Manhattan To Host Monmouth Friday On ESPNU

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Riverdale, NY - Manhattan (5-6; 4-6 MAAC) will host Monmouth (8-5; 8-4 MAAC) on February 5-6, with each game starting at 9:00 pm.

The Worldwide Network
* Friday's game will air on ESPNU, with Saturday's set to stream on ESPN3.
* The game marks the second-straight season that the Green & White will host an ESPNU affair, besting Niagara 77-59 on February 7, 2020.

Quick Hits
* 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.
* Manhattan is 4-1 this year when limiting teams to less than 60 points, limiting the opposition to less than 40 percent shooting and winning the rebounding battle.
* The Jaspers are 5-3 in games decided by 10 points or less thanks to making good on a blistering 70.9 percent (39-of-55) from the charity stripe.

The Big Fella
* Junior Warren Williams collected his third double-double of the year with 13 points and 11 rebounds in the finale at Saint Peter's, and has registered four double-digit rebounding performances.
* Williams is averaging 11.1 ppg, 9.0 rpg and 1.9 bpg over his last seven games, and posted double-doubles in wins over Delaware State (10 points, 11 rebounds and Niagara (12 points, 10 rebounds).
* During his aforementioned seven-game stretch, he grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds thrice, also doing so in the series-opening win against Niagara.

From Deep
* Classmate Samir Stewart scored a season-high 18 points the last time out 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 is averaging 11.2 ppg and 2.7 apg over his last six games matched his career-high with five three pointers in the finale against the Peacocks. and has drained at least two triples in each of his last six games en route to making good on 34.0 percent (16-of-47) from deep.

Coach Mas
* 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.
* After the sweep of Niagara, he has 145 career victories with 71 coming at Draddy.
* Masiello (April 11) and Monmouth's King Rice (March 29) were hired just weeks apart in 2011.

Manhattan-Monmouth Notes
* Manhattan will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak to Monmouth, and has dropped eight of the last nine meetings between the teams.
* Last season, the Jaspers lost the teams' lone match-up at Draddy by seven points.
* Williams is averaging 11.0 ppg and 4.8 rpg over four career games against the Hawks, while making good on 61.5 percent (16-of-26) from the floor.
* Masiello, who inked a three-year extension in February, led Manhattan to back-to-back MAAC Championships in 2014 and 2015, is the longest tenured MAAC Coach in this his 10th year.

Scouting Monmouth
* The Hawks are paced by the senior trio of Deion Hammond (17.5 ppg), George Papas (13.3 ppg) and Malik Martin (11.0 ppg) and feature one of the most balanced rosters in the MAAC, with nine players averaging double-figures in minutes.
* Like the Jaspers, Monmouth is among the national leaders in turnovers forced (15.2/game) and steals (7.7/game). 

Getting Defensive
* 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 the Purple Eagles into a season-high 19 turnovers, while notching a season-high 11 steals for the third time this year.
* The Green & White also 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.
* Manhattan yielded a season-low 42 points in the win over Quinnipiac, while also surrendering a season-low six turnovers.

The Glass
* In the opener at Quinnipiac, the Jaspers registered season-bests in rebounds (50), offensive caroms (19) and rebounding margin (+14).
* The Green & White also hit the 50-carom mark for the first time since grabbing 51 at Marist on January 2, 2017.

In The Rankings
* Manhattan leads the MAAC and is 51st nationally with a league-best 12.1 offensive rebounds per game,
* The Jaspers also rank among the nation's leaders in turnovers forced (16.0/game-36th), scoring defense (64.4 ppg-48th) and steals (7.4 spg-95th).

Ant-Man Strikes
* Junior Ant Nelson 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 eight times, while pacing the squad on four occasions, and hitting for at least 20 points twice.
* 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.
* The Seton Hall transfer also had 23 points in the finale against Marist, and ranks among the MAAC leaders in scoring (13.6 ppg-6th), assists (2.6 apg-12th), free throw percentage (.873-4th) and minutes played (30.2 mpg-14th). 

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.

EB Making Moves
* Classmate Elijah Buchanan has established himself as one of the top defenders in the MAAC, ranking  second with 1.9 spg, sixth with 1.4 bpg and 13th with 5.9 rpg, while adding 10.5 ppg (20th MAAC) over a team-high 34.1 mpg (6th MAAC).
* Buchanan has increased his scoring average by 3.1 ppg and his rebounding by 2.7 rpg, while notching double figures in points four times, and has pulled down at least seven rebounds six times.
* Buchanan reached the 20-point mark in the win over Rider, finishing with a career-high 20 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks in the finale.

20-20 Vision
* Buchanan's 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.

More Williams
* Williams, who scored a season-high 19 points in the opener at Quinnipiac, recorded his first career double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds) with a career-high four blocks in the win at Delaware State.
* The Preseason All-MAAC Second Team selection ranks among the MAAC leaders with 7.4 rpg (3rd), 1.6 bpg (4th MAAC) and field goal percentage (.500-8th), to go along with 9.4 ppg.

Transfer Notes
* The Jaspers' five junior transfers (Nick Brennen, Samba Diallo, Jason Douglas-Stanley, Nelson and Marques Watson) are averaging 31.3 ppg and 15.8 rpg, while accounting for 51.3 percent of the team's scoring and 43.8 percent of the rebounding.
Diallo (UMass), Douglas-Stanley (George Mason) and Nelson (Seton Hall) all were granted waivers for immediate eligibility from the NCAA.
* Diallo matched Williams with a game-high 11 rebounds in the finale at Saint Peter's, after also joining him in double-digits with 10 caroms in helping secure a sweep of Niagara.
* He ranks among the MAAC leaders in rebounding (5.2 rpg-19th) and steals (1.3 spg-8th).
* Watson scored a career-high matching 10 points in the opener against Quinnipiac. 
* 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 7.5 ppg and 1.3 triples per game.
* 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 made gave the Jaspers a six-point advantage, while also grabbing a career-high five rebounds.

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
* He is in his 25th season as a player, assistant or a head coach, and holds a career record of 506-301 (.627). 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 145-155 (.483) record, including going 92-90 (.505) during MAAC play, while adding a school-record 11 MAAC Tournament wins. At Draddy Gym, he is 71-47 (.602), including 56-35 (.615) 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.

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.
* Williams 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 scored in double-figures 11 times, while pacing the squad on five occasions.

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 Iona on Friday, February 12 and Saturday, February 13.