As an acrobatic guard with shot-making aptitude out to the NBA 3-point line, Class of 2025 6-foot-6 guard/wing Ben Manuel (The Knox School, NY '25) came to The Knox School to raise his exposure and opportunities.

Once cloaking in obscurity after averaging 17 points per game at Rogers Heritage HS in Arkansas and infusing gyms with dazzling displays of rarefied athleticism, Manuel took the prep route to revive his recruiting process.

Following a season in which he averaged 18.9 points, 5.3 boards, and three assists under head coach Jared Grasso at the Knox School, Manuel recently committed to Pace.

In one of the best Division-II conferences in the country, the Northeast-10, Pace is coming off a sizzling 24-8 campaign during which they registered a 14-6 record in conference play. With his craftiness in creating space and significant elevation on his jumper, Manuel gives the Setters a unique option with positional size and versatility.

Manuel was an invaluable component of the revival of The Knox School, which won the Empire 8 championships and garnered a berth in the National Prep Championship Sweet 16. Manuel was named Player of the Year for the conference.

Hiring Grasso, a former Division I head coach who took Bryant University to the NCAA tournament and was one of the top recruiters in the local NYC area during his time as an Associate Head Coach at Iona, was a major move in installing basketball culture at the Knox School.

The team became nationally ranked, as they culminated the 2024-25 campaign with an overall record of 35-7. Manuel, who had interest from Division I programs such as Maine, Drake, and Boston University, also had offers from American International, Adelphi, and others.

Playing with a swagger and a confidence level that enables him to erupt for that dazzling play, Manuel has a springboard bouncy style to his game. He's able to knife his way into traffic with relative ease. His IQ and adeptness of feel for the game should make the transition to the collegiate ranks a seamless one.