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RIVERDALE, N.Y. - One of four teams with two losses atop the MAAC standings, Manhattan takes on Rider on Friday night at Draddy Gymnasium in a game that will be televised live on ESPNU. The Jaspers have won their last four home games and eight of their last nine home games within the conference, dating back to last season.
THE SERIES WITH RIDER
Rider leads the all-time series with Manhattan, 22-19. The Jaspers and Broncs have split the season series each of the last two years with each team winning on the road. Manhattan defeated Rider in New Jersey, 62-51 on January 27, 2013 in the last meeting between the two squads. In that game, Shane Richards had a team-high 19 points off the bench and Rhamel Brown had a terrific all-around game with 10 points, 10 rebounds and six blocked shots.
SEARCHING FOR WIN #14
Currently owning a 13-4 record and 6-2 mark in the MAAC, Manhattan is seeking its 14th win of the season to match last year's total, when the Jaspers reached the MAAC championship game as the sixth seed. The Jaspers posted a 21-13 record in 2011-12, the program's first year under third-year head coach Steve Masiello.
LIFE BEGINS AT 70
During the offseason, head coach Steve Masiello preached a faster pace to his team. That has resulted in final scores above 70 points in 15 of Manhattan's 17 games. Manhattan's 78.4 points per game rank 41st in the nation, second in the conference and is more than 20 points per game more than its average of 58.3 points per game during the 2012-13 season.
JASPERS ARE #8 IN MID-MAJOR POLL
In the latest Mid-Major Poll released by CollegeInsider.com on January 20, Manhattan was ranked at No. 8. The Jaspers have been ranked among the top 11 teams in the poll since the second week of the season. Manhattan has been ranked as high as fifth in the weekly poll.
| Record | Points | Previous | |
| 1. Wichita State | 19-0 | 775 | 1 |
| 2. Harvard | 14-2 | 733 | 2 |
| 3. Gonzaga | 16-3 | 713 | 3 |
| 4. Toledo | 15-2 | 679 | 4 |
| 5. Green Bay | 13-3 | 654 | 6 |
| 6. Indiana State | 13-3 | 593 | 7 |
| 7. Stephen F. Austin | 16-2 | 582 | 8 |
| 8. Manhattan | 13-4 | 512 | 7 |
| 9. Princeton | 11-3 | 492 | 9 |
| 10. North Dakota State | 14-5 | 478 | 10 |
ROAD WARRIORS
The Jaspers currently are tied for tops in the nation with Michigan State and UMass with nine road/neutral site victories, going 9-1 in those games away from Draddy Gymnasium. Manhattan is 8-2 in true road games this season and is tied with Stephen F. Austin for the most road wins in the nation.
| Manhattan | 8-2 |
| Stephen F. Austin | 8-2 |
| Saint Louis | 7-0 |
| North Dakota State | 6-4 |
| UC Irvine | 6-4 |
SENIOR MOMENTS
Manhattan's senior class of Michael Alvarado, George Beamon and Rhamel Brown has been one of the most prolific senior classes in recent Jasper history. The trio has the chance to become the first senior class in Manhattan College history to each score 1,000 points during their careers.
| Name | Years | Games | Points |
| 1. Luis Flores | 2001-04 | 89 games | 2,046 |
| 2. Keith Bullock | 1989-93 | 120 games | 1,992 |
| 3. Tim Cain | 1981-85 | 108 games | 1,872 |
| 4. Durelle Brown | 1997-01 | 112 games | 1,634 |
| 5. Peter Runge | 1986-90 | 103 games | 1,622 |
| 6. Steve Grant | 1974-78 | 103 games | 1,610 |
| 7. George Beamon | 2009-pres. | 104 games | 1,559 |
| 8. Larry Lembo | 1962-65 | 66 games | 1,443 |
| 9. Darryl Crawford | 2006-10 | 121 games | 1,431 |
| 10. George Bucci | 1972-75 | 79 games | 1,331 |
| 11. John Leonard | 1978-82 | 103 games | 1,329 |
| 12. Jamal Marshall | 1991-95 | 117 games | 1,307 |
| 13. Dave Holmes | 2000-04 | 112 games | 1,291 |
| John Marren | 1967-70 | 70 games | 1,291 |
| 15. Brian Mahoney | 1968-71 | 72 games | 1,289 |
| ........... | |||
| 31. Michael Alvarado | 2010-pres. | 102 games | 1,029 |
| 35. Rhamel Brown | 2010-pres. | 114 games | 993 |
I'LL TAKE THAT
The Jaspers totaled nine steals on 20 forced turnovers in Manhattan's January 18th game at Fairfield. The nine steals approached the Jaspers' season average of 9.1 per game, which tops the MAAC and ranks 15th in the country. Manhattan also ranks 52nd in the country in turnover margin, forcing 2.4 more turnovers than its opponent.
