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Lewisburg, PA - Manhattan opens its 111th season of intercollegiate basketball against reigning Patriot League Champion Bucknell on Friday, November 11 at 7:00 pm.
TOP STORYLINES
#1 - The teams met last year with the Bison posting an 80-67 victory over the Jaspers at Draddy Gym.
#2 - Led by Head Coach Steve Masiello, Manhattan will be aiming for its third MAAC Title in four years. Masiello, a two-time Met Coach of the Year, is fifth in school history with 92 career wins.
#3 - The Jaspers are 73-37 in 110 previous season lidlifters and will be opening on the road for the fifth-straight year.
#4 -Manhattan will next be in action in its home opener against Winthrop on Tuesday, November 15 at 8:45 am. The game will feature complimentary admission with free coffee to be provided to all as part of the #JavaWithTheJaspers promotion. Click HERE for more information.
QUICK HITS
* Masiello, who is in his 21st year in college basketball, is 15-5, all-time, in season openers.
* Manhattan last won its season opener when it defeated La Salle on November 9, 2013 in double OT by a 99-90 count. Staff member Michael Alvarado had 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
* DYK? The win over the Explorers was also the last time the Jaspers opened a season in Pennsylvania. The program last played in the Keystone State on December 17, 2014 at Pitt.
* Manhattan is 2-3, all-time, against Bucknell and last defeated the Bison over 85 years ago on January 20, 1931 by a 41-29 count, or during the Hebert Hoover administration.
* A win would give the Jaspers their first win over a Patriot League team since defeating American on November 25, 2007.
* Bucknell, which qualified for the postseason for the fifth time in six years last season, finished 2015-2016 as the Patriot League Regular Season Champions and was victorious over Manhattan by an 80-67 count thanks to owning a 48-33 advantage on the glass.
* After defeating the Jaspers, the Bison dropped eight-straight games to non-conference foes to end of the year, including falling 90-80 to Monmouth in the First Round of the NIT.
* Masiello has led Manhattan to a 92-71 (.564) record, including going 58-38 (.604) during MAAC play, over the last five seasons with three MAAC Title Game appearances, three postseason berths, two Metropolitan Coach of the Year honors and two 20-win campaigns.
* He has participated in the NCAA Tournament in 13 of his 20 seasons as a player or coach, including being a part of eight conference champions and one National Championship.
* Masiello has also been a part of four of the Jaspers' five MAAC Championships and five 20-win campaigns during his nine full years in Riverdale (Assistant & HC).
* Manhattan ranked second in the MAAC and 36th nationally a year ago with 7.7 steals per game and went 5-0 when notching at least 10 in a game and are now 23-2 when hitting the standard over the last three years and 34-5 during the Masiello era.
* The Jaspers were 13th nationally with 15.8 forced turnovers per game while forcing the opposition into at least 20 miscues five times and were third in the MAAC while ranking 76th nationally with a +1.6 turnover margin and are 20-11 when turning the opposition over at least 20 times under Masiello.
* Manhattan returns eight letterwinners, including three starters, that accounted for 62.6 percent of the Jaspers' scoring (1,334 points) and 75.7 percent of their rebounding (693 rebounds) while welcoming seven newcomers.
* Manhattan was slated to finish sixth in the annual preseason MAAC Coaches Poll with senior Rich Williams earning preseason All-MAAC Second Team honors.
* Classmate Tyler Wilson joins Williams as the lone returning seniors. The duo has led the Jaspers to a 57-40 record, two MAAC titles, two trips to the NCAA Tournament and a MAAC-best 7-1 conference tourney record during their four years in Riverdale.
* A year ago, Williams had nine points and seven rebounds against Bucknell while Wilson had six assists, against one turnover.
* Williams averaged 14.8 ppg and a team-best 6.0 rpg last year, highlighted by seven 20-plus point performances and three double-doubles. Additionally, both he raised both his scoring (+9.3 ppg) and rebounding (+4.5 rpg) numbers and took his game to another level at the MAAC Tournament, averaging a team-leading 21.0 ppg.
