fans are getting more than giveaways. They are also enjoying exciting basketball, a calling card of many Harris-coached teams that have had success in the past.

SVC (8-0, 6-0) is off to its best start since 2008-09 as it prepares to host Geneva (8-1, 6-0) at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

“Coach told us the minimum was 20 wins and a PAC championship,” said sophomore guard Dev Ostrowski, who leads the PAC in scoring at 21 ppg. “I think now it might be 25 wins.”

The 6-foot-6 Gales has been on the finishing end of numerous highlights. The former Bishop Canevin standout who believes he was under-recruited coming out of high school, is averaging 17.6 points and 6.4 rebounds.

He was the PAC Newcomer of the Year last season. His future could include a jump to a Division I program.

“We’re versatile, and we have built a connection,” said Gales, who only had two Division II offers before Harris reeled him into Latrobe. “Last year was a feeling-out process and finding chemistry.”

Gales said he will wait until after the season to ponder his next move. The lack of Division I attention represents the chip on his shoulder.

“It motivates me every time I step on the court,” he said.

Junior guard Mike Iuzzolino, a Division I transfer, is averaging 12 points and joins Ostrowski as a spot-on perimeter shooter.

Four players have 15 or more assists.

The Bearcats, whose largest deficit was four points against Waynesburg, are shooting 49.2% from the field and producing 9.0 steals.

“We all bring our passion to the court,” Iuzzolino said. “The ball zips around because we trust each other. If you shut one of us down, someone else is going to go for 30 a night.”

While SVC has a proud basketball tradition, the team is trying to return to being conference-title contenders and beyond.

Don’t forget, the Bearcats were 3-22 two years ago before Harris returned for his second stint as coach.

“It was another total turnaround,” said Harris, who helped St. Thomas (Fla.) finish 22-6 and reach the Sun Conference championship in his first season. “It’s not hard to do that, to turn things around. You just have to trust your players.”

Harris, 53, was the coach from 2003-19 before he left to coach St. Thomas.

The 377-win coach came back in a fundraising role and later became interim athletic director when the basketball position became open.

“I didn’t want to coach,” Harris said. “My mom was dying, and I moved back here. … It has turned into the time of my life. I came back at the right time.”

SVC went 15-11 last season and made the PAC quarterfinals.

Some key additions joined the team in recent years, including newcomer Ostrowski, who hadn’t played for two years after one season at Miami Dade, a junior college in Florida.

“I was retired from basketball,” Ostrowski said with a chuckle. “D.P. called me and asked me to play. I didn’t know anything about (Saint Vincent). Being back on the floor is great. I am getting in the flow again. I am putting my full spirit into it.”

Getting Gales was a power move for Harris, but having Iuzzolino transfer from Division I Bryant in season last year, and then get Ostrowski on board could be what puts SVC over the top.

“I knew this team could be special,” Ostrowski said. “I saw the talent. But there were some missing pieces. You can’t deny two players (defensively).

“My role was to come in and be the missing piece.”

Iuzzolino said teams have focused on him defensively at times, leaving Ostrowski and Gales open.

Harris’ winning culture struck a chord with him.

“I knew when I came here, there was no question about winning,” Iuzzolino said. “I didn’t have any doubts.”

Iuzzolino is the son of former NBA guard Mike Iuzzolino, an assistant at Robert Morris.

Saint Vincent will visit RMU at 2 p.m. on Dec 17.

Harris wants the fast pace to continue.

“We always want to play fast basketball, but you have to recruit guys who can play fast,” Harris said. “We have smart kids who know how to sacrifice. They are willing to find the guy with the hot hand and step out of the way if they need to. We don’t want to let the ball get sticky.”

For as good as it has been, Saint Vincent could just be getting started.

“We are not perfect, trust me,” Harris said. “We can probably get about 80% better. We don’t have our whole offense or defense in yet.”

Next summer, SVC is set to build a multi-million dollar, 78,000 square-foot indoor practice facility, the Dunlap Family Athletic and Recreation Center. It will house two basketball courts. The Carey Center could become a basketball-only facility.

“Basketball is in a good place again here,” Harris said.

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