BEAMON HAVING STRONG SENIOR SEASON
Manhattan senior George Beamon has had a terrific start to the season, averaging 20.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, including nine games in which he has scored 20 or more points. For his career, Beamon has 31 games in which he has scored 20 or more. The 6-4 guard has three double-doubles to his credit this season:
| November 24 | vs. Fordham | 24 points | 11 rebounds |
| December 6 | at Marist | 12 points | 10 rebounds |
| January 2 |
at Saint Peter's |
28 points | 10 rebounds |
WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?
Part of Manhattan's strong defense has been the play of Rhamel Brown in the paint. Brown has blocked at least one shot in every game this season and currently ranks fourth in the nation with an average of 3.8 blocks per game.
| 1. Jordan Bachynski | 7'2" | Arizona State | 4.50 |
| 2. Chris Obepka | 6'9" | St. John's | 3.78 |
| 3. Michale Kyser | 6'9" | Louisiana Tech | 4.00 |
| 4. Khem Birch | 6'9" | UNLV | 3.61 |
| 5. Rhamel Brown | 6'7" | Manhattan | 3.59 |
RHAMEL'S BLOCK PARTY
The Jaspers' all-time leader in blocked shots, Rhamel Brown ranks second among all MAAC players in conference history. He is one of only two players in conference history with more than 300 blocked shots.
| 1. Deng Gai | Fairfield | 2001-05 | 444 |
| 2. Rhamel Brown | Manhattan | 2010-pres. | 308 |
| 3. Tomas Vazquez-Simmons | Canisius | 2007-11 | 273 |
| 4. Lionel Simmons | La Salle | 1986-90 | 248 |
| 5. Jason Thompson | Rider | 2005-08 | 235 |
BOUNDING AND ASTOUNDING
Not only is Brown the Jaspers' all-time shot block king, he ranks among Manhattan's top ten in career rebounds, coming down with more than 700 rebounds during his career.
| Name | Years | Rebounds |
| 1. Bill Campion | 1972-75 | 1,070 |
| 2. Keith Bullock | 1989-93 | 1,012 |
| 3. Steve Grant | 1974-78 | 940 |
| 4. Peter Runge | 1986-90 | 894 |
| 5. Bob Mealy | 1957-60 | 872 |
| 6. Jason Hoover | 1993-97 | 865 |
| 7. Dave Holmes | 2000-04 | 826 |
| 8. Angelo Lombardo | 1954-57 | 739 |
| 9. Jamal Marshall | 1991-95 | 716 |
| 10. Rhamel Brown | 2010-pres. | 713 |
AWESOME ALVARADO
Manhattan senior Michael Alvarado is averaging 24.8 points per game over the Jaspers' last four games. He has scored 20 or more in each of those four games, including a career-high 33 points on 13 of 17 shooting from the field in the Jaspers' overtime win over Marist on January 12. In Manhattan's next game, Alvarado topped the 1,000-point mark against Siena. During that four-game stretch, Alvarado has dished out 15 assists with just four turnovers. He handed out three assists in the Jaspers' last game at Fairfield and is now tied with Keaton Hyman '95 for eighth place all-time on the career assists chart.
