Manhattan Basketball

Manhattan's George Beamon scored the first eight points of the game, and the Jaspers never looked back from there. Fordham (3-4) was unable to take a lead through the duration of this game.

The Rams did, however, cut the Jasper lead to 10-8, but then Manhattan (6-4, 2-0 MAAC) went on a 10-2 run to retake control.

The Jaspers bumped the lead up to 11 points by shooting 6-for-6 from the foul line in the final two minutes of the first half.

Manhattan then came out strong in the second half, outscoring the Rams 45-22 in the final 20 minutes.

Freshman Emmy Andujar won the 2011 Battle of the Bronx MVP with 14 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals.

Meanwhile, Beamon added 15 points and five rebounds.

Sophomore Rhamel Brown put together a solid outing. The 6'6" forward only played 12 minutes, but he had nine points, five rebounds and four blocks.

Michael Alvarado, Donovan Kates and Liam McCabe-Moran all scored in double digits for Manhattan too, and Roberto Colonette had seven points and nine rebounds.

The Manhattan program is quickly turning around under rookie head coach Steve Masiello.

In just 10 games, Masiello has already matched Manhattan's win total for all of last season. In addition, he has put together Manhattan's first three-game winning streak since the start of the 2009-10 season, and the first back-to-back 20-point wins in 10 years.

Although Fordham is probably the worst team in the Atlantic 10, it is still a team from a conference that is a step higher than the MAAC.

Whenever you run a team from a better conference out of the gym, you know you are doing something right.

In the last two games, Manhattan has shown the ability to dominate at home. 

The Jaspers are shooting 48 percent from the field during this stretch, and 42.8 percent from three-point range. Also, they have been dominating the boards with great interior defense.

If Manhattan continues to play like this, it should definitely finish in the top five in the MAAC.

Manhattan also seems to have found a good balance on offense.

In the earliest games of the season, the Jaspers were simply chucking up three-pointers. If the shots went in, they would go on a big run. If the shots did not go in, the offense would be unable to produce.

Although they are still shooting plenty of three-pointers, the Jaspers are generally taking much smarter shots.

With Brown and Colonette playing much better in the post, Manhattan has also developed a post game. Despite being undersized, the two big men have been able to compete well.

Meanwhile, Andujar continues to be the most impressive newcomer to the Manhattan squad. At 6'5", he can play either a guard or a forward. He can put up solid scoring numbers and stay strong on the glass, and he also has great court vision.

He is now averaging 8.1 points per game, 6.2 rebounds per game and 1.7 assists per game.

Manhattan starts a four-game road trip, which includes three games against CAA opponents, at Hofstra (3-6, 0-1 CAA) on Saturday afternoon.

Separated by only four miles, Manhattan and Fordham have played each other 103 times, with the first meeting occurring 100 years ago. Manhattan leads the all-time series, 53-50.

After winning the Battle of the Bronx in both 2008-09 and 2009-10, the Jaspers fell at Fordham last year, 73-59.

With the annual event returning to Draddy Gymnasium, the Rams will be looking for their first win away from home while Manhattan will try to extend its winning streak to three games.

Keys for Fordham

Keep Manhattan off the line

Manhattan has become a solid free throw shooting team, making 73.6 percent of its attempts (No. 2 in the MAAC and No. 50 in the nation). The Jaspers also have the best free throw shooter in the country in George Beamon (97.4 percent).

The Jaspers also seem to get better at the line as the game goes on. The more free throws they shoot, the more they seem to start making.

Contain the three-point shot

Manhattan has been an inconsistent shooting team so far this season, but, when the Jaspers are making treys, they improve tremendously. In their most recent game against St. Peter's, Manhattan used the three-point shot to pull away from the Peacocks in the second half.

Most of Manhattan's made three-pointers come on open looks. If Fordham guards the perimeter well, the Rams could put the Jaspers in some trouble.

Keys for Manhattan

Control the inside

Despite being undersized, Manhattan has done a pretty good job of competing down low. Although Fordham does not have great size either, it does have one of the best big men in the Atlantic 10 in Chris Gaston.

