NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., November 8, 2018 – The Monroe College Mustangs JV men's basketball team is set to kick off a new season on Friday, Nov. 9, when they hit the road to take on Capital Christian Academy at 7 p.m. in Upper Marlboro, Md.
 
The Mustangs advanced to the American Independent Post-Grad and Collegiate Conference (AIPGCC) Championship Tournament semifinals last year, defeating CNC Leadership Prep, 110-63, before falling to the eventual champion and No. 1-seeded Our Saviour Lutheran, 77-66. The Mustangs finished the season 16-15 overall, with a 5-7 record in AIPGCC play.
 
Head coach Chris Neely enters his sixth season at the helm of the Monroe JV men's basketball program, and has played a big role in building the AIPGCC over the past two years.
 
The Mustangs graduated three student-athletes from last year's roster, including 2017-18 All-AIPGCC First-Team honoree Brian Kennedy, and 2016-17 All-AIPGCC Third-Team honoree, Nolen Irby. Sophomore Amadou Camara also earned a promotion to the Monroe Mustangs varsity men's basketball team after averaging 5.4 points per game with the JV squad last season.
 
The Mustangs return six student-athletes from the 2017-18 squad in Rakim Bryant, Javandre House, Joans Gjeci, Troy Tallman, Isaiah Allen-Smith and Guy Thompson. Bryant also earned All-AIPGCC honors last season, scoring with 11.4 points per game en route to third-team honors.
 
Joining the six returners on the Mustangs roster are four incoming sophomores: Alfredo Robles, Kevin Benjamin Jr., Aaron Burton and Kaynaan Longley, and four freshmen: Anthony Monti, Luis Quinones, Javaughn Daniel, Jamal King and Jahmir Appleton.
 
Following their season opener at Capital Christian, the Mustangs head to Rockville, Md. for the Montgomery-Rockville Tip-Off Tournament, taking on Frederick Community College on Nov. 10 and the host Raptors on Nov. 11.
 
The Mustangs then return home for four straight games, opening their home slate with New York International Academy on Thursday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. Monroe continues its homestand on Nov. 17 against Herkimer County Community College before hosting Bryant & Stratton College and ASA College – Manhattan for a weekend tournament on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.
 
Monroe opens AIPGCC conference play on the road on Dec. 7 against the College of New Rochelle JV, and then returns home for its first home AIPGCC game at 3 p.m. on Dec. 8 against Prestige Preparatory Academy.
 
The Mustangs are back on the road at SUNY Sullivan JV on Dec. 16, before their final home game of the 2018 calendar year against Metro-BDA on Wednesday, Dec. 19, at 7 p.m.
 
The Mustangs finish up December with three games on the road, beginning on Saturday, Dec. 22 at CNC Leadership Prep, before heading down to Virginia to take on Bryant & Stratton College and Stratford University on Dec. 28 and 29.
 
CNC Leadership Prep comes to the Monroe Athletic Complex to open the 2019 portion of the Mustangs' slate on Jan. 5 before Monroe wraps up its home-and-home with Metro BDA, heading to Brooklyn to take on the Wolves on Jan. 9.
 
After hosting the College of New Rochelle JV on Jan. 11, the Mustangs head to Harrisburg, Pa. to take on Harrisburg Area Community College on Jan. 12.
 
The Mustangs host Harcum College JV on Thursday, Jan. 17, before heading out for two of their final three non-conference games of the season, taking on Herkimer County and New York International Academy on Jan. 26 and 27.
 
Monroe resumes AIPGCC play against the College of Mount Saint Vincent JV team at home on Jan. 30, and then visits The Robinson School in Newark, N.J. on Feb. 1.
 
The Mustangs play five-straight AIPGCC games to open the month of February. They begin with their tilt at The Robinson School, and continue with matchups against Our Saviour Lutheran on Feb. 7, at Prestige Prep on Feb. 12, vs. The Robinson School on Feb. 14, and at the College of Mount Saint Vincent JV on Feb. 16, the Mustangs' final road game of the season.
 
Monroe wraps up the 2018-19 regular season with back-to-back home contests, taking on ASA College JV on Feb. 19 before their final regular season game against SUNY Sullivan JV on Feb. 23.
 
Following the conclusion of the regular season, the Mustangs will host the AIPGCC Championship Tournament the weekend of March 9 at the Monroe Athletic Complex.
 
The Mustangs open the 2018-19 season at Capital Christian Academy in Upper Marlboro, Md. on Friday, Nov. 9, with tip-off slated for 7 p.m.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 27 teams competing across nine sports. There are 18 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Monroe Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus as of the fall of 2017, has seven teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.
 
For more information about the Monroe Mustangs, please visit us at www.MonroeCollegeMustangs.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe College Athletics), Twitter (@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs).