MAAC Monday: Quinnipiac’s return to league play, stat leaders, power rankings

Baker Dunleavy and Quinnipiac have returned from pause with focus on defensive intensity, and despite Bobcats’ 1-3 league start, potential and upside remains present. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

MAAC Monday returns this week in its usual three-segment format, updating stat leaders and power rankings, but spotlighting a program whose return to Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play happened a week ago, and despite its 1-3 record, has yielded many positives that can serve it well in February and March.

Sidelined for over a month after a COVID-related pause sacrificed the remainder of the December schedule for Quinnipiac, the Bobcats returned to the floor last weekend for the first time since December 6 when they welcomed Manhattan into the People’s United Center. After splitting two contests with the Jaspers, Baker Dunleavy’s team hit the road for a pair of games against Monmouth, controlling the majority of the first encounter before surrendering a late run to the Hawks that tied the game before Monmouth prevailed going away in overtime. This past Saturday, the Bobcats scored the first five points of the evening but were forced to play from behind after Monmouth took control and never looked back in a 70-63 decision at the OceanFirst Bank Center.

“King does a great job with the identity of his team,” Dunleavy said of Monmouth head coach King Rice, whose Hawks forced 27 Quinnipiac turnovers Friday. “They’re a team that plays at a great pace, really puts pressure on you to get back defensively, and I think it’s much easier to handle that in the beginning of a game when you’re fresh and locked in. I felt like we did a good job of getting our defense set, but they’re going to do what they do, and they’re hard to handle.”

On the Bobcats’ end, the growth of Jacob Rigoni was on full display as the senior anchored a multifaceted offense and proved he has become more than a perimeter threat. Dunleavy was confident in the offseason that Rigoni would be able to take on a greater load, and his optimism has been vindicated in the Australian becoming more of a rebounder and passer, ranking tied for second in the former category with an average of 7.5 boards per game.

“He’s known in our league as an elite shooter, and he is,” Dunleavy said of Rigoni. “But that’s something that teams are trying to take away. He’s had a few games this year where he’s had double-digit rebounds, and it’s really what we need from him at that position.”

Rigoni’s old role on the wing has been filled admirably as well, with freshman Tymu Chenery stepping in to not only space the floor and exploit the perimeter, but also to lead the Bobcats in scoring with help from guards Savion Lewis and Tyrese Williams.

“I can’t say that I knew he would come in and adapt from a scoring standpoint,” Dunleavy said of Chenery, a Philadelphian who seems to be a lock for MAAC all-rookie honors at his current pace. “He’s worked really hard since we’ve been here to get familiar with what we’re doing and hone into his fundamental skill set. He’s a talented player. He’s on the court because he’s a great defender, and while he’s on the court, he’s been aggressive offensively. That’s what we really like about him, and that’s what he’s got to continue to take pride in.”

Quinnipiac’s defense has taken on a different tenor this season as well, becoming more of a man-to-man outfit with promising results on that front. The Bobcats are yielding just 68 points per game, but early returns have indicated a much more stifling defense that harkens back to the aggressive and physical tones of Dunleavy’s predecessor in Hamden, Tom Moore.

“With our personnel, I think we’re longer and more athletic this year,” Dunleavy revealed. “When you have a guy like Seth Pinkney protecting the rim for you, Savion Lewis playing the ball, Tymu Chenery as a freshman — he’s a great defender — it’s something we didn’t get a lot of practice time with during the fall, but we spent the majority of our time working on our man-to-man defense. It’s something we wanted to be able to establish this year, and our mentality toward doing it has been very good. Considering the work that we’ve had, I like the concentration we’ve had on our defense. We’ve just got to be able to be more consistent.”

Quinnipiac returns to its home floor this weekend to host Niagara on Friday and Saturday after the latest round of schedule changes hit the MAAC. The Bobcats were initially slated to travel to Rider before Iona’s latest shutdown forced a shift in the conference schedule, but regardless of opponent, Dunleavy sees mounds of upside masked by a rocky start.

“I’ll be honest, I really like our team,” he said. “I like what I know we can be if we progress. It’s just unrealistic to judge yourself after what we’ve been through on your record. We’ve played well enough to be 3-1 at this point, but instead, we’re 1-3. We’ve just got to keep getting better. We’ve got a lot of young pieces that we’re putting out there, but overall, the thing I’m happiest about is we’ve shown effort and togetherness on the defensive side of the floor and we’ve got a lot of kinks to iron out, but the pieces are there and the formula’s there.”

Scoring Leaders

1) Isaiah Ross, Iona (22.3 PPG)

2) Deion Hammond, Monmouth (18.3)

3) Dwight Murray, Jr., Rider (14.9)

4) Anthony Nelson, Manhattan (14.4)

5) Jordan King, Siena (14.3)

6) Marcus Hammond, Niagara (14.3)

7) George Papas, Monmouth (13.7)

8) KC Ndefo, Saint Peter’s (12.8)

9) Manny Camper, Siena (12.7)

T-10) Majesty Brandon, Canisius (12.5)

T-10) Asante Gist, Iona (12.5)

Rebounding Leaders

1) Manny Camper, Siena (10.2 RPG)

T-2) Nelly Junior Joseph, Iona (7.5)

T-2) Jacob Rigoni, Quinnipiac (7.5)

4) Fousseyni Drame, Saint Peter’s (7.4)

5) Warren Williams, Manhattan (7.1)

6) Malek Green, Canisius (7.0)

7) Dylan van Eyck, Iona (6.9)

