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New Rochelle, NY - Manhattan (5-8; 4-8 MAAC) will hit the road for two games at Iona (5-3; 3-1 MAAC) on Friday, February 12 and Saturday, February 13, with each game starting at 5:00 pm.
Quick Hits
* - Junior
Warren Williams was dominant against Monmouth, averaging 18.0 ppg and 9.5 rpg while shooting a blistering 70.0 percent (14-of-20).
* - Williams registered his MAAC-leading fourth double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds in the opener, before hitting for a season-best 20 in the finale.
* The Jaspers have completed four games on their originally scheduled dates after playing at Saint Peter's, with the home games vs. Rider being the first two.
* Last year the teams split their two meetings, with each squad holding serve at home. Senior
Nehemiah Mack averaged a team-best 10.5 ppg with 3.0 apg over two games against the Gaels.
* For his career, Mack is shooting 64.7 percent (11-of-17) from deep against Iona.
* Senior
Ebube Ebube registered his first career double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) two years ago against the Gaels.
* Williams is averaging 14.8 ppg and 9.2 rpg with three double-doubles over his last five games, while shooting 60.5 percent (26-of-43) from the floor.
* He also has ripped down double-figures on the glass on five occasions, and ranks among the MAAC leaders with 10.7 ppg (19th), 7.7 rpg (2nd), 1.5 bpg (5th MAAC) and field goal percentage (.543-6th).
Coach Masiello Quick Hits
* In head coach
Steve Masiello's 10 years at the helm, the Jaspers are 62-12 (.838) when holding the opposition to less than 60 points, and 47-17 (.734) when registering double-digits in steals.
* Masiello is the longest tenured MAAC coach, and with the win over Quinnipiac moved past Jack Powers into third place on the all-time Manhattan wins' list. In December, he also set a school record for victories at Draddy with an 87-77 triumph over Rider.
* Manhattan turned Marist over at least 20 times in each match-up, doing so in back in back-to-back games for the time since early in the 2018-19 season (UNC Asheville, George Washington), and are 28-16 (.636) when forcing at least 20 miscues in Masiello's 10 years.
Getting Defensive
* The Jaspers pulled down 30 rebounds in the first half in the finale against Monmouth, en route to registering a season-high matching 50.
* The Green & White also grabbed 50 in the opener at Quinnipiac, while snaring 50 for the first time since for the first time since snaring 51 at Marist on January 2, 2017.
* Manhattan yielded a season-low 42 points in the win over Quinnipiac, while also surrendering a season-low six turnovers.
* The Jaspers lead the MAAC and is 34th nationally with a league-best 12.5 offensive rebounds per game, while also pacing the league and ranking 41st with 15.8 forced turnovers per game.
* Manhattan also ranks among the NCAA leaders in scoring defense (65.3 ppg-59th), three-point percentage defense (.309-63rd) and field goal percentage defense (.412-79th).
* Fueled by its stellar defense, the Jaspers are 4-1 when limiting teams to less than 60 points.
The Ant Man
* Junior
Ant Nelson averaged 12.5 ppg and 5.5 apg against Monmouth, highlighted by handing out a season-best six assists with 11 points and five rebounds in the opener.
* The Seton Hall transfer registered his first career double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds in the opener at Quinnipiac, and has registered double-figures in scoring a team-best 10 times, highlighted by recording at least 20 points twice.
Nelson Named MAAC Player Of The Week
* The high-powered point guard earned MAAC Player of the Week honors for the week ending December 13, after averaging 23.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 3.0 apg while shooting 71.4 percent from the floor, including 85.7 percent from long range, and a perfect 100.0 percent from the line over two games against Rider.
* Nelson scored 19 points in the opener, before notching a career-high 27 points with six rebounds and four assists in the finale.
* He also had 23 points in the finale against Marist, and ranks among the MAAC leaders in scoring (13.5 ppg-6th), assists (3.1 apg-9th) and free throw percentage (.873-3rd).
