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Morgantown, WV - Manhattan (2-3) concludes NIT Season Tip-Off action at No. 25/No. 17 West Virginia (4-1) on Monday, November 28 at 7:00 pm at the WVU Coliseum in a game that will be televised by ROOT Sports.
IMPORTANT TELEVISION INFORMATION
* THE GAME CAN ONLY BE ACCESSED IN THE TRI-STATE AREA ON:
DIRECTV (CHANNEL 659) & THE DISH NETWORK (CHANNEL 428)
* THERE IS NO LIVE VIDEO STREAM AVAILABLE ONLINE
TOP STORYLINES
#1 - On Saturday, the Jaspers bested Detroit Mercy 84-81 in double overtime behind a career-high 32 points from junior Zavier Turner.
#2 - The teams have split six previous meetings with the Mountaineers taking the last match-up by a 73-42 count on December 18, 1981.
#3 - Manhattan last defeated West Virginia 77-63 on March 1, 1973 at Madison Square Garden.
QUICK HITS
* Arguably the finest win in school history came against the Mountaineers when the Jaspers posted an 89-84 upset victory in the 1958 NCAA Tournament.
* Manhattan Hall of Famer Jack Powers scored 29 points in leading the Jaspers to an upset of the nation's top-ranked team, which was led by Jerry West.
* Manhattan is 0-3 when playing in West Virginia against the Mountaineers (0-2-WVU Coliseum).
* Head Coach Steve Masiello is 5-3, all-time, against WVU with all eight games coming during his time as an assistant at Louisville.
* DYK2??? The Jaspers' three losses have come against teams that have a combined record of 12-6 with each owning wins over BCS schools: Bucknell (Vanderbilt), Winthrop (Illinois) and Temple (Florida State/WVU).
* Manhattan will be going for its third-ever win against a Big 12/Big 8 team and the first since toppling Oklahoma 77-67 in the First Round of the 1995 NCAA Tourney. The Jaspers are 2-3, all-time, against the Big 12/Big 8 and 3-6 against current members of the league.
* Masiello earned his 94th victory in Manhattan's 84-81 double overtime triumph at Detroit Mercy thanks to a Turner's aforementioned 32 points. The Ball State transfer scored 10 points in overtime, highlighted by hitting the eventual game-winner, and was 5-of-6 from the line.
* Turner, who scored 28 points the previous time out at Temple, is the lone Jasper to score in double-figures in all five games and ranks among the league leaders in scoring (19.4 ppg-4th), free throw percentage (.833-6th), assists (3.0-10th), three-point percentage (.440-12th), three's per game (2.2-12th) and assist/turnover rate (0.8-12th).
* Turner has hit for at least 20 points twice this year and eight times in his career.
* Manhattan went 9-for-12 from the line in overtime at Detroit Mercy with freshman Aaron Walker Jr. tying the game up with two free throws with 0.7 seconds remaining in the first extra session.
* Walker was named MAAC Rookie of the Week on November 21 after averaging 12.3 ppg and 3.3 rpg in three games, highlighted by a 15-point, 6-rebound performance vs. Winthrop, and is third on the team with 10.2 ppg (29th MAAC).
* The Jaspers also snapped the Titans' seven-game home non-conference winning streak thanks to holding them to just 1-of-7 shooting on threes in overtime after Detroit Mercy connected on 8-of-12 in regulation.
* Senior Tyler Wilson made arguably the play of the game in the second overtime when he drew a charge with 7.7 seconds remaining.
* Junior Zane Waterman had another big performance in the win over the Titans, going for 15 points, fueled by four three pointers, with eight rebounds and is averaging 15.7 ppg and 8.3 rpg while shooting 64.3 percent from the floor over his last three games.
* Waterman has started each of the last 32 games for Manhattan dating back to last year and ranks among the league leaders in scoring (11.4-27th), rebounding (7.4-5th), field goal percentage (.538-7th) and three-point percentage (.438-14th).
* After scoring just three points in his previous two games, junior Calvin Crawford had 10 points and seven rebounds off the bench in the win over Detroit Mercy.
* Sophomore Ak Ojo scored a career-high nine points while pulling down four rebounds against the Titans.
