Just uptown from Madison Square Garden, dubbed the world’s most famous arena, Ryan Hyland was doing his best Wednesday to handle the sudden demands on what may be the world’s busiest gym manager.
“Hold on; I need to call you back,” said Hyland, the men’s basketball coach at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, shortly after calling. “Villanova just walked in.”
Two hours later, there was a welcomed break, and an opportunity for Hyland to explain what has been keeping him on edge. There are 25 men’s college basketball teams in New York this week competing in the concurrent Big East and Atlantic Coast Conference tournaments.