Gaston is averaging 14.4 PPG, 9.8 RPG, and 2.0 BPG on the season. He is only 6'7", but he can dominate in the post.

If Roberto Colonette and Rhamel Brown can outplay Gaston, the Jaspers will limit one of Fordham's main threats.

Win the rebounding battle

Manhattan has been strong on the boards despite its tallest, everyday player being only 6'7". Fordham has two strong rebounders in Gaston and the 6'8" Kervin Bristol (8.0 RPG).

Colonette has been a monster on the offensive glass for Manhattan, and Brown, Beamon and Emmy Andujar all have the potential for big nights on the boards.

Manhattan can win games with its defense, but it also needs to be able to limit opponents to one shot per possession.

Matchup To Watch—Gaston vs. Brown

Spectators of Wednesday's game will get to see two of New York's better big men go to work.

Gaston's numbers have fallen a little since his freshman season, but he still averaged a double-double in each of his first two seasons.

Not only can he score and rebound in the post, but he is also averaging two blocks per game and 1.5 steals per game.

Brown currently leads the MAAC in blocks, and he is No. 35 in the nation. In his last four games, he is averaging 4.5 blocks per game, along with 7.5 points per game and seven rebounds per game.

If Brown can piece everything together, he might possess the potential to get an unconventional triple-double with points, rebounds, and blocks.

Standout Stats

Brown moved up to No. 7 in career blocks in Manhattan school history with six blocks against St. Peter's on Sunday. With one more block, he will move up to No. 6, and with four more blocks, he will move up to No. 4.

Also, Beamon has scored in double digits in his last 23 games, including six 20-points outings.

For Fordham, Gaston picked up his 41st career double-double against Hampton on Monday night.

Deciding factor—Can Fordham Handle Manhattan's Pressure Defense?

It is no surprise that Steve Masiello, mentored by Louisville's Rick Pitino, brought a new defensive style to Manhattan College.

On a few occasions, the Jaspers have been able to wear down opponents with its pressure defense.

Although they turn the ball over too much themselves, the Jaspers are also able to force a lot of turnovers and score in transition. 

Fordham has not been too much better in terms of taking care of the ball with 15 turnovers per game this year. If they do not take care of the ball on Wednesday, the Rams could struggle in Riverdale.

My Pick: Manhattan and Fordham match up evenly this year. But the Jaspers' experience in close game in addition to homecourt advantage could be what vaults them to a third consecutive victory.

Manhattan has played four games that have either gone into overtime or were decided by three points or less while Fordham has had only one. 

Manhattan 64, Fordham 60

After a four-game road trip with stops at Syracuse and Colorado State as part of the NIT Season Tip-Off, the Manhattan Jaspers (3-2) return home to take on the Columbia Lions (0-4).

Although the Jaspers won a pair of games away from home, their trip ended on a disappointing note. After coming back from down 15 points in the second half against Colorado State and forcing overtime, they fell five points short of the Rams in the extra period.

On the other side, Columbia had a promising start to season, sticking closer than expected with defending NCAA champion Connecticut, and then appearing to be on its way to its first win with a 31-19 halftime lead over Furman.

However, star guard Noruwa Agho left the game in the second half with a knee injury that will most likely end his season.

The Lions went on to lose to Furman, 62-58. Since then, they have also lost to American and Stony Brook.

For a battle of two New York schools separated by only a couple of miles, here are the keys to the game for each team.

Keys for Columbia

Find a Replacement for Agho

Agho's replacement does not have to be a single player, although it could be. The only player who can come close to carrying the team like Agho did is junior Brian Barbour. He has done a good job filling in, averaging 20.5 points per game since Agho was injured.

However, Barbour needs help in order for Columbia to be successful. 

Use Size to Their Advantage

Columbia is not a particularly big team, but Manhattan is slightly smaller. Manhattan's tallest everyday player is Roberto Colonette at 6-foot-7. Watching the 6-foot-4 George Beamon guard the 7-foot Fab Melo of Syracuse last week was actually quite humorous.

Although the Lions don't have anyone quite like Melo, they do have a pair of 6-foot-10 centers in Mark Cisco and Cory Osetowksi. They are not the type of players that one would expect a big game from, but maybe they can put something together against the smaller opponent.

