Manhattan Head Men's Basketball Coach Steve Masiello hits the road for a nationwide recruiting journey in the month of July. Throughout his tour of evaluating some of the top scholastic players from across the country, Masiello will correspond with #JasperNation through his "Mas On The Road" recruiting blog. The blog will enlighten the Manhattan faithful with a first-hand report as the coaching staff seeks out the future of the program.

July 28, 2018
As we prepare to wrap up July recruiting, we are looking forward to making some great improvements to Jasper basketball. Our goal this summer was to compile a great list of names of players we fell could bring something that we don't have at the present time. You always want to fill gaps on your roster where you might be thin or in need. That to us is always a priority especially with a team that will return so much in 2019-2020. That one player, that one addition could be the difference in winning a conference championship, going to the NCAA tournament or not. As we have always preached, everything matters. So we are going to take great pride in any additions we make to the core of this current roster. On Monday, we will meet as a staff first thing in the morning and start organizing lists, names and delegate who the point person will be based on relationships and evaluations. Even though each recruit will have a point person, we believe in team recruiting so that every coach has a great feel and relationship with each recruit while also helping make the transition to campus easier. 

I really hoped you enjoyed the blog and a sneak peak into what goes on in recruiting behind the scenes in the month of July. We are very excited about the coming weeks on campus. We will have individuals on Monday, a team practice on Tuesday and Wednesday and then head out on a retreat on Thursday for team bonding. We also will be adding a new member to our staff, which we will be finalizing in coming days. So there is a lot of great things happening right now regarding the program. If there are ever any questions about the program or you would like to come to a practice or spend the day with us and see what goes on in the life of a division I program, please feel free to reach out. My door is always open and I love when people especially alumni stop by. This is your program, I am just lucky enough to oversee it and hopefully guide us back to March Madness. As always all the best and GO JASPERS!!! 

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "We all die, the goal isn't to live forever, it's to create something that will."

July 27, 2018

As we come down the final stretch it's time to lock in and focus on who is impacting winning. The toll July can take on a PSA is very taxing and can really wear on you mentally. You see a lot of kids starting to go through the motions versus really competing. It's very similar to last game of a road trip or playing a 2-in-3, Thursday-Saturday MAAC road trip. You can really get an indication of who is all about winning along with those who have great pride in how they go about things. I will say the 3 five-day periods aren't nearly as difficult as when it consisted of 2 ten-day periods ... Talk about guys hitting get a wall. 

The staff has done a very good job of evaluating this period and have been great about gathering names and information in a timely matter so that we can evaluate where we stand. This consists of what players we are in with we are in with, who we can get & who we need to make ground up with. As we wind down this period we will start to coordinate dates and schedules to have unofficial and official visits in August, September and October. You want to try and get as many guys as you can on campus to continue to build relationships and really breakdown to them what they need to improve on and what their strengths are moving into the season. 

Today we had to adjust our schedule at the last minute as one of our assistant's flight was canceled coming in from the West Coast. We had to move some pieces around to make sure we still got 👀👀on the players we needed to evaluate. This is a perfect example of one of the many speed bumps July can create and you quickly learn one of the most important qualities in not only recruiting and coaching but life is adaptability. 

Until tomorrow we need all of #JasperNation locked in and ready for the home stretch! 

Coach Mas

Quote of the day: "Yesterday I was clever so I wanted to change the world, today I am wise so I am changing myself."  

July 26, 2018

Day 2 is in the books! There are so many events every year, that it makes it so hard to see certain players enough times to really get the feel you need to evaluate them properly. Remember back in week 1 when I said you need at least 5 evaluations to really begin to understand a players habits ... strengths and weaknesses etc. We are really trying to make sure we see certain guys as much as possible so we know for sure if we want them and just as importantly if they aren't what we are looking for. 

One of the things I love to do is just go to a game with no preconceived notion of who I am suppose to be watching and just evaluate all 10 players on the court. It's a great way to see who really stands out without any bias coming into the game. Today there is so much hype around average players that you have to make sure you aren't falling for the 'hype machine.' Sometimes you read about or hear about a kid so much from people or social media that you have already determined that you love him before you ever see him play. It's very easy to fall prey to that, and one way to avoid that is simply by keeping your own statistics of things your program prioritizes. Whether that is deflections, steals, charges attempted, physical interactions (high fives) and offensive rebounds ... the list goes on-and-on. Notice though, I didn't say points as scoring on the summer circuit can be very misleading. Concepts of team defense are not a priority most of the time, so someone getting 22 in a game might not be a real 22. Instead look at the efficiency of the player, take a stop watch and count the time he had the ball in his hands. For example, a player that scored 8 points and only had the ball in his hands for 45 seconds might be a better scorer at the next level than a player that scored 20, but had the ball for 4 minutes. Again, these are things you look for to reaffirm some of your early evaluations. 

