Buffalo, NY - Manhattan (4-5) will open league play at Canisius (5-7; 0-1 MAAC) on Friday, January 3 at 7:00 pm.
Greene Goes Off
* Sophomore Tykei Greene scored a career-high 25 points at Hofstra, making good on 10-of-17, including converting on all five three-point attempts.
* Greene is averaging a team-best 11.0 ppg (20th MAAC) and 6.4 rpg (8th MAAC).
Masiello Against Canisius/In Buffalo
* Head Coach Steve Masiello is 9-6, all-time against Canisius, including going 5-2 in Buffalo.
Last Time At Canisius
* The Jaspers swept the annual Western New York swing last year for the first time since 2013-14, thanks to a 70-65 win over the Golden Griffins.
* In the victory, Manhattan shot a MAAC season-high 65.1 percent (28-of-43), including 70.0 percent (14-of-20) after halftime.
* Over the final 14-plus minutes, the Jaspers missed just one shot (11-of-12) while scoring on 13-straight possessions that didn't end in a turnover.
Last Meeting
* The Golden Griffins avenged the setback with a 69-65 overtime win over the Jaspers in the 2019 MAAC Quarterfinals, despite a career-high 27 points from sophomore Warren Williams.
* Over two games against Canisius last year, Williams averaged 19.5 ppg, on 80.0 percent (16-of-20) shooting.
Series History
* Manhattan owns a 55-38 advantage over the Golden Griffins in the all-time series.
Canisius Capsule
* Canisius enters with a 5-7 record, which includes a last-second loss to Siena in the first MAAC game of the season.
* Malik Johnson is the unquestioned leader of the team, and is averaging 13.8 ppg, 5.7 apg, 5.1 rpg and 2.7 spg.
* Majesty Brandon (13.3 ppg) and Scott Hitchon (10.2 ppg) round out the double-figure scorers for the Golden Griffins.
Pauly Being Pauly
* Senior Pauly Paulicap scored a season-high 13 points at Hofstra with seven rebounds and one huge block, that was identified as the No. 4 play on SportsCenter on December 22.
* Over his last three games, he is averaging 10.3 ppg and 7.3 rpg while shooting 54.5 percent (12-of-22) from the field.Christmas is almost here, and @jaspersmbb's Pauly Paulicap is giving out blocks this year. ??@pauly33_ lands himself at No. 4 on @SportsCenter's #Top10 with this stuff at Hofstra yesterday!#JasperNation pic.twitter.com/TTm66dDvBB
— Manhattan Jaspers (@GoJaspers) December 23, 2019
* He has turned away at least two shots five times, highlighted by a season-high four at URI, and is averaging 8.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg (t-9th MAAC) and 1.6 bpg (4th MAAC) while making good on 46.6 percent (10th MAAC) from the floor.
Buchanan Getting Buckets
* Sophomore Elijah Buchanan is averaging 12.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg and 2.0 spg over his last three games.
* He earned 'Battle of the Bronx' MVP honors with 15 points and seven rebounds, before scoring a career-high 18 points against Western Michigan.
* On the year, he is averaging 8.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.1 apg and 1.3 spg.
Roadtrippin
* The Jaspers will play on the road for the seventh time in eight games on Friday.
Sophomore Uprising
* Over the first nine games, the sophomore fivesome of Buchanan, Greene, Christian Hinckson, Samir Stewart and Williams have combined to account for 64.0 percent of the offense (38.6 ppg) and 54.5 percent of the rebounding (19.4 rpg).
Under Pressure
* Manhattan is 53-10 (.841) in Masiello's nine years when holding the opposition to less than 60 points, 44-14 (.759) when notching double-figures in steals and 27-14 (.659) when forcing at least 20 turnovers.
* The Jaspers are among the nation's best on defense, limiting teams to a MAAC-low 63.6 ppg (68th NCAA) while also pacing the MAAC in field goal percentage defense (.396-76th NCAA). Manhattan also ranks among the top-100 nationally in forced turnovers (16.1/game-65th NCAA) and steals (8.1/game-72nd NCAA).
* Thanks to the defensive success, the Jaspers have overcome second half double-digit deficits in victories over UAlbany, at Elon and at Fordham.
* Over the last five minutes/OT of 10-point games, the Jaspers are shooting 48.8 percent (20-of-41) from the floor, while limiting the opposition to just 37.8 percent (14-of-37).
