Illinois State Next Up for Men's Hoops on Wednesday

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THE MATCHUP
This is the first time that Manhattan and Illinois State will meet in college basketball. This will actually be Manhattan's first game in the state of Illinois since the 1992-93 season, when the Jaspers won at Bradley by a score of 61-54.

BEAMON BEAMS BRIGHTLY
Manhattan's George Beamon averaged 31.0 points per game in the Jaspers' two games last week at Columbia and vs. George Washington. He was extremely efficient from everywhere he shot the ball in the two games, shooting 64.3% from two-point range, 60% from three-point range and 86.7% from the free throw line. In Manhattan's Tuesday victory at Columbia, Beamon converted an improbable three-point play with 0.5 seconds left to give the Jaspers a one-point advantage that they held for the win. That incredible play capped a 28-point, six-rebound effort in the 71-70 victory. On Saturday vs. George Washington, Beamon went off for a season-high 34 points and grabbed nine rebounds. In that game, he made 9-of-15 from the floor, sank three three-pointers and made 13 of 16 free throws. His nine rebounds were also a season high and he added a blocked shot for good measure. On the season, Beamon is averaging 28.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.

MANHATTAN VS. THE MISSOURI VALLEY
The Jaspers are 7-5 all-time against current members of the Missouri Valley Conference. Their last game against an MVC opponent was on January 3, 2005 when Manhattan traveled to Wichita, Kansas and dealt a 9-0 Wichita State team its first loss of that season behind a 27-point scoring effort from Peter Mulligan '05. 

WELCOME BACK
The Jaspers return nine players from last year's team, including six players who have gained recognition from the conference during the past year:
Sr. Rhamel Brown 1st team preseason All-MAAC, 2nd team All-MAAC (2013), 2nd team All-Metropolitan, MAAC Defensive Player of the Year (2012, 2013)
Sr. George Beamon 1st team preseason All-MAAC (2013), 1st team All-MAAC (2012), 2nd team All-Metropolitan (2012), 2nd team NABC All-District (2012), 3rd team All-MAAC (2011), 3rd team All-Metropolitan (2011)
Sr. Michael Alvarado 3rd team preseason All-MAAC (2013), 3rd team All-MAAC (2012), MAAC All-Rookie team (2011)
Jr. Emmy Andujar 3rd team preseason All-MAAC (2013), MAAC All-Rookie team (2012)
Jr. RaShawn Stores MAAC All-Rookie team (2013)
So. Shane Richards MAAC Co-Rookie of the Year (2013), MAAC All-Rookie team (2013)

NEW YORK STATE OF MIND
Of the 13 players on the Manhattan roster, nine hail from the greater New York metropolitan area, including eight from the five boroughs of New York City. The Jaspers also have players from New Jersey (Carlton Allen), Kentucky (Donovan Kates), Illinois (CJ Jones) and California (Adam Lacey). Below are the nine players from the New York City area and their respective high schools.

BEAMON IS BACK
Manhattan senior George Beamon has had a terrific first three games of the season, averaging 28.7 points per game, including a season-high 34-point barrage in the Jaspers' last game vs. George Washington. After that performance, Beamon now ranks ninth on the Manhattan all-time scoring list behind former teammate Darryl Crawford '10.

RHAMEL'S BLOCK PARTY
Senior Rhamel Brown had a strong game in the season opener at La Salle, totaling 14 points, eight rebounds and five blocked shots, including a critical swat of a last-second jumper in the first overtime that kept the game tied. The program's all-time leader in blocked shots with 257, Brown is third among all MAAC players in career blocked shots.

MANHATTAN AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS
George Beamon and Rhamel Brown rank among the nation's top 25 in a few individual categories after the first three games of the season. These numbers reflect games played through Monday, Nov. 18.

Scoring

Free Throws Made

Blocked Shots Per Game

EMMY AWARD WINNING
Junior Emmy Andujar posted his fourth career double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds at La Salle on Nov. 9. Andujar grabbed six offensive rebounds, shot 6-of-10 from the field and added three assists for good measure.

STORES RETURNS AFTER ALL-ROOKIE SEASON
Junior RaShawn Stores gave Manhattan 28 solid minutes off the bench in the 99-90 double-overtime win over La Salle on Nov. 9. Stores canned a pair of three-pointers and dished out five assists with only one turnover.

RICHARDS DIALS LONG DISTANCE
Sophomore Shane Richards has made 12 of his 22 three-pointers in the first three games of the season. Richards matched his career high with 19 points in Manhattan's Nov. 12 game at Columbia, drilling six of eight triples, including five in an electric first half.

PANKEY BACK ON THE COURT
Sophomore Ashton Pankey sat out last season after transferring from Maryland prior to the 2012-13 campaign. Against La Salle, Pankey stepped back on the court for the first time in two seasons. He has averaged 5.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in his first two contests, including seven points and six rebounds in the win at La Salle.

MR. JONES
Sophomore CJ Jones provided some quick offense off the bench in the first half for Manhattan at La Salle on Nov. 9. Jones canned both of his shots from the corner, including a corner three that was a part of a 6-0 run by Manhattan to tie the game at 27-27.

CONTROLLING THE GLASS
Manhattan has outrebounded opponents in each of its first two games and by an average of 42-32. Against La Salle, the Jaspers dominated the glass, outrebounding the Explorers 51-33 and 24-14 on the offensive boards.

