AS much as anyone, Iona athletic director Pat Lyons wants to change what’s ailing his men’s basketball program. For now, he’s only discovered whom not to blame for a 5-10 record: head coach Jeff Ruland.

“I have nothing negative to say about Jeff,” Lyons said late last week. “Except for the wins and losses, he’s done a great job with everything.”

So the world knows that Iona basketball and Notre Dame football don’t claim the same standard. But no one knew until the weekend if these Gaels would win a road game, particularly one in the muddled MAAC.

That victory came Saturday, a 69-67 squeaker over rival Manhattan in Draddy Gym. For at least a day, it reversed a four-game losing streak during which the Gaels seemed to regress. And it seemed to accentuate Lyons’ public declaration of confidence in his coach.

In Iona’s loss last Monday at Canisius, Ruland didn’t join his team’s huddle in the game final two timeouts. The move hinted at problems within the team, but Ruland, clarifying the situation Saturday, disagreed.

“I wanted to see if one of my players would be a leader and step up,” Ruland told reporters. “And also, I didn’t want to snap anyone’s neck.”

Center Greg Jenkins carried Iona with 30 points against the Jaspers, and the Gaels (1-5 MAAC) rallied from 12 down after halftime to win. But Iona’s weakness popped up among those strong points: The Gaels never seem to find an inside-outside combination on offense, and missed free throws late prevented them from salting away the game.

By all accounts, including the ones in the Mulcahy Center, this team possesses far too much talent to wait until the third weekend of January for its first conference win.

The schedule grows more favorable for Iona after tomorrow’s trip to Holy Cross. Lyons, an interim athletic director, and Ruland, who lost his entire staff from last season, hope the play improves as well – without the sacrifice of someone’s neck.

*

Coach Joe Jones remains hesitant to predict great things for his Columbia squad. But a weak schedule, starting tonight at Navy, could leave the Lions 13-4, best in the Metropolitan area, when Yale comes to town Feb. 4.

“We’re still only thinking about our next game,” Jones said last week. “This is a young team, and to look any farther ahead than that would be a mistake.”

Although Matt Preston and freshman Mack Montgomery could push for Ivy Player and Rookie of the Year, respectively, Jeremiah Boswell ranks as the team’s biggest surprise. The 6-foot-4 senior guard from Georgia has averaged 11 points per game and has shot 62 percent from the field, including 59 percent from 3-point range.