NCAA Basketball: Analyzing Anthony Nelson's transfer to Manhattan

NCAA Basketball: Analyzing Anthony Nelson’s transfer to Manhattan

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - NOVEMBER 14: Anthony Nelson #2 and Sandro Mamukelashvili #23 of the Seton Hall Pirates talk during a time out against the Michigan State Spartans at Prudential Center on November 14, 2019 in Newark, New Jersey.The Michigan State Spartans defeated the Seton Hall Pirates 76-73. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 18: Anthony Nelson #2 of the Seton Hall Pirates (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images) /

On May 20th, NCAA Basketball transfer Anthony Nelson committed to Manhattan College over Long Beach State.

NCAA Basketball fans have eagerly been waiting for the decision of Seton Hall transfer Anthony Nelson. On Wednesday, he committed to Manhattan in the MAAC and gave the Jaspers a boost in guard play.

Nelson will have two years of eligibility, and will have to sit out next season, but felt a move from the Pirates was necessary.

For Manhattan, who hasn’t had a winning season since 2014-15, this is a long term move. Leading Scorer Pauly Paulicap will be graduating, but the top two through six scorers are all sophomores. This means that the 2021-22 season could be the one where Manhattan looks to run the MAAC will the Nelson eligible. Even next season, the Jaspers will return over 80% of their scoring and minutes played.

Nelson struggled this season with the Pirates in the 2019-20 season. He only played 12.5 minutes per game with 2.7 PPG and an alarming 1.4 Turnovers per game. Nelson’s lack of playing time may have been the reason for his struggles, but he couldn’t make the most of his time on the floor. In a squad of clustered guards, Nelson lost the backup point guard job to Shavar Reynolds, and with two more guards coming in next season, his time in South Orange was numbered.

So today, we’ll look at the positives and negatives that could be in store for Nelson when he becomes eligible to play for the Jaspers. And in the end, I’ll try and make an educated forecast on how his time with the program will go.