EB Making Moves
* Classmate
Elijah Buchanan has established himself as one of the top defenders in the MAAC, ranking third with 1.7 spg, sixth with 1.3 bpg and eighth with 6.4 rpg, while adding 10.7 ppg (20th MAAC) over a team-high 33.4 mpg (8th MAAC).
* Buchanan has increased his scoring average by 3.3 ppg while doubling his rebounding (+3.2 rpg) from last year, and has scored in double figures five times while pulling down at least seven rebounds on eight occasions.
* The last time out, he scored 11 of his 18 points after halftime in helping the Jaspers battle from a 10-point deficit to force overtime.
20-20 Vision
* Buchanan reached the 20-point mark in the win over Rider, finishing with a career-high 20 with seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks in the finale.
* His big performance along with Nelson's aforementioned career-high 27 against the Broncs, marked the first time the Jaspers had two 20-point scorers in the same game since Zavier Turner and Rich Williams did so in a 92-86 win over Quinnipiac on February 25, 2018.
S Squared
* Junior
Samir Stewart scored a season-high 18 points in the finale at Saint Peter's, and over two games against the Peacocks averaged 14.0 ppg, on 46.7 percent (7-of-15) shooting from long range.
* Stewart has notched 10.0 ppg and 2.9 apg over his last eight games, matched his career-high with five three pointers in the finale against the Peacocks and has drained at least two triples on seven occasions en route to making good on 32.7 percent (18-of-55) from deep.
The Big Man
* Williams has also recorded double-doubles in the win at Delaware State (10 points, 11 rebounds), in the series-clinching victory against Niagara (12 points, 10 rebounds) and in the finale at Saint Peter's (13 points, 11 rebounds).
* He was named to the preseason All-MAAC Second Team after a solid second year in Riverdale. He averaged 8.3 ppg, including 9.7 ppg during league play, and his combined .566 mark the last three seasons is tops in the MAAC.
The Newcomers
* The Jaspers' five junior transfers (
Nick Brennen,
Samba Diallo,
Jason Douglas-Stanley, Nelson and
Marques Watson) are averaging 30.8 ppg and 15.9 rpg, while accounting for 49.8 percent of the team's scoring and 42.6 percent of the rebounding.
* Diallo a UMass transfer, matched Williams with a game-high 11 rebounds in the finale at Saint Peter's and has notched double-figures on the glass in three of the last five games, registering 7.6 rpg during that time.
* Playing on his birthday the last time out against Monmouth, Diallo forced overtime with a late three-point play, en route to finishing with eight points and 10 rebounds.
* He also snared 10 caroms in the series-clinching victory over Niagara, and ranks among the MAAC leaders in rebounding (5.7 rpg-14th) and steals (1.1 spg-12th).
* Watson scored a career-high 12 points in the opener against Monmouth and has hit for double-digits three times.
* Douglas-Stanley scored a career-high 19 points in the second game against Marist, and has recorded double-figures in points three times en route to averaging 6.9 ppg and has netted double-figures in points on three occasions.
* In the win over Quinnipiac, the George Mason transfer bookended Manhattan's game-changing 14-2 run with a big three-point play, before also adding a momentum-altering three pointer that gave Manhattan a six-point advantage, while also grabbing a career-high five rebounds.
Scouting Iona
The Gaels, which haven't played a game in 2021, are led by the high-powered trio of Isaiah Ross (22.3 ppg), Asante Gist (12.5 ppg, 4.1 apg) and Nelly Junior Joseph (11.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg).
Lasko Lights It Up
* Senior
Ethan Lasko scored a career-high matching nine points against Delaware State, on the strength of three triples, the last of which capped a game-changing 14-2 spurt that turned a two-point deficit into a 10-point halftime advantage.
More Mas
* Masiello is in his 25th season as a player, assistant or a head coach, and holds a career record of 506-303 (.625). He is one of just nine active Division I coaches with a National Title as a player, and one of seven that is 43 or younger with two conference titles and two trips to the NCAA Tourney.