JASPERS RANKED #11 IN LATEST MID-MAJOR POLL
In the latest mid-major poll released by CollegeInsider.com on November 18, Manhattan remained at #11 for the second consecutive week. The Mid-Major Poll is made up of teams from the following conferences: America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Horizon, Independents, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, Mid-Eastern, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Southwestern, Summit, Sun Belt, West Coast, Western Athletic.

MANHATTAN INKS FOUR IN CLASS OF 2018
Manhattan College men's basketball coach Steve Masiello and his staff have inked four standout incoming student-athletes during the NCAA early signing period. Nazareth (N.Y.) high school teammates Samson Akilo, a 6-foot-8 forward, and Samson Usilo, a 6-foot-4 wing, will join the Jaspers along with 6-foot-8 wing Calvin Crawford (Middltown, N.Y.) and 6-foot-9 wing Zane Waterman (Fayetteville, N.C.) in a highly regarded Manhattan class of 2018. “It's a very important class, losing three seniors in Michael Alvarado, George Beamon and Rhamel Brown, who mean a great deal to this program,” Masiello said. “We wanted to have a very strong class overall to really complement what we have on this team. I give a ton of credit to our staff, especially Rasheen Davis and Mathiew Wilson, for their help in recruiting this excellent group of young men.”

MANHATTAN ATOP MAAC POLL
The Jaspers were picked atop the 2013-14 MAAC preseason poll, as voted by the conference's 11 head coaches. Defending champion Iona was picked second, followed by Canisius, Rider, Marist, Fairfield, Quinnipiac, Niagara, Saint Peter's, Siena and Monmouth.

JASPERS ON TV IN 2013-14
Manhattan will have at least seven games on television in 2013-14. All remaining home games and select road contest will be available on JasperVision.TV in high definition:

WELCOME FRESHMEN
A pair of freshmen should also be vital contributors to the Jaspers' backcourt. Rich Williams is an explosive wing player who can score inside or outside. With a tremendous wingspan, Williams has the ability to create havoc defensively. Tyler Wilson is a cerebral point guard who is a terrific ball handler. A deft passer, Wilson can create his own shot and set up his teammates effectively. Freshman center Carlton Allen will also lend size and athleticism to the frontcourt. A Philadelphia-area product, Allen's high school coach was former NBA player Pervis Ellison. An agile athlete, Allen has the ability to alter shots near the hoop while finishing efficiently on the offensive end.

NEW FACES, OLD PLACES
There are two new, but familiar faces, on the Manhattan sidelines this season. Mathiew Wilson, formerly the director of basketball operations, was promoted to an assistant coach position on Steve Masiello's staff over the summer. Masiello then brought in former colleague Mike Bramucci to fill the director of operations slot. Bramucci and Masiello coached together at Manhattan College from 2001-03.

Roberto Colonette, a 2013 Manhattan College graduate and two-year letterwinner, is also on the staff this season as the team's strength and conditioning coach. Colonette is currently enrolled in the Manhattan College School of Continuing and Professional Studies, pursuing his Master's degree in organizational leadership.

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 College baseball games while also directing the team itself. During one particularly warm and humid day when Manhattan College was playing a semi-pro baseball team called the Metropolitans, Brother Jasper noticed the Manhattan students were becoming restless and edgy as Manhattan came 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 1890s 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.

FLORES NAMED TO MAAC HONOR ROLL
Former Manhattan standout Luis Flores '04 will be part of the MAAC Honor Roll, at the Basketball Hall of Fame, joining other Jasper greats Keith Bullock '93 and Jack Powers '58, who were inducted in the last two years. Flores is recognized as one of the greatest players in Manhattan College history, and helped engineer one of the greatest wins in school history. He scored 26 points to lead 12th-seeded Manhattan to a 75-60 victory over fifth-seeded Florida in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on March 18, 2004.

BROWN, MAHONEY INDUCTED INTO MC HALL OF FAME
Former Manhattan greats Durelle Brown '01 and Charles Mahoney '75 were recently inducted into the Manhattan College Athletic Hall of Fame. Brown ranks among the top 10 in field goals made and field goal percentage in a career. Fourth on the all-time points list with 1,634, Brown was also dominant on the boards, pulling down 6.1 per game in his junior and senior years. He was named first team All-MAAC during his junior and senior years and All-Metropolitan second team in 2000-01.

Mahoney set a Manhattan career assist record of 394 in only three years. The high school New York State Tournament State Championship MVP, Mahoney scored 389 points as a freshman and added 904 during his varsity years for a total of 1,293 points. Coaches and sportswriters alike considered Charlie one of the best point guards in the metropolitan area.

WATCH AND LISTEN ON GOJASPERS.COM
For the 16th year, Manhattan College men's basketball games will be broadcast live over the internet on GoJaspers.com. Manhattan College Hall of Famer Brian Mahoney returns as the color analyst, along side play-by-play broadcaster Christian Heimall. Each broadcast will begin with the “Steve Masiello Pre-Game Report” 15 minutes prior to tipoff.

108TH SEASON OF JASPERS BASKETBALL
In its 108th season, the Manhattan College men's basketball program boasts a 1283-1148 overall record and 243-270 MAAC mark in 33 seasons as a conference member. The Jaspers storied men's basketball team was established in 1904-05 and served a two-year hiatus during the 1943-44 and 1944-45 season due to World War II.