Previewing the 2017-18 MAAC season

Conference champions twice in a row after last March's triumph, Iona heads into 2017-18 season as early favorites to become just third team in MAAC history to win three straight league crowns. (Photo by Vincent Simone/NYC Buckets)

In many ways, last season's Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference season was, in essence, one of déjà vu when compared to its predecessor.

Much like the 2015-16 campaign, Monmouth's strength and penchant for upsets against high-major opponents thrust the Hawks into the regular season championship and an automatic bid to the National Invitation Tournament for a second straight year. But once again, the mid-major darling was unable to claim the ultimate prize, falling to Siena in a semifinal upset and watching as spectators while Iona; who defeated Monmouth in the championship game two years ago, repeated in an overtime thriller the following night.

The sense of history repeating itself appears to have dissipated heading into the 2017-18 season, replaced instead by an aura of uncertainty and intrigue as each of the eleven MAAC programs retools in preparation for what should be quite the interesting season, for better or worse.

Conference champions three times and four-time NCAA Tournament participants under Tim Cluess, Iona now attempts to do what only La Salle (1988-90) and Siena (2008-10) have done: Win a third consecutive MAAC postseason tournament. The Gaels will need to adjust to life without all-conference forward Jordan Washington and cultivate a new front line, but the incumbent stable of guards headlined by junior Rickey McGill and senior Deyshonee Much should be more than enough for the Maroon and Gold to reestablish themselves among the league's elite, not to mention the return of sharpshooter Schadrac Casimir and swingman E.J. Crawford, whose driving layup in overtime of the MAAC championship game gave the Gaels a lead they would not relinquish. Graduate transfer Zach Lewis also returns to the league he spent his first two years in, as the Canisius expatriate arrives from the University of Massachusetts with a degree in tow.

The Monmouth team that challenged Iona for MAAC supremacy the past two seasons must also replace the anchor of its exploits, as two-time reigning conference player of the year Justin Robinson has now graduated and is plying his wares in Russia. The show goes on in West Long Branch, however, as junior Micah Seaborn becomes the face of King Rice's Hawks on the heels of a first team all-league showing as a sophomore. Redshirt freshman Ray Salnave, a former pupil of legendary Cardozo High School head coach Ron Naclerio, steps into Robinson's point guard shoes along with Austin Tilghman, while the glut of big men that was so integral in Monmouth's depth the past two seasons welcomes Zac Tillman back into its fold as a fifth-year senior after redshirting the season before.

Siena, who defeated Monmouth in the MAAC Tournament a year ago, is perhaps the team hardest hit by graduation. The Saints will need to replace its quartet of 1,000-point scoring seniors, but junior Nico Clareth finally has the opportunity to take center stage in a conference that ushers in a youth movement of sorts. Clareth, along with incoming freshmen Roman Penn and Prince Oduro, will form a new core that Jimmy Patsos has admitted he is excited to see develop in the Capital Region as a new era in Siena basketball begins.

A familiar sight among the top half of the conference before injuries ravaged their roster in each of the past two seasons, Manhattan brings forth the MAAC's most experienced unit into head coach Steve Masiello's seventh season at the helm. Three of the Jaspers' projected five starters have NCAA Tournament experience, led by fifth-year senior Rich Williams, who returns from a torn meniscus that shelved the Brooklyn native for the entire season last year. Fellow seniors Calvin Crawford, Zavier Turner, and Zane Waterman are all capable scorers who can balance Williams' leadership and hustle, while sophomore Aaron Walker, Jr. stands on the precipice of a breakout season in Riverdale.

Fairfield loses stalwart forward Amadou Sidibe to graduation and the sharpshooting duo of Curtis Cobb and Jerry Johnson, Jr. to transfers, but the Stags remain forwardly placed as head coach Sydney Johnson and his uptempo brand of basketball continue to thrive in the Nutmeg State. Fairfield boasts the likely Preseason Player of the Year in senior guard Tyler Nelson, but all eyes will be on his supporting cast; namely point guard Jerome Segura and forward Jonathan Kasibabu, if the Stags are to make their first NCAA Tournament appearance in nearly two decades. Niagara possesses experience in droves as guards Matt Scott and Kahlil Dukes look to improve upon their already impressive stat lines, with junior guard Chris Barton perhaps a legitimate candidate for the conference's Defensive Player of the Year honor. The Purple Eagles' depth and versatility in the interior make Chris Casey's fifth season on Monteagle Ridge a must-watch campaign, as the talent level in Western New York has reached its highest point since the former St. John's assistant assumed the reins of the program in 2013.

Canisius, Niagara's crosstown rival, loses the services of Phil Valenti and Kassius Robertson; the former to graduation and the latter to Missouri via transfer, but Reggie Witherspoon does not have an empty cupboard going into his second year directing the Golden Griffins. Sophomores Malik Johnson and Isaiah Reese could very well be one of the best backcourts in the conference by the end of the year, and forward Jermaine Crumpton's ability to knock down long-range shots will prove vital in the Griffs' run-and-gun style. Saint Peter's, whose loss to Canisius in February provided the fuel that started an 11-1 record to conclude the season, loses Trevis Wyche and Quadir Welton from a group that brought the program its first-ever postseason championship by winning the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. Despite the losses of Wyche and Welton, as well as Chazz Patterson and Cavon Baker, senior marksman Nick Griffin remains to shepherd the Peacocks into a changing of the guard. Nnamdi Enechionyia should be counted on for a bigger role in the offense, and as any astute follower of the MAAC knows, head coach John Dunne is one who should never be counted out of any situation, no matter how dire it may seem on paper.

