WAGNER COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL 2020/2021 GAME 1 VS SETON HALL UNIVERSITY DECEMBER 8, 2020, 5 PM PRUDENTIAL CENTER | NEWARK, NJ Newark, NJ – Wagner basketball is back! The Wagner College men’s basketball team begins its 89th season of basketball and 44th as a Division I program on Tuesday night at 5 pm when the Seahawks travel to Newark, NJ to meet the Seton Hall University Pirates of the Big East Conference at the Prudential Date Opponent Media Time/Result Center in a contest that will be televised nationally on FS1 (FoxSports1). 12/8 at Seton Hall FS1 (FoxSports1) 5:00 PM About the Seahawks * The 2020-2021 Seahawk roster features plenty of experience with the return of seniors Nigel Jackson, 12/15 at Mount St. Mary’s* NECFrontRow TBA Chase Freeman, Alex Morales, Elijah Ford, and Will Martinez. * Junior Atiba Taylor and sophomores Ja’Mier Fletcher, DeAndre Wilkins, and Jordan Mason will also look 12/16 at Mount St. Mary’s* NECFrontRow TBA to provide depth for the Seahawks. *This year’s newcomer class features redshirt-junior transfer Justin Brown, sophomore transfer Ashton Miller, as well as freshmen Delonnie Hunt and Elijah Allen. 12/21 vs Sacred Heart* NECFrontRow TBA *The Seahawks are led by two-time NEC Coach of the Year, Bashir Mason. Under Mason’s helm, the Seahawks have reached two NIT berths in the last five seasons and earned two NEC regular season 12/22 vs Sacred Heart* NECFrontRow TBA titles. * The 2020-21 Seahawks are a diverse group, hailing from nine different states. While four players share 1/7 at Fairleigh Dickinson* NECFrontRow TBA a home state with New Jersey native Bashir Mason, the rest of the roster features players from Maryland (2), New York, Massachusetts, Delaware, North Carolina, Illinois, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania. 1/14 vs LIU* NECFrontRow TBA Bashir Mason in Season Openers *The Seahawks are 2-6 in season openers under ninth-year head coach, Bashir Mason and have won 1/15 vs LIU* NECFrontRow TBA two of their last four lid-lifters * This is the third straight season that the Seahawks and Pirates meet in their respective season-openers 1/21 at Bryant* NECFrontRow TBA *Three years ago, the Green & White shocked then No. 18 ranked UConn, 67-58, before opening the 2017-18 campaign with a 60-49 victory at NJIT. 1/22 at Bryant* NECFrontRow TBA Wagner All-Time Series vs. Seton Hall *This marks the 32nd all-time meeting between the programs with Seton Hall leading 25-6 in the head- 1/30 vs Merrimack* NECFrontRow TBA to-head series. * Last season, the Seahawks suffered a 105-71 defeat at Walsh Gymnasium. 1/31 vs Merrimack* NECFrontRow TBA *The last time Wagner was victorious over the Pirates was back on January 31, 1979, when the Seahawks edged Seton Hall, 95-90, in double overtime. 2/4 at St. Francis Brooklyn* NECFrontRow TBA *Wagner’s coach at the time was eventual three-time NBA Champion, Wagner Hall of Famer and former SHU coach, PJ Carlesimo. 2/5 at St. Francis Brooklyn* NECFrontRow TBA Homecoming for Seahawk Assistant Coach Donald Copeland Tuesday’s matchup with Seton Hall marks a homecoming for Seahawk assistant coach Donald Copeland. 2/11 vs Fairleigh Dickinson* NECFrontRow TBA Copeland was a standout guard at Seton Hall. While a member of the Pirates, the Garden State product helped lead the Seton Hall to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances in his sophomore (2004) and 2/20 vs Saint Francis U* NECFrontRow TBA senior (2006) seasons. 2/21 vs Saint Francis U* NECFrontRow TBA Wagner All-Time vs. the Big East Conference. *Against the current members of the Big East Conference, the Green & White are 8-56 all-time against 2/25 at Central Connecticut* NECFrontRow TBA the Big East. International Success 2/26 at Central Connecticut* NECFrontRow TBA *Seahawk alumni have had recent success playing oversees. Former Seahawk great Orlando Parker was the most recent alumnus to ink a new deal, as the seventh-year pro has signed with the London Lions. Parker joins a long list of former Seahawks to play professionally, as former Seahawk AJ Sumbry most recently signed with BC Cactus Tbilisi in Georgia and Jojo Cooper inked a new deal with BC Raiffeisen Flyers Wels in Austria this offseason. Details Next up *Following Tuesday’s opener, the Seahawks will begin Northeast Conference (NEC) action. In a new format, the 18-game conference season will tip off on December 8, with most teams facing each other on * denotes Northeast Conference (NEC) game consecutive days. Wagner will start its NEC slate on the road at Mount St. Mary’s on December 15 and 16, before hosting Sacred Heart on December 21 and 22. Visitor Information HOME GAMES LISTED IN BOLD *Fans will not be allowed to attend Tuesday’s contest at the Prudential Center. Probable Starters No. Player Cl. Pos. HT WT Hometown/(Previous School) 2019-20 Statistics 0 Nigel Jackson Sr. F 6-7 215 Baltimore, MD / Mount St. Joseph 9.5ppg 3.4 rpg 0.4 apg 2 Alex Morales Sr. G 6-6 180 Paterson, NJ / Mainland Regional / Prince George’s CC 13.6ppg 5.8 rpg 3.1 apg 4 Elijah Ford Sr. G 6-5 190 Newark, NJ / Weequahic / Barton CC (KS) 9.5 ppg 5.3 rptg 1.5 apg 12 Chase Freeman Sr. G 5-11 165 Gallatin, TN / Station Camp 6.2 ppg 2.8 rpg 3.0 apg 22 Ja’Mier Fletcher So. F 6-7 230 Pittsburgh, PA / Steel Valley / First Love Christian Academy (VA) 2.9ppg, 2.5 rpg, 0.3 apg 1 NUMERICAL No. Player Cl. Pos. HT WT Hometown/(Previous School) 0 Nigel Jackson Sr. F 6-7 215 Baltimore, MD / Mount St. Joseph 1 Atiba Taylor Jr. G 6-4 180 Garfield, NJ / Hackensack / Youngstown State 2 Alex Morales Sr. G 6-6 180 Paterson, NJ / Mainland Regional / Prince George’s CC 3 DeLonnie Hunt Fr. G 6-0 160 Upper Marlboro, MD / Rock Creek Christian 4 Elijah Ford Sr. G 6-5 190 Newark, NJ / Weequahic / Barton CC (KS) 5 Jordan Mason So. G 6-4 190 Boston, MA / Dexter Southfield 11 Will Martinez Sr. G 6-5 190 Bronx, NY / Wings Academy / Monroe College 12 Chase Freeman Sr. G 5-11 165 Gallatin, TN / Station Camp 13 Ashton Miller So. G 6-5 200 Scotch Plains, NJ / Seton Hall Prep / Duquesne 15 Elijah Allen Fr. G 6-2 185 Dover, DE / Dover 22 Ja’Mier Fletcher So. F 6-7 230 Pittsburgh, PA / Steel Valley / First Love Christian Academy (VA) 24 Justin Brown R-Jr. C 6-10 205 Chicago, IL / Marist HS / Tennessee Chattanooga 25 DeAndre Wilkins So. C 6-11 250 Edenton, NC / Great Bridge Academy (VA) Coaching Staff Head Coach: Bashir Mason (Drexel, 2007), Ninth Season Assistant Coach: Donald Copeland (Seton Hall, 2006), Sixth Season; Fourth as Assistant Coach Assistant Coach: Winston Smith (Massachusetts, 2001), Fourth Season Assistant Coach: Bobby Jordan (Drexel, 2009), Second Season Director of Operations: Shane Doyle (Quinnipiac, 2014), Third Season ALPHABETICAL ROSTER BREAKDOWN No. Name YR POS HT WT Hometown BY CLASS 15 Elijah Allen Fr. G 6-2 185 Dover, DE Freshmen - 2 24 Justin Brown R-Jr. C 6-10 205 Chicago, IL Sophomores - 4 22 Ja’Mier Fletcher So. F 6-7 230 Pittsburgh, PA Juniors - 2 4 Elijah Ford Sr. G 6-5 190 Newark, NJ 12 Chase Freeman Sr. G 5-11 165 Gallatin, TN Seniors - 5 3 DeLonnie Hunt Fr. G 6-0 160 Upper Marlboro, MD 0 Nigel Jackson Sr. F 6-7 215 Baltimore, MD BY POSITION 5 Jordan Mason So. G 6-4 190 Boston, MA Guards - 9 11 Will Martinez Sr. G 6-5 190 Bronx, NY Forwards - 4 2 Alex Morales Sr. G 6-6 180 Paterson, NJ 13 Ashton Miller So. G 6-5 200 Scotch Plains, NJ 1 Atiba Taylor Jr. G 6-4 180 Garfield, NJ 25 DeAndre Wilkins So. C 6-11 250 Edenton, NC BY GEOGRAPHY Maryland - 2 New Jersey - 4 Massachusetts - 1 PRONUNCIATION GUIDE New York - 1 BASHIR Mason bah-sheer Delaware - 1 Ja’Mier Fletcher Ja-meer North Carolina - 1 Illinois - 1 Atiba Taylor Uh - Tee - buh Tennessee - 1 Pennsylvania - 1 WAGNER AT A GLANCE NEWCOMERS General Information No. Name YR POS HT WT Hometown/High School [Last School] Name Wagner College Location Staten Island, NY 10301 3 DeLonnie Hunt Fr. G 6-0 160 Upper Marlboro, MD / Rock Creek Christian Founded 1883 Enrollment 2,100 13 Ashton Miller So. G 6-5 200 Scotch Plains, NJ / Seton Hall Prep / Duquesne Colors Green & White 15 Elijah Allen Fr. G 6-2 185 Dover, DE / Dover Nickname Seahawks Affiliation NCAA Division 1 24 Justin Brown R-Jr. C 6-10 205 Chicago, IL / Marist HS / Tennessee Chattanoo Conference Northeast Arena Spiro Sports Center (2,100) President Dr. Joel W. Martin Director of Athletics Walt Hameline Website wagnerathletics.com RETURNERS Athletic Department Phone (718) 390-3433 Press Row Phone (718) 420-4433 Coaching Staff No. Player Cl. Pos. HT WT Hometown/(Previous School) Head Coach Bashir Mason, Ninth season Alma Mater Drexel, 2007 0 Nigel Jackson Sr. F 6-7 215 Baltimore, MD / Mount St. Joseph Record at Wagner 131-117 (.528) 1 Atiba Taylor Jr. G 6-4 180 Garfield, NJ / Hackensack / Youngstown State Conf. Record at Wagner 83-59 (.585) Career Record Same 2 Alex Morales Sr. G 6-6 180 Paterson, NJ / Mainland Regional / Prince George’s CC Assistant Coach Donald Copeland, fifth season (third season as assistant coach) 4 Elijah Ford Sr.