MAAC Monday joins the beginning of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference stretch drive with a look at two of the league’s bigger overachievers in this week's team spotlight, before updating the stat leaders and power rankings within the 11-team congregation. The first closer profile highlights a collection of underclassmen whose individual numbers may not necessarily be gaudy, but when joined together, forms a deceptively strong unit that could still be a year away from ultimately realizing its maximum potential, yet is still a legitimate contender to ascend to the top of the MAAC mountain.
Shaheen Holloway has directed Saint Peter’s to share of MAAC lead with nine underclassmen and only two seniors, shepherding Peacocks’ rapid ascent to top of conference. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)
Shaheen Holloway arrived at Saint Peter’s 22 months ago with mounds of promise, lofty aspirations, and a vision that matched his outsized personality and all-inclusive, extroverted nature. The Peacocks’ program had already been left in outstanding shape by John Dunne, but Holloway — a Seton Hall assistant much like his predecessor — surveyed the landscape and the rock-solid foundation laid out prior to his hire, and turned it into a full-scale beautification project in and around Jersey City, reaching out to the New Jersey basketball community he spent two decades in as a player and assistant coach to share in the collective goal.
Nearly two years later, Saint Peter’s — a program with only two seniors in its everyday rotation and no player averaging more than 8.3 points per game — has flown to the top of the MAAC standings after wrapping up a regular-season sweep of in-state rival Monmouth, a meteoric rise that has surprised many outside the MAAC and Garden State, but also one that was expected sooner rather than later.
“I’m just proud of the guys, especially having a young team,” the selfless Holloway reflected after Sunday’s 81-69 victory over Monmouth, the Hawks’ first home loss of the season. “These guys have no egos. I tell them all the time, I’m trying to play 11-12 guys double-figure minutes, and it’s so easy to get frustrated. But these guys come in, they buy in and they just play.”
On a team featuring nine players that are either freshmen or sophomores, the need to have a veteran leader is tantamount to success, and the Peacocks have recognized that in Cameron Jones and Quinn Taylor, the two holdovers from Dunne’s last season at the helm. In fact, Taylor has set the example for the younger generation to follow despite his reticent nature.
“I lean on him a lot,” Holloway said of the senior Texan. “Everybody likes him, everybody looks up to him. He leads by example more than talking, but his play is just contagious. He’ll give you everything he’s got every time on the court, in practice or in games. I tell these young guys all the time, ‘If you’re going to play like somebody, play like Quinn.’”
Two months ago, following a non-conference loss at St. John’s, a brutally honest Holloway admitted his team played scared in defeat, but chalked up the jitters to a game against a Big East Conference opponent that was, perhaps, a daunting early test to such a youthful outfit. Since then, there have been minor setbacks on the road, but the positives still outweigh the negatives with seven MAAC games remaining.
“We’re making strides,” Holloway conceded. “We went up to Marist on Friday, and they kicked our butts. To come back here and get this win on the road was pretty big, especially in this conference. If you can win on the road, it’s huge. All I ask is that our guys play hard and play together, and we’ve been doing that since conference play started. We don’t get too high, don’t get too low.”
Scoring Leaders
1) E.J. Crawford, Iona (17.6 PPG)
2) Deion Hammond, Monmouth (16.6)
3) Rich Kelly, Quinnipiac (16.2)
4) Jalen Pickett, Siena (15.2)
