Leading the way for the Jaspers will once again be senior big man Junius Kellogg, even if he will not be on the court.  Kellogg is a legend here already.  He is a solid player but most importantly he knows what is right and wrong.  As a freshman he was approached from a buddy that offered him money to fix a game in the Holiday Preseason tournament.  Kellogg not only turned him down but reported the offer to Norton and then to the authorities who through a sting uncovered rampant point tampering in many other schools. This led to wide spread changes in the game.  Many universities suspended players and lost some games to forfeit and some even ended up dropping the programs altogether.  Kellogg was a hero for standing up for what was right.  He started last year as a starter but was involved in a car accident in November that not only cost him the rest of the season but cost him the use of his legs.  He did not complain at all and was at every game for the rest of the season rooting on his Jaspers.  His number was retired in the final home game of the season.  Kellogg has decided to become a coach of some fellow paralympians and supposedly has a pretty good team but he has promised not to miss any games that are played in Draddy.  He will be an inspiration to this team and this campus but no matter what happens for here on in, Kellogg’s legacy is secure.  Most of you know the names Chamberlain and Russell and Jordan but the name of Junius Kellogg should be known by anyone who ever laced them up to play basketball.  And his actions should be a reminder to all of those pushing to make gambling a part of the game once again.  It should be kept as far away from the game as possible. 

Coach Norton has several players who were overachievers and just loved playing the game.  Norton’s upperclassmen have had some success in the Big Apple but had to adjust to less playing time as the Jaspers realized early on they needed more athletic players.  This program is quite popular in the Riverdale section of the Bronx and though it has a small gym the Jaspers have a long history of stellar hoops play with many NIT and a few Big Dance trips.  They have a couple of major upsets against bigger programs when they get there but as one can see from their schedule nobody wants to wander near the Bronx to play these guys in their tiny gym and the Jaspers are not going to roam too far from home. 

The Big Man for the Jaspers is junior center Bill Campion. A space eater extraordinaire, Campion is slowly developing a low post game. Until that happens, he will be content with rebounding and blocking shots in that order.  His size is his best asset but he is also very smart and will become an asset to this team.  He knows his role on this team (rebounding) and is unselfish as shown by averaging almost two assists a game.  He is the quintessential high post big man who sets screens and passes off the ball and then goes down and guards bigger and more athletic centers all night.  He might not be Jeff Ruland or Mark Young on the blocks but he gets the job done and those guys do not want to face this cat every night.  Fellow Junior Steve Grant had a very solid season rotating in at the post as well.   More offensive inclined than Campion, Grant could be special.  He takes high percentage shots but can also block shots.  He gave the Jaspers a heck of a lift every time he came in.  He was penciled to start but Bullock came on strong and the Jaspers needed Campion’s size down low.  They were not going to start two six seven guys in this league.  Grant took it all in stride and became hugely effective off the bench.  He may have been the best sixth man in the conference.  Sophomore Peter Runge is a bull down low and really came on strong late and will be in the mix for more playing time next season.  

