MANHATTAN (3-2)
Last Game: Rhode Island 73, Manhattan 64 on 11/27/19
Last Game with SBU: Stony Brook 69, Manhattan 62 on 12/5/18; Yeboah game-high 25, including 16-20 FTs; 34-41 on FTs as a team; SBU ended game on 11-3 run
Checkmate Unofficial Line: Stony Brook -6
Net Ranking: TBD
KenPom RPI: Stony Brook 213, Manhattan 245
KenPom Prediction: Stony Brook 66, Manhattan 61
Listen/Watch:
TV: ESPN+ (link to come)
Notables:
6-4/205 so G Tykei Greene 13.2 ppg, 7.0 rpg
6-0/180 so G Samir Stewart 9.6 ppg, 3.6 apg
6-9/240 so F Warren Williams 9.3 ppg, .688 FG%
6-7/210 so G Christian Hinckson 8.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.4 spg
6-8/220 sr F Pauly Paulicap 7.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.0 bpg
Get your helmet on for this one. It's going to be physical, ugly, and frustrating once again as we take on a Manhattan team that likes to muck it up.
A few weeks back, Will Brown predicted that it would be UA's "ugliest game of the year" and it certainly was for them, shooting just 28 percent against Manhattan's matchup zone, with the Jaspers prevailing in the end. We'll get the same thing, just like we did last year when we were lucky to escape Riverdale with a W. They're going to play a million guys who are all going to play their asses off, and we have to find a way to fight our way through the thicket to victory.
This isn't a good offensive team we're facing. The top two scorers, Greene and Stewart, shoot under 35 percent for the season, including under 30 percent from three. Greene's a hard-nosed kid who has an appetite to score and will compete on the defensive end as well. He committed to Loyola (Chicago) out of LuHi – same graduating class at Policelli – and opted to stay closer to home four months later. This is months after Loyola made the Final Four so I wonder what actually took place there. But anyway, at Manhattan he had a modest freshman season, starting every non-conference game before playing a reserve role when MAAC play hit. Stewart is almost strictly a three-point shooter, but he's one of those bratty guards who will dig and get steals to get Manhattan going the other way.
You may recall Paulicap as clearly the best player for the Jaspers last season, going for a career-best 24 and 10 with five blocks against us. I like his game.
But the game's not going to be pretty. With the way they guard, an emphasis will be put on ball control, and we have to capitalize at the free throw line. Manhattan is fifth to last in the country in fouls per game (nearly 24 per). On the plus side for the Jaspers, they are +4.8 in the turnover margin column, forcing 18 a game. We've seen McKenzie and Foreman on the floor at the same time, and I could see that backcourt being used in this spot as well. URI's veteran guards helped them prevail, in particular the kid Dowtin, who penetrated and either scored, distributed or got to the line. Now, he's an all A-10 caliber talent. We have to hope Foreman can have similar success as a triple threat in there.
It's a big spot for our freshman guards. Are they ready to play some big minutes against a team that lives to make the opposition uncomfortable? Let's not forget that Steve Masiello is from the Rick Pitino coaching tree. Those Louisville teams were hellions too. But can Manhattan score enough?
First one to 60 wins. I think it's us.