By Jason Eisenberg

When he was a teenager, back in the 1970s, Barry Rohrssen remembers going to Madison Square Garden and buying student tickets to watch the Manhattan Jaspers basketball team.

Although his seats were located in the upper tier, the New York native would often walk all the way down to court level just to catch an up-close glimpse of the players and coaches. Little did Rohrssen know at the time, but about 30 years later he would no longer need tickets or have to sneak past ushers, to see the team in action.

Now, with pre-season practice getting underway this week, Rohrssen is all set to begin his third year as head coach of the Jaspers.

“I have enjoyed the past two seasons tremendously and I feel extremely blessed to be in this position, working at a fine school, with a great sports program,” Rohrssen said, shortly before gathering with his players to take a team photo. “The first game is less than a month away so the excitement and optimism is definitely building.”

For Rohrssen, the season actually began in July — the NCAA’s designated month for recruiting — when he and his basketball staff spent three weeks observing and evaluating thousands of potential players at tournaments in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Florida. While top ability and talent are certainly factors in choosing recruits, the coach says he considers it just as important to look for quality students with good character.

“Recruiting is a challenge no matter what school or level you are at, but it is an aspect of the game I truly enjoy,” Rohrssen said. “It gives me the opportunity to personally select players who I think are the right fit for this college, both as a student and as an athlete.”

As recruiting is generally done a year in advance, Rohrssen’s work from this summer will not immediately be known or pay any dividends on the court until at least next season.