2020-21 MAAC preview: Can anyone unseat Siena?

Jalen Pickett looks to shoot Siena back into NCAA Tournament after COVID-19 denied Saints in March. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

While COVID-19 claimed March Madness among its catastrophic death toll, one thing remained clear heading into last season’s ill-fated Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament: Siena was the team to beat.

A 10-game win streak to end the year gets carried over into the 2020-21 campaign, which begins November 25, and so too does the reigning MAAC Player of the Year in junior guard Jalen Pickett. Manny Camper, who tested the NBA Draft waters over the summer, is back for his senior season as well, giving Carmen Maciariello and the Saints each of their two first team all-MAAC weapons. The returns of Gary Harris, Jr., Jordan King and Kyle Young; coupled with graduate transfer newcomers Nick Hopkins and Harrison Curry, not to mention Rhode Island expatriate Dana Tate and freshman Aidan Carpenter, make Siena the most formidable of the eleven MAAC outfits going into an unorthodox season that may not even be completed, although the hope is to play as much of it with as few disruptions as possible.

As Siena transforms from hunter to hunted, a glut of challengers prepares to take the next step. Iona will be shooting for its fifth straight MAAC postseason championship, and doing so under the guidance of a Naismith Hall of Fame head coach, as Rick Pitino has made his triumphant return to the college ranks as Tim Cluess’ successor in New Rochelle. Pitino and his staff transformed the Gaels’ roster in short order, bringing several intriguing newcomers into the fray to pair with incumbent talent such as Asante Gist, Isaiah Ross and Dylan Van Eyck, but the fact that the team was unable to get into the gym for most of the offseason due to the pandemic will be worth noting as team chemistry will have to form fast during the abbreviated non-conference portion of the schedule.

Saint Peter’s, who halted Iona's 13-game MAAC tournament dominance, returns seven of its top nine players after the Peacocks exceeded expectations and proved the genius behind hiring Shaheen Holloway. Point guard Aaron Estrada transferred to Oregon in the offseason, but the beauty of the system in Jersey City is that no one player is above the team, allowing the bright future to continue unimpeded with a roster that should handle its first dose of legitimate hype with aplomb.

Monmouth also loses one of its backcourt leaders after Ray Salnave transferred to DePaul, but the Hawks possess one of the deeper cadres of guards in the league, paced by senior shooter Deion Hammond, a contender for Player of the Year honors. Sophomore Donovann Toatley is eligible this year after sitting out, and will aid Samuel Chaput in handling the ball while George Papas is freed up to be more of a scorer. The key for King Rice’s team, though, will be the development of a young frontcourt whose top players — Nikkei Rutty and Jarvis Vaughan — are both recovering from injuries.

Niagara surprised a fair share of people by finishing in the middle of the conference with a four-out, one-in offense that relied heavily upon Marcus Hammond. Now a junior, Hammond will be a focal point again on Monteagle Ridge as the winning culture created by head coach Greg Paulus will further develop in year two under the former Duke point guard. Manhattan loses Pauly Paulicap and Tykei Greene, as well as Christian Hinckson, but Steve Masiello was able to replace them with three transfers who are all immediately eligible. Samba Diallo provides the Jaspers with a wing presence not seen since Rich Williams graduated, Jason Douglas-Stanley is a lethal shooter, and Anthony Nelson arrives from Seton Hall to give Manhattan its first pure point guard since RaShawn Stores dictated the Jasper brand in Riverdale. Fairfield welcomes two sit-out transfers in Caleb Green (Holy Cross) and Tshiefu Ngalakulondi (St. Bonaventure) to jumpstart Jay Young’s second season at the helm. Look for the Stags, who also bring back Jesus Cruz and Taj Benning for their senior seasons in addition to sophomores Chris Maidoh and Allan Jeanne-Rose, to be much improved and closer to the top half of the league than the bottom.

Quinnipiac must now embrace life without Rich Kelly and Kevin Marfo after the pair transferred up, but any MAAC aficionado knows not to discount Baker Dunleavy or his staff’s eye for player development. Jacob Rigoni enters his senior season as the Bobcats’ de facto leader, and Tyrese Williams will be more of a factor on both ends of the floor entering his junior season. If the backcourt can continue to be a stabilizing force while 7-foot center Seth Pinkney and a healthy Brendan McGuire further evolve, Quinnipiac will not suffer much of a dropoff. Canisius will also be retooling after losing Malik Johnson and Corey Brown, but the Golden Griffins possess mounds of upside in Majesty Brandon, who may very well be the MAAC’s leading scorer this season. The group of Jordan Henderson, Jalanni White, Jacco Fritz and Armon Harried will also make a bigger impact in Buffalo this season.

