Steve Masiello (second from left) handled postgame press conference duties Sunday in place of Rick Pitino, making first public comments since joining Iona staff. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — Iona’s 30-point victory over Canisius Sunday afternoon to complete an undefeated Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opening weekend was hardly a surprise.
The last of the three Gael representatives who spoke to the media about it, however, was.
After Berrick JeanLouis and Walter Clayton, Jr. fielded questions about Sunday’s 90-60 rout of the Golden Griffins, the expectation — and normal protocol — would be for Iona head coach Rick Pitino to discuss the transpirings at the Hynes Athletics Center. But the Hall of Famer elected to pass on his postgame press conference to begin breaking down film for Iona’s next opponent, Saint Louis, sending Steve Masiello in his place instead for the former Manhattan coach’s first comments since his former employer decided to part ways with him less than two weeks before the season began.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do, a lot of areas to improve on,” Masiello said. “Coach isn’t happy with our performance. He’s already working on Saint Louis, and we have to really tighten up on the defensive end for us to be where we think we can be. We did a lot of good things offensively, but defensively, we have to really focus in on scouting reports, understand how to play certain situations and be better.”
Masiello, who was about to enter his 12th season as head coach at Manhattan before athletic director Marianne Reilly suddenly decided to move in a different direction on October 25, resurfaced at Iona when Pitino — for whom he had served as an assistant coach at Louisville for six seasons and has known for over three decades going back to his days as a ball boy for the New York Knicks during Pitino’s first foray as a head coach in the NBA — brought him on staff as director of operations. And on Sunday, he offered further detail into Iona’s evolution and struggles at times, explaining the strategy with which Iona has attempted to play following losses to Hofstra and Santa Clara in which the Gaels were beaten by the 3-pointer.
“You can’t hope for teams to miss,” Masiello said shortly after lamenting Iona’s concession of 20 offensive rebounds to a Canisius team that won the battle of the boards against a bigger Gaels front line headed by Nelly Junior Joseph and Osborn Shema. “We have to come out, set the tone, lock down the 3-point line, not let teams get the attempt off. We can’t let the attempt happen. But we’ll get back to work, work on it, lock in and improve, and turn around again just like we did today.”
“We can’t have the mentality of just pressure the ball. We’ve got to get a piece of the basketball. Everything for us is going to come back to getting stops collectively. When we switch Nelly or Oz out on the perimeter, we can’t get beat on the bounce, and we have to understand that. We had too many breakdowns today, and that can’t happen.”
Masiello was also asked about what he had learned about Iona that he may not have known during his time at Manhattan, as well as the seamlessness of his own transition, and was quick to point out that his main focus was simply to help the program in any way he could, a prevailing factor in Pitino bringing him on board.
“I think, for the most part, I had a pretty good feel for the program,” Masiello admitted. “I’m really impressed by the young men. They’re very coachable, they’re great kids, they’re great representatives of the university. They’re looking for an edge to get better in every way possible, so it’s really a nice transition and it’s a great place to be. I’ve just tried to be a sounding board for the players and coaches. Iona’s Iona, and they’ve had success, and Coach Pitino is Coach Pitino. I’m just here to help in any way I can. If it means getting the balls out, I’ll get the balls out. If it means helping with a scouting report, whatever I can do to give us an edge, give us an advantage, make this program one percent better, that’s what I’m here for, to make Coach Pitino’s job a little easier.”
“He gave me an opportunity to come here, and I’m here for him. I’m here to make his job easier and make things better for him, and whatever he needs me to do, I will do. These kids have been wonderful, so I’m very, very thankful for the way they’ve brought me into the family.”
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