Iona’s conclusion to 2024 “frustrating” to Anderson, who now resets as Gaels face Marist

Tobin Anderson has expressed consternation amid Iona’s early struggles. Gaels are 4-9 with MAAC play resuming Friday. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — Tobin Anderson went into Sunday thinking his Iona team was prime to turn a corner in its final non-conference matchup of the season.

After the Gaels had, in the coach’s view, a satisfactory practice leading up to their game against Harvard, why wouldn’t the coach be encouraged by a light at the end of a tunnel that appeared winding and circuitous at various times this season?

For a time in the second half Sunday, Anderson’s vision manifested as Iona fought from an inconsistent first half to build a five-point lead with less than nine minutes remaining in regulation. But yet another inconsistent stretch came at the most inopportune time as Harvard ripped off a 12-0 run to steal momentum—and ultimately, a 67-61 win—from the homestanding Gaels at the Hynes Athletics Center.

“I was really excited because I thought we had turned a corner,” Anderson lamented. “I thought we practiced well (Saturday) and we were gonna play well, and we didn’t. If you don’t play as hard as you could play, as together as you can play and as tough as you can play every night out, you’re gonna be in trouble. And that’s what we don’t have right now. We’re a little bit too concerned about our own situation than the team situation. Basketball’s the ultimate team game. You’ve gotta play for each other, and right now, we’re not. And we’ve gotta keep getting better at that.”

“We didn’t act like a mature team. When you’re up by four or five, you gotta get it to seven or eight. We turned it over at some crucial times and we didn’t get great shots. We’ve got guards living on jumpers, so we gotta do a better job of that.”

Iona’s offense, which Anderson desires to be an uptempo outfit regularly scoring 80 or more points per game, has sputtered more often than not during its 4-9 start to the season. Dejour Reaves and Adam Njie have performed admirably as the senior-freshman backcourt pairing this season, with James Patterson providing an understated impact alongside them in his first Division I season. But after that, a number of question marks remain. Anderson has shaken up his lineup, played all-experienced hands, let some of his younger players undergo a baptism by fire at some points as well. However, each trial has ultimately reached the same impasse.

“To be a good offensive team, you gotta do things for each other,” he pleaded. “We’re not doing enough of that right now. It’s like having a team that’s young, inexperienced and not been together. The problem is we’re not young, we’re not inexperienced. We have some older guys who we need more out of. I don’t think we’re playing with a great purpose right now, and that irritates me a little bit. What are we trying to do?”

“It’s just been frustrating, as you could probably tell. There’s an energy level we can get to, but we don’t do it consistently. I thought we showed a little bit of energy—(Justin) Menard comes in and gives us energy, I thought Yaphet (Moundi) played his ass off—we need that from every guy, plain and simple. We’re not this offensive juggernaut, so we have to play that way.”