* Wilson finished second in the MAAC with 5.2 assists per game while also ranking third in assist/turnover ratio (2.0) and fifth in steals (1.5 spg). He dished out at least seven assists 11 times while becoming the first Jasper notch double-figures in assists in 15 years, doing so twice.
* Wilson also handed out 161 assists a year ago, ranking third in the Manhattan single-season annals and enters this year 10th with 308 assists.
* Juniors Zane Waterman and Calvin Crawford each posted breakout campaigns a year. Waterman ranked among the league leaders in scoring (11.0 ppg-27th), rebounding (6.0 rpg-12th) and field goal percentage (.492-8th). Crawford, meanwhile, averaged 10.8 ppg and scored 20 points in a 78-71 win over Monmouth en route to becoming the lone Jasper tudent-athlete to accrue MAAC Player of the Week accolades.
* The trio of Williams, Waterman and Crawford combined to account for all 10 double-digit rebounding performances by Manhattan a year ago and all eight double-doubles.
* The Jaspers also welcome back junior Samson Usilo, sophomore Thomas Capuano (5.1 ppg, 1.7 rpg), sophomore Ak Ojo (1.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg) and sophomore Matt Maloney (0.5 ppg, 0.3 rpg).
* Joining the fray this year are senior Sky Williams, junior Zavier Turner, junior Ahmed Ismail, junior Zavier Peart, freshman Na'Quan Council, freshman Oliver Ehrnvall and Aaron Walker Jr.
* Thanks to the influx of talent, Manhattan now boasts five foreign-born players in R. Williams (Jamaica), Ismail (Egypt), Usilo (Nigeria), Ojo (Nigeria) and Ehrnvall (Sweden).
* The Jaspers graduated Shane Richards and RaShawn Stores from last year's squad, with the duo helping Manhattan to three MAAC title games, two titles and 71 total wins.
* Richards was recently selected in the Second Round of the NBA D-League Draft by the Erie BayHawks before being traded to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and is the second Jasper in the last three years to be drafted by the NBADL, joining 2014 MAAC Tournament MVP George Beamon.
* Richards earned All-MAAC First Team honors a year ago and graduated eighth in school history with 1,472 points, fueled by a school-record 311 three pointers. He converted on at least four threes on 35 occasions with the Jaspers going 25-10 during that time.
* Williams is the lone returning Manhattan player to have recordd at least four triples in a game as a Jasper, having done so twice in his career.
* Manhattan opened the 2016-2017 season with a 99-70 romp over Nyack in exhibition action thanks to forcing 25 miscues that led to a 40-12 advantage in points off turnovers with Waterman pacing five double-figure scorers with 20 points.
* Friday's game against Bucknell is one of 11 non-conference games for Manhattan against 11 different conferences (ACC, American, Atlantic 10, Big South, Big 12, CAA, Horizon, MEAC, NEC, OVC, Patriot). The Jaspers will also play in six states: NY (5), PA (2), FL (1), MD (1), MI (1), WV (1)
* Included in the 11-game schedule are six games (Temple (NCAA), WVU (NCAA), Bucknell (NIT), Florida State (NIT), Hofstra (NIT) and Fordham (CIT)) against teams that qualified for the postseason a year ago.
* Manhattan will participate in the 2016 Preseason NIT, hosting Winthrop on Tuesday, November 15 at 8:45 am ESPN2 as part of the ESPN Tip-Off Marathon before traveling to Detroit, Temple and West Virginia.
* The game against Winthrop features complimentary admission with free coffee to be provided to all as part of the #JavaWithTheJaspers promotion.
* Tuesday Morning's match-up also has been designated as has also been designated with a theme of “One Manhattan.” Throughout the game, former Manhattan Men's Basketball Coaches, Jasper alumni and current Manhattan employees will share what it means to be a Jasper.
* The Jaspers will also participate in the 2016 Orange Bowl Classic in Sunrise, FL against Florida State on Saturday, December 17 at 1:30 pm.