Fatigue

What was the main reason that Manhattan beat NJIT and Brown?

The Jaspers tired them out with their fast-paced game and pressure defense.

Despite both Jasper opponents sticking close deep into the game, there just did not seem to be enough left in the tank for them to win by the time the last few minutes of regulation rolled around. 

Keys for Manhattan

Be Physical, but Don't be Too Physical

One of Manhattan's biggest issues against Colorado State was foul trouble. The Jaspers were whistled for 35 fouls on Tuesday, leading to the Rams shooting 18 more free throws than the Jaspers shot.

Not only did Colorado State get a bonus at the charity stripe, but plenty of Jaspers were in foul trouble throughout the game.

Brutus and Beamon fouled out in regulation, and the Jaspers would have had a better chance of winning in overtime if they had the co-captains on the hardwood.

Take Care of the Ball

Possibly the Jaspers' weakest point in the young season has been turnovers, as they have averaged 17 per game. When the Jaspers turn over the basketball, they go through long stretches when they do not score. But when Manhattan is taking care of the ball, it scores at a fairly efficient rate.

Balanced Attack

Possibly the most pleasing part of the style of play that Steve Masiello instituted at Manhattan is that it is no longer a one-man show.

Although Beamon leads the Jaspers in scoring, Manhattan has several players who can step up and score. The Jaspers have seven players averaging five or more points per game, five of whom have posted as many as 15 points in a single game this season.

My pick: Without Agho, Columbia will struggle against every team it plays. If Agho ends up not playing again this season, there is an outside chance the Lions will not win a game without finding a way to replace his production.

On the other side, the rapidly improving Jaspers need a bounce-back win after the loss to Colorado State. Columbia might stay close for a large chunk of this game, but Manhattan will eventually tire out the Lions and improve to 4-2.

My line: Manhattan by 12

The Manhattan basketball season is underway after the Jaspers defeated the New Jersey Institute of Technology 62-48 on Saturday afternoon.

With new head coach Steve Masiello transforming the players from last year's 6-25 team into what he thinks will be winners, here is a quick look at each player on the 2011-12 team.

Kidani Brutus

Brutus trimmed his weight down to 200 pounds this offseason. Last year, he was strictly a shooting guard for the Jaspers, but he will be expected to share time as the point guard with sophomore Michael Alvarado and freshman DeCarlos Anderson.

Brutus did a lot of damage from beyond the arc last season, shooting 39.9 percent. He would go on streaks where he was deadly from long range. But in the season opener against NJIT, Brutus struggled, shooting 0-for-5 from three.

The Jaspers desperately need a couple of players to step up as outside shooters, and Brutus is the first guy they should go to.

George Beamon

Beamon was the No. 3 scorer (16.3 PPG) in the MAAC last season and earned himself a spot on the Preseason All-MAAC Second Team.

He is a great driver and does a good job of getting into the lane. He improved his jump shot over the offseason and should now be that much more of a scoring threat. At 6'4", he can play either shooting guard or small forward.

To start off his junior season, Beamon led the Jaspers with 15 points and 10 rebounds against NJIT.

Roberto Colonette

Colonette missed last season after tearing his ACL, but the senior is off to a good start in his final year of eligibility. Against NJIT, Colonette scored 11 points and grabbed 8 rebounds.

More impressive than his numbers was the way he carried the team during the second half. During the Jaspers' 15-2 run, Colonette was forcing turnovers, getting rebounds, and shot 3-for-4 from the foul line.

Despite it being only his first year with Manhattan, he showed how much his experience can help down the stretch.

At 6'7", Colonette will have to try playing a little bit larger than his size for the undersized Jaspers. Against NJIT, he did a good job in the post and on the offensive glass, but he only had three defensive rebounds.

Rhamel Brown

Brown had a great freshman year where he averaged 6.7 points per game, 7.1 rebounds per game, and 2.2 blocks per game. Throughout last season, he looked like he could be one of the premier big men in the MAAC.

