As the season approaches every team has questions. This series is going to look at three key ones.
1. How does the roster adapt to Steve Masiello’s style of the play? – Masiello is bringing the attacking defensive style that he learned under Rick Pitino as an assistant at Louisville to Manhattan. Luckily for him, the roster he inherits actually appears reasonably well suited to play that style of basketball. Players like George Beamon, Kidani Brutus and Mohamed Koita should fit right in. To prepare for the constant pressing, Manhattan has been running a lot.
After the Green & White scrimmage, in which the roster while split in two still played 40 hectic minutes, nobody seemed tired. “If you would’ve saw what we did in the offseason, we’re not getting tired,” Beamon said. “The games are the easy part. Practice is where it’s at.” Brutus has reportedly lost more than 30 pounds due to the new practice regimen.
2. Can Michael Alvarado become a dangerous point guard in half-court sets? – After Alvarado had eight assists during the Green & White scrimmage, Masiello praised his playmaking. During that game Alvarado consistently made good decisions about when to make an extra pass to get a teammate an easy shot. As a freshman, turnovers and poor shooting in the paint held Alvarado back. For Manhattan to have a chance in the MAAC this season, and beat their eighth place preseason prediction, he’ll have to step up in a big way.
3. Who makes the plays in the frontcourt for the Jaspers? — The big men could make or break this team. Masiello thinks a number of players are going to fill those positions, including Roberto Colonette – a junior college transfer that missed all of last season due to injury – and 6’6” freshman Donovan Kates. While Kates is listed as a guard on the Jaspers’ roster, he’s got long arms and a knack for going after the ball. If Masiello wants more quickness at the power forward spot, then Kates could definitely be the choice. Other options in the frontcourt include Rhamel Brown, Djibril Coulibaly, Ryan McCoy and Emmy Andujar. Brown and Andujar appear to be two good bets to get a lot of playing time early in the season.
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