MAAC Monday: Back in the New York Groove with Iona, stat leaders, power rankings

Iona returned to action Friday for first time since December 23, a program-long 51-day hiatus due to COVID-19. (Photo by Iona College Athletics)

Three more editions of MAAC Monday remain in this unconventional 2020-21 season, and in this week’s comprehensive look at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, the last team spotlight of the season covers the school with the longest layoff in program history, which was just broken this past weekend. Stat leaders and power rankings will follow, but the curtain is raised with the return of the Iona Gaels.

Still the four-time reigning MAAC tournament champions, Iona’s intrigue surrounding the return of Rick Pitino dominated the early part of the season, where the Gaels were able to get eight games in, winning five, before COVID-19 reared its head the evening of December 29, a day in which Iona was slated to host Towson before that game was scrapped due to the Tigers’ own positive test. Iona went into an extended pause after two more confirmed positives, and all told, nine players, two staff members, and two coaches — one of whom was Pitino himself — contracted the virus at one point or another before the Gaels finally ended a 51-day hiatus last Friday with a commanding 85-67 victory over archrival Manhattan that saw the lead reach as many as 28 points behind five double-figure scorers.

“What we did the past week is every single day, we played four 8-minute scrimmages,” Pitino revealed as part of Iona’s preparation once it had a full complement of players to field full practices. “Real, live game situations. For eight days, we played live basketball situations in a scrimmage, game-like situations, so I knew we would be ready.”

Even though his team was prepared for what it would face on the court against Manhattan, Pitino still expressed concern that the games would go off without a hitch, and went so far as to text Manhattan head coach Steve Masiello, his former assistant at Louisville, with a simple request.

“I texted Stevie and I said, ‘Do me a favor: Put your players in a plastic bubble somehow,’” Pitino quipped. “And he showed up and said, ‘We’re here.’ I expected the referees to come down with something. It’s been a long time. We’re real excited to be back on the court.”

“I was saying, ‘Is this really gonna happen?’” Berrick JeanLouis added, sharing his sense of waiting for the other shoe to drop. “I was like, ‘Is this really gonna happen? Are we really gonna play today?’ We had days where games were canceled. It’s not happening until the ball gets tipped in the air.”

JeanLouis has actually been a revelation alongside seniors Isaiah Ross and Asante Gist, the former leading the MAAC in scoring. With his athleticism, nose for the basketball and penchant for aggressive defense, JeanLouis has taken advantage of Iona’s player development sessions — which included stationary bike workouts coordinated by strength coach Kelly Shaver during the Gaels’ pauses — to turn himself into the heart and soul of Pitino’s system, and almost a similarly-minded player to Rickey McGill, the four-year stalwart at point guard under Tim Cluess’ historic championship teams.

“His system, to be honest, fits very perfectly,” JeanLouis said of Pitino. “I’m athletic, I like to get out and run, crash the boards, rebound, defend. Everything works out well, and he doesn’t put me down for shooting the ball. He lifts me up and tells me to shoot the ball. It’s just a perfect fit, to be honest.”

“The one good thing about Berrick, player development-wise, he came in as a non-shooter,” said Pitino. “I told him, ‘If you just focus on our player development, you’ll become a good shooter, no different from any of the other guys that have worked at the game.’ He typifies what I want in a recruit, what I want in a ball player. He’s the best player on the team for us, all-around. Obviously, we know Ross is the best scorer, but from a defensive standpoint, from an athletic standpoint, from an improvement standpoint, he’s been the most consistent, best player on the team.”

At 4-2 in the MAAC, Iona has eight games remaining in the regular season to make up for lost time in a conference whose tournament field will almost inevitably be seeded by conference wins, the modified tiebreaker that kicks in should one team not play a full 20-game league schedule. Pitino seemed to shrug off the notion that having to play four games should Iona not get a bye would be a detriment, in fact, he welcomed the extra time.

“I really don’t care where we finish,” he admitted. “I don’t think it’s the worst thing in the world for us to play as many games, even in the tournament. I’ve played four games in the Big East and won them, I’ve won back-to-back Big East championships. I think the more games we play, the better we can become, so that doesn’t bother me. Let’s just get through these eight games, play well in the tournament, and build something special.”