However, he looked like a different player in the season opener. Although he took very good care of the ball last season, he committed four turnovers on Saturday. And after blocking 10 shots in an exhibition game against Adelphi, he had none against NJIT.

Everyone is entitled to a bad game, but these are not the types of games that Brown should be having on a regular basis.

Brown has the potential to put up double-doubles every night, but he has to get more involved mentally.

Michael Alvarado

After starting at point guard most of his freshman year, Alvarado came off the bench on Saturday. Although he seems to be the best fit for the point guard position on the Manhattan squad, he can still add a lot of value if he continues coming off the bench.

Alvarado has a solid mid-range jumper and is also a fairly good defender. If he can improve his court vision and become a better distributor, he can fill the starting point guard position for Manhattan, which seems to be up in the air.

Emmy Andujar

The most impressive thing about Andujar is that he plays much bigger than his size. The freshman forward is only 6'5", but he has the ability to play like he is 6'7" or 6'8".

He played good defense against NJIT, forcing a steal off the press. He also did a quality job of drawing fouls and shot 5-for-6 from the charity stripe.

Overall, he is the most impressive freshman through one game.

Donovan Kates

Kates is known mainly for his three-point shooting. During the first half on Saturday, he struggled to knock down shots, but he made a pair of big three-pointers with a sweet stroke in the second half.

He has great confidence for a freshman and was determined to continue shooting throughout the game on Saturday.

As he gets more experience, Kates' shooting should improve and, hopefully, he will fill out his game, allowing him to contribute in more areas.

Mohamed Koita

Koita has never been known as an offensive specialist, so it was no surprise that he only scored four points on Saturday.

Koita's leaping ability allows him to be a solid rebounder, and he is also a quality defender. If he sticks to his role and does not try to do too much on offense, he can be a valuable asset for the Jaspers this season.

Kevin Laue

Although Laue gives the Jaspers some size, the fact that he has only one hand limits his effectiveness.

He can step in so that other members of the frontcourt can get some rest and maybe get a few rebounds while doing so. Other than that, don't expect much from him this season.

Djibril Coulibaly

Coulibaly is practically ineffective while on the court. However, he does add a good energy on the bench.

DeCarlos Anderson

Anderson played only a couple of possessions in the season opener.

As a senior in high school, he had a significant role for the Virginia state champions last season, and he is reputed to be a solid point guard.

With the Jaspers thin at the point guard position, Anderson should eventually get some solid playing time.

Ryan McCoy

McCoy was very unimpressive against NJIT. The 6'8" forward was uninvolved on both ends of the floor throughout his six minutes of playing time.

The Jaspers hope that McCoy can become an outside shooting threat, and they could really benefit from having him fulfill that role.

Torgrim Sommerfeldt

There is still no exact timetable for when Sommerfeldt will be healthy enough to play for the Jaspers. But once the Norwegian shooting guard does, Manhattan should have another three-point threat.

At 6'6", Sommerfeldt will give the Jaspers some size, too.

Liam McCabe-Moran

McCabe-Moran will likely not play a huge role for the Jaspers this year. However, he can make some three-pointers every once in a while.

The Manhattan basketball season is underway after the Jaspers defeated the New Jersey Institute of Technology 62-48 on Saturday afternoon.

With new head coach Steve Masiello transforming the players from last year's 6-25 team into what he thinks will be winners, here is a quick look at each player on the 2011-12 team.

Kidani Brutus

Brutus trimmed his weight down to 200 pounds this offseason. Last year, he was strictly a shooting guard for the Jaspers, but he will be expected to share time as the point guard with sophomore Michael Alvarado and freshman DeCarlos Anderson.

Brutus did a lot of damage from beyond the arc last season, shooting 39.9 percent. He would go on streaks where he was deadly from long range. But in the season opener against NJIT, Brutus struggled, shooting 0-for-5 from three.

The Jaspers desperately need a couple of players to step up as outside shooters, and Brutus is the first guy they should go to.

George Beamon

Beamon was the No. 3 scorer (16.3 PPG) in the MAAC last season and earned himself a spot on the Preseason All-MAAC Second Team.

He is a great driver and does a good job of getting into the lane. He improved his jump shot over the offseason and should now be that much more of a scoring threat. At 6'4", he can play either shooting guard or small forward.

