Riverdale, N.Y. (August 1, 2006)- First-year head men's basketball coach
Barry Rohrssen recently announced his first recruiting class, which will consist of six freshmen and one transfer. Joining Manhattan for the 2006-07 season are
Jamel Ferguson (Queens, N.Y./Berkshire School),
Brandon Adams (New York, N.Y./Kent School),
Laurence Jolicoeur (Queens, N.Y./Holy Cross),
Darryl Crawford (New York, N.Y./All Hallows),
Antoine Pearson (Bronx, N.Y./St. Dominic), and
Patrick Bouli (Cameroon, Africa/Massanutten Military Academy), while Shagari Alleyne (Bronx, N.Y./Rice/Kentucky) will become eligible after sitting out the 2006-07 season due to NCAA transfer rules.
Ferguson, a 6-5 forward, was named First Team All-New England Prep School as a senior, also taking him the Class of 1948 trophy as team MVP. He also helped his AAU team, Team Odom, to the Championship of the Charlie Weber Tournament. As a junior, he received Second Team All-New England Prep School honors, and received the NEPSAC Sportsmanship Award.
Adams, a 6-6 forward, was named MVP of the New England Prep School League as a senior, and also received First Team All-New England Prep School recognition after helping lead Kent to its first New England Tournament appearance in several years. Tenacious on the glass, Adams posted rebounding performances of 14, 17, and 18 (twice), with a high of 24 against Berkshire.
Jolicoeur, a 6-9 forward, received All-Queens and Third Team All-City honors following his junior and senior seasons. He was named All-CHSAA Honorable Mention his senior year after averaging 11.7 points per game, including a season-high 26 point performance against St. Raymond's.
Crawford, a 6-4 guard, averaged 20.4 points per game his senior season, earning First Team All-CHSAA honors. He was also named the MVP of his team's game at the Big Apple Challenge. Following his junior season, he received Second Team All-CHSAA honors, averaging 19 points per game, a figure that ranked him third in the league.
Pearson, a 6-2 guard, averaged 15 points, six assists, four rebounds, and three steals per game while leading his team to a 20-6 record, the Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA "AA" crown and a semifinal appearance in the CHSAA "AA" Championships. A Fifth Team All-State selection, he also earned All-Long Island and NSCHAA All-Academic honors.
Bouli, a 6-2 guard, comes to Riverdale via Massanutten Military Academy, but made an impression at the 2006 Global Games, when, as team captain, he averaged 5.2 points, 4.6 steals, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game in leading Team Africa to a fifth place finish. He also competed for Team Africa at the 2005 Global Games, a team coached by former Manhattan coach Fran Fraschilla. Named the best player under 20 in Africa in 2004, he was twice named the best player in Cameroon.
Alleyne, at 7-3, will be the tallest player in Manhattan College history. The center appeared in 68 games over three seasons for Kentucky, averaging 2.0 points and 1.4 rebounds, while tallying 63 blocks. A two-time First Team All-State honoree, the Rice High School product averaged 21.0 ppg, 14.0 rpg, and 5.0 bpg as a senior, and compiled an 82-28 record during his tenure for the Raiders. During his junior season, he teamed up with current Jasper
Arturo Dubois and former Jasper
Jason Wingate to take home the New York City and New York Federation championships.
"We are pleased with the quality of our incoming student-athletes," commented Rohrssen. "They all have an understanding of our college's values, and the commitment it takes to be a student-athlete at this level. With so many new players, as time goes by, we expect, through hard work and effort, that they will be able to contribute and help continue the success of the program."