Staying in New Jersey, Rider must begin its first season after Jimmie Taylor and Kahlil Thomas, but Kevin Baggett and the Broncs possess one of the more dynamic young pieces in the league with sophomore point guard Stevie Jordan. How the Philadelphia-area native adjusts to being the unquestioned team leader will be a storyline to pay attention to this season as Rider looks to get greater productivity from its role players. Keep an eye on forward Tyere Marshall, whose finish to the regular season last year suggests he will be more than just a fleeting mention in scouting reports as the 6-foot-8 sophomore transitions into a starting role. In a similar vein to Rider replacing Taylor and Thomas, Marist must do the same with Khallid Hart. Head coach Mike Maker enters a make-or-break fourth season in Poughkeepsie with Brian Parker and Ryan Funk back for their junior seasons, but additional scoring options need to emerge in order for the Red Foxes to make tangible progress in the MAAC this season. Fortunately, Maker believes Aleksandar Dozic, a 6-foot-9 transfer from Marshall, is one of the high hopes that he has placed a great deal of trust in as he goes about the arduous journey of resurrecting a once-proud winner. Finally, change is no more evident than in Hamden, where Quinnipiac welcomes a new head coach to the MAAC in Baker Dunleavy, the longtime Villanova lieutenant who has now set out on his own as the successor to Tom Moore. Dunleavy will not have reigning conference Rookie of the Year Mikey Dixon or fellow All-Rookie selection Peter Kiss in his maiden voyage, but the return of senior forward Chaise Daniels has given the new Bobcat mentor a reliable rock to build his team around. Freshman Rich Kelly will be thrown into the fire at the point guard spot, but with the tutelage of a coach who helped develop Ryan Arcidiacono and Jalen Brunson into all-Big East talents at the same position, the prospects for Kelly to reach his potential rank very promising going into his rookie year.

Predicted Order of Finish:

1) Iona - Legendary wrestler Ric Flair said it best, stating that "to be the man, you gotta beat the man." The Gaels' back-to-back league titles and lethal offense, coupled with experienced guards in a backcourt-centric MAAC, make them the primary target in everyone else's crosshairs to start the season.

2) Manhattan - Four years ago, the Jaspers carried the anguish and bitter aftertaste of a three-point loss to Iona in the 2013 MAAC championship game through the offseason into what turned out to be their first of two consecutive NCAA Tournament berths the following year. Last season's heartbreaking loss to Rider in the final seconds of the MAAC Tournament's opening round is not as painful, but it is a memory that will undoubtedly motivate the most experienced team in the conference, and after being humbled in each of the past two seasons, Steve Masiello and his band of brothers in Riverdale are ready to unleash their frustrations.

3) Monmouth - Justin Robinson is irreplaceable, but the Hawks' depth and talent is still plentiful enough for the headliner of the past two seasons to reserve a seat at the table amongst the elite of the MAAC. While all eyes will be on Ray Salnave and Austin Tilghman as they attempt to fill the void Robinson and his 2,000-plus points in a Hawks uniform leave, Louie Pillari is the X-factor that finally gets to make a name for himself on a regular basis this year. He, too, will be a player to watch.

4) Niagara - Mounds of upside blend with deceptively strong experience to form a legitimate contender in Western New York, something not seen since Joe Mihalich left for Hofstra in 2013. If Matt Scott is able to replicate his averages of 17 points and seven rebounds per game from a season ago, the stat-stuffer from Brooklyn will be in the Player of the Year conversation early and often for Chris Casey and the Purple Eagles.

5) Fairfield - The Stags will count the conference's Preseason Player of the Year as their own in Tyler Nelson, but as his teammates go, so too will Sydney Johnson's squad. A highly touted freshman class will help Jonathan Kasibabu and Jerome Segura in their junior and senior seasons, while Matija Milin must continue to evolve beyond his already strong perimeter presence.

6) Canisius - Jermaine Crumpton could very well lead the MAAC in scoring this season, but the Golden Griffins' most attractive quality will come from the backcourt, where the deft passing of Malik Johnson and underrated scoring potential of Isaiah Reese will make significant strides in Reggie Witherspoon's second year at the helm.

7) Siena - Jimmy Patsos admitted a ranking near the middle of the pack was a fair assessment for the Saints as they embark on replacing four seniors that took them to within a point of the NCAA Tournament. Now the unabashed leader on and off the court, enigmatic junior guard Nico Clareth will need to maintain his consistency if Siena has any hope of remaining in the MAAC's upper echelon.

8) Rider - Much like Nico Clareth at Siena, Stevie Jordan will be a topic of conversation as he steps into the spotlight. The Broncs' second and third options behind him will need to be consistent, though, as will their suffocating defense.

9) Saint Peter's - Losing four seniors from a championship team is something John Dunne has had to address previously, doing so after the Peacocks went to the NCAA Tournament in 2011. The affable head coach believes his program is in a better place now than it was six years ago, and is counting on the incumbent talent led by Nick Griffin and Nnamdi Enechionyia to usher the Peacocks through a year of retooling.

10) Quinnipiac - Baker Dunleavy's first season will not lack the trials and tribulations of trying to instill a winning culture at a mid-major seven years removed from its last conference championship game appearance. Nonetheless, the pieces are in place for a turnaround, and the Bobcats may very well better this prediction by the end of February.

11) Marist - Simply put, the seat is getting warmer for Mike Maker as the Red Foxes return, undaunted, to their battle to right the ship. The biggest key for Marist will be not just the production of Aleksandar Dozic, but also of the ability to identify and develop multiple scoring options besides Brian Parker and Ryan Funk.