MAAC Monday: Tempo and PPP, stat leaders, power rankings

The first MAAC Monday of 2018 opens the door to an advanced-stat look at how the teams of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference are performing, highlighting the tempo at which each plays as well as the points per possession both scored and surrendered. As per usual, the second and third segments of our recap will be a refresh of stat leaders and power rankings. One disclaimer here: With the MAAC criteria for field goal, free throw, and three-point field goal percentages still not displaying a complete list, only scoring, rebounding, and assist leaders will be displayed today. As always, any and all statistics reflected within MAAC Monday were gleaned from the individual stat pages of each school's website.

Possessions per game, from highest to lowest:
1) Niagara (76.07)
2) Rider (75.93)
3) Marist (73.15)
4) Iona (72.5)
5) Monmouth (72)
6) Siena (71.13)
7) Canisius (68.87)
8) Quinnipiac (68.64)
9) Manhattan (68.23)
10) Fairfield (67.38)
11) Saint Peter's (66.85)

Analysis: The unpredictable nature of the MAAC entering the season has also been reflected in a change in style, to some extent, for some of the teams in the conference through the first week of league play. In fact, compared to the first set of MAAC games last year, only Monmouth is among the top five in possessions per game again this season. Coincidentally, the Hawks ranked fifth at this juncture as well. Granted, there was a smaller sample size last season given the 20-game league schedule and opening to conference play in the first week of December, but Monmouth has remained relatively consistent in terms of the pace at which they compete. Manhattan, last year's tempo leader in the early part of the year, has been content to grind teams out more this season, as evident in their recent wins over Hofstra and Fairfield. The major surprise thus far, however, is Marist. The Red Foxes have traditionally been among the more methodical teams in the conference under Mike Maker, but have seen all but four of their games this season contested to 70 or more possessions. The results have led to three double-figure scorers and a fourth on the cusp of 10 points per game, plus a generally improved shooting percentage. The two leaders, Niagara and Rider, actually played one another Sunday afternoon, with the Broncs enjoying 80 possessions and a staggering 1.24 points per possession in a 99-76 win, compared to 77 for the Purple Eagles.

Points per possession, from highest to lowest:
1) Niagara (1.10)
2) Rider (1.09)
3) Iona (1.07)
4) Fairfield (1.05)
5) Canisius (1.048)
6) Quinnipiac (1.041)
7) Monmouth (1.02)
8) Saint Peter's (1.00)
9) Siena (0.983)
10) Marist (0.977)
11) Manhattan (0.973)

Analysis: Marist may play at the third-fastest tempo in the MAAC, but the Red Foxes are still working on translating the extra possessions into offense, as noted by their second-lowest points per possession figure in the conference, one of only three below 1.00, which projects for a greater offensive efficiency across the league than in years past. The biggest jump in this field has been made by Rider, at least through the first part of the season, courtesy of the Broncs having five players averaging 11 or more points per game, three of whom (Jordan Allen, Frederick Scott and Dimencio Vaughn) were either not in the program or; in Vaughn's case, injured, at this time a year ago.

Points per possession against, from lowest to highest:
1) Manhattan (0.9876)
2) Saint Peter's (0.9943)
3) Fairfield (1.02)
4) Monmouth (1.051)
5) Rider (1.054)
6) Iona (1.06)
7) Siena (1.093)
8) Canisius (1.0938)
9) Quinnipiac (1.11)
10) Marist (1.12)
11) Niagara (1.15)

Analysis: The high numbers here represent a decrease in the defensive efficiency of the MAAC compared to the past few seasons, with only two teams; Manhattan and Saint Peter's, giving up less than one point per possession on the defensive end. As expected, the Peacocks are near the top of the standings with their usual brand of suffocating on-ball pressure, but after two seasons where the cornerstone of the program was not as solid as it had been in their two championship campaigns, Manhattan is back atop the league with what Steve Masiello feels is a defensive unit comparable to those which reached the NCAA Tournament.

"You look at our defensive numbers relative to the MAAC, all of the things we really concentrate on, we're in a good place relative to where the rest of the league is," he said before the Jaspers took on Seton Hall in their non-conference finale. "I'll take our defense when we defend like this. It'll get us a lot of victories despite what everyone else says."