5) Elijah Burns, Siena (15.1)
6) Ray Salnave, Monmouth (14.7)
7) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (14.1)
8) Manny Camper, Siena (13.7)
9) Tajuan Agee, Iona (13.6)
10) Malik Johnson, Canisius (13.3)
Rebounding Leaders
1) Kevin Marfo, Quinnipiac (13.3 RPG)
2) Manny Camper, Siena (10.4)
3) Tajuan Agee, Iona (7.6)
4) Tyere Marshall, Rider (7.5)
5) Pauly Paulicap, Manhattan (6.5)
6) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (6.5)
7) Elijah Burns, Siena (6.1)
8) Malik Johnson, Canisius (6.1)
9) Michael Cubbage, Marist (6.0)
10) Frederick Scott, Rider (5.7)
Assist Leaders
1) Malik Johnson, Canisius (6.1 APG)
2) Jalen Pickett, Siena (5.3)
3) Rich Kelly, Quinnipiac (4.6)
4) Stevie Jordan, Rider (4.2)
5) Isaiah Washington, Iona (3.4)
6) Samuel Chaput, Monmouth (3.3)
7) Brendan McGuire, Quinnipiac (3.2)
8) Ray Salnave, Monmouth (3.2)
9) Michael Cubbage, Marist (3.1)
10) Samir Stewart, Manhattan (3.1)
Field Goal Percentage Leaders
1) Elijah Burns, Siena (.652)
2) Tyere Marshall, Rider (.605)
3) Warren Williams, Manhattan (.580)
4) Greg Kuakumensah, Niagara (.524)
5) Tajuan Agee, Iona (.506)
6) Vincent Eze, Fairfield (.500)
7) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (.486)
8) Manny Camper, Siena (.484)
9) Pauly Paulicap, Manhattan (.482)
10) Frederick Scott, Rider (.473)
Free Throw Percentage Leaders
1) Rich Kelly, Quinnipiac (.879)
2) Ray Salnave, Monmouth (.870)
3) Elijah Burns, Siena (.854)
4) Deion Hammond, Monmouth (.852)
5) Donald Carey, Siena (.849)
6) E.J. Crawford, Iona (.828)
7) James Towns, Niagara (.811)
8) Taj Benning, Fairfield (.806)
9) Tajuan Agee, Iona (.776)
10) Scott Hitchon, Canisius (.763)
3-Point Field Goal Percentage Leaders
1) Matthew Lee, Saint Peter’s (.511)
2) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (.456)
3) Doug Edert, Saint Peter’s (.433)
4) Ray Salnave, Monmouth (.420)
5) Jacob Rigoni, Quinnipiac (.418)
6) Frederick Scott, Rider (.416)
7) Braden Bell, Marist (.411)
8) Matt Herasme, Marist (.407)
9) Nehemiah Mack, Manhattan (.404)
10) Justin Roberts, Niagara (.392)
Steal Leaders
1) Malik Johnson, Canisius (2.2 SPG)
2) Christian Hinckson, Manhattan (1.9)
3) Isaiah Washington, Iona (1.6)
4) Matt Herasme, Marist (1.6)
5) Michael Cubbage, Marist (1.5)
Blocked Shot Leaders
1) KC Ndefo, Saint Peter’s (2.5 BPG)
2) Pauly Paulicap, Manhattan (1.5)
3) Seth Pinkney, Quinnipiac (1.5)
4) Tajuan Agee, Iona (1.3)
5) Jalen Pickett, Siena (1.2)
Power Rankings
1) Saint Peter’s (11-11, 8-5 MAAC)
Last Week: 2
Last Game: Sunday 2/9 at Monmouth (W 81-69)
Next Game: Friday 2/14 vs. Quinnipiac, 7 p.m.
2) Rider (14-9, 8-5 MAAC)
Last Week: 5
Last Game: Sunday 2/9 vs. Niagara (W 73-58)
Next Game: Friday 2/14 at Siena, 9 p.m.
3) Manhattan (11-10, 7-5 MAAC)
Last Week: 6
Last Game: Sunday 2/9 at Quinnipiac (W 65-63)
Next Game: Friday 2/14 at Iona, 7 p.m.
4) Siena (11-10, 7-5 MAAC)
Last Week: 3
Last Game: Friday 2/7 vs. Fairfield (W 65-49)
Next Game: Friday 2/14 vs. Rider, 9 p.m.
5) Monmouth (13-10, 7-5 MAAC)
Last Week: 1
Last Game: Sunday 2/9 vs. Saint Peter’s (L 81-69)
Next Game: Friday 2/14 at Canisius, 7 p.m.
6) Quinnipiac (11-11, 6-6 MAAC)
Last Week: 4
Last Game: Sunday 2/9 vs. Manhattan (L 65-63)
Next Game: Friday 2/14 at Saint Peter’s, 7 p.m.
7) Iona (7-12, 5-7 MAAC)
Last Week: 11
Last Game: Sunday 2/9 at Fairfield (W 78-54)
Next Game: Friday 2/14 vs. Manhattan, 7 p.m.
8) Marist (6-15, 5-7 MAAC)
Last Week: 10
Last Game: Friday 2/7 vs. Saint Peter’s (W 72-61)
Next Game: Friday 2/14 vs. Fairfield, 7 p.m.
9) Fairfield (9-14, 5-7 MAAC)
Last Week: 9
Last Game: Sunday 2/9 vs. Iona (L 78-54)
Next Game: Friday 2/14 at Marist, 7 p.m.
10) Niagara (7-16, 5-7 MAAC)
Last Week: 7
Last Game: Sunday 2/9 at Rider (L 73-58)
Next Game: Wednesday 2/12 vs. Canisius, 7 p.m.
11) Canisius (9-14, 4-8 MAAC)
Last Week: 8
Last Game: Friday 2/7 at Rider (L 61-60)
Next Game: Wednesday 2/12 at Niagara, 7 p.m.
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