138 Manhattan Men's Basketball 2012-13 Preview

Few were paying much attention to Manhattan last season. Iona and Fairfield garnered all the preseason hype and Loyola was the surprise team that made a nice run through the MAAC Tournament and reached the NCAAs. But right in the mix was first year head coach Steve Masiello and his Manhattan squad. The Jaspers will not sneak up on anybody this year, but with George Beamon leading the way, the MAAC might not be able to stop this squad anyway. Beamon, a 6-4 senior wing, averaged 19.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals during the 2011-2012 campaign. He can use his size and speed to attack the basket with ease or step back and knock down some three-pointers. He shot 48.5 percent from the floor last season and that is very impressive for a player who shot over four three-pointers per game. This year should be even more impressive for Beamon.

2011-12 Record: 21-13, 12-6
2011-12 Postseason: CIT
Coach: Steve Masiello
Coach Record: 21-13 at Manhattan, 21-13 overall

Who’s Out:
The Jaspers return a ton of young talent, but a few key players are gone from last year’s surprise team. Kidani Brutus, a 6-1 guard, provided a great spark off of the bench. He was fourth on the team in scoring and was a prolific and consistent outside shooter. Liam McCabe-Moran may not be missed as much as Brutus, but he was another guard who could come in off of the bench and knock down some shots. DeCarlos Anderson opted to transfer after his freshman campaign, but rarely saw much playing time. The losses in the frontcourt are not as significant with Kevin Laue and Djbril Coulibaly graduating. However, the possible absence of Roebrto Colonette could be an issue. The 6-7 forward started 26 games last season after heading in from the junior college ranks and proved to be a decent scorer and a solid rebounder. On a team that lacks size, it will be a relatively big blow if he does not return.

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