Scoring Leaders
1) Matt Scott, Niagara (22.4 PPG)
2) Kahlil Dukes, Niagara (21.2)
3) Tyler Nelson, Fairfield (20.4)
4) Brian Parker, Marist (17.7)
5) Cameron Young, Quinnipiac (16.9)
6) Isaiah Reese, Canisius (16.1)
7) Jermaine Crumpton, Canisius (15.8)
8) Micah Seaborn, Monmouth (15.7)
9) Nick Griffin, Saint Peter's (15.7)
10) Jordan Allen, Rider (15.2)

Rebounding Leaders
1) Marvin Prochet, Niagara (8.3 RPG)
2) Matt Scott, Niagara (7.8)
3) TK Edogi, Iona (7.5)
4) Frederick Scott, Rider (7.4)
5) Quinn Taylor, Saint Peter's (6.5)
6) Tyere Marshall, Rider (6.5)
7) Isaiah Reese, Canisius (6.4)
8) Pauly Paulicap, Manhattan (6.3)
9) Cameron Young, Quinnipiac (6.2)
10) Zane Waterman, Manhattan (6.0)

Assist Leaders
1) Stevie Jordan, Rider (7.1 APG)
2) Rich Kelly, Quinnipiac (6.1)
3) Malik Johnson, Canisius (5.0)
4) Rickey McGill, Iona (4.9)
5) Austin Tilghman, Monmouth (4.6)
6) Isaiah Reese, Canisius (4.4)
7) Kahlil Dukes, Niagara (3.7)
T-8) Tyler Nelson, Fairfield (3.1)
T-8) Zavier Turner, Manhattan (3.1)
10) Deyshonee Much, Iona (2.9)

Power Rankings
1) Canisius (8-7, 2-0 MAAC)
Last Week: 7
Last Game: Sunday 12/31 vs. Iona (W 85-78)
Next Game: Friday 1/5 at Quinnipiac, 8 p.m.

2) Manhattan (6-7, 1-0 MAAC)
Last Week: 5
Last Game: Saturday 12/30 vs. Fairfield (W 61-58)
Next Game: Tuesday 1/2 at Marist, 7 p.m.

3) Rider (8-6, 1-1 MAAC)
Last Week: 1
Last Game: Sunday 12/31 at Niagara (W 99-76)
Next Game: Friday 1/5 vs. Fairfield, 7 p.m.

4) Iona (7-7, 1-1 MAAC)
Last Week: 2
Last Game: Sunday 12/31 at Canisius (L 85-78)
Next Game: Friday 1/5 vs. Saint Peter's, 7 p.m.

5) Saint Peter's (7-6, 1-1 MAAC)
Last Week: 6
Last Game: Sunday 12/31 vs. Monmouth (W 77-64)
Next Game: Friday 1/5 at Iona, 7 p.m.

6) Quinnipiac (5-9, 2-0 MAAC)
Last Week: 9
Last Game: Monday 1/1 at Siena (W 71-70)
Next Game: Friday 1/5 vs. Canisius, 8 p.m.

7) Fairfield (6-7, 1-1 MAAC)
Last Week: 8
Last Game: Saturday 12/30 at Manhattan (L 61-58)
Next Game: Friday 1/5 at Rider, 7 p.m.

8) Niagara (7-8, 0-2 MAAC)
Last Week: 3
Last Game: Sunday 12/31 vs. Rider (L 99-76)
Next Game: Friday 1/5 at Siena, 7 p.m.

9) Monmouth (4-10, 0-2 MAAC)
Last Week: 4
Last Game: Sunday 12/31 at Saint Peter's (L 77-64)
Next Game: Friday 1/5 vs. Manhattan, 7 p.m.

10) Marist (3-10, 1-0 MAAC)
Last Week: 11
Last Game: Friday 12/29 vs. Siena (W 63-58)
Next Game: Tuesday 1/2 vs. Manhattan, 7 p.m.

11) Siena (4-11, 0-2 MAAC)
Last Week: 10
Last Game: Monday 1/1 vs. Quinnipiac (L 71-70)
Next Game: Friday 1/5 vs. Niagara, 7 p.m.