Jack Powers is arguably one of the great Jaspers of all-time. He was a standout basketball player, successful head coach and highly-respected athletic director at Manhattan. In 2017, Powers' legacy as an all-time great was further enhanced when he became the first former Jasper to have his number retired, as the school raised his number 34 to the rafters. During his three years on the court, Powers led Manhattan to the NCAA tournament twice – including defeating nationally ranked West Virginia and Jerry West in the 1958 NCAA Tournament – and the NIT once while concluding his collegiate career with 1,139 points. Powers continued his assocation with Manhattan by spending 10 seasons as the men's basketball head coach, posting a record of 142-114 with four appearances in the NIT. He then became the school's athletic director for nine years, before serving as the Executive Director of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) for over 20 years. Powers also was a member of the Executive Councils of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and the Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America; and was president of the Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA) and the Tri-State Soccer League. Additionally, Powers was Manhattan's representative to the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Basketball Association (MIBA), the sponsoring body of the NIT.