News & Events
Hoop, Hoop, Hurrah -- It’s Tip-Off Time for City Tech Teams!
Shacun Malave
Camille Manning
Coach Ray Amalbert
Coach Freddy DeJesus
The City Tech men’s basketball team has been picked to win its division by the CUNYAC coaches at CUNYAC Media Day for Basketball on November 15, and our pre-season All-American center Shacun Malave was picked to repeat as the CUNYAC Player of the Year. In addition, our women’s team was picked once again for fifth in its division, and senior guard Camille Manning was picked as a pre-season all-star. Last year, Manning became City Tech's all-time leading scorer and also was named All-CUNYAC. You can read more about at the CUNY Athletics website.
Men’s Basketball
The City Tech men’s basketball team will tip-off the 2004/2005 season with away games against New Jersey City University on Friday, November 19 and again on Saturday, November 20 against either Baruch College or Pennsylvania’s Arcadia University.
As the season gets underway, the men’s team has its eye on this year’s CUNY title as the Yellow Jackets return four starters from last year’s16-12 CUNYAC runner-up season. During the course of the 2003/04 season, the team went from an afterthought to a force to be reckoned with in the CUNYAC, as a 10-win improvement from a year earlier culminated in a Player of the Year Award for Malave and City Tech’s appearance in the CUNYAC Tournament Final and ECAC Championships for the first time in the history of the College.
City Tech’s head coach, Ray Amalbert, the “winningest” coach in CUNYAC with 336 wins and five tournament championships (when at Hunter College), boasts a veteran lineup that returns four starters and two key reserves. They are set for a run at the College’s first title since moving up to the CUNYAC senior league from the junior college ranks in 1999.
Leading the way for the Yellow Jackets is Malave, who ranked fourth in CUNYAC in scoring (19.6) and first in rebounding (10.7), blocks (6.0) and field goal percentage (.563). The 6’7” senior all-star was named a pre-season second team All-American by Street & Smith’s Basketball Magazine and D3Hoops.com after garnering awards from CUNYAC, ECAC and the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association following his performance last season and second-rank finish in blocks in NCAA Division III.
“Malave is an outstanding player,” said Amalbert. “His presence in the post draws so much attention it opens up numerous uncontested opportunities for his teammates. But his true value is on the defensive end, where his ability to block shots allows his teammates to defend a little more recklessly, knowing he’s there to help.”
Along with Malave, classmate Jason Senior, junior guard Clyde Forteau and sophomore guard Otis Saylee earned CUNYAC honors last season. Senior (14.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists) was a second team All-Star, while Forteau (9.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists) received an All-Tournament nod and Saylee (10.0 points, 4.8 rebounds) was voted to the All-Rookie Team. Forteau also led CUNYAC in steals at 3.0 per game, which ranked 13th in the NCAA.
Those three return to the starting lineup along with senior guard Nkosi Hamilton, with 825 points in his previous three seasons (10.7 average). Hamilton will fill the scoring void left by starting forward Roger Redhead, who graduated following a 13.3 scoring average last year. “Hamilton,” says Amalbert, “is a veteran who knows the system.”
Besides the five starters, Amalbert will have a deeper bench this
season with three reserves coming back, including sophomore guard
Kareem Hanley, who averaged 4.6 points last season, and classmates
Danul Cabbagestalk and Oswald Cruz,
who added 3.8 and 2.7 points a game, respectively. The Yellow Jackets
will also have a group of talented freshmen who will be added to
the mix, most notably, swingman Alwin Thompson, guard Corey
McFarlane and forward Paramjit Singh.
It’s shaping up to be an exciting season for City Tech with many milestones within reach. Amalbert will look to become the only coach in the 39-year history of the CUNY Tournament to win titles with two schools, while Malave (884 points) and Hamilton (825 points) should both easily surpass 1,000 career points.
Women’s Basketball
The women’s team will open against Rutgers University-Newark on Saturday, November 20 and will play Centenary College on Tuesday, November 23. Both games are at home in Klitgord Center Gymnasium, 285 Jay Street (at Tillary), Downtown Brooklyn.
In women’s basketball, there is a new sense of optimism at City Tech. With a new head coach on board, it’s a new beginning for a basketball program that has struggled over the past three seasons. With former coach Brenda Alexander moving up to administrative duties as the College’s assistant athletic director, new Athletic Director Jerry Albig was able to hire Freddy DeJesus for the position.
DeJesus is well known in New York City Division III circles as
an excellent recruiter and an assistant coach at Baruch College
(1996/1998), Hunter College (1999/2003) and most recently, Polytechnic
University (2004). At Hunter, he helped guide the Hawks to three
CUNY Athletic Conference Championships (1999, 2002, 2003) and three
NCAA
Tournament appearances.
“I don’t have huge expectations for the season,” said DeJesus. “But I am very optimistic, only because we have a strong core of returning players. Five returnees have significant playing experience. Our senior leadership, coupled with the presence of some incoming talent should form the framework for a fun season and a chance to compete for the CUNYAC Tournament in February.”
The Yellow Jackets will rely on two seniors, guard Camille Manning and center Nichola Hall, to lead the team further than it has gone before. Manning, already the top scorer in school history with 1,244 points, led CUNYAC and the NCAA Division III with a 24.0 point per game average in 2003/2004. She also led the team in assists (2.1) and was second to Hall in rebounding (6.4) last season. Despite only scoring 3.3 points a contest, Hall finished third in CUNYAC and seventh in the nation in rebounding at 11.8 per game. While Manning was named to the CUNYAC All-Star team last year for the first time, Hall was selected for the first-ever CUNY Goodwill Women’s Basketball Tour this past summer. The team traveled to Quito, Ecuador, for a week-long trip that was assisted by DeJesus, who travels to the South American country every summer to work basketball clinics in the area.
“The experience was a great one for everyone, including Hall,” explained DeJesus. “Even though I was not a coach on the trip, we helped build confidence through cultural exploration and team leadership that we knew would come back and help each individual for this upcoming season.”
“Manning’s skill level and leadership on and off the court is the focal point of our team,” said DeJesus. “With her assistance, our goal is to get them to believe in each other. I like the character of this team and depending on our cohesion and progression, we will be an even better team.”
The three other returnees are sophomore guard Tamika Willis, sophomore forward Gena Lewis and junior forward Shalina Brown, who combined for 14 points and 11 rebounds a game off the bench last season.
Among a group of six newcomers are freshman Amanda Zieminski and freshman Carmen Jaquez in the backcourt. Meanwhile, an import from China, Jing Wen Yi, freshman Evelyn Revenel and freshman Jennifer Reeder will add depth to the frontcourt.
A winning attitude is usually not built overnight. It is usually developed over a couple of seasons. But if anyone can turn around the women’s basketball program at City Tech, it’s DeJesus, with his high-energy brand of coaching and his knowledge of CUNY basketball.
For complete information on City Tech’s men and women’s basketball teams visit the City Tech Athletics website and also mark your calendars to support these two exciting teams at as many 2004/2005 games as possible.
11/18/04
