Manhattan College Plans a Basketball Revival. But First, Some Chaos.

However with a brand new college president and a reshuffled board of trustees, Manhattan envisions larger issues in basketball — as Iona did in hiring Pitino, and one other league rival, St. Peter’s, did with its magical run to an N.C.A.A. event regional last final spring.

Masiello, whose contract ran by this season, was rebuffed when he sought an extension final yr. He had not had a profitable season since 2015, when the Jaspers superior to the N.C.A.A. event for the second consecutive season.

“Have a look at the file,” mentioned Marianne Reilly, the athletic director. “That’s all I’ll say.”

When Masiello was fired, he was not the one one who exited. Perez transferred to West Virginia, however the N.C.A.A. denied his request for a waiver to be eligible instantly. Additionally leaving had been guard Omar Silverio, a switch from Hofstra, who plans to play subsequent season on the College of Missouri-Kansas Metropolis, in accordance with his former youth coach, Cory Underwood, and ahead Samba Diallo, a key reserve who stays at Manhattan engaged on a graduate diploma.

Instantly, a crew with large desires had been thrown into chaos.

Manhattan is 6-12, a file that features a loss to Monmouth — the Hawks’ solely win this season — and a 40-point shellacking at Windfall, which was the Jaspers’ solely scheduled tv look this season. They’re 4-5 in convention play and had received two in a row earlier than the Iona loss and a 67-65 loss on Sunday at Rider. It was the Jaspers’ fifth loss by 3 or fewer factors or in extra time.

Manhattan is a peculiar crew. It’s outdated, with 9 seniors, however not essentially skilled. And Shops, 31, a former captain who grew up within the Bronx, performed on two N.C.A.A. event groups at Manhattan after which coached below Masiello, is the second-youngest head coach in Division I. Solely Drew Valentine of Loyola Chicago is youthful.

Whereas Pitino has the gravitas to throw his arms out to lift a grievance with the officers, Shops put his arms collectively when he spoke to a referee, as if he had been asking for permission.

For a lot of Friday evening, the Jaspers performed messy basketball and appeared ill-equipped to hold with Iona, trailing early within the second half, 49-34. However James Jewell, a freshman wing from Louisville, Ky., who enrolled this semester and was taking part in in his fourth sport, offered a spark together with his tenacity.