Men's college basketball: Iona eyes MAAC title redemption; 2023 tournament preview
The Iona Gaels capped their regular season with an 80-78 road win at Rider in what could potentially be a MAAC Tournament championship preview.
While it was an exciting victory to fuel their 11-game winning streak, the Gaels know they have to put everything behind them at the do-or-die MAAC Tournament in Atlantic City.
Last season, they got a crushing taste of March Madness early, after getting upset by the Broncs in the quarterfinals of last season's MAAC Tournament, which relegated them to the NIT. This year, they aim to return to the top.
"Before I got here and (Iona) went to four straight NCAA Tournaments, I think three of the four times they didn't even win the league (regular season title), so that in itself is dangerous," Iona coach Rick Pitino said. "These teams right now, whether it's Quinnipiac, Siena, or Rider who beat us, this league is very much the anybody can beat anybody on any given night. It's a league that's close in talent. We're at the top right now. We were at the top last year and got beat, so we're going into a tournament we know you can lose."
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Iona finished the regular season 24-7, with a 17-3 record in MAAC play, which netted the Gaels another regular season title, but the main goal is getting back to the Big Dance.
The Gaels had already been using the MAAC regular season structure as a way to mentally prepare themselves for the MAAC Tournament. MAAC regular season games are typically scheduled for every Friday and Sunday, and the Gaels had been using that quick-turnaround format and treating them like the semifinals and finals of the conference tournament.
"It helped, because everybody's been thinking about this," Iona standout Walter Clayton Jr. said. "We've been focused on the regular season, but I felt like the tournament was in the back of everyone's mind, because you gotta win the tournament to go to the Big Dance. We're going to be really locked in when we get down to AC."
As the No. 1 seed, the Gaels have a bye into Wednesday's MAAC Tournament quarterfinals. Here's a look at their potential path to the finals and the teams they may face at each stage:
MAAC quarterfinals
Wednesday, March 8
No. 8 Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers
Regular season record: 12-19, 8-12 MAACKey players: #1 Dakota Leffew, Jr., G — 13.2 ppg, 1.3 spg, 41.5 FG%; #5 Jalen Benjamin, Sr., G — 15.8 ppg, 3.8 apg, 41.5 FG%; #42 Malik Jefferson, Sr., F — 8.8 rpg, 7.3 rpg, 51.9 FG%Regular season results vs. Iona: Iona swept Mount St. Mary's
Iona won on the road, 81-51, on Feb. 3
Iona won at home, 80-68, on Feb. 24
MAAC semifinals, potential opponents
Friday, March 10
No. 4 Siena Saints
Regular season record: 17-14, 11-9 MAACKey players: #2 Javian McCollum, So., G — 15.6 ppg, 3.7 apg, 1.1 spg, 43.9 FG%; #3 Michael Eley, Fr., G — 9.2 ppg, 38.8 FG%; #22 Andrew Platek, Sr., G — 10.6 ppg, 45.9 FG%, 43.9 3FG%; #55 Jackson Stormo, Sr., F — 12.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.2 bpg, 51.2 FG%Regular season results vs. Iona: 1-1 season series split
Siena won at home, 70-53, on Jan. 27
Iona won at home, 93-60, on Feb. 26
No. 5 Niagara Purple Eagles
Regular season record: 15-14, 10-10 MAACKey players: #11 Aaron Gray, So., F — 12.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg; #21 Noah Thomasson, Sr., G — 19.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.4 apg, 48.2 FG%; #22 Sam Iorio, Sr., F — 8.2 ppg, 5.5 rpgRegular season results vs. Iona: Iona swept Niagara
Iona won at home, 78-56, on Dec. 2
Iona won on the road, 72-55, on Feb. 12
MAAC championship game, potential opponents
Saturday, March 11
No. 2 Rider Broncs
Regular season record: 16-13, 13-7 MAACKey players: #2 Allen Powell, Sr., G — 10.8 ppg, 2.1 apg, 37.1 FG%; #5 Mervin James, Sr., F — 12.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 48.0 FG%; #55 Dwight Murray Jr., Sr., G — 15.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.4 spg, 42.1 FG%, 39.3 3FG%Regular season results vs. Iona: 1-1 series split
Rider won on the road, 70-67, on Jan. 15
Iona won on the road, 80-78, on Mar. 4
No. 3 Quinnipiac Bobcats
Regular season record: 20-11, 11-9 MAACKey players: #2 Matt Balanc, Sr., G — 12.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 42.0 FG%, 37.6 3FG%; #11 Dezi Jones, Jr., G — 12.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.1 spg, 42.0 FG%, 40.9 3FG; #15 Luis Kortright, Jr., G — 10.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.9 apg, 1.3 spg, 39.2 FG%; #24 Ike Nweke, Sr., F — 9.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 48.0 FG%Regular season results vs. Iona: 1-1 series split
Quinnipiac won at home, 81-58, on Jan. 8
Iona won at home, 78-72, on Jan. 29
No. 10 Saint Peter's Peacocks
Regular season record: 12-17, 7-13 MAACKey players: #2 Jayden Saddler, Sr., G — 7.6 ppg, 2.1 apg, 46.1 FG%; #3 Corey Washington, Fr., G — 7.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 72.0 FG%; #5 Jaylen Murray, So., G — 13.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 38.4 FG%; #13 Isiah Dasher, Sr., G — 11.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.3 apgRegular season results vs. Iona: Iona swept Saint Peter's
Iona won at home, 73-55, on Jan. 1
Iona won on the road, 73-53, on Feb. 19
No. 11 Marist Red Foxes
Regular season record: 10-19, 6-14 MAACKey players: #5 Isaiah Brickner, Fr., G — 7.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.6 apg, 38.0 FG%; #15 Patrick Gardner, Sr., C — 18.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.0 apg, 50.2 FG%, 36.4 3FG%Regular season results vs. Iona: Iona swept Marist
Iona won on the road, 84-57, on Jan. 6
Iona won at home, 93-74, on Mar. 2
Follow Eugene Rapay on Twitter at @erapay5 and on Instagram at @byeugenerapay.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: College basketball: Preview of Iona's path in the 2023 MAAC tournament
