By, Maddie Mulkigian, Assistant Sports Editor

This August, the Manhattan College men’s basketball team took a pre-season getaway to the Bahamas and competed in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. From Aug. 5 to Aug. 12, the Jaspers traded Draddy Gymnasium for the North Atlantic Ocean while preparing for their season with three competitive games. 

The trip was also used to acclimate three new members to the Jaspers’ team. Freshman Raziel Hayun, graduate transfer Student Omar Silverio and 5th year Adam Walden made their 2022-2023 debuts at the tournament. All three games were played in the Imperial Ballroom at Atlantis at 7:30 p.m., which gave the team and its newcomers plenty of time to adjust to island time. 

The NCAA hosts an international preseason trip once every four years and the Jaspers made sure that they were taking full advantage of the opportunity provided. The Bahamas is only one of the team’s international travels. The Jaspers make another trip to England for the London Classic in November, sponsored by the MAAC tournament. 

In their opening game at the Bahamas, the Jaspers pulled off an 84-80 win against the Abaco Squad. With Silverio dominating the scoreboards for Manhattan, the team was able to focus on forcing 17 turnovers on defense in a tight game where every point mattered. 

Manhattan’s second game saw something very similar to its first as the team had another four-point-win against Raw Talent Elite. The relationship between Silverio and Fifth Year Jose Perez grew stronger as their minutes together continued as they combined for 41 points on offense, aiding the 92-88 win. 

Manhattan secured an undefeated preseason tournament in their last game against Discount Distributors Rockets with a more comfortable 87-79 win. This game both secured an undefeated tournament as well as a double-double performance for three games straight for fifth-year Josh Roberts.