8) Marcus McClary, Monmouth (6.4)

9) Dwight Murray, Jr., Rider (6.2)

10) Jacco Fritz, Canisius (6.2)

Assist Leaders

1) Manny Camper, Siena (4.5 APG)

2) Dwight Murray, Jr., Rider (4.4)

3) Matthew Lee, Saint Peter’s (4.2)

4) Asante Gist, Iona (4.2)

5) Savion Lewis, Quinnipiac (3.9)

6) Raheim Sullivan, Marist (3.4)

7) Jordan King, Siena (3.3)

8) Jacco Fritz, Canisius (3.2)

9) Samuel Chaput, Monmouth (3.1)

10) Dylan van Eyck, Iona (2.9)

Field Goal Percentage Leaders

1) Kyle Young, Siena (.714)

2) Jackson Stormo, Siena (.697)

3) Ajiri Ogemuno-Johnson, Rider (.652)

4) Jordan Cintron, Niagara (.651)

5) Jordan Jones, Marist (.641)

6) Nelly Junior Joseph, Iona (.565)

T-7) Fousseyni Drame, Saint Peter’s (.524)

T-7) Melik Martin, Monmouth (.524)

9) George Papas, Monmouth (.517)

10) KC Ndefo, Saint Peter’s (.514)

Free Throw Percentage Leaders

1) Justin Roberts, Niagara (.917)

2) Jacob Rigoni, Quinnipiac (.900)

3) Dwight Murray, Jr., Rider (.891)

4) Ahamadou Fofana, Canisius (.889)

5) Taj Benning, Fairfield (.864)

6) Anthony Nelson, Manhattan (.857)

7) Jordan King, Siena (.821)

8) Asante Gist, Iona (.818)

9) Doug Edert, Saint Peter’s (.815)

10) Ricardo Wright, Marist (.800)

3-Point Field Goal Percentage Leaders

1) George Papas, Monmouth (.484)

2) Jordan Henderson, Canisius (.455)

3) Tymu Chenery, Quinnipiac (.440)

T-4) Nick Hopkins, Siena (.438)

T-4) Brendan McGuire, Quinnipiac (.438)

6) Isaiah Ross, Iona (.424)

7) Asante Gist, Iona (.421)

8) Dwight Murray, Jr., Rider (.419)

9) Daryl Banks III, Saint Peter’s (.407)

10) Donovann Toatley, Monmouth (.405)

Steal Leaders

1) Berrick JeanLouis, Iona (2.3 SPG)

2) Elijah Buchanan, Manhattan (2.1)

3) Myles Ruth, Monmouth (1.9)

T-4) Deion Hammond, Monmouth (1.5)

T-4) KC Ndefo, Saint Peter’s (1.5)

Blocked Shot Leaders

1) KC Ndefo, Saint Peter’s (3.6 BPG)

2) Seth Pinkney, Quinnipiac (3.0)

3) Jordan Jones, Marist (2.1)

4) Warren Williams, Manhattan (1.8)

5) Nelly Junior Joseph, Iona (1.5)

Power Rankings

1) Siena (6-0, 6-0 MAAC)

Last Week: 1

Last Game: Saturday 1/16 at Rider (W 74-72)

Next Game: Friday 1/22 vs. Saint Peter’s, 7 p.m.

2) Monmouth (7-4, 7-3 MAAC)

Last Week: 2

Last Game: Saturday 1/16 vs. Quinnipiac (W 70-63)

Next Game: Friday 1/22 at Manhattan, 6 p.m.

3) Iona (5-3, 3-1 MAAC)

Last Week: 3

Last Game: Wednesday 12/23 vs. Coppin State (W 85-65)

Next Game: Saturday 1/30 at Marist, 1 p.m.

4) Saint Peter’s (6-5, 3-3 MAAC)

Last Week: 4

Last Game: Saturday 1/2 at Canisius (L 63-60)

Next Game: Friday 1/22 at Siena, 7 p.m.

5) Canisius (3-3, 3-3 MAAC)

Last Week: 5

Last Game: Saturday 1/2 vs. Saint Peter’s (W 63-60)

Next Game: Saturday 1/30 vs. Quinnipiac, 1 p.m.

6) Manhattan (5-4, 4-4 MAAC)

Last Week: 9

Last Game: Saturday 1/16 vs. Niagara (W 58-55)

Next Game: Friday 1/22 vs. Monmouth, 6 p.m.

7) Marist (7-5, 5-5 MAAC)

Last Week: 6

Last Game: Saturday 1/16 vs. Fairfield (L 55-52)

Next Game: Friday 1/22 at Rider, TBA

8) Niagara (5-7, 4-6 MAAC)

Last Week: 7

Last Game: Saturday 1/16 at Manhattan (L 58-55)

Next Game: Friday 1/22 at Quinnipiac, 4 p.m.

9) Quinnipiac (3-5, 1-3 MAAC)

Last Week: 8

Last Game: Saturday 1/16 at Monmouth (L 70-63)

Next Game: Friday 1/22 vs. Niagara, 4 p.m.

10) Rider (3-10, 3-7 MAAC)

Last Week: 10

Last Game: Saturday 1/16 vs. Siena (L 74-72)

Next Game: Friday 1/22 vs. Marist, TBA

11) Fairfield (3-12, 3-7 MAAC)

Last Week: 11

Last Game: Saturday 1/16 at Marist (W 55-52)

Next Game: Friday 1/29 at Monmouth, TBA