Only one-quarter of the NCAA Tournament bracket had been unveiled and Manhattan coach Steve Masiello was getting antsy.
The Jaspers, who won the MAAC Championship last Monday, had waited six days to see who they would play.
“How bout the Jaspers now?” Masiello shouted. “C’mon.”
If he knew what was coming, he wouldn’t have been so eager.
Heading to Orlando, Fla., for its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 10 years, 13th-seeded Manhattan will face the defending national champion Louisville Cardinals, ranked No. 5 overall in the country, but given a No. 4 seed.
“I’m in shock right now, as shocked as I’ve ever been that they’re a four seed,” Masiello said. “That’s the strongest four seed I bet in the last 15 years.”
Masiello wasn’t alone. Just after the matchup was announced, CBS’ Seth Davis sounded just as confused.
“In my 11 years being on the selection show, this is the most surprised I’ve been,” said Davis. “We thought they might be a one [seed]; they end up a four [seed].”
The Jaspers (25-7) enter Thursday’s game playing as well they have all season, winning 11 of their past 12 games, but the Cardinals may be the hottest team in the country, having lost just once since Jan. 30, with their 12 wins coming by an average of nearly 25 points.
Making the exceedingly difficult matchup even harder — and more intriguing — is Masiello’s matchup with lifelong mentor Rick Pitino.
Masiello, a White Plains native, worked as a Knicks ballboy while Pitino was coach, then played for him as a walk-on at Kentucky before serving as an assistant under him for seven seasons at Louisville.
The 36-year-old coach, in his third season at Manhattan, modeled his program after Pitino’s, using the system and style that’s helped the Hall of Famer win two national titles.
“I look up to him so much and he means so much to me, but I’ve already been down this road and lost by [28],” said Masiello, referring to last season’s loss at Louisville. “They’re basically a bigger, better version of us.
“They’re better than us at every position. I’m going against the guy who taught me everything I know.
“From a matchup standpoint, there’s not one good thing about it for Manhattan.”
The one good thing is Masiello knows everything to prepare for, the bad thing is it might not matter.
“It’s kind of like the Mike Tyson analogy: Everyone has a plan ’til you get hit,” said Masiello. “I know what they’re going to do for the most part, but it doesn’t mean we’re going to be able to stop them.”
The Jaspers have been Buster Douglas before. In 2004, when Masiello was an assistant, 12th-seeded Manhattan stunned No. 5 Florida, 75-60 in the opening round.
The players, equally surprised by the seeding, understand the challenge ahead, unwilling to make a prediction similarly stunning. They’re just thrilled to be playing in the biggest game of their lives, regardless who it comes against.
“All we can do is go out there and give our 110 percent and see what happens,” said star senior George Beamon. “We’ve been underdogs all our lives. To get a bid, we haven’t done this in 10 years. We’re just happy to be in the NCAA Tournament.”