To start off his junior season, Beamon led the Jaspers with 15 points and 10 rebounds against NJIT.

Roberto Colonette

Colonette missed last season after tearing his ACL, but the senior is off to a good start in his final year of eligibility. Against NJIT, Colonette scored 11 points and grabbed 8 rebounds.

More impressive than his numbers was the way he carried the team during the second half. During the Jaspers' 15-2 run, Colonette was forcing turnovers, getting rebounds, and shot 3-for-4 from the foul line.

Despite it being only his first year with Manhattan, he showed how much his experience can help down the stretch.

At 6'7", Colonette will have to try playing a little bit larger than his size for the undersized Jaspers. Against NJIT, he did a good job in the post and on the offensive glass, but he only had three defensive rebounds.

Rhamel Brown

Brown had a great freshman year where he averaged 6.7 points per game, 7.1 rebounds per game, and 2.2 blocks per game. Throughout last season, he looked like he could be one of the premier big men in the MAAC.

However, he looked like a different player in the season opener. Although he took very good care of the ball last season, he committed four turnovers on Saturday. And after blocking 10 shots in an exhibition game against Adelphi, he had none against NJIT.

Everyone is entitled to a bad game, but these are not the types of games that Brown should be having on a regular basis.

Brown has the potential to put up double-doubles every night, but he has to get more involved mentally.

Michael Alvarado

After starting at point guard most of his freshman year, Alvarado came off the bench on Saturday. Although he seems to be the best fit for the point guard position on the Manhattan squad, he can still add a lot of value if he continues coming off the bench.

Alvarado has a solid mid-range jumper and is also a fairly good defender. If he can improve his court vision and become a better distributor, he can fill the starting point guard position for Manhattan, which seems to be up in the air.

Emmy Andujar

The most impressive thing about Andujar is that he plays much bigger than his size. The freshman forward is only 6'5", but he has the ability to play like he is 6'7" or 6'8".

He played good defense against NJIT, forcing a steal off the press. He also did a quality job of drawing fouls and shot 5-for-6 from the charity stripe.

Overall, he is the most impressive freshman through one game.

Donovan Kates

Kates is known mainly for his three-point shooting. During the first half on Saturday, he struggled to knock down shots, but he made a pair of big three-pointers with a sweet stroke in the second half.

He has great confidence for a freshman and was determined to continue shooting throughout the game on Saturday.

As he gets more experience, Kates' shooting should improve and, hopefully, he will fill out his game, allowing him to contribute in more areas.

Mohamed Koita

Koita has never been known as an offensive specialist, so it was no surprise that he only scored four points on Saturday.

Koita's leaping ability allows him to be a solid rebounder, and he is also a quality defender. If he sticks to his role and does not try to do too much on offense, he can be a valuable asset for the Jaspers this season.

Kevin Laue

Although Laue gives the Jaspers some size, the fact that he has only one hand limits his effectiveness.

He can step in so that other members of the frontcourt can get some rest and maybe get a few rebounds while doing so. Other than that, don't expect much from him this season.

Djibril Coulibaly

Coulibaly is practically ineffective while on the court. However, he does add a good energy on the bench.

DeCarlos Anderson

Anderson played only a couple of possessions in the season opener.

As a senior in high school, he had a significant role for the Virginia state champions last season, and he is reputed to be a solid point guard.

With the Jaspers thin at the point guard position, Anderson should eventually get some solid playing time.

Ryan McCoy

McCoy was very unimpressive against NJIT. The 6'8" forward was uninvolved on both ends of the floor throughout his six minutes of playing time.

The Jaspers hope that McCoy can become an outside shooting threat, and they could really benefit from having him fulfill that role.

Torgrim Sommerfeldt

There is still no exact timetable for when Sommerfeldt will be healthy enough to play for the Jaspers. But once the Norwegian shooting guard does, Manhattan should have another three-point threat.

At 6'6", Sommerfeldt will give the Jaspers some size, too.

Liam McCabe-Moran

McCabe-Moran will likely not play a huge role for the Jaspers this year. However, he can make some three-pointers every once in a while.