Back on campus, our guys are doing great and I really think this group can be special from an attitude standpoint. We named Cap, Bud and Pauly captains and they are taking great ownership of the program. We will not allow age to be a factor due to the fact we will have 8 freshmen and sophomores playing big minutes for us. Instead what we are taking about is acting like an experienced team, compared to an inexperienced one ... That that simply comes down to habits. I firmly believe and know you can win with a young team as long as they learn from their mistakes. It's when they make the same mistakes over-and-over that you get into trouble ... Mistakes will happen, but not duplicating them is the key! 

On a non-basketball related note, I also want to welcome former Olympian Matt Centrowitz to campus as the newest member of our track & field staff! 

Until tomorrow #JasperNation! Sleep quick 

Coach Mas

Quote of the day: "The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity." 

July 25, 2018

Here we are at the end of July going into our last recruiting week of the summer. These recruiting periods go by quickly and there is so much to process in a short time. This period is extremely spread out with events taking place in venues such as Las Vegas, Kansas City, Orlando, Philadelphia and Atlantic City. For us, this period will be all about focusing in on a select few student-athletes and making sure we have a great feel for them. We also will follow up on any leads we got from our fan base or friends of #JasperNation that recommended a player to us. This is the week where you don't want to leave any stone unturned and your organization has to be terrific. 

With that being said, we are looking to sign 2-3 players in this class. A 5-man is a priority as well as the best available ... But more then likely a guard who can really shoot the ball. I really like the roster we have and some key additions to that will pay huge dividends moving forward. 

Back in Riverdale, we had a great day on campus and we are coming up on the final couple weeks of summer school as session 2 is coming to an end. It is important we finish these last 3 weeks with great momentum and end the summer on a high note. The next 4 days will be filled with a lot of moving parts that the whole staff will be ready for! Until tomorrow rest up #JasperNation! 

Quote of the day: " It is easier to build strong children than it is to repair broken men."  

Coach Mas!

July 21, 2018

Day 4 is a done deal!

As the the head coach or leader of any program or group you always want staff synergy and cohesiveness among your team. Unfortunately, or fortunately, it doesn't always work that way and that is what you call opportunity. You see confrontation is GREAT and I will say it again that confrontation is great. Healthy confrontation is where growth happens. I can't tell you how many times that happens on a staff or particularly this time of year ... and yes right here at Manhattan. The key with confrontation is to call it out, own it & move on. You can't hold on to it because it becomes negative and cancerous. You see this all the time in recruiting and we are dealing it with it now where certain staff members don't see a certain prospect the same way and disagree about his 'fit' or 'future.' That leads to disagreements ... but as the leader you have to know when one of your assistants is no longer objective about what's best for the program. Once they personalize and become subjective and it becomes about "my recruit" and not what's best for the program it's a sign that clarity has been lost. This is very common on staffs and in any high level organizations where things are competitive. On the flip side, you also want to make sure your assistants believe in who they are recruiting and are willing to take a stand for them because they feel strongly about what they can bring to program. I myself at times will tell an assistant that I don't like a prospect just to see how much or strongly they like or believe in him. Especially, if the assistant has seen him substantially more then I have I will make it a point to say, "I am not sure if he is a good fit" or  "I am not sure we need him" just to see the type of case the assistant will make for him and why he should be a JASPER. Now this is a fine line because, again it's always about what is best for the program and objectivity. Once that is lost, you have to move on because it has now become about attachment vs. commitment. You see that at people around you who are committed to winning, not people who are attached to things to win!! Big difference. 

I say all this to say this is happening right now on our staff, so staff meetings on Monday will be a lot of fun. Tomorrow we will finish out the last day of recruiting and get back to campus to lock in on some of our top players and get organized. We also will have workouts with our team and spend some time together. The guys were off this weekend, resting up and taking care of their academics for summer school! 

Until tomorrow sleep quick Jasper Nation!

Quote of the day "Whether you think you can or you can't, you're right " 

July 20, 2018

Day 3 is in the books. It was a little bit of a transition day from one event to another. A lot of events wrapped up this morning with all-star games/elimination play while a lot of other events got started this afternoon. That being said, we have developed a nice list and are starting to zone in on some prospects that really intrigue us. Day 4 and 5 will be be BIG to see how the young men finish the week and how they approach things under a little adversity, such as fatigue and just the wear-and-tear of July. You have to realize some of these young men are playing 2-3 games a day for 4.5 day segments. I don't know how much it affects an 18 year old physically but you sure can see how it wears them down mentally. 

