Today's Matchup:
The Jaspers close out their four game road-trip at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y. against Siena College. This will mark the 71st meeting between these two programs. Manhattan leads the all-time series 44-27, but is looking to revenger their most recent loss to the Saints, a 75-72 in the opening round of the MAAC Championship tournament.
Devon Austin scored 19 points in that game, going 4-8 from behind the three point arc. Manhattans guard play posed problems for the Saints defense last year as Antione Pearson avearged 13.3 points per game against Siena. Siena has won the last three meetings between the two but before that, Manhattan had won five of the six from the Saints.
All-time record:
Manhattan is in its 102nd season of men's basketball. The Jaspers' overall record is 1210-1047 (.536), while the team has posted a 203-205 (.497) record over 26-plus 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.
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 accounted for 47.6% (942 points) of the team's 1978 total points. Darryl Crawford led the rookies, averaging 9.6 points per contest.
In the polls:
Five teams on Manhattan's schedule appear in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major poll (released December 31), as Siena, Niagara, Rider, Marist, and Wagner are among those receiving votes. Manhattan is 1-0 against these teams this season.
Winning The Battle Of The Boards:
Head Coach Barry Rohrssen has preached the value of hitting the glass hard to his young team, and they have responded, outrebounding their opponents in 16 of their 30 games last season. In the last six-plus seasons, Manhattan is 55-23 (70.5%) in games it has outrebounded its opponent. This season Manhattan has grabbed more rebounds than its opponent in seven if the Jaspers' 12 games and are 4-3 in those games. In a side note, last season Manhattan tallied 40 or more rebounds six times, and have already reached 40 or more caroms in a game five times this season.
Even Steven In MAAC Play, And Then Some:
Following the Jaspers' MAAC win at Canisius on January 8, 2008, Manhattan evened its all-time record in MAAC games at 194-194, marking the first time since the fourth MAAC game of the first MAAC season, 1981-82, that the Jaspers have reached the break even mark in conference play. After the Jaspers downed Iona on January 12, 2008, they went above .500 in conference play for the first time in program history.