Steve Masiello picked up his first win as a head coach on Saturday as the Manhattan Jaspers defeated the NJIT Highlanders.

The Jaspers jumped out to a 16-7 lead early in the game, forcing turnovers with their pressure defense. The offense then became stagnant and NJIT cut the lead to 28-27 at halftime.

In the second half, the Highlanders came out strong and took a 41-34 in the final 10 minutes. But then Roberto Colonette got the Jaspers going with a pair of free throws, sparking a 15-2 run.

After the Manhattan lead was cut back down to five points, the Jaspers scored the final nine points of the game and won 62-48.

NJIT's Isaiah Wilkerson led all scorers with 23 points on 10-for-14 shooting. Arjun Ohri was the only other Highlander in double figures with 11 points.

Junior George Beamon posted a double-double for Manhattan with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Colonette and freshman Donovan Kates backed up Beamon with 11 points and 10 points, respectively. Colonette grabbed eight rebounds while Kates made a pair of three-pointers during Manhattan's second half run. 

Junior point guard Michael Alvarado scored six points and two assists off the bench, and freshman forward Emmy Andujar went for seven points and four rebounds.

Analysis

Despite picking up a win, the Jaspers looked very sloppy.

Although the press defense forced some turnovers, Manhattan struggled to get into their halfcourt defense once NJIT got the ball up the floor. Many of Wilkerson's points came on 2-on-1 fastbreaks with four Jaspers still around the midcourt line.

Manhattan will not be able to afford giving up easy baskets so often against tougher competition.

Manhattan also had extreme struggles from beyond the arc, shooting 2-for-20. Kates was the only player to make a three-pointer, and he only shot 2-for-8 from three-point range.

The Jaspers can still win without making an abundance of three-point shots, but shooting 10 percent from beyond the arc will definitely hurt their offense.

On the positive side, the Jaspers did a good job getting to the foul line and making their free throws, shooting 24-for-31 (77.4 percent). Manhattan was consistently getting to the foul line and that is what got the Jaspers back into the game in the second half.

The one position where Manhattan looked weakest was at point guard. Senior captain Kidani Brutus started, but Mohamed Koita and Alvarado shared the spot with him throughout the game.

None of them commanded the floor particularly well, and none had more than two assists. If the Jaspers find a consistent point guard, their offense will flow more and they will get more open looks.

Manhattan will be back in action against No. 5 Syracuse as part of the NIT Season Tip-Off on Monday night.

Follow Jesse Kramer on Twitter @Jesse_Kramer for more college basketball news and information.

Manhattan College ushers in the Steve Masiello era on Saturday afternoon with a season-opening game against the NJIT Highlanders. This will be the sixth consecutive year that the Jaspers open the season against NJIT—Manhattan won last year's opener 75-70.

The Highlanders—still infamous for their 51-game losing streak that stretched from February 24, 2007 to January 21, 2009—set a school record with 15 wins last year. They went 9-3 in the conference and finished No. 2 in the newly-formed Great West.

On the other hand, the Jaspers are in the rebuilding process. Rookie head coach Masiello, who spent four years as an assistant coach with the Jaspers (2001-2005), will be in charge of a team that won only six games last year en route to a last-place finish in the MAAC.

Keys for NJIT

Experience

The Highlanders' core group is composed mainly of upperclassmen. Their top returning scorers are senior Isaiah Wilkerson (13.6 PPG) and junior Chris Flores (12.6 PPG).

Manhattan is a much younger team and is playing with a new head coach. NJIT's experience could help the Highlanders get a handle on the game early on.

Free Throw Shooting

NJIT struggled last year from the charity stripe, shooting 61.8 percent. In last year's contest with the Jaspers, the Highlanders shot 13-for-24 (54.2 percent) from the foul line in a close game. 

Ball Control

NJIT had some trouble taking care of the ball last year and had four players averaging more than two turnovers per game. Masiello is implementing a new defensive system at Manhattan that looks to force a lot of turnovers.

The Highlanders cannot afford to lose possessions to the Jasper defense.

