By Joseph Staszewski
Jermaine Lawrence is officially back playing in New York City again.
Manhattan College announced last week the former Benjamin Cardozo star and Cincinnati transfer was cleared to suit up via a hardship waiver for the Jaspers men’s basketball team this season.
The 6-foot-9 Lawrence transferred home after just one season with the Bearcats after learning his father Bobby was battling cancer much of last year.
He is coming off two injury-plagued seasons and is happy to be healthy again. The 6-foot-9 Lawrence, a Top 25 recruit coming out of high school, played in 26 games for Cincinnati last season and averaged 2.8 points and 2.9 rebounds in 15 minutes of action.
He missed nearly a month because of a toe injury. His senior season with New Jersey prep school Pope John XXIII was cut short to 11 games because of an injured wrist after he was averaging 13.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest. Lawrence is looking to put all of that behind him now.
“It’s exciting. It’s a new place, a new home,” he said in a press release. “It’s a big relief to receive the hardship waiver and be able to play a full season, which I haven’t been able to do in two years.”
Lawrence joins a Manhattan team coming off winning its first MAAC championship and NCAA Tournament berth in nine years under head Coach Steve Masiello.
He should help the Jaspers replace the scoring of graduated guard George Beamon and the inside presence lost to the graduation of center Rhamel Brown. Lawrence is the second local forward in two years to leave a high major school for Manhattan in the last two years. Bronx native Ashton Pankey came over from Maryland in 2012.
Lawrence is happy to be back home around his family and getting to spend time with is father.
“I want to be closer to him as well as be close enough where I can have him and my mom attend my games,” Lawrence said upon leaving Cincinnati. “We appreciate everyone’s support.”
