Steve Masiello changed the culture in Riverdale by leading Manhattan to a 21-13 record, its best season in several years, last winter.
It wasn’t just a breath of fresh air for those tied to the program – the 15-win turnaround got the attention of recruits.
Tuesday served as a perfect example.
Masiello’s on-the-rise program landed two important prospects, Cardinal Hayes point guard Tyler Wilson and elite JUCO shooting guard Chris Thomas of Chipola Junior College (Fla.).
The 6-foot-4 Thomas, a five-star recruit from Colorado, initially committed to Xavier, but de-committed in September. Manhattan assistant coach Rasheen Davis was a big part of his commitment to Xavier when he was there and figured in prominently again.
“Chris is a loyal kid and coach [Rasheen] Davis has always been there for him since day one,” Chipola coach Patrick Blake told Scout.com. “Manhattan started recruiting him again and I think that relationship with Coach Davis really stood out.”
“He met with Coach Masiello and they hit it off right off the bat and he felt really comfortable with the staff,” Blake went on. “He really likes the way Coach Mas develops his players and his style of play.”
Wilson, meanwhile, considered waiting it out, playing his senior season at Cardinal Hayes and seeing if the many interested mid-major programs would bite.
Then Manhattan stepped to the table, re-affirming the scholarship offer. Wilson, a hard-nosed, tenacious and winning 5-foot-11 point guard from The Bronx, didn’t have to think anymore.
“At the end of the day, I felt if you really like a school, the school really wants you and fits your style of play, why wait?” he said. “It was the perfect fit.”
Wilson picked Masiello’s Manhattan program over Texas-San Antonio and Canisius, joining the Jaspers boatload of local products like Emmy Andujar, his former Rice teammate, All Hallows products Michael Alvarado and RaShawn Stores, York Prep sharpshooter Shane Richards and former Transit Tech star Rhamel Brown.
The coaching staff, led by Masiello and Davis, had the biggest impact, Wilson said. Masiello coached under the legendary Rick Pitino at Louisville while Wilson has known Davis for years.
“I feel like they could help me get to the next level and I could learn and become a better basketball player,” Wilson said.
Wilson has won wherever he’s been, on the AAU circuit and at the high school level. He led Cardinal Hayes to a big season last winter, to the CHSAA Class AA Intersectional semifinals and was a focal point to New Heights’ big summer.
The last few months were stressful for Wilson, as he watched friends like Josh James (Monmouth) of Archbishop Stepinac and Dayshon Smith (Dayton) of Putnam Science Academy find destinations. He was finally able to relax Tuesday night.
“It feels great, I feel a lot of stress off my back,” he said. “I feel relieved. I can just do what I love now and just play. I was just waiting for my opportunity, waiting for my turn.”
He’s known for his tenacious on-the-ball defense, ability to get to the basket and either finish or create for his teammates, and his passion for the sport. His one weakness is an inconsistent jump shot that allows opponents to play off him.
One Division I coach who recruited Wilson said he could see him starting by his junior year for Manhattan and being a productive player in the MAAC.
“He’s an old school point guard in the sense of being physical, not too flashy,” the coach said. “He’s tough, he pushes the ball really hard in transition. He can manipulate the game defensively, too.”
“He’s a winner.”
zbraziller@nypost.com