Manhattan’s MAAC All-Team Honorees.
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By Isaiah Rosario, Staff Writer
Last year was less than successful for Manhattan University Basketball. Men’s basketball finished 7-23 overall and 4-16 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play last year. The women’s team on the other side had a better regular season, finishing 18-11 overall and 11-9 in MAAC play.
The men’s team, seeded ten, lost to Iona in the opening round of the MAAC Tournament, and the women’s team, seeded four, lost to Canisius in the quarterfinal round. Both programs are high on the season and anticipate a bounce-back year.
Both programs are returning their top scorers with Shaquil Bender and Ines Gimenez Monserrat. Monserrat averaged 10.8 points on the season and Bender averaged 13.8 points. Both programs lost key pieces to the transfer portal as Jade Blagrove and Anne Bair transferred to new programs. On the men’s side, the team lost Seydou Traore to the University of Iowa.
Some key transfers to join the program for the women’s team include Hana Muhl, and Caroline de Klauman. The men’s key additions to the program from the portal include Devin Dinkins.
“I think this year we have more returners from last year, we have a solid team and the new transfers are great, they will also help us a lot,” Montserrat said when speaking about the new additions to the program.
Bender was selected to the All-MAAC second team and Jaden Winston was selected to the All-MAAC third team. Petra Juric for the women’s team was selected to the All-MAAC second team and Monserrat was selected to the All-MAAC third team.
“Coach [Vulin] gave us the news in the middle of practice, it was a surprise and my first reaction was looking at Petra and high five to her,” Monserrat said via email to The Quadrangle. “It is a great honor but we need to make it real. All our teammates were so happy for us and I just looked at them and smiled. I want to win the third team all-MAAC (or better) not only for me but also for my teammates because they have always supported me in everything.”
As for Bender, he wasn’t shocked by the news.
“I wasn’t surprised,” Bender said. “I expected it, but it’s only preseason. I still got to make it happen, make it a reality, and I want to be higher than second team anyway.”
The Lady Jaspers have failed to make it over the hump to a championship win. They made the MAAC Championship in two of the last three years. The quarterfinal loss in 2023 was certainly one to remember.
“This team has tremendous potential,” Juric said about the upcoming season. “Our new additions, both freshmen and transfers, bring so much passion and skill. As a team, we’ve all agreed that the key to success in the MAAC this year is to put the team first and give it your all. We want to play together and play for each other, and give our absolute best every game.”
Monserrat and Juric have been named captains of the women’s team for the 2024-25 season. Juric mentioned that one of the biggest changes she has seen since last year is her change in mentality and leadership. As a person, she has become more mentally tough, more resilient and confident as a player.
Both Bender and Winston have made it their mission this year to become leaders to the new players in the program. They hope the lessons they learned last year will hopefully guide the team to a lengthy playoff run. Winston put emphasis on making sure that the team will stay together.
“We will stay together,” Winston said. “I love who we are as a team, looking at our opponents, looking at us. I feel I love who we are. Really hopeful for this season. Expect big things, but we have to stay together despite anything you know, stay together. Play together through ups and downs, through the course of the season.”
Last year it was announced that Merrimack College and Sacred Heart University will join the MAAC as a full member institution. Juric spoke about her excitement to have two new programs join the MAAC Conference.
“I’m really excited to face the new teams this season,” Juric said. “Sacred Heart and Merrimack are great additions to the conference, and I think they’ll make the competition even more exciting and fun. I know both teams have been successful in their previous conferences, so I’m excited to see the level of competitiveness they will bring. A fun fact—our Associate Head Coach, Callan Taylor, is one of the most accomplished players in Sacred Heart’s program history, which definitely adds some extra motivation when we play them.”
With the additions of the new teams also comes a new conference tournament setup. The top ten teams in the standings will be the only teams to travel to Atlantic City, NJ with a chance to get a bid to March Madness.
“I mean, it wouldn’t change anything from the start,” Bender said. “We know that, since only ten teams make it, every game counts. We got to win from the getgo. December does not matter, we start now.”
The men’s team will open their season on Nov. 4 at the University of Maryland and the women’s will open their season on the same day at Rutgers University.