By Bill Cloutier
Assistant Sports Editor
bcloutier@nhregister.com
Yale junior center Greg Mangano has declared himself eligible for the NBA. Mangano, from Orange, has not hired an agent in order to retain his with the school.
Mangano had a breakout junior season in which he finished ninth in the nation in blocked shots (3.0 per game) and 24th in rebounding (10.0). The former all-stater from Notre Dame-West Haven averaged 16.3 points and was a unanimous first team All-Ivy selection and earned all-district honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
Mangano said that at this time he fully intends on returning to Yale for his senior season.
"Coach (James) Jones told me there were some teams thta expressed some interest and he said that this path was the best thing for me to do right now," Mangano said. "It's get's me some exposure.
"I fully intend on pulling my name out by the May 8 deadline. There is a form I have to send into the NBA offices by May 8. I haven't hired an agent and that will get me fully reinstated by the NCAA."
Mangano didn't disclose which teams have shown interest.
"The most important thing to me right now remains the fact that I came to Yale to get a first class education and graduate from this university," Mangano said. "The decision to declare for the draft is just something we decided would be beneficial for my future. Playing in the NBA has always been a dream of mine, and this may help my cause.
"It's definitely exciting. It's exciting to know there is some interest."
Mangano said his decision wasn't impacted by the commonly-held belief that this is a weak NBA draft.
"I've looked at the mock drafts but I haven't really studied them," he said. "I've read that it really isn't a strong draft this year. Next year could be a stronger draft but it really doesn't make a difference. My plan right now is to get some exposure and then come back to Yale and have a really big season next year.
"I fully intend on graduating from Yale and that’s why I went there in the first place."
Mangano led the Ivy League in rebounding and blocked shots and was second in scoring. He is the first Ivy player to average a double-double for the season since Kyle Snowden in 1995-96. His numbers were even more impressive in Ivy games where he averaged 18.6 points and 10.4 rebounds, which both led the league.
Mangano, a four-time Ivy League Player of the Week selection, was dominant on both ends of the floor. His 85 blocks were the most in a season in school history and the third most in Ivy history. In addition, his 51 blocks in league games is a new Ivy record. He scored 20 points or more in nine games this season, including tallying a career-high 30 in a victory at Dartmouth. He led the Bulldogs in rebounding in all but four games and grabbed a career-high 17 at Brown.
"Greg had a tremendous junior campaign which is worthy of NBA interest," said Jones. "His ability to defensive rebound and his shot blocking ability makes him an outstanding candidate for the next level."
Underclassmen who have declared for the draft, but have not hired an agent, have until May 8 to withdraw their names from consideration and retain their eligibility.

One area school’s loss will turn out to be a big gain for another one.

Quinnipiac guard Dominique Langston has decided to transfer to Southern Connecticut State University.

Langston is the second player to transfer from Quinnipiac following the 2010-11 season. Forward Tevin Baskin also decided to transfer to Chipola College earlier in the month. While Baskin saw limited action, Langston started six games for the Bobcats, averaging 7.1 points and 4.4 rebounds in his freshman season.

Langston’s cousin, Greg Langston, is a freshman at SCSU, and Dominique attended several of the Owls’ games last season.

“I never realized he was in the stands watching our games last year but he told me went to a couple,” SCSU coach Mike Donnelly said. “Having his cousin here turned out to be a bonus. They are very good friends and support each other. They get to play together for three years now.

“Dominique told me he wanted to go to a place that he could play right away and he’s going to make a major impact here. He’s a team guy. He makes other players better and he’s such a good athlete.”

Donnelly didn’t get a chance to watch him play at Quinnipiac but remembered Dominique Langston from Kolbe Cathedral two years ago.

“I liked how he could take a game over,” Donnelly said. “I was really impressed with his floor game and his athleticism.”

Quinnipiac also lost seniors Justin Rutty, Deontay Twyman and Sean Light to graduation. The Bobcats have already signed two players for next season: Zaid Hearst, a versatile 6-foot-4 guard and Ousmane Drame, a rail-thin 6-7 left-handed post player described to have good hands and feet.

Evan Conti, a 6-3 guard from Flushing, N.Y., with ability to shoot the three, also verbally committed to the school recently.

Quinnipiac coach Tom Moore said he has two more scholarships to offer.

“I’m real disappointed that things didn’t work out for Dominique at Quinnipiac,” Moore said. “I think he’s a real good kid and a real good player and hope he has success.”

Bulldogs move to 6-5 in Ivy League

Cromwell freshman Isaiah Salafia had his best game as a collegian nailing a big 3-pointer in the extra session.



Yale needed overtime to defeat Dartmouth 79-75 on Friday night. With rival Harvard on tap Saturday, here's coach James Jones thoughts on the game:

On playing Harvard
"You've got the energy to go out and play after you get a win. Thye've got to get on a bus and drive over here so we're in good shape."

On the play of Porter Braswell:
"He's a bull. He made some good decisions down the stretch. Even the one, the last play in regulation when he tried to give Austin Morgan the shot. He's strong and he was able to finish.
"This is the best he's played in his career. He also made a big point of making others better. He had four assists. That's been really nice to see."

Inside the box score:
Greg Mangano had seven more blocks in Friday's game. He is adding to Yale single-season record with every block he gets. Mangano is up to 78 blocks for the season and is 12th in the nation in the department.

Looking ahead:
Yale hosts Harvard Saturday night at 6 p.m. It is the final home game for seniors Porter Braswell, Raffi Mantilla and Alfonso Costa.
It's also a huge game for the Crimson who lead the Ivy League by a half game.