RIVERDALE, N.Y. – Manhattan opens MAAC play on Thursday with Fairfield and then will face a former MAAC foe on Sunday in Monmouth.
The Jaspers host the Stags on Thursday at 7 p.m. and the Hawks on Sunday at 2 p.m. inside Draddy Gymnasium. Manhattan won its league opener last season in overtime, 77-72, at Siena.
Manhattan went 1-1 at the London Basketball Classic last week. Manhattan was edged in overtime by Northeastern, 69-67, on Thursday and beat Army West Point, 72-71, on Saturday.
Josh Roberts averaged 18 points, 13 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, and 1.5 steals over the two games in London while shooting 78-percent from the floor.
Samir Stewart had 14 points against Army on Saturday.
Ant Nelson and
Marques Watson averaged 13 points per game for the Jaspers across the pond.
Fairfield sits at 2-5 when it comes to Draddy on Thursday night. The Stags are coming off a 2-1 weekend at the Hostilo Hoops Community Classic in Savannah, Ga. Fairfield started the year with four straight losses at Wake Forest, New Hampshire, Xavier, and Wagner. Caleb Fields averages 14.6 points per game, which leads the Stags. Fields scored 21 points against Xavier, a team-high in 2022-23. Supreme Cook pulls down 6.4 rebounds per game to lead the team.
Monmouth will play at Rider on Wednesday before visiting Draddy on Sunday afternoon. The Hawks are 0-7 after facing a non-conference schedule that included a pair of ranked foes—Virginia and Illinois—so far this season. Myles Foster paces the offensive attack for the Hawks at 12.6 points per game. Jack Collins is also in double figures on average (10.4). The Hawks graduated five fifth-year seniors and three other true seniors from last season's roster.
Manhattan is 59-54 all-time against Fairfield and 9-14 all-time against Monmouth.
This season,
Josh Roberts leads the nation in field goal percentage (80.4). The fifth-year senior is 37-46 from the floor this year through five games and averages less than two misses per game while connecting on an average of 5.4 made field goals per game. Roberts is averaging 16.2 points per game this season to lead Manhattan.
Ant Nelson sits third in the MAAC in assists per game (4.4). Nelson had six helpers against Army West Point on Saturday. Nelson's eight assists against Fairleigh Dickinson equal the highest single-game total by a MAAC player this season.