| Name | Years | Assists |
| 1. Ed Lawson | 1983-85, 86-88 | 447 |
| 2. Phil Lane | 1996-2000 | 419 |
| 3. Charlie Mahoney | 1972-75 | 384 |
| 4. Tom Courtney | 1975-79 | 367 |
| 5. Charles Dubra | 1988-92 | 355 |
| 6. Jason Wingate | 2002-06 | 334 |
| 7. Mugsy Green | 2000-02 | 308 |
| 8. Michael Alvarado | 2010-pres. | 301 |
| Keaton Hyman | 1992-95 | 301 |
| 10. Carey Wilson | 1989-93 | 286 |
EMMY AWARD WINNING
Junior Emmy Andujar had a strong all-around performance in Manhattan's overtime win over Marist on Jan. 12. In 34 minutes, Andujar finished with 10 points, nine rebounds, two assists, one steal and one blocked shot. He made four of his six field goals and followed that with seven points and four assists in the win over Siena on Jan. 16.
STORES READY FOR BUSINESS
Junior RaShawn Stores has started the last nine games for the Jaspers, helping Manhattan go 7-2 in that span. Stores had a strong game at Fairfield on Jan. 18, scoring nine points on 3-of-5 shooting. He grabbed five rebounds and added two steals in 36 minutes.
RICHARDS DIALS LONG DISTANCE
Sophomore Shane Richards has scored in double figures in four of Manhattan's last five contests. Richards has made at least one triple in each game this year and is approaching Manhattan's top ten in career threes after just a year and a half in a Manhattan uniform.
| Name | Years | Games | 3FGs |
| 1. Devon Austin | 2005-09 | 111 games | 165 |
| 2. Luis Flores | 2001-04 | 90 games | 163 |
| 3. Steve McDowell | 1994-98 | 100 games | 145 |
| 4. Mike Konovelchick | 2002-06 | 118 games | 142 |
| 5. Charles Dubra | 1988-92 | 118 games | 136 |
| 6. Chris Williams | 1989-93 | 117 games | 132 |
| 7. Kidani Brutus | 2010-12 | 63 games | 126 |
| 8. Jeff Xavier | 2004-06 | 60 games | 125 |
| 9. Ted Ellis | 1991-96 | 80 games | 122 |
| 10. Antoine Pearson | 2006-10 | 121 games | 109 |
| 11. Shane Richards | 2012-pres. | 49 games | 107 |
PANKEY PROVIDING SOLID POST PLAY
Sophomore Ashton Pankey has started the last five contests for Manhattan, alongside fellow big man Rhamel Brown. At Fairfield on January 18, Pankey scored a season-high 11 points in 19 minutes of action. He also finished with six rebounds and two blocked shots.
RICHLY DESERVED
After scoring a career-high 14 points on January 4 vs. Fairfield, freshman Rich Williams made a number of critical plays in Manhattan's 86-79 overtime win vs. Marist on January 12. His steal and breakaway dunk in the final minutes of regulation tied the game at 73-73. Williams then sank a three-pointer at the three-minute mark in overtime to give the Jaspers the lead for good. He finished with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting in the game against the Red Foxes.
HEY, MISTER WILSON
Freshman Tyler Wilson has had a solid first year as well, averaging 13.8 minutes per game. Wilson has made 45.5 percent of his field goals this season and has a positive assist to turnover ratio of 1.2:1.
KATES SOLID OFF THE BENCH
Junior Donovan Kates has provided a steady presence off the Manhattan bench this season. Against Siena on January 16, Kates matched his season high with 10 points in 16 minutes. Kates buried a pair of three-pointers during a 10-4 Manhattan run to close the first half, increasing the Jaspers' lead to 43-34 at intermission.
THE DEFENSE NEVER RESTS
Manhattan ranks 79th in the country in field goal percentage defense. Jasper opponents are converting just 41% of their field goals this season, along with 32.8% of its three-point opportunities.
THREE IS THE MAGIC NUMBER
Not only has Manhattan hit 6.1 three-pointers per game, the Jaspers have defended the three-point line well. This season, Manhattan has limited opponents to 32.8 percent from beyond the arc. The Jaspers have held opponents to less than 40 percent shooting from three-point range in all 13 of their wins.
WORKING OVERTIME
The 86-79 win for the Jaspers over Marist in overtime on January 12 was the third overtime win for Manhattan this season. The Jaspers had not played three overtime games since the 2005-06 season.
FIRST TO 40
Manhattan head coach Steve Masiello earned his 40th career victory in Manhattan's 70-59 win at Marist on December 6. Masiello is the fastest Manhattan coach to reach 40 victories since Fran Fraschilla won his 40th game late in his second season on the Manhattan sidelines in 1994. Masiello is now 13 games over .500 in his coaching career with a 48-35 overall record.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Manhattan will play on ESPNU in each of the next three Friday nights, beginning with tonight's game vs. Rider. Manhattan's January 31st game at Iona will also air live on ESPNU, as will its game at Canisius on Friday, February 7.
JASPERS ON TV IN 2013-14
Manhattan will have at least eight games on television in 2013-14, including four televised games during the month of January. All remaining home games and select road contests will be available on JasperVision.TV in high definition. Here is the upcoming television schedule for the Jaspers, as of January 15.
| Jan. 24 | Rider | 7 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Jan. 31 | at Iona | 9 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Feb. 7 | at Canisius | 7 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Feb. 21 | at Siena | 7 or 8 p.m. | ESPNU or ESPN3 |
| Feb. 28 | Iona | 7 or 9 p.m. | ESPN2 or ESPNU |
| Mar. 2 | Canisius | 4:30 p.m. | ESPN3 |
MANHATTAN AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS
The Jaspers are ranked among the nation's top 100 teams in several statistical categories, in games played through Sunday, January 19.
| Category | Rank | Actual |
| Free Throws Made | 4 | 412 |
| Free Throw Attempts | 5 | 585 |
| Steals/Game | 15 | 9.1 |
| Blocks/Game | 28 | 5.7 |
| Scoring Offense | 41 | 78.4 |
| Win-Loss % | 42 | 76.5 |
| Turnover Margin | 52 | +2.4 |
| Field Goal % Defense | 79 | 41.0 |
| Scoring Margin | 84 | +7.1 |
| Category | Player | Rank | Actual |
| Blocks/Game | Rhamel Brown | 5 | 3.59 bpg |
| Free Throw % | George Beamon | 25 | 88.4% |
| Points/Game | George Beamon | 27 | 20.1 ppg |
| 3-Point FG/Game | Shane Richards | 77 | 2.47 |
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. Five Jaspers hail from the Bronx.
| Name | Hometown | High School |
| Michael Alvarado | Bronx | All Hallows |
| Emmy Andujar | Bronx | Rice |
| George Beamon | Roslyn, L.I. | Roslyn |
| Rhamel Brown | Brooklyn | Transit Tech |
| Ashton Pankey | Bronx | St. Anthony's |
| Shane Richards | New York City | York Prep |
| RaShawn Stores | Bronx | All Hallows |
| Rich Williams | Brooklyn | Transit Tech |
| Tyler Wilson | Bronx | Cardinal Hayes |
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 (Middletown, 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.
NEW LOOK MAAC
This season marks the first time since the 1997-98 season that the MAAC has a different conference alignment. Loyola left the MAAC for the Patriot League at the conclusion of the 2012-13 academic year and was replaced by former Northeast Conference members Monmouth and Quinnipiac. As a result of the league's expansion from 10 to 11 schools, the conference schedule was also expanded. Each team will now play 20 MAAC games per season, up from 18.
MAAC TOURNAMENT CHANGES
With the addition of Monmouth and Quinnipiac bringing conference membership to 11 schools, the MAAC Tournament will have a new format this season. The top five teams at the conclusion of the regular season will have a bye into the quarterfinals, while the remaining six teams will play first-round games on March 6. There will be a day off before the quarterfinals that begin on March 8, followed by the semifinals on March 9. The MAAC Championship game on Monday, March 10, will once again be nationally televised on ESPN2. The quarterfinals and semifinals will be broadcast on ESPN3.
BACK TO ALBANY
The 2014 MAAC Tournament will be held at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass., for the third consecutive year from March 6-10. This marks the final year in which the tournament will be held in Springfield. In 2015, the event returns to its former home - the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y.
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.
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. Former Jasper greats Brian Mahoney and Chris Williams return as the color analysts, alongside play-by-play broadcaster Christian Heimall. Each broadcast will begin with the “Steve Masiello Pre-Game Report” 15 minutes prior to tipoff.
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.
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.