Tomorrow we are locked in on a couple prospects as the events are really spread out geographically. It's important we get new eyes on guys as we start to offer scholarships you want to make sure your staff is all on the same page. 

The team had a great 7:00 am workout back on campus and the guys are doing great. We have all of our players on campus except for one and he will report in August for fall classes. The bond of our guys is really impressive and I haven't had this much fun with a team since year 1. It really is a fun group to be around! 

Until tomorrow, Sleep Quick #JasperNation!!! 

July 19, 2018

What a great day two of evaluating. I saw a lot of very talented players and saw some great guards who can really pass the ball. One young man in particular was a throwback in the sense of he thought, "pass first" and just wanted to set his teammates up. It's so refreshing to see guys make plays that are the right ones and understand how to play the right way. So many guards today can't read defenses and struggle because they get sped up. It was nice to see someone control tempo and read the defense like it was an elementary school book. 

It was a very productive day for the program. Between skill work, weight training, and recruiting we got a lot accomplished. We have four coaches on the road recruiting, so there is a lot of scrambling going on. During these times we rely heavily on Brandon Kuhn our strength coach. He does a terrific job all year long and is one of the best in the business, but in July he is invaluable making sure guys are accounted for and running our consulting program on campus. I can't emphasize enough how great it is to have guys like him around you. They are a head coach's dream come true. 

Tomorrow will be a hectic day as we juggle an alumni event in New Jersey, as well as cover events that are mostly in elimination/playoff mode. You have to be ready to get to the next event ASAP. Until tomorrow, sleep quick Jasper Nation!!! 

Quote of the day: "leaders are readers" 

Coach Mas

July 18, 2018

As the second week of evaluations start, you are looking for a lot of things to take place. You are trying to see if certain players can continue their momentum of play moving forward. The better they play, the quicker word spreads to coaches, players and other teams. Success can quickly make you a marked man. You are also looking for what players can get themselves going,

On opposite end of the spectrum, we look to see who can minimize the downside of their play from week 1 and now bounce back to get back on track. You also can see what players have an impact on winning as some players may play terrific individually, but they don't impact winning. Here at Manhattan, we like talent but we LOVE TEAM PLAY that translates to TITLES more! 

You see trends, where a team might have a lot of talent but struggle to get wins or they could be noticeably more talented than another team but find themselves in games in which they can't pull away. On the flip side, there are players that might not be as talented as others but know that and play to their strengths ... They understand angles, shot selection, are unselfish, make the extra pass and play hard ... Those are the players that you find in ballgames or on winning teams. It's fun stuff to pay attention to. 

Back on campus, #JasperNation IS IN TERRIFIC SHAPE as we had a great three days of work this week. Along those lines we did a 2.5 day workshop on leadership and taping into your greatness. It was something that is terrific for anyone that is a leader or who wants to impact peoples' lives. We had several recruiting meetings and were ready to go tonight. 

We ask you also please keep Emmy Andujar in your prayers as he is in his final weeks of chemotherapy. He a special young man that inspires me everyday with not only his fight but also his perspective on life. 

We will be back at it tomorrow #JasperNation! Remember if you see some young men that you think have what it takes to be a JASPER LET US KNOW ! You all are part of the staff and everyone of you can have an affect on this program! EVERYTHING & EVERYONE MATTERS!!! 

I am going to leave you with a quote:
 
July 14-15, 2018

Well the first recruiting period is in the books and what a success it was! We got a chance for our staff to see a lot of players in different situations, logged a lot of miles, were in a lot of gyms and highlighted a lot of names on our recruiting list. 

One of the things I have learned from being in the business for over 20 years is that you must evaluate players multiple times before you form an opinion. It's not easy to do but is a must. I saw one young man play 4 times this period and was not impressed at all but when I saw him on the 5th, I fell in love with how he did certain things. Evaluating is very difficult and you have to be patient as success is not instant coffee ... it takes time. As coaches we sometimes rush to judgment on our evaluations because we want to see so many players, but steady wins the race! 

Tomorrow will be a very busy hectic day. We will start by having a recruiting meeting to go over all the names we saw and rank the players by position. We then will get on the phone and make scholarship offers, determine where we stand with certain recruits, as well as decide who we are no longer recruiting. We will then organize & plan where we are going this week and who we are going to see this coming Wednesday. Add to that a 90-minute practice as well as a leadership workshop for our staff on being more effective leaders and communicators. Just another typical Monday!   