* The Jaspers have won the battle of the boards in each of their first five games and rank first in the MAAC in rebounding margin (+8.8) and offensive rebounding (14.6) while averaging 30.8 ppg in the paint. Last year, Manhattan ranked last in rebounding offense, rebounding defense and rebounding margin.
* Leading the charge on the glass for the Jaspers has been junior Ahmed Ismail, who is 10th in the MAAC with 6.2 rpg and most recently pulled down a career-high 11 in the victory over Detroit Mercy. The Egypt native also had a career-high four blocks and is also sixth in the MAAC with 1.6 rejections per game.
* Manhattan has outscored the opposition in second-chance points in four of its five games, highlighted by posting a 24-0 advantage at Temple, and is averaging 15.4 second-chance points each time out.
* The Jaspers have had eight players play at least 10 minutes in all five games this year with 10 seeing at least 10 minutes twice.
* Through the first five games, the seven Manhattan newcomers are averaging a combined 46.0 ppg and 19.4 rpg while accounting for 61.2 percent of the team's offense and 49.0 percent of the rebounding.
* Monday's game at West Virginia is one of 11 non-conference games for the Jaspres against 11 different conferences (ACC, American, Atlantic 10, Big South, Big 12, CAA, Horizon, MEAC, NEC, OVC, Patriot). Manhattan will also play in six states: NY (5), PA (2), FL (1), MD (1), MI (1) and WV (1)
* Included in the Jaspers' 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 also participate in the 2016 Orange Bowl Classic in Sunrise, FL against Florida State on Saturday, December 17 at 1:30 pm.
* The Jaspers recently completed a brutal four-game stretch against teams that either qualified for the postseason a year ago or won 20 games.
* In last week's 80-68 win over Hofstra, Manhattan shot a blistering 53.7 percent (29-for-54) from the floor, including a perfect 100 percent (17-for-17) from the line, and scored on seven of the Pride's nine first-half turnovers, parlaying the miscues into 17 points.
* Junior Zavier Peart scored 14 of his team-high 16 points in the first half against Hofstra, going a perfect 7-for-7 in the opening stanza. On the year, Peart is averaging 6.3 ppg.
* Wilson handed out five assists, against just one turnover, in the win over the Pride after notching 10 points earlier in the week against Winthrop.
* Thanks to his five helpers, Wilson moved past former teammate RaShawn Stores into ninth place on the program's all-time assist list and now has 318.
* Sophomore Thomas Capuano scored a team-high 11 points with a career-best five assists at Bucknell before pulling down a career-high six rebounds against Winthrop and is averaging 6.6 ppg.
* Jasper basketball players are wearing memorial patches on the left shoulder of their jerseys this season in honor of Fr. George Hill, the longtime Manhattan College chaplain and an avid supporter of both teams, who passed away in September.
* The Jaspers' 45 rebounds, including 19 offensive caroms, at Bucknell are the most in each category in a game since the 2014-2015 season.
* Masiello has led Manhattan to a 94-74 (.560) record, including going 58-38 (.604) during MAAC play and 43-20 (.683) at Draddy Gymnasium, over his six 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, which is averaging 7.0 steals per game, ranked second in the MAAC and 36th nationally a year ago with 7.7 thefts per game. The Jaspers are 23-3 when hitting the standard over the last three years and 34-6 during the Masiello era.
* Manhattan was also 13th nationally with 15.8 forced turnovers per game a year ago while turning the opposition over on at least 20 occasions five times and was third in the MAAC (76th NCAA) with a +1.6 turnover margin. During the Masiello era, the Jaspers are 20-11 when forcing at least 20 turnovers.
* 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).
* Manhattan was slated to finish sixth in the annual preseason MAAC Coaches Poll with senior Rich Williams earning All-MAAC Second Team honors.
* Williams and Wilson are the lone seniors as the duo have helped the Jaspers to a 59-43 record, two MAAC titles, two trips to the NCAA Tournament and a MAAC-best 7-1 conference tourney record.
* 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, 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.
* Joining the fray this year are senior Sky Williams, Turner, Ismail, Peart, Council, freshman Oliver Ehrnvall and 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).
* 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 177-110 record.
* In his 21st season as either a player or a coach, Masiello has a career collegiate record of 457-220, including 336-192 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 spent the last six years at UCF. Finney coached Masiello and Kentucky before giving him his first job at Tulane.
