Manhattan University Athletics

Riverdale, N.Y. (Novemeber 16, 2007)- The Manhattan College men's basketball team looks to improve to 3-0 on the season as the Jaspers travel to Hempstead, N.Y. to take on the Hofstra University Pride on Saturday, November 17.  The game is slated to begin at 4:00 p.m. and will be televised on Fox Sports-New York.

Today's Matchup: The Jaspers conclude a three-game, season-opening road trip by traveling to Hempstead, N.Y. to take on Hofstra University on Saturday, November 17. Manhattan leads the all-time series, 37-18, and has won the last four meeting, nine of the last 10 and 11 of the last 13 contest with the Pride. In the last meeting, the Jaspers defeated Hofstra, 79-77 in overtime at Draddy Gym last season. Devon Austin tallied 19 points in the win, including the game-winner with 1.2 seconds left on teh clock. Manhattan last played at Hofstra in the 2002-03 season, a 93-75 Jasper win.

What's Next?: Following today's game, the Jaspers return home to play their 2007-08 home opener on Wednesday, November 21. Eastern Michigan leads the all-time series, 2-1, including a 65-51 win last season in Ypsilanti, Mich. In that game, Devon Austin led all scorers with 16 points, including four three pointers as he played on the same court his older brother Markus score over 1000 points while playing for the Eagles. Prior to the last meeting, the teams played a home and home series over the 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons, with each team winning on its home floor. This game is the return game from last season's BracketBuster matchup.

All-time record: Manhattan is in its 102nd season of men's basketball. The Jaspers' overall record is 1205-1039 (.537), while the team has posted a 201-202 (.499) record over 26 seasons of MAAC play. The men's basketball program was established in 1904-05 and has taken two seasons off (1943-44 and 1944-45) due to World War II. In 55 of the program's 101-plus seasons, including the four of the last six seasons, the Jaspers have posted a .500 or better record. Manhattan's 200 MAAC wins makes them just the second MAAC team to reach 200 wins in conference, joining Iona College.

Jaspers Live on the Internet: For the 10th consecutive year, Manhattan College's men's basketball games will be broadcast live via the Internet. In partnership with Stretch Internet, followers of Manhattan basketball can now access the live play-by-play of all Jasper games. A link to the broadcast is available on Manhattan College's website (GoJaspers.com). Ed Cohen and Brian Mahoney will serve as the voices of Jasper basketball. Each broadcast will begin with the "Coach's Pre-Game Report" 15 minutes prior to tip-off.

Veteran Production From The Rookie Class: With seven freshmen on the roster last year, including all of the Jaspers' guards, Manhattan had to rely heavily on a group with no collegiate experience, but the group stepped up, and played a large role in the success the team had last season. The rookie class has accounted for 47.6% (942 points) of the team's 1978 total points. Darryl Crawford led the rookies, averaging 9.6 points per contest.

Lots Of Home Cooking Again In 2007-08: The Jaspers play five non-conference home games in addition to the nine MAAC home games that make up their schedule. The 14 homes games is the second largest home slate for Manhattan, matching last season (7-7) as well as the 1997-98 schedule (9-5), and second only to the 1978-79 schedule that saw 16 games played at Draddy Gym (4-12).

In the polls: Five teams on Manhattan's schedule appear in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major poll (released November 12), as Siena, Hofstra, Loyola, Boston University, and Niagara are all among those receiving votes.