LOCAL HOOP PREVIEW
This November, Peter Mulligan is running with the starters, not the subs. He’s got teammates who share his goals and the family who loves him a short subway ride away. And he’s again playing college basketball, hoping to help Manhattan to a third straight 20-win season and another NCAA bid.
“Everything feels really good here,” said Mulligan, whose Jaspers open the season Monday night against Columbia at the Westchester County Center. “I like being close to home. But the big thing is that we have a good team, and we can win a championship.”
Mulligan’s story starts and ends in The Bronx, his childhood home. As a junior at St. Raymond’s, he played behind eventual ACC players Julius Hodge and Majestic Mapp.
Overlooked by the schools that drooled over his buddies, Mulligan committed early to the one dangling a scholarship, Maryland-Baltimore County.
The next winter, he blossomed, winning the 1999-2000 New York State Mr. Basketball Award and receiving dozens of hopeful phone calls from Big East and ACC assistant coaches. Mulligan disappointed them all and packed for Baltimore.
The 6-5 Mulligan was the Northeast Conference Rookie of the Year aand first-team all-league as a sophomore. But the team never contended for a title, and when Mulligan sensed not everyone on the roster could match his desire to win, he chose to transfer.
Enter Manhattan coach Bobby Gonzalez, who saw Mulligan at St. Raymond’s while recruiting Mapp to the University of Virginia where he had been an assistant.
“I remembered him as a sleeper, someone who could really play,” Gonzalez said. “I wasn’t sure if we could get him on the bounce, but as soon as he was released, we pounced. We were the first call he got. And we’re very happy he’s here.”
So is Luis Flores, who dueled Mulligan during practice last year while Mulligan, now a junior, sat out the season to fulfill NCAA transfer rules. Flores, the reigning Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year, now boasts a talented teammate to share the scoring load.
More help came last week when Manhattan College dropped senior forward Dave Holmes’ five-game, school-imposed academic suspension.
Manhattan’s schedule
Date Opponent Time
Nov. 24 Columbia* 9:15
Nov. 29 Fordham 7:00
Dec. 2 Wichita St. 7:00
Dec. 5 at Fairfield 7:30
Dec. 7 Rider 2:00
Dec. 17 at Syracuse 7:30
Dec. 20 Richmond# 2:30
Dec. 28 Holy Cross# 2:00
Dec. 29 St. Johns/Penn# TBD
Dec. 31 Hofstra 5:00
Jan. 3 at Siena 7:00
Jan. 7 at Canisius 7:00
Jan. 9 at Niagara 7:00
Jan. 14 St. Peter’s 7:00
Jan. 18 Fairfield 4:00
Jan. 23 Loyola 7:00
Jan. 25 at Iona 4:00
Jan. 30 Niagara 7:00
Feb. 1 Canisius 4:00
Feb. 4 at Loyola, Md. 7:30
Feb. 8 at St. Peter’s 3:00
Feb.13 Iona 8:00
Feb.15 Siena 4:00
Feb.18 at Marist 7:30
Feb. 21 at Bracket Buster TBD
Feb. 26 at Rider 7:30
Feb. 29 Marist 2:00
Mar. 5-8 MAAC tourney at Albany
*-at Westchester County Center; #-at the Garden; all other home games at Draddy Gym