By
Joel Welser
Manhattan was down last year while they
adjusted to the absence of Luis Flores. C.J. Anderson, Arturo
Dubois and Jeff Xavier were all freshmen starters last season
and will provide a nice base for the future of the program. And
the future is now. Barring a major bout of the sophomore slump,
the trio won’t need to wait any longer to find themselves atop
the MAAC.
Who’s Out:
Peter Mulligan stepped up to led the team last year. The 6-5
forward averaged a magnificent 19.2 points per game and tacked
on 5.1 boards. The only other loss is Justin Gatling. The seldom
used guard only averaged 4.7 minutes per contest.
Who’s In:
Small forward Devon Austin and power forward Franck Traore will
make a big impact by the end of the year. They could even be
starting at beginning of the season. Austin is an athletic 6-6
wing who can step out and hit the long ball and has the size to
battle for boards underneath. Frank Traore is a bruiser at 6-8,
260 pounds. Last year at Eastfield Community College, the
Burkina-Faso native averaged 12 points, nine rebounds and three
blocks per contest. At 6-5, Christian Jackson has nice size for
a guard in the MAAC. His versatility and knack for scoring will
get Jackson some playing time as a freshman.
Who to Watch:
C.J. Anderson is the most explosive player on
the team averaging 16.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.5
steals and 1.2 blocks per game as a freshman last year, but
Jason Wingate is the most important. Wingate will have to be the
senior leader, especially when he finds himself on the floor
with four underclassmen, which could happen quite often. The
point guard averaged 8.7 points and a team high 3.1 assists per
game a year ago, but the numbers don’t matter as much holding
the young team together.
Projected Conference Rank:
Coach Bobby Gonzalez has plenty of options on
the court. Seniors Mike Konovelchick and Kenny Minor have
starting experience and will battle for starting gigs. Arturo
Dubois isn’t a dominating big man but will get the job done. Guy
Ngarndi and Darren Johnson are big bodies that can provide some
quality minutes off bench. There is a lot of youth and a few
question marks but with a senior point guard and a trio of
proven sophomores the Jaspers are likely to end up 1st
in the MAAC.
Projected Post-season Tournament:
NCAA
Projected Starting Five:
Jason Wingate, Senior, Guard, 8.7 points per game
Jeff Xavier, Sophomore, Guard, 7.8 points per game
Devon Austin, Freshman, Forward, DNP last season
C.J. Anderson, Sophomore, Forward, 16.1 points per game
Arturo Dubois, Sophomore, Center, 9.7 points per game