Keys for Manhattan

Guard the Perimeter

NJIT shot 36.4 percent as a team last year. Although the Highlanders lost Jheryl Wilson (38.6 percent), they return with Arjun Ohri (45.9), Lamar Kearse (40.4), Wilkerson (35.5) and Flores (34.1).

Manhattan allowed nine three-pointers in its exhibition game against Adelphi last weekend. Perimeter defense has been a problem for Manhattan in past years—giving up open three-point looks will hurt them tremendously on Saturday.

Team Chemistry

No matter how much talk there is about the Manhattan basketball program being on the rise, the fact is that this is a young team with a bunch of new players and a new coaching staff.

This will be the 2011-12 Jaspers' first time on the basketball court against a D-1 team, and it could take a while for them to jell.

Pressure Defense

Masiello has brought Rick Pitino's defensive style to the Manhattan Jaspers. In the Jaspers' exhibition game against Adelphi, they forced 19 turnovers. Although this was against a lower-level team, the pressure defense seemed to be working.

However, the Jaspers had trouble taking advantage, scoring only eight points off of the 19 turnovers. If they can implement their defense against NJIT and capitalize on turnovers, they can start the season 1-0 fairly easily.

My pick: Manhattan will defeat NJIT for the fifth straight season. The Jaspers have a new fire with Masiello and they will not lose their home opener to an inferior team.

My line: Manhattan by eight

Follow Jesse Kramer on Twitter @Jesse_Kramer for more college basketball news and information.

Manhattan coach Steve Masiello has Manhattan back on track to becoming a strong mid-major. Earlier in the week, Kentucky All-Star Donovan Kates committed to Manhattan.

For Christian County High School, Kates averaged 20 points per game while leading his team to a state championship. The 6'5" shooting guard/small forward also grabbed seven rebounds per game while shooting 50 percent from the field.

Kates is also known as a shooter. On ESPN.com, he is described as having "NBA shooting range off the catch." This season, he shot 40 percent from three-point range.

It sounds like Kates' pure scoring ability could be enough to really help Manhattan from the start. With him in addition to Kidani Brutus and Torgrim Sommerfeldt (who is returning from a knee injury), the Jaspers will have a strong trio of three-point shooters.  

Just as important as his basketball talent, Kates is a strong student. In high school, Kates had a 3.9 GPA. 

On Thursday, Manhattan also received a commitment from Emmanuel Andujar from Rice High School in New York. Andujar is listed as 6'5" tall and the No. 97 small forward in the 2011 recruiting class.

ESPN says that Andujar is a good scorer from "16 feet and in." In addition, he is reported to be a strong rebounder with good jumping ability. Andujar seems to be a strong all-around player, but he is said to be a little streaky. 

These two join one of Barry Rohrssen's recruits, Ryan McCoy. McCoy is a 6'6" small forward from Montgomery High School in New Jersey.

ESPN calls McCoy a "terrific pure shooter" and also says that he "handles the ball well." However, McCoy is said to not have terrific strength. As of now, he needs to put on weight in order to be an impact player in the MAAC.

For more college basketball news, follow Jesse Kramer on Twitter @Jesse_Kramer.

After a season-ending loss in the MAAC tournament on Friday night, Manhattan fired head coach Barry Rohrssen. The athletic director has announced that searches for a new coach will begin immediately.

And now that the coach carousel is about to get moving, we can let the speculation begin. Here are a few coaches that Manhattan should consider pursuing for the open position.

First off is Steve Masiello of Louisville.

Originally from the New York area, Masiello served as an assistant coach at Manhattan under Gonzalez until 2005. After that, the graduate of Kentucky left for Rick Pitino and Louisville. Masiello has a good reputation and was ranked as a top 25 assistant coach by Rivals.com for his knowledge of the game and his ability to recruit.

Another potential candidate is Jim Ferry of Long Island.

Ferry might not be ready to leave LIU, which he has turned into a mid-major powerhouse. This year, he led LIU to a NEC championship. He is another New Yorker whose ties within the metro area could help tremendously with recruiting.

It would not be surprising if he has some interest in the position since the MAAC is a level up from the NEC.

