The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference stretch drive begins with an all-new MAAC Monday, reprising stat leaders and power rankings, but not before first recognizing a school that becomes the first this season to get a second team spotlight. With that said, away we go.
We’ve all seen this movie before.
Unnamed team gets out of the gate a step slow, takes time to find its identity amid a roster overhaul, treads water through the opening weeks of MAAC play just barely enough for everyone to question whether or not said team is dead in the water.
Then, magically, the calendar flips from January to February, and unnamed team — which could not stay out of its own way earlier in the year — suddenly becomes the one nobody wants to see on the other end of the court, flipping the proverbial switch and taking every opponent captive.
It must be time for another Iona resurgence.
The Gaels, winners of four straight after Sunday’s 78-70 victory at the hands of Marist, are rising from the ashes once more, now even in MAAC play with a 7-7 conference record after having their mortality questioned more than ever this season in the face of head coach Tim Cluess’ health issues and acting replacement Tra Arnold seemingly struggling to shed his assistant coach makeup in the first two months of the season. And in a manner similar to last year’s 10-game win streak Iona carried into the NCAA Tournament, history is repeating itself in New Rochelle, except with a new impetus this time around.
E.J. Crawford has driven Iona to four straight wins since addressing social media after Gaels’ loss to Manhattan to open month of February. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)
Following Iona’s 72-49 loss to Manhattan on February 2, an uncharacteristically flat offensive performance by the four-time reigning MAAC champions, E.J. Crawford took to social media the morning after and made an impassioned plea to the Gaels’ fan base, urging it not to act as though the sky was falling in and around Westchester County.
— E Bucks (@EJCrawford5) February 3, 2020
“We’re just a family,” Crawford said last Friday, following the Gaels’ 80-57 rout of Manhattan in a rematch with the Jaspers, of the emotion behind his post. “We pick each other up when some of us are down.”
“That tweet was the turnaround for our season,” Tajuan Agee said of his fellow senior’s rally cry. “He did a great job of leading by just sending that out, like, forget what everybody else is saying. It’s us. It’s about us in this locker room, it’s about these 13 guys, and I think that brought everybody together and got us to buy in.”
What makes this display all the more significant is that it marks a stark contrast from Crawford’s usual lead-by-example approach. Nonetheless, it has served as the object from which Iona has galvanized itself, and the primary motivator in the latest uprising, which continues Wednesday at Siena, and also on Friday when Rider visits the Hynes Athletics Center.
“It’s the exact opposite of his personality,” Agee said, initially incredulous by Crawford’s actions. “For him to do that, that made me like, ‘Alright, okay, he’s serious now.’ Now we’re locked in, and I think it rubbed off on the rest of the guys. It just brought us together. We’re more of a family now than ever.”
Once again owners of a well-timed hot streak, everything appears to be coming together at the perfect moment for Iona, and its four-year veteran — seeking to join Rickey McGill as the only other player in MAAC history with an undefeated conference tournament record — has made sure the stakes as the season heats up are not lost on neither him nor his teammates.
“Of course, we might hit our bumps and bruises at the beginning because there’s so many new guys, but I tell the guys it matters in February and March,” Crawford reiterated. “As long as we get it together around then, we should be alright.”
Scoring Leaders
1) E.J. Crawford, Iona (17.9 PPG)
2) Deion Hammond, Monmouth (16.1)
3) Rich Kelly, Quinnipiac (16.1)