In the next 48 hours we will be holding a ton of staff meetings to organize the second recruiting period! Wednesday night we will be back to update #JasperNation but until then Go Jaspers! 

Coach Mas

July 13, 2018

What a day?! Started with a team meeting and got some great news on a 2018 PSA! Also had a former player who was on staff make his recruiting debut. Makes you realize that you are only as good as the people around you and I am so fortunate to have two former players on the road (Ray & Tyler). They simply get it and they are both like little brothers to me that are going to be terrific in this business!!!!

Tyler has been promoted for the month of July until we permanently fill the Shawn Finney vacancy. 

As far as Day Three on the road it was a success from the standpoint of getting to see certain prospects for a 4th and 5th time. You can really get to know a player's strengths and weaknesses in a short period if you focus on the right things. You can see what makes them go and how they respond in certain situations. It's really good to see how guys play without the ball in their hands. Most players don't understand they are role players and they need to know how to play without the ball in their hands. Most players have the ball in their hand for only five percent of the time they are on the court ... so just think about that for a second. That means 95 percent of the time they are playing without the ball. So how they offensive rebound, defend their position, screen, rim run and cut are so important!

Deflections are also a major factor in their success. But the big question is do they know that? 

One thing about an event in NYC is all of the characters are out, and I mean that in a great way. There are so many "influencers" around the gym as you can get so much done from a network and relationship standpoint. The two most important things in getting players is relationships and trust!!!! Please understand there is a major difference between guys who recruit and guys who get players. The people that get players understand the importance of relationships, communication and trust. Come to an AAU event in the NYC area and you quickly can tell the difference. 

Three days in the books and all have been great! Time to get organized and get back after it!

Sleep quick #JasperNation! Let's go!!!

Coach Mas

July 12, 2018

What an exciting/busy day of basketball for #JasperNation. We got to evaluate over 50 PSA as a staff today and really got after it. One thing is for sure, the kids today love throwing lobs and shooting 3's. Players really struggle using their weak hand, and passing has become a lost art in recent years. Unfortunately, a lot of simple plays aren't made as guys would rather make the 'homerun' plays. On the bright side, it's really fun to watch these young men compete and get after it ... They really leave it all on the court and are playing with great energy. It's amazing how aware the players are of what coaches are in attendance and who they are being watched by. Players scan the crowds and at times will look for a certain face or shirt. 

Overall, day two was a success as we had several meetings on campus with our players, got some skill work in and then got after it on the road recruiting ... Oh and we also added a new Jasper! Coach Grady had a baby girl!!!!  Mom and daughter are doing great so overall ... It Was A Great Day To Be A Jasper! 

Now it's time to get on the phone with the staff and map out our day tomorrow to figure out where we will be and who we will be seeing ... Until then, sleep quick #JasperNation as we have a busy day tomorrow!

Go Jaspers!!!!

Coach Mas

July 11, 2018

#JasperNation,

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer and had a great 4th of July! This is a very exciting time of year for me and that reason is ... RECRUITING ... The bloodline to our program. 

As the first evaluation period starts we are out targeting future Jaspers for our FAMILY. This morning began at 6:30 am with conditioning, followed by a one hour team practice and then recruiting kicked off at 5:00 pm. We will cover a multitude of events from Atlanta to Massachusetts over the next several days. 

Recruiting this time of year is very fluid and staff communication is paramount to our success. Some players we evaluate/target will draw offers from BCS level schools. When that happens, it is crucial we have other names ready and don’t miss a beat. With that being said, here at #JasperNation we are aiming for student-athletes that play at a high level, but the most important thing in recruiting is time, the one thing you don’t want to do is waste it.
 
We will be evaluating every little thing from body language, to dealing with adversity and being a good teammate. At Manhattan, we have a PROGRAM built on core values and we are targeting student-athletes that play the JASPER WAY! 

We will closely monitor all elements of a potential recruit’s make-up, including social media, immediate family and influences. Obviously, talent is a huge piece of a puzzle but CHARACTER IS EVERYTHING! That’s what allows young men to be coached as well as their ability to handle honest feedback.    

Tonight was mostly a feel out night as players and coaches get acclimated to their new surroundings. Tomorrow things will start to turn up a little bit as players settle in. 

Be sure to check back in tomorrow for a Day 2 recap of our recruiting. Be sure to let us know if you see anyone out there that you think has what it takes to be a Jasper !!! 

Thanks,

Steve Masiello (@Steve_Masiello)