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Riverdale, NY - Manhattan (8-16; 3-10 MAAC) opens the month of February at home against Marist (6-17; 3-9 MAAC) on Saturday, February 4 at 7:00 pm.
TOP STORYLINES
#1 - The Jaspers are 38-23 (.623) in the months of February/March since Steve Masiello took over prior to the 2011-2012 season, including 25-16 (.610) in February.
#2 - Masiello earned his 100th career victory against Niagara and is 10-3, all-time, against Marist.
#3 - Manhattan owns a 32-17 advantage over Marist in the all-time series, including going 21-5 at Draddy Gym.
QUICK HITS
* Manhattan owns a 32-17 advantage over Marist in the all-time series, including going 21-5 at Draddy Gym.
* Saturday's game is the first of three-straight at home for the Jaspers.
* Freshman Na'Quan Council paced the squad in scoring for the second-straight game with 11 points at Fairfield after scoring a career-high 14 points at Canisius.
*Council also hit for 13 points in the win over Niagara and is averaging 11.5 ppg and 2.5 spg over his last four.
* Junior Ahmed Ismail scored a career-best 10 points at Canisius with 10 rebounds en route to earning the second Jasper double-double of the year and is averaging 5.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg and 1.6 bpg his last five.
* Manhattan's next game with Monmouth on Friday, February 10 has been flexed to ESPNU AND WILL START AT 9:00 PM.
* Prior to the Jaspers' game with the Hawks, there will be an Under Armour shirt giveaway so fans should arrive early. For more information click HERE.
* Manhattan limited Niagara to just 69 points in its most recent victory while forcing 16 turnovers and recording 11 steals in earning the program's first one-point win since besting the Purple Eagles 78-77 on Feb. 9, 2014.
* The Jaspers are a perfect 6-0 this year when holding teams below 70 points with all eight of their wins coming when turning the opposition over at least 15 times.
* Manhattan also improved to 4-1 when notching double-figures in steals and is now 37-6 under Masiello when hitting the standard.
* Junior Zane Waterman scored just nine points in the win over Niagara but sank the winning free throws before drawing the game-clinching charge with just over four seconds to play.
* Since the start of 2017, the North Carolina native is averaging a team-best 16.5 ppg with 5.9 rpg over 11 games while shooting 46.3 percent (56-121) from the floor and 82.6 percent (57-of-69) from the line while scoring at least 20 points three times.
* Waterman, who scored a career-high 35 points in the win over Rider, ranks among the MAAC leaders in scoring (13.4 ppg-17th), rebounding (6.6 rpg-10th), FG percentage (.482-11th) and FT percentage (.775-11th).
* His 35 markers are also the most scored by a Masiello-coached player and the most by a Jasper since George Beamon had 35 in an 84-81 win over Siena on February 13, 2011.
* Waterman, who has started 51 straight games, scored 26 in the first meeting with Fairfield and 23 at Morgan State. He has hit the 20-point plateau four times this year and six in his career.
* Junior Calvin Crawford scored a team-high 18 points against Niagara and averaged 19.0 ppg in two wins over the Purple Eagles this year, highlighted by a season-high 20 in the first meeting.
* Crawford, who scored a team-best 18 points in his first meeting with Marist, is averaging 12.0 ppg and 4.5 rpg over his last four games.
* The victory over Niagara was also the first for Manhattan when leading at the break since holding a halftime advantage against Hofstra back in November.
* The Jaspers used its 10th different starting line-up at Fairfield with junior Zavier Turner, sophomore Thomas Capuano, Crawford, Waterman and Ismail.
* In the win over Rider, Turner scored 23 points as he and Waterman gave Manhattan two 20-point scorers for a second-straight game after Turner and Crawford did so in the first meeting against Niagara.
* Turner then hit for at least 20 points for a fourth-straight game against Iona, finishing with a team-high 20 points and is just 41 points away from 1,000 for his career.
* The Ball State transfer ranks among the MAAC leaders in scoring (15.5 ppg-11th), free throw percentage (.899-2nd), three-point percentage (.414-10th), assists (3.3 apg-9th) and 3's per game (1.9-14th) while scoring at least 20 points eight times this year and on 14 occasions in his career.
* Turner, recorded 26 points in the win over St. Francis Brooklyn, making good on 7-of-9 from long range, after scoring a career-high 32 points at in the victory at Detroit Mercy, including 10 in overtime, to go along with six assists. He also had 30 against Saint Peter's, 28 at Temple and 23 against Quinnipiac.
* In the final five minutes of games/ot, Turner is shooting 46.2 percent (24-of-52) from the floor and 84.4 percent (38-of-45) from the line. In the first win over Niagara, he notched 12 points in the final 3:53 while going 9-of-10 from the line.
* The duo of Turner and Waterman is seventh in the MAAC with 28.9 ppg, including 30.1 ppg during league play.
* Fueled by Turner's production, the seven Manhattan newcomers are averaging a combined 41.0 ppg and 18.0 rpg while accounting for 57.4 percent of the offense and 49.0 percent of the rebounding.
* Council's aforementioned 14-point performance at Canisius comes on the heels of a 13-point outing in the victory at Niagara and a career-high matching five-steal performance against Siena.
* Ismail, who pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds in the win at Detroit Mercy, ranks among the MAAC leaders in rebounding (5.4-17th) and blocks (1.1-11th)
* Senior Tyler Wilson handed out four assists, against just one turnover, against Canisius and recently moved past Jason Wingate into eighth place on the program's all-time assist list and now has 351.
* Wilson notched a season-high 10 points in the first meeting against Fairfield and a season-best five assists in the victory vs. Rider.