WHAT'S A JASPER?
The unique nickname of Manhattan College's athletic teams, the Jaspers, comes from one of the College's most memorable figures, Brother Jasper of Mary, F.S.C., who served as the College's athletic director in the late 19th century. One of the greatest achievements of Brother Jasper was that he brought the then little-known sport of baseball to Manhattan College and became the team's first coach. Since Brother Jasper was also the Prefect of Discipline, he supervised the student fans at Manhattan baseball games while also directing the team itself. During one particularly warm and humid day when the college was playing a semi-pro baseball team called the Metropolitans, Brother Jasper noticed the Manhattan students were becoming restless and edgy with the team coming to bat in the seventh inning of a close game. To relieve the tension, Brother Jasper called timeout and told the students to stand up and stretch for a few minutes until the game resumed. Since the College annually played the New York Giants in the late 1880's and into the 1890's at the old Polo Grounds, the Manhattan College practice of the “seventh inning stretch” spread into the major leagues, where it has now become a time-honored custom practiced by millions of fans annually.
THIS IS MANHATTAN COLLEGE
• Manhattan College is one of 276 institutions in the United States with a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest and most widely known academic honor society. Phi Beta Kappa celebrates and advocates excellence in the liberal arts and sciences.
• All three of the College's professional programs — business, education and health, and engineering — are nationally accredited.
• The five undergraduate engineering programs — chemical, civil, computer, electrical and mechanical — are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET, Inc).
• The School of Education is accredited by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC).
• The School of Business is one of 555 institutions in the world to be accredited by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International.
• Seventeen alumni are members of the prestigious National Academy of Engineering — an impressive number for an institution the size of Manhattan College.
• Alumni include Rudy Giuliani '65, former mayor of New York City; James Patterson '69, best-selling author; and Raymond Kelly '63, former commissioner of the NYPD.
• Manhattan is one of only 182 remaining colleges founded in the United States before the Civil War.
HOMECOMING OF SORTS FOR FINNEY
Finney, who is in his first year as an assistant coach for the Jaspers, hails from Mullens, WV, and graduated from Fairmont State.
KEY MANHATTAN MATCH-UPS
1. Handling Pressure: The Jaspers will be facing a WVU defense that is forcing a nation-leading 24.8 turnovers per game.
2. The Glass: Manhattan has been one of the most improved rebounding teams in the country, ranking 25th in rebounding margin (+8.8) and 34th in offensive rebounding (17.4), and will be going against a Mountaineer team that has posted a +7.0 rebounding margin with 17.2 offensive rpg.
3. Balance: The Jaspers will need to play balanced team basketball against a WVU squad that has 11 players averaging between 5.0 and 13.2 points per game.
NOT SHABBY
Over the last three years, Manhattan is 46-6 when leading at the half, 22-7 when limiting teams to less than 40 percent shooting, 28-12 when winning the battle of the boards and 39-18 when forcing more turnovers than the opposition. Additionally, since the start of 2014-2015 the Jaspers are also 29-3 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 Manhattan to a 177-110 record in 10 seasons in this his 10th season in Riverdale.
THE WORLDWIDE LEADER
The Jaspers slated to appear on the ESPN family of networks 10 times during the 2016-2017 season, including seven during MAAC play, once on Fox Sports and once on Root Sports.
NIGERIA REVIVAL
Junior Samson Usilo and Ojo both have returned 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).
INTRIGUING
Masiello was named at one of the “25 Most Intriguing Coaches” in college basketball by Yahoo and has twice been named as the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association Coach of the Year (2012 | 2014).
MEET THE STAFF
Masiello is joined on the bench by Matt Grady, Shawn 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 returning for his second season.
RICHARDS SELECTED IN NBA D-LEAGUE DRAFT
Shane 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.
111TH SEASON OF JASPERS BASKETBALL
In its 111th season, the Manhattan men's basketball program boasts a 1342-1191 overall record (280-292 MAAC). The Jaspers' storied men's basketball team was established in 1904-05 and took a two-year hiatus during the 1943-44 and 1944-45 season due to World War II.
Up Next
The Jaspers return home to host Canisius on Friday, December 2 at 7:00 pm.
