Previewing the 2018-19 MAAC season

While Iona prepares for another MAAC championship defense, Dimencio Vaughn leads Rider into season where Broncs return nearly everyone from regular season title-winning outfit. (Photo by Vincent Simone/NYC Buckets)

The words of caution exercised around the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference last season were a warning to expect the unexpected, as many pundits did not know what to make of the league in the wake of a conference-wide graduation of many senior leaders, the rebuilding of a Monmouth program that had dominated the two prior campaigns, or even the emergence of Canisius and Niagara, each with tremendous upside that carried the Western New York institutions into the postseason.

Come March, though, the end result was far from unexpected, as Iona emerged from a chaotic MAAC Tournament to pick up the pieces with its third consecutive conference crown, joining La Salle and Siena as the only league members to accomplish that feat.

The Gaels, having retooled once again as head coach Tim Cluess attempts to make additional history in New Rochelle, will blend a new look with incoming talent such as Asante Gist and Isaiah Still with incumbents Rickey McGill and Roland Griffin, not to mention junior wing E.J. Crawford. Iona's losses of both Schadrac Casimir and Zach Lewis in the backcourt will be hard to overcome, as will the well-deserved opportunity associate head coach Jared Grasso earned this offseason by taking the vacant head coaching job at Bryant, but the wise man knows that picking against the proven commodity is only signaling his own peril. Nonetheless, a glut of challengers stands ready to knock the champion off its seemingly perennial throne, beginning with the team that overachieved, in some aspects, last year to earn the regular season championship and automatic National Invitation Tournament berth that comes with it.

Rider rode a quintet of double-figure scorers to a 15-3 MAAC record last year, allowing Kevin Baggett to be recognized as the MAAC's Coach of the Year for a second time in his six seasons at the helm in Lawrenceville. In an even more encouraging nod to the state of affairs in the southern portion of New Jersey, nearly everyone who contributed to the Broncs' success last season is back, namely junior point guard Stevie Jordan and redshirt sophomore Dimencio Vaughn. The arrivals of Ahmad Gilbert and Kimar Williams, both of whom sat out last year, only makes Rider even more formidable behind rotation mainstays Frederick Scott, Jordan Allen and Tyere Marshall, the latter of whom Baggett believes is in line for a breakout junior season.

Having shared the title of top dog with Rider last season, Canisius is poised to replicate what will go down in program history as one of the finest seasons for the Golden Griffins since the days of John Beilein in the mid-1990s. Jermaine Crumpton will be irreplaceable for Reggie Witherspoon, but a pair of likely first team all-conference talents in Isaiah Reese and Takal Molson will go a long way toward mitigating the blow. Point guard Malik Johnson is as impactful as any player in the conference, even if his scoring numbers may not be truly indicative of his value, and if Jibreel Faulkner -- who showed promise in the latter stages of last season -- can blossom into a serviceable scorer, the future will remain bright in Buffalo.

Quinnipiac went through the expected peaks and valleys of year one under Baker Dunleavy, sharpening its teeth in a number of close games throughout the year and developing a battle-tested will that carried the Bobcats to the semifinals of the MAAC Tournament. Getting Cameron Young for another year will only be a boon to the system in Hamden, and if transfers Kevin Marfo and Travis Atson are as good as advertised, the number of options in Dunleavy's arsenal will be limitless. Australian wing Jacob Rigoni worked on his all-around game last season while putting up otherworldly numbers from long distance, and should be more of a two-way threat this season in a perimeter-oriented attack that loses only Chaise Daniels, while experiencing an influx of incoming guards to ease the burden on Rich Kelly.

In the next flight of teams, Monmouth took its first steps toward replacing Justin Robinson in a year that head coach King Rice admitted could have been better. Losing Micah Seaborn will hurt, but in many ways, his injury-related absence last year afforded the Hawks the chance to grow on the fly, with Deion Hammond leading the charge as he heads into his sophomore season. Look for Louie Pillari to take on more of a leadership role in West Long Branch this year, as will point guard Nick Rutherford, who is eligible after sitting out a year ago following his arrival from Florida Atlantic. Monmouth's cadre of big men is still among the best in the MAAC, and Rice's deep rotation will always be a tough out as the season goes on. Fairfield will experience this season what Monmouth went through last year post-Robinson, as Tyler Nelson and his all-time leading point total have graduated. However, eternal optimist Sydney Johnson is confident in his players' ability to shoulder the load, beginning with seniors Jonathan Kasibabu and Matija Milin up front, and continuing with incumbent guards Jesus Cruz and Aidas Kavaliauskas. Early buzz around the Stags program seems to indicate incoming freshman Neftali Alvarez will quickly make a name for himself in and around the league as one of the MAAC's premier freshmen. Niagara, now without the services of senior warriors Kahlil Dukes and Matt Scott, is once again an intriguing conundrum this year. James Towns will have the chance to establish himself as the face of the Purple Eagles' offense as head coach Chris Casey builds off a postseason appearance, and senior forward Marvin Prochet may very well be the most underrated player in the conference. Dominic Robb adds a shot-blocking facet that very few teams in the MAAC will be able to match.