* Masiello has led the Jaspers to a 145-157 (.480) record, including going 92-92 (.500) during MAAC play, while adding a school-record 11 MAAC Tournament wins. At Draddy Gym, he is 71-49 (.592), including 56-37 (.602) vs. league opposition. He has won two MAAC Championships, advanced to the title game three times and claimed two Metropolitan Coach of the Year awards with a pair of 20-win campaigns. Masiello has also participated in the NCAA Tourney in 13 of his 24 full seasons as a player or coach, including being a part of eight conference champions and one National Title.
* Now in his 25th season as either a player or a coach, Masiello has a career collegiate record of 506-303 (.625), including 385-275 (.583) on the sidelines, with one National Title, two National Championship Game appearances, two Final Fours, six Elite Eight berths, eight conference championships, 13 NCAA Tournament appearances and 15 20-win seasons.
* In his first tenure as an assistant, Masiello was a part of two MAAC titles and three 20-plus win seasons. All told, Masiello has been a member of four of Manhattan's five MAAC Championship teams and five of the school's 12 20-win seasons in recording a combined 228-193 (.542) record.
Niagara Notes
* Manhattan swept Niagara, thanks to limiting the Purple Eagles to less than 60 points in each game, while posting a +9.5 rebounding differential.
* In the opener, the Jaspers forced Niagara into a season-high 19 turnovers, while notching a season-high 11 steals for the third time this year.
Preseasons Are For Polls
* Manhattan was slated to finish fifth in the annual MAAC Preseason Poll, and returns 10 letterwinners, two starters, 46.2 percent of its scoring and 32.2 percent of its rebounding.
Meet The Staff
* Masiello is joined on the bench by
Matt Grady,
RaShawn Stores,
Doug Thibault,
Jon Mangel and
Tyler Wilson. Grady is in his 10th year, Stores his fifth, Thibault his third, Mangel his second and Wilson his fourth.
Last Year
* Last season, Manhattan again ranked among the NCAA leaders in scoring defense (64.2 ppg-40th), turnovers forced (14.9-60th), blocks (4.0 bpg-76th), offensive rebounds (11.1-82nd), steals (7.0 spg-99th) and field goal percentage defense (.418-107th).
* Manhattan turned Quinnipiac and Delaware State each over 25 times last year, while also matching the most forced turnovers by a Masiello-coached team.
* The Jaspers also overcome second half double-digit deficits in victories over UAlbany, at Elon and at Fordham.
What Is 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 baseball games while also directing the team itself. During one particularly warm and humid day when the college was playing a semi-pro baseball team called the Metropolitans, Brother Jasper noticed the Manhattan students were becoming restless and edgy with the team coming 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 1890's 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.
This Is Manhattan College
* Why is Manhattan College in the Bronx? Our campus was originally located in Manhattan at the intersection of 131st Street and Broadway. In 1923, Manhattan College moved to its present Riverdale location in order to accommodate a growing student body. But with more than 60 years of history established as Manhattan College, the institution decided to retain the name despite the geographic misnomer.
* 17 alumni are members of the prestigious National Academy of Engineering — an impressive number for an institution the size of Manhattan College.
* Manhattan is one of only 182 remaining colleges founded in the United States before the Civil War.
This Is Manhattan Basketball
* Manhattan has three wins in NCAA Tournament play, defeating West Virginia (1958), Oklahoma (1995) and Florida (2004).
* The Jaspers have won five MAAC Tournament titles in the last 25 years (1993, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2015).
* Manhattan received an at-large berth in 1995 and defeated Oklahoma before falling to Arizona State.
* Was the first team in NCAA history to a win a game in Europe, defeating Holy Cross 70-54 on December 1, 2017 as part of the inaugural Belfast Classic.
Up Next
The Jaspers will play at Siena on Wednesday, February 24 at 7:00 pm.