Much lesser known than the other potential candidates for the job is John Mateyko. Mateyko has spent 10 years coaching at Saint Joseph's College a D-III school in Long Island. In those 10 seasons, he has compiled a 160-108 record with the Eagles. This year, his Eagles went 22-7 with a 16-4 league record.

Another very unlikely candidate is Danny Hurley. Hurley spent nine years at St. Benedict's Prep HS in Newark before coming to Wagner for the 2010-11 season. In one year, Hurley took a five-win team to a 13-17 season, where Wagner went 9-9 in the NEC before losing to Robert Morris in the NEC conference tournament. 

Although Hurley might be a good fit for the Manhattan program, it is unlikely that he would leave Wagner after only one year with the Seahawks.

And lastly, there is current Manhattan assistant coach Scott Padgett. Padgett spent a year with John Calipari at Kentucky and then spent the 2010-11 season on Rohrssen's staff. Although Padgett has limited coaching experience, he has already shown some good coaching ability while on the Manhattan sidelines.

Follow Jesse Kramer on Twitter @Jesse_Kramer for more college basketball news and information.   

Jasper fans got their second victory in three games—a rare experience during the Barry Rohrssen era. 

Manhattan (6-22, 3-13 MAAC) traveled to Stony Brook on Saturday for a game misleadingly named a "Bracket Buster." Essentially, this game was meaningless on both sides. The Seawolves (11-16, 6-8 A-East) picked up their second consecutive defeat in the loss to Manhattan.

To open the game, Manhattan was in control. The Jaspers led 10-4 four minutes into the game, but eight unanswered points by Stony Brook gave the Seawolves a lead.

The game stayed close late into the first half, but a 10-4 Stony Brook run gave the Seawolves the 31-25 halftime lead.

Stony Brook continued to control the game early in the second half, widening the lead to as many as 11 points on a three-point play from Anthony Mayo with 10:37 remaining.

A late offensive run, spark by Kidani Brutus and George Beamon, tied the game at 55 with 1:54 to play in regulation. Bryan Dougher put the Seawolves back on top with a jumper with 44 seconds left, but Beamon's runner off the glass in the final half-minute forced overtime.

In the extra period, Stony Brook scored the first four points. The Jaspers had no offense for the first three minutes of the overtime.

However, the offense was sparked once more on a Brutus three-pointer, his sixth of the game. Followed by a Demetrius Jemison free throw and then another Brutus three-pointer, the Jaspers held a three-point lead with one minute to play.

However, Stony Brook was not dead.

A foul on an attempted three-pointer by Marcus Rouse put the sophomore on the line. He would hit two of the free throws to pull Stony Brook back within one point.

After Manhattan failed to score on its final offensive possession of the game, the Seawolves controlled the ball with 10 seconds left, trailing 64-63. They put the ball in the hands of their star guard Dougher, but his attempted game-winner rimmed out.

For Manhattan, Brutus and Beamon were the true leaders. The junior and sophomore, respectively, combined for 48 of the Jaspers' 64 points.

Brutus led the team with 25 points on 9-for-11 shooting. The junior college transfer made a career-high seven three-pointers. He has now hit 15 three-pointers in his last three games.

Beamon remains red hot as the No. 3 scorer in the MAAC. The sophomore from Roslyn, NY scored more than 20 points for the third straight game. In the last three games, Beamon is averaging 26.3 PPG.

Michael Alvarado and Jemison both contributed mediocre performances. Jemison struggled on offense, scoring seven points on 3-for-10 shooting, but he was a force on the glass with 11 rebounds.

Alvarado also shot 3-for-10 from the field, but he scored eight points and dished out five assists. The freshman's playing time had been limited the previous few games, but he played 35 of 45 minutes on Saturday.

As great as this win might seem to some Jasper fans, it is really nowhere near anything special. Just the fact that Manhattan played a team like Stony Brook in the annual Bracket Buster game shows how Barry Rohrssen has let this program decay.

The Jaspers will stay on the road to finish this season, playing their final two regular season games in western New York against Canisius and Niagara. Manhattan will still be playing for seeding in the MAAC Tournament. The Jaspers can finish as high as eighth place and as low as last place.