Marist goes into its third year of the John Dunne era with more roster continuity despite the loss of Tyler Sagl, as Michael Cubbage and Matt Herasme will lead the charge in Poughkeepsie. Memphis transfer Victor Enoh will see more than his share of opportunities to contribute to a burgeoning unit as well. Finally, Rider is rebuilding almost from scratch with only four returning players this season, but head coach Kevin Baggett has been encouraged by what he has seen thus far in the offseason. How far Christian Ings takes the Broncs will ultimately be the deciding factor in how much of a leap Rider makes after replacing all of its five starters.

Predicted Order of Finish:

1) Siena — The pieces are in place for the Saints to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 11 years. Carmen Maciariello spoke passionately about the power of belief last season, and the prevailing opinion in the Capital Region is that good things will come to those who wait.

2) Saint Peter’s — The Peacocks arrived at the top of the MAAC a year ahead of schedule. Shaheen Holloway now has to prepare his group for higher expectations, but an even-keeled roster that gets the most out of every piece should have no problem there.

3) Monmouth — The Hawks will be guard-heavy this season and will likely go as far as Deion Hammond permits, but King Rice also has a deep roster in West Long Branch as well. Look for a smaller brand of basketball with more floor spacing this season, something that will catch several opponents off guard.

4) Iona — There is no denying Rick Pitino will win the Gaels a handful of games they wouldn’t normally have to the good. What remains to be seen, though, is how well the team will mesh early in the season before definitely playing its best basketball heading into March.

5) Manhattan — Anthony Nelson at the point will allow Samir Stewart to be unleashed off the ball, and the combination will harken back to the days of RaShawn Stores and Michael Alvarado. The keys for the Jaspers will be keeping Warren Williams out of foul trouble in the lane, and Elijah Buchanan making a bigger leap on the wing alongside newcomer Samba Diallo.

6) Niagara — Remember the name: Marcus Hammond. The former Cardozo standout will be known to the nation this year as Greg Paulus and the Purple Eagles will enjoy yet another uptick in performance. If Jordan Cintron’s waiver gets approved, Niagara becomes a top-half MAAC team, and if not, Division II transfer Kobi Nwandu will make a name for himself early and often.

7) Canisius — Majesty Brandon will contend with the aforementioned Marcus Hammond for the MAAC scoring title, but the bigger takeaway here is that Reggie Witherspoon has been able to get his supporting cast to improve more every season. This year will be no different.

8) Fairfield — The Stags will most likely own one of the conference’s best defenses, and a lot of their offensive growth depends on how much Caleb Green and Tshiefu Ngalakulondi will be able to make an impact after Landon Taliaferro graduated.

9) Quinnipiac — The Bobcats are multifaceted and versatile, but long-term success will hinge on how well Jacob Rigoni is able to shift into the lead role on offense.

10) Marist — The Red Foxes will be a better team than last season, but will have to rely on the offense to create shots more than last year now that Tyler Sagl is no longer around. Matt Herasme was one of the MAAC’s best 3-point options a year ago, and should reprise his skill set easily.

11) Rider — The Broncs are essentially an entirely new team, but if Christian Ings can close the gap between he and his predecessor, Stevie Jordan, the Broncs will not endure growing pains for long.

Preseason All-MAAC Predictions:

Player of the Year: Jalen Pickett, Siena

Rest of First Team: Manny Camper, Siena; Deion Hammond, Monmouth; Marcus Hammond, Niagara; KC Ndefo, Saint Peter’s

Second Team: Majesty Brandon, Canisius; Asante Gist, Iona; Jordan Henderson, Canisius; Isaiah Ross, Iona; Warren Williams, Manhattan

Third Team: Caleb Green, Fairfield; Gary Harris, Jr., Siena, Jacob Rigoni; Quinnipiac, Donovann Toatley, Monmouth; Tyrese Williams, Quinnipiac

Rookie of the Year: Aidan Carpenter, Siena

Sixth Man of the Year: George Papas, Monmouth

Defensive Player of the Year: KC Ndefo, Saint Peter’s

Coach of the Year: Carmen Maciariello, Siena