Marist has senior leadership on its roster and a potential first team all-conference player in Brian Parker, and a new -- but familiar -- face on its bench in John Dunne, who moved within the league this offseason, leaving Saint Peter's after twelve years to replace Mike Maker in the Hudson Valley. The Red Foxes should be much improved on the defensive end, and Dunne's ability to squeeze a lot out of a little will make the one-time contender a threat more often than Marist has been in recent years. Speaking of Dunne, his former Saint Peter's program returns impactful pieces in Sam Idowu and Quinn Taylor for new pilot Shaheen Holloway, who promises a more uptempo style in Jersey City as the Peacocks attempt to navigate through the league two years removed from a CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament championship.

The one other MAAC program under new leadership this season is Siena, where Jamion Christian has injected new life and youthful enthusiasm into one of the conference's most rabid fan bases after Jimmy Patsos resigned in the offseason. The Saints will be led by a pair of incumbent guards in Khalil Richard and Ahsante Shivers, but Christian's greatest challenge this year will be finding consistency in the paint, where Evan Fisher projects to be the top player down low after Prince Oduro was one of several players who transferred out of the Capital Region following Patsos' departure. Finally, Manhattan presents a situation that head coach Steve Masiello has already compared to his first year at the helm in Riverdale. Only five scholarship players saw minutes last season for the Jaspers, led by MAAC Defensive Player of the Year Pauly Paulicap. The dynamic force under the rim will team with senior Tom Capuano to be the two de facto leaders of the Jasper program, but it is the development of five true freshmen and redshirt Warren Williams that will be the biggest key for the former champions this season. Everyone knows of Masiello's ability to motivate and get his team to play its best when it matters most, and if his quiet confidence as of late suggests anything, it is that Manhattan will be surprising a lot of people.

Predicted Order of Finish:

1) Rider - The knock on the Broncs is the inability to get past the quarterfinals in Albany. With over 90 percent of last year's scoring back again, there is no excuse not to be playing for a championship this year. The talent is there, and should reveal itself early and often.

2) Iona - It remains to be seen how soon the Gaels will find the championship groove, but while Rider has the horses to carry the regular season, Iona will likely do what it does best when the calendar flips to March.

3) Quinnipiac - Last year was only the beginning for Baker Dunleavy. With his system now in place and the type of athletes necessary to perfect it now in the fold, the Bobcats should be much closer to the top of the league this time around.

4) Canisius - Even without Jermaine Crumpton, the Griffs have the favorite for Player of the Year honors in Isaiah Reese, and more than enough ancillary options for Reggie Witherspoon to continue building a contender in Buffalo.

5) Monmouth - The cycle begins again for the Hawks. In Monmouth's first year in the MAAC five years ago, growing pains were endured before an 18-win season in 2014-15 set the tone for two postseason appearances, 55 wins, and the legend of Justin Robinson. Expect this year to be more in line with 2014-15, with Deion Hammond taking the next step toward becoming an all-league player.

6) Marist - The Red Foxes are already being projected in a wide range across the second half of the league standings. However, two proven winning qualities already exist on the roster: Seniors, and a veteran coach. John Dunne alone will win Marist more games in the heat of conference play than most others in the business.

7) Fairfield - Tyler Nelson will be impossible to replace, but Neftali Alvarez should soften the blow for the Stags. Aidas Kavaliauskas getting the point guard reins for a full season will make Fairfield a more stable unit in the backcourt, and if the forwards can stay out of foul trouble, a more cohesive one on all fronts.

8) Niagara - Take note of James Towns now, as he will be among the conference leaders in scoring soon after. Chris Casey's ability to develop his supporting cast will be what defines the year on Monteagle Ridge for better or worse.

9) Manhattan - This year is arguably the most pivotal for Steve Masiello since he returned to Riverdale as head coach in 2011, and he has proven on multiple occasions that he works best under pressure. Look for the Jaspers to play in his own image this season, overcoming adversity while enduring some bumps in the road, but coming away having learned more every night.

10) Saint Peter's - Shaheen Holloway has already hit the ground running this offseason, and has a full cupboard with which to work in year one. The Peacocks should be much better than this four months from now.

11) Siena - The long road begins for Jamion Christian, and if his work at Mount St. Mary's has shown anything, it is that the Saints will be contenders in very short order. However, tough sledding awaits for a team who lost each of its top four players to transfers in the offseason.