* Since returning to Riverdale, Masiello has led Manhattan to a pair of MAAC Titles as well as a pair of 20-plus win campaigns. In his first tenure, he was a part of two MAAC Championships and three 20-plus win seasons. All told, Masiello has been a member of four of the five Jaspers' MAAC Championship teams and five of the school's 12 20-win seasons in accruing a 175-107 record.
* In his 21st season as either a player or a coach, Masiello has a career collegiate record of 455-217, including 334-189 on the sidelines, with one National Title, two National Championship Game appearances, two Final Fours, six Elite Eight berths, eight conference championships, 13 NCAA Tournament appearances and 15 20-win seasons.
* Joining the staff this year is assistant coach Shawn Finney, who coached Masiello and Kentucky before giving him his first job at Tulane. Finney spent the last six years at UCF.
THE MATCH-UP
Bucknell controlled the tempo in last year's match-up thanks to taking advantage of a depleted Manhattan roster.
REPLACING THE BIG GUNS
Both teams are replacing their leading scorers from a year ago with Chris Hass and Richards each averaging 17.2 ppg a year.
KEY MATCH-UPS
1. Pressure: Last year, the Jaspers forced 17 miscues but only turned that into a 14-12 advantage in points off turnovers. Manhattan will have to continue to force the issue but needs to take advantage of those miscues.
2. The Glass: Bucknell's Zach Thomas & Nana Foulland combined for 26 points and 18 rebounds in the aforementioned 80-67 Bison win. The Jaspers will need to do a better job in the paint.
3. Defense: Bucknell, which averaged 79.0 ppg a year ago, went just 1-4 when failing to hit the 70-point plateau. Over the last three years, Manhattan is 36-10 when limiting the opposition to less than 70 points.
HOME DOMINANCE
The Bison have won seven-straight home openers and own an all-time record of 140-50 at Sojka Pavillion.
NOT SHABBY
Over the last three years, the Jaspers 45-6 when leading at the half, 21-7 when limiting teams to less than 40 percent shooting, 26-9 when winning the battle of the boards and 38-18 when forcing more turnovers than the opposition. Additionally, since the start of 2014-2015 the Jaspers are 27-3 when leading with five minutes to play.
MASIELLO AT MANHATTAN
Masiello has been a part of four of Jaspers' five MAAC Championships while helping lead the Jaspers to a 175-107 record in his nine seasons in Riverdale.
THE WORLDWIDE LEADER
Manhattan is slated to appear on the ESPN family of networks 10 times during the 2016-2017 season, including seven during MAAC play, and twice on Fox Sports. The Jaspers will take on Winthrop on Tuesday on ESPN2 starting at 8:45 am.
NIGERIA REVIVAL
Ojo and Usilo both return to action this year after missing the bulk of the game action a year ago.
NEWCOMERS
The Jaspers welcome seven student-athletes to the fold this season S. Williams (Tuckahoe), Turner (Ball State), Ismail (Colby CC/Egypt), Peart (Eastern Florida State), Council (Scotland Performance (PA)), Ehrnvall (Swedan), Walker Jr. (Cardozo).
NEW YORK STATE OF MIND
Seven of Manhattan's 15 student-athletes - R. Williams, S. Williams, Wilson, Crawford, Capuano, Maloney, Walker Jr. - hail from the state of New York.
REPRESENTING THE USA
The Jaspers also boast players from Florida (Peart), New Jersey (Council), North Carolina (Waterman).
MEET THE STAFF
Masiello is joined on the bench by Matt Grady, Finney, Branden McDonald, Stephen Elmore and Michael Alvarado. Grady is in his sixth year as an associate head coach with Finney arriving in Riverdale after spending the last six years at UCF. McDonald is in his second year while Elmore begins his third year with Alvarado returing for his second season.
DID YOU KNOW????
1. Friday's game is Manhattan's first match-up in the Keystone State since facing Pitt on December 17, 2014.
2. Usilo will be playing in his first collegiate game after missing the last two seasons.
3. Seven players will suit for the first time for the Jaspers on Friday.
4. Turner will make his Manhattan debut after sitting out last year per NCAA Transfer Rules.
5. The Indianapolis native was the 2014 MAC Rookie of the Year at Ball State.