* The Bronx native had the momentum-changing three-point play that gave the Jaspers the lead for good in the win over Fordham after drawing the game-clinching charge at Detroit Mercy.
* Freshman Aaron Walker Jr. scored 14 points with a team-high four assists against Monmouth, fueled by a highlight-reel dunk, has now hit for double-figures 10 times this year en route to averaging 8.2 ppg.
* Walker Jr. earned MAAC Rookie of the Week honors earlier this year after averaging 12.3 ppg and 3.3 rpg over three games during the week ending November 20, highlighted by a career-high 15-point effort against Hofstra.
* Capuano had 13 points and six rebounds in the first win over Niagara while classmate Samson Usilo narrowly missed his second-straight double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds.
* At Quinnipiac, Usilo had 12 points and 11 rebounds while notching the first Manhattan double-double of the year and was joined in double-figures on the boards by junior Zavier Peart, who added a career-high 10 rebounds.
* Thanks to Usilo and Peart, the Jaspers placed two in double-figures on the boards for the first time since Emmy Andujar (11) and Ashton Pankey (10) did so in a 79-69 win over Iona in the 2015 MAAC Championship on March 9, 2015.
* Usilo, who scored 11 points against Siena, is averaging 6.9 ppg and 5.9 rpg over the last eight games after notching just 2.2 ppg and 2.6 rpg over his first 15 games.
* Capuano scored a career-high 18 points at Morgan State to go along with five rebounds, four assists and four steals.
* Sophomore Ak Ojo scored a career-best nine points in the win over Detroit Mercy before grabbing a personal-best seven rebounds against Fairfield.
* Manhattan concluded non-conference play with a 27-point come-from-behind victory over EKU thanks to recording a season-high 13 steals.
* The 13 thefts are the most since recording 13 in a win over Quinnipiac on March 1, 2015 while the 27-point margin of victory was the third-highest in Masiello's six years on campus.
* Over the last three-plus years, the Jaspers are 26-3 when recording double-figures in steals and 37-6 since Masiello took over prior to the 2011-2012 season.
* Manhattan has won the rebounding battle in 15 of its 24 games and have registered at least 40 on seven occasions with a high-water mark of 51 at Marist, including 21 offensive caroms.
* The 51 rebounds are the most since registering the same number in a season-opening 99-90 victory at La Salle on November 9, 2013.
* The Jaspers are 3-0 this year when limiting teams to less than 60 points (EKU (54), SFBK (54) & Fordham (53) and 38-4 under Masiello.
* Manhattan opened the second half against EKU on a 23-5 run, including 12-straight at one point after ripping off a 13-4 run to start the second half against SFBK.
* The Jaspers finished non-conference play with a 5-6 record with their six losses coming to teams that have a combined 94-41 record (.696), including games against Florida State and WVU, both of whom are ranked in the top-20.
* Masiello has led Manhattan to a 100-87 (.535) record, including going 61-48 (.560) during MAAC play and 47-24 (.662) at Draddy Gym 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.
* Masiello 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 Title.
* Since returning to Riverdale, Masiello has guided the Jaspers 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 Titles and three 20-plus win seasons. All told, Masiello has been a member of four of Manhattan's five MAAC Championship teams and five of the school's 12 20-win seasons in recording a 183-123 record.
* In his 21st season as either a player or a coach, Masiello has a career collegiate record of 463-233, including 342-205 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.
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
• U.S. News & World Report ranks Manhattan 15th out of 138 in the Best Regional Universities (North) category of its 2016-17 Best Colleges list. This is the tenth year in a row the College has placed in the regional top 20. U.S. News & World Report also ranks Manhattan College as 8th among 52 regional universities that are attractive colleges for veteran students.
• Brookings ranks Manhattan College 9th out of more than 7,000 two and four-year schools in an analysis that examined how well schools prepare students for successful careers.
• Why is Manhattan College in the Bronx? Our campus was originally located in Manhattan at the intersection of 131st Street and Broadway. In 1923, Manhattan College moved to its present Riverdale location in order to accommodate a growing student body. But with more than 60 years of history established as Manhattan College, the institution decided to retain the name despite the geographic misnomer.
• 17 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.
SCOUTING MARIST
The Red Foxes enter with a 6-17 record, including 3-9 in the MAAC, and will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak. Marist is paced by fifth-year senior Khallid Hart, who is averaging a team-high 17.3 ppg. Brian Parker checks in with 12.4 ppg and a team-high 6.0 rpg while Ryan Funk rounds out the double-digit scorers at 12.1 ppg.
FRONTCOURT DOMINATION
Manhattan posted a 51-39 advantage on the glass in the first meeting with Marist, fueled by a 21-6 margin on the offensive end. The Jaspers also outscored the Red Foxes 24-6 on second-chance points and 50-34 in the paint.
REMEMBERING FATHER HILL
At halftime, Manhattan College President Dr. Brennan O'Donnell and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Marianne Reilly honored Fr. George Hill, the College's longtime chaplain who passed away in September, as Father Hill's family was presented with a framed Jaspers' jersey. Masiello also is keeping a seat behind the bench vacant all season in honor of Father Hill with Manhattan basketball players are wearing memorial patches on the left shoulder of their jerseys in his honor.
NOT SHABBY
Over the last three-plus years, the Jaspers are 47-9 when leading at the half, 25-8 when limiting teams to less than 40 percent shooting and 42-21 when forcing more turnovers than the opposition.
111TH SEASON OF JASPERS BASKETBALL
In its 111th season, the Manhattan men's basketball program boasts a 1348-1204 overall record (283-302 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
Manhattan hosts Monmouth on Friday, February 10 with opening tip at 9:00 pm on ESPNU.
