MAAC favorite Manhattan College will be without leading scorer George Beamon for the immediate future, but the redshirt senior is expected to return sooner rather than later after X-rays revealed a mild sprained right shoulder, coach Steve Masiello told The Post.
Beamon, a scoring machine from Long Island, appeared in just four games last year after suffering a fractured left ankle. He received a medical redshirt for a fifth season and has sparkled for the Jaspers this year, averaging 20.1 points — 34th-best in the country — and 6.1 rebounds before injuring the shoulder while diving for a loose ball in Thursday’s 81-76 loss at Quinnipiac.
“When we think he’s 100 percent — not 90, not 80, not 70 — he’ll be back on the basketball court,” Masiello said. “The kid has been playing basketball a long time, he has a pro future ahead of him. That’s the most important thing.”
Masiello said the 6-foot-4 Beamon is out for Sunday’s matchup with Marist in Riverdale, but there is no set timetable. Masiello shot down a report that said Beamon would be out up to a month with a sprained SC shoulder joint.
“If it was up to him, he would practice today,” the third-year coach said. “He’ll meet with a trainer every day, get it looked at.”
Masiello said he learned a valuable lesson last year, when he felt Beamon came back too soon from injury and was lost for the season as a result.
“We have the depth to still be successful,” Masiello said. “Our goal hasn’t changed. We want to playing our best basketball come late February, early March, and hopefully we will be. We’re not going to sacrifice George Beamon in early January for March. I learned that lesson last year as a coach.”
“I am going to be very cautious with it.”
With Beamon leading the way, Manhattan (11-3, 4-1) was picked to win the MAAC and reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004. The Jaspers had an eight-game winning streak before Thursday night’s loss and were ranked as one of the top mid-major programs in the country by a variety of web sites. They are tied atop the MAAC with Quinnipiac.
Without Beamon last year, Manhattan still reached the MAAC championship game, where it fell to Iona. The Jaspers are better equipped to play without Beamon this season, as Maryland transfer Ashton Pankey is now eligible and freshman wing Richard Williams from Brooklyn has shown glimpses of promise.
Masiello said he isn’t sure who he will start in place of Beamon on Sunday, but could go big with junior forward Emmy Andujar or small with sharpshooting guard Shane Richards.