* In the season-opening win over Delaware State, Manhattan forced 25 turnovers (3x last- Siena (1/13/18)) and 16 steals (Buffalo (12/21/13)), matching the most by a Masiello-coached team.
Manhattan Claims 112th Battle Of The Bronx
* The Jaspers defeated Fordham 54-53 in overtime to claim the 112th edition of the 'Battle of the Bronx.'
* Senior Tyler Reynolds' delivered the game-winning shot at Fordham with a corner three-pointer with 4.2 seconds remaining off a pass from sophomore Christian Hinckson.
* Over the final 6:30 and overtime, the Jaspers outscored the Rams by a 26-14 count thanks to nine points each from Reynolds and Stewart during that time.
* Manhattan pulled down a season-high 46 rebounds, which are also the most for the Jaspers since collecting 51 in a 90-88 loss at Marist (1/2/17).
* Paulicap grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds while adding 10 points in earning his seventh career double-double.
* Hinckson pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds with a personal-best five assists to give the Jaspers two players with double-figures on the glass for the first time since a 51-47 win at Siena (2/2/18).
On The Glass
* The Jaspers have cracked the 40-rebound mark three times this year after failing to do so once a year ago.
Stewart Steps Up
* Stewart scored a season-high 14 points in the win over UAlbany and 12 in the victory over Fordham, highlighted by converting the game-tying triple in regulation.
* The Sunshine State native also handed out a career-high matching six assists at URI and has notched a career-high five steals against Delaware State and Samford.
* On the year, he is averaging 9.0 ppg, 1.9 spg (4th MAAC), 2.0 triples per game (7th MAAC) and 2.8 apg (13th MAAC).
Balance
* Buchanan, Greene, Paulicap, Reynolds, Stewart and Williams have all paced the team in scoring this year.
#GoGreene
* Greene has paced the team in scoring a team-best four times.
* The second-year standout has also hit for double-digits a team-best six times.
* Greene scored 17 points with a personal-best nine rebounds in the win over UAlbany.
More Sophomores
* Williams notched a season-high 14 points at URI, before adding nine points with seven rebounds against Western Michigan and is averaging 5.6 ppg.
* Hinckson, who scored a season-high 12 points with eight rebounds at Samford, is averaging 6.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg (12th MAAC) and 1.6 spg (9th MAAC).
Block Party
* Paulicap became the fifth Manhattan player with 100 blocks at Stony Brook and and notched his 12th career four-block game at URI.
* He is 26 rejections behind Jamal Marshall (129) for fourth place in the all-time annals.
Manhattan Topples Elon
* The Jaspers posted a 69-64 win over the Phoenix, rallying from an early 17-point deficit.
* Masiello picked up his 130th career win and is fourth in the all-time annals.
* Reynolds exploded for a season-best 14 points, on 4-of-7 shooting from deep, in the victory over the Phoenix.
* Junior Nehemiah Mack added nine points, including sinking four-straight free throws with less than 10 seconds remaining to clinch the victory.
* Manhattan outscored Elon 61-39 over the final 27-plus minutes and scored on 13 of its last 15 possessions.
* The Jaspers were able to rally from a double-digit deficit thanks to registering 11 steals.
Second-Half Success
* After halftime this year, the Jaspers are averaging 35.8 ppg while shooting 43.5 percent from the floor, including 35.8 percent from long range, compared to just 24.4 ppg, on 30.4 percent shooting, and 26.1 percent from deep in the opening stanza.
* In the second half of the victory over the Phoenix, the Jaspers scored 48 points while shooting 56.5 percent (13-of-23) from the floor and 58.3 percent (7-of-12) from long range.
* In the comeback win over UAlbany, Manhattan posted a dominating 11-2 advantage on the glass over the final six-plus minutes and ended the game on a 14-8 run - including scoring the final seven points of the contest.
* Greene fueled the comeback win over UAlbany by scoring 10 over the final six-plus minutes.
* This year, Greene is averaging 6.7 ppg after halftime while shooting 46.5 percent (20-of-43) from the field, including 36.8 percent (7-of-19) from deep.
Mas = Success
* Masiello is one of just seven Division I coaches that is 42 or younger with two conference titles and two trips to the NCAA Tourney, while posting a school-record 10 MAAC Tournament wins.
* Masiello has led Manhattan to a 131-136 (.491) record, including going 80-72 (.526) during MAAC play, over his nine seasons.
* At Draddy Gymnasium, Masiello holds a sterling 63-39 record (.618) and with five more wins will match Bobby Gonzalez for the most in program history.
* He has won two MAAC Titles, advanced to title game three times, claimed two Metropolitan Coach of the Year awards with a pair of 20-win campaigns. Masiello has also participated in the NCAA Tournament in 13 of his 24 seasons as a player or coach, including being a part of eight conference champions and one National Title.
* Masiello has a career collegiate record of 492-282 (.636), including 371-254 (.594) 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.
You Have A Friend In PA
* After starting all 32 games a year ago, Mack has stabilized the Jaspers' second unit this year, posting a 2.30 assist/turnover ratio with 3.8 ppg and 2.6 apg (15th MAAC).
* Over the last five games, he has a 3.75 assist/turnover ratio highlighted by a career-best six assists, against no turnovers, at URI.
The Reserves
* Through nine games, Manhattan's bench is averaging 16.9 ppg, and is outscoring its counterparts by 7.8 ppg.
* The bench outscored the starters by a 35-34 count at Elon, while going 10-of-21 (.476) from the floor, 6-of-11 (.545) from deep, and a perfect 9-for-9 from the line.
For Starters
* The Jaspers improved to 75-39, all-time, in season openers with their wire-to-wire 85-74 win over Delaware State.
* Manhattan opened the season with a 13-0 run and converted a blistering 78.4 percent (29-of-37) from the line.
* The Jaspers also registered five double-figure scorers in the win over Delaware State for the first time since an 101-96 double-overtime victory at Marist on January 2, 2018.
Pretty, Pretty Good
* Ticket holders for all remaining basketball home games will now be able to receive 20 percent off in-restaurant orders on game days at Italian eatery Bella Notte by showing tickets to that day's contest. Bella Notte is located in central Riverdale on Johnson Avenue. This promotion covers all weekday and weekend games including Sunday Brunch, which starts at Noon. Click HERE for more information
Preseason All-MAAC Recap
* Paulicap and Williams were each named to the 2019-20 Preseason All-MAAC Third Team, while Manhattan was tabbed fifth as a team.
* Paulicap averaged 8.5 points per game in limited action a year ago, while Williams notched a team-leading 9.2 points each time out in earning MAAC All-Rookie Team honors.
* Two years ago, Paulicap was named the MAAC Defensive Player of the Year following an outstanding year in which ranked 16th nationally with a MAAC-best 2.6 blocks per game (16th NCAA) to go along with 10.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.
* Williams recorded double-figures a team-leading 16 times last season while pacing the MAAC with a .571 field goal percentage, and saved his best for last with a career-high 27 points against Canisius in the quarterfinals of the MAAC Championship.
The Returners
* Manhattan's returners have scored all but 17 points this year.
* The Jaspers bring back a MAAC-best 86.5 percent of their scoring, 85.4 percent of their rebounding and 83.3 percent of their assists.
DYK
* Manhattan was one of 20 teams in the Division I ranks to not lose a transfer, returning 14 letterwinners, including 10 scholarship student-athletes.
Newcomers
* Joining the Jaspers this year are junior Michael Okafor, freshman Adam Cisse and classmate Romar Reid.
The Non-Conference Schedule
* Manhattan will conclude its nine-game non-conference schedule on Sunday.
Repping Team USA
* Last summer, sophomore Daniel Schreier helped lead the United States to gold in the 15th European Maccabi Games.
Silver Anniversary
* This year, the Jaspers will be recognizing the 25th anniversary of the 1994-95 team's NCAA at-large berth and subsequent win over Oklahoma in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.
What Is 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
* 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.
This Is Manhattan Basketball
* Manhattan has three wins in NCAA Tournament play, defeating West Virginia (1958), Oklahoma (1995) and Florida (2004).
* The Jaspers have won five MAAC Tournament titles in the last 25 years (1993, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2015).
* Manhattan received an at-large berth in 1995 and defeated Oklahoma before falling to Arizona State.
* Was the first team in NCAA history to a win a game in Europe, defeating Holy Cross 70-54 on December 1, 2017 as part of the inaugural Belfast Classic.
Up Next
* Manhattan will play at Niagara on Sunday, January 3 with opening tip tabbed for 1:00 pm.