4) Jalen Pickett, Siena (15.5)
5) Elijah Burns, Siena (14.6)
6) Ray Salnave, Monmouth (14.4)
7) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (14.2)
8) Tajuan Agee, Iona (13.8)
9) Marcus Hammond, Niagara (13.7)
10) Manny Camper, Siena (13.6)
Rebounding Leaders
1) Kevin Marfo, Quinnipiac (13.3 RPG)
2) Manny Camper, Siena (10.2)
3) Tyere Marshall, Rider (7.9)
4) Tajuan Agee, Iona (7.5)
5) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (6.5)
6) Pauly Paulicap, Manhattan (6.4)
7) Malik Johnson, Canisius (6.1)
8) Elijah Burns, Siena (6.1)
9) Michael Cubbage, Marist (6.0)
T-10) Vincent Eze, Fairfield (5.6)
T-10) Frederick Scott, Rider (5.6)
Assist Leaders
1) Malik Johnson, Canisius (6.0 APG)
2) Jalen Pickett, Siena (5.6)
3) Rich Kelly, Quinnipiac (4.6)
4) Stevie Jordan, Rider (4.1)
5) Isaiah Washington, Iona (3.4)
6) Samuel Chaput, Monmouth (3.3)
7) Ray Salnave, Monmouth (3.1)
8) Tajuan Agee, Iona (3.1)
9) Michael Cubbage, Marist (3.1)
10) Marcus Hammond, Niagara (3.0)
Field Goal Percentage Leaders
1) Elijah Burns, Siena (.626)
2) Tyere Marshall, Rider (.608)
3) Warren Williams, Manhattan (.570)
4) Tajuan Agee, Iona (.521)
5) Greg Kuakumensah, Niagara (.516)
6) Vincent Eze, Fairfield (.494)
7) Pauly Paulicap, Manhattan (.489)
8) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (.489)
9) Manny Camper, Siena (.481)
10) Frederick Scott, Rider (.474)
Free Throw Percentage Leaders
1) Rich Kelly, Quinnipiac (.879)
2) Ray Salnave, Monmouth (.862)
3) Elijah Burns, Siena (.850)
4) E.J. Crawford, Iona (.847)
5) Deion Hammond, Monmouth (.831)
6) Donald Carey, Siena (.823)
7) Taj Benning, Fairfield (.819)
8) James Towns, Niagara (.808)
9) Tajuan Agee, Iona (.777)
10) Scott Hitchon, Canisius (.754)
3-Point Field Goal Percentage Leaders
1) Matthew Lee, Saint Peter’s (.511)
2) Doug Edert, Saint Peter’s (.443)
3) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (.429)
4) Matt Herasme, Marist (.420)
5) Braden Bell, Marist (.419)
6) Frederick Scott, Rider (.404)
7) Nehemiah Mack, Manhattan (.404)
8) Marcus Hammond, Niagara (.400)
9) Ray Salnave, Monmouth (.398)
10) Jacob Rigoni, Quinnipiac (.395)
Steal Leaders
1) Malik Johnson, Canisius (2.1 SPG)
2) Christian Hinckson, Manhattan (1.8)
3) Isaiah Washington, Iona (1.6)
4) Michael Cubbage, Marist (1.5)
5) Stevie Jordan, Rider (1.5)
Blocked Shot Leaders
1) KC Ndefo, Saint Peter’s (2.4 BPG)
2) Pauly Paulicap, Manhattan (1.7)
3) Seth Pinkney, Quinnipiac (1.5)
4) Tajuan Agee, Iona (1.3)
5) Jalen Pickett, Siena (1.2)
Power Rankings
1) Saint Peter’s (13-11, 10-5 MAAC)
Last Week: 1
Last Game: Sunday 2/16 vs. Fairfield (W 61-44)
Next Game: Friday 2/21 at Manhattan, 7 p.m.
2) Siena (13-10, 9-5 MAAC)
Last Week: 4
Last Game: Sunday 2/16 vs. Manhattan (W 65-52)
Next Game: Wednesday 2/19 vs. Iona, 7 p.m.
3) Rider (15-10, 9-6 MAAC)
Last Week: 2
Last Game: Sunday 2/16 vs. Quinnipiac (W 79-63)
Next Game: Friday 2/21 at Iona, 7 p.m.
4) Monmouth (14-11, 8-6 MAAC)
Last Week: 5
Last Game: Sunday 2/16 at Niagara (L 77-72)
Next Game: Friday 2/21 at Marist, 7 p.m.
5) Iona (9-12, 7-7 MAAC)
Last Week: 7
Last Game: Sunday 2/16 vs. Marist (W 78-70)
Next Game: Wednesday 2/19 at Siena, 7 p.m.
6) Manhattan (11-12, 7-7 MAAC)
Last Week: 3
Last Game: Sunday 2/16 at Siena (L 65-52)
Next Game: Friday 2/21 at Saint Peter’s, 7 p.m.
7) Niagara (9-16, 7-7 MAAC)
Last Week: 10
Last Game: Sunday 2/16 vs. Monmouth (W 77-72)
Next Game: Friday 2/21 at Fairfield, 7 p.m.
8) Quinnipiac (11-13, 6-8 MAAC)
Last Week: 6
Last Game: Sunday 2/16 at Rider (L 79-63)
Next Game: Friday 2/21 vs. Canisius, 7 p.m.
9) Fairfield (10-15, 6-8 MAAC)
Last Week: 9
Last Game: Sunday 2/16 at Saint Peter’s (L 61-44)
Next Game: Friday 2/21 vs. Niagara, 7 p.m.
10) Marist (6-17, 5-9 MAAC)
Last Week: 8
Last Game: Sunday 2/16 at Iona (L 78-70)
Next Game: Friday 2/21 vs. Monmouth, 7 p.m.
11) Canisius (9-16, 4-10 MAAC)
Last Week: 11
Last Game: Friday 2/14 vs. Monmouth (L 85-71)
Next Game: Friday 2/21 at Quinnipiac, 7 p.m.
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