Getty Image / Grant Halverson
Manhattan’s basketball players were put in a weird position just before the start of their season.
Their coach was fired days before the start of the college basketball season.
That left players having to decide whether to continue playing for a coach they didn’t commit to play for or transfer not knowing if they’d be able to play this year.
We now know that anybody who chose to transfer wouldn’t have been able to play.
The Jaspers’ star player, Jose Perez, decided to enter the transfer portal after Steve Masiello was fired. After averaging 18.9 points per game for Manhattan last season, Perez was a very enticing option for any program around the country.
He ended up picking West Virginia for his next stop, but there was still the question of whether he’d be able to play right away.
Yesterday, Perez was denied the ability to play for West Virginia this season according to basketball analyst Jeff Goodman.
Manhattan transfer Jose Perez has been denied the ability by NCAA to play at West Virginia at all this season, source told @Stadium.
Utterly ridiculous.
Manhattan coach Steve Masiello was fired just days before the start of the season.
Perez has not played a game this season.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) December 16, 2022
This is flat out ridiculous. If a program decides to get rid of their coach just before the season starts, there is no reason that any player on that team shouldn’t be allowed to transfer and play right away.
Those players didn’t sign up to play for whoever the new coach is.
This is also a disappointing development for a West Virginia team that had already worked their way to an 8-2 record. With Perez in their rotation, they could have been a very dangerous contender during Big 12 play. They’re still a solid team, but losing out on Perez for the year hurts.
Perez having to sit out this season because Manhattan waited until the last minute to fire their coach is a bummer for all involved and there’s no doubt that the NCAA got this one wrong.