Senior Larry Lembo is the main man in Manhattan.  The high scoring wing led the team in scoring once again.  Lembo scored in double figures 21 times last year and over 20 five times and is a hard matchup to guard.  At six four and with range throughout the five boroughs Lembo is a legend on campus but is not quite athletic to guard quicker wings.  Instant offense is not a bad moniker for this Brooklyn kid who’s text book jump shot is like everything else he does in life, by the rules!  This kid loves basketball and even if he does not make it at the next level will do something to stay in the game.  Lembo was not the only senior coming back for the loyal Mr. Norton.  This group includes the legendary Jack Powers, Angelo Lombardo, Grady O’Malley, Gerry Paulson, Dick Murphy, Ed O’Connor, Jack Marren, Ron Petro, Bob Mealy and George Bruns.  Mealy started the year next to Campion up front but lost his starting role to Steve Grant, a stud inside force.  He and Marren will provide depth again at the post and both have some size at 6’8 but neither is going to confuse anyone with Spencer Haywood on the blocks.  O’Connor, Petro, Lombardo and O’Malley are way undersized though they are two tough cookies.  O’Connor goes 6’6 and 200 pounds and can hang down low but does get beat up quite often in the paint.  Lombardo only goes 6’4 but plays like he is at least 6’7 but even that is too small for the key battles in the MAAC.  Petro is only 6’5 and relies on his inside game and can really score.  If he was even 6’7 he might be in the mix to start but like his smaller brethren here is behing the 8 ball for minutes.  O’Malley is tough as they come and this 6’5 stud ‘prosecutes’ players he is guarding.  A defensive stopper, O’Malley is a pre-law student (who isn’t on this campus) and is notorious for his ability to argue with anyone over anything but this combo forward better be leaning towards playing the small forward if he wants to get any minutes this year.  Paulsen and Powers began the year rotating at the two guard.  Powers is the team captain and understands this game as well as anyone on the team.  The problem is he just not athletic enough (or big enough at 6’2) to guard these stud wings in this league and is nowhere near offensive enough to make up for it.  Paulsen is a bit better (and bigger) at 6’3 who can has a bit more range outside but is not going to be confused with  Richie Guerin. Norton has rotate in many at the two spot trying to find a guy who can hang at this level.  Juniors George Bucci and Brian Mahoney got their shots as the season progressed and were a bit better than the seniors.  Both are 6’3, like Paulsen, and are a bit more athletic but neither is going to outscore Calvin Murphy any time in the near future.  Still, Norton has options here and experience and though none of these cats will knock you out with their talent they are tough as nails and might at least break your jaw.   

The aforementioned Grant will start at the four this year unless one of these kids are all-world.  A bit undersized at 6’6 (some say 6’7) Grant does have beef at 220 and knows how to play in the paint.  Grant can score and board some but will also block a shot which this team needs.  He is solid but Norton loves competition and has many others looking for minutes down low.  Sophomores Tim Cain and Peter Runge are a pair of forwards that Norton has to find minutes for.  Cain is a combo forward who can flat score and dominated on JV easily leading that team in scoring.  A late season call-up showed he can play at the D-1 level.  Now, he just needs to figure out if he can indeed play the small forward as that is the opening on this team.  He plays more like a four and has some size at 6’7 but that is the Jaspers deepest position with Grant and company.  Runge is definitely a four (he played a lot of 5 on the JV) and at 6’8 can bang down low.  He loves the rough stuff but has a bunch of studs to compete with and might be stuck on the JV again.  That would be too bad as this team needs him inside but like we said Norton is a loyal man and what is he doing to do with all of them seniors. 

The biggest problem for the Jaspers is who is going to play point guard.  Most of the problem the first part of the year was playing several guys out of position at point trying to find the right Quarterback.  Seniors Dick Murphy, Billy Goodfellow, George Bruns and Junior Richie Garner split the time but none of taken a stranglehold on the position.  Bruns was a walk-on who actually came here to play baseball but decided to try out for the basketball team because he just loves playing.  His addition led to all kinds of silliness and mix-ups from Norton between Bruns and Bucci.  With the similar names and styles of play the coach who knows what it is like to be confused for someone else with the same name kept mixing them up.   It got so silly that other players started calling them Dermot and Dylan after the infamous actors (Mulroney and McDermott) who many fans confuse for each other because of their names.  More of a two guard, Bruns can really board but knew his shot to play was at the point and has become a solid distributor.  He might be the best passer on the team now and Norton just loves ‘Dermot’s’ game.  Goodfellow is not actually a member of the Mob but man has that name made him a fan favorite.  Another two guard trying to get minutes on the court, Goodfellow goes 6’1 and might surprise but looks to be on the deep end of water and sadly might be stuck in some concrete in his battle to get time.  Garner is better suited for the point then the seniors but is more scoring oriented then is optimum for a one guard. The 6’3 kid is a great defender and was starting at the end of the year.  He will being the year as the starter again but needs to get better passing to his teammates or one of the kids (or JC recruits) will be pushing him for his job.    

The Manhattan Jaspers may not have earned a trip to any postseason tournament and did not win the Metro Atlantic conference title last year.  But sometimes, some things are more important.  Led by one of the all-time most courageous players the boys from the Big Apple showed there are more important things than winning basketball games.  Coach Ken Norton’s team were champions both on and off the court.  These kids know not only how to play basketball but how to be people as well.  Now, let’s get back to winning some games in old Draddy Gym.