Scoring Leaders

1) Isaiah Ross, Iona (20.8 PPG)

2) Deion Hammond, Monmouth (17.3)

3) Dwight Murray, Jr., Rider (15.4)

4) Kobi Nwandu, Niagara (14.4)

5) Marcus Hammond, Niagara (13.7)

6) Jordan King, Siena (13.3)

T-7) Anthony Nelson, Manhattan (13.3)

T-7) George Papas, Monmouth (13.3)

9) Manny Camper, Siena (13.2)

10) Majesty Brandon, Canisius (12.5)

Rebounding Leaders

1) Manny Camper, Siena (10.7 RPG)

2) Warren Williams, Manhattan (7.9)

3) Nelly Junior Joseph, Iona (7.3)

4) Malek Green, Canisius (7.3)

5) Fousseyni Drame, Saint Peter’s (6.8)

6) Elijah Buchanan, Manhattan (6.8)

7) Dwight Murray, Jr., Rider (6.5)

8) Jacco Fritz, Canisius (6.1)

T-9) Berrick JeanLouis, Iona (6.1)

T-9) Dylan van Eyck, Iona (6.1)

Assist Leaders

1) Dwight Murray, Jr., Rider (4.6 APG)

2) Asante Gist, Iona (4.3)

3) Manny Camper, Siena (3.7)

4) Matthew Lee, Saint Peter’s (3.6)

5) Samuel Chaput, Monmouth (3.3)

6) Raheim Sullivan, Marist (3.3)

7) Ahamadou Fofana, Canisius (3.1)

8) Savion Lewis, Quinnipiac (3.1)

9) Anthony Nelson, Manhattan (3.1)

10) Jacco Fritz, Canisius (2.9)

Field Goal Percentage Leaders

1) Seth Pinkney, Quinnipiac (.815)

2) Ajiri Ogemuno-Johnson, Rider (.649)

3) Jackson Stormo, Siena (.643)

4) Jordan Jones, Marist (.602)

5) Nelly Junior Joseph, Iona (.580)

6) Warren Williams, Manhattan (.531)

7) Isaiah Ross, Iona (.503)

8) Melik Martin, Monmouth (.500)

9) Berrick JeanLouis, Iona (.493)

10) George Papas, Monmouth (.492)

Free Throw Percentage Leaders

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

2) Jacob Rigoni, Quinnipiac (.863)

3) Doug Edert, Saint Peter’s (.846)

T-4) Taj Benning, Fairfield (.833)

T-4) Ahamadou Fofana, Canisius (.833)

6) Asante Gist, Iona (.825)

7) Isaiah Ross, Iona (.814)

8) Jordan King, Siena (.800)

9) Anthony Nelson, Manhattan (.792)

10) George Papas, Monmouth (.784)

3-Point Field Goal Percentage Leaders

1) George Papas, Monmouth (.438)

2) Donovann Toatley, Monmouth (.435)

3) Isaiah Ross, Iona (.433)

T-4) Tymu Chenery, Quinnipiac (.415)

T-4) Dwight Murray, Jr., Rider (.415)

6) Daryl Banks III, Saint Peter’s (.415)

7) Allen Powell, Rider (.413)

8) Jordan Henderson, Canisius (.406)

9) Melik Martin, Monmouth (.405)

10) Berrick JeanLouis, Iona (.400)

Steal Leaders

1) Berrick JeanLouis, Iona (2.4 SPG)

2) Elijah Buchanan, Manhattan (1.9)

3) Myles Ruth, Monmouth (1.7)

4) Isaiah Ross, Iona (1.6)

5) Majesty Brandon, Canisius (1.4)

Blocked Shot Leaders

1) KC Ndefo, Saint Peter’s (3.9 BPG)

2) Seth Pinkney, Quinnipiac (2.6)

3) Jordan Jones, Marist (2.3)

4) Nelly Junior Joseph, Iona (1.7)

5) Warren Williams, Manhattan (1.7)

Power Rankings

1) Siena (8-2, 8-2 MAAC)

Last Week: 1

Last Game: Sunday 1/31 at Marist (W 63-50)

Next Game: Saturday 2/20 at Niagara, 12 p.m.

2) Monmouth (10-5, 10-4 MAAC)

Last Week: 2

Last Game: Saturday 2/6 at Manhattan (W 71-69)

Next Game: Friday 2/19 at Iona, 7 p.m.

3) Saint Peter’s (10-7, 7-5 MAAC)

Last Week: 3

Last Game: Sunday 2/14 vs. Fairfield (W 66-49)

Next Game: Friday 2/19 vs. Marist, 8 p.m.

4) Marist (9-7, 7-7 MAAC)

Last Week: 4

Last Game: Sunday 1/31 vs. Siena (L 63-50)

Next Game: Friday 2/19 at Saint Peter’s, 8 p.m.

5) Iona (6-4, 4-2 MAAC)

Last Week: 5

Last Game: Saturday 2/13 vs. Manhattan (L 77-70)

Next Game: Wednesday 2/17 at Quinnipiac, 4 p.m.

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

Last Week: 8

Last Game: Saturday 2/13 at Quinnipiac (W 89-70)

Next Game: Friday 2/19 at Fairfield, 5 p.m.

7) Niagara (7-9, 6-8 MAAC)

Last Week: 6

Last Game: Saturday 1/30 vs. Monmouth (W 83-74)

Next Game: Saturday 2/20 vs. Siena, 12 p.m.

8) Manhattan (6-9, 5-9 MAAC)

Last Week: 9

Last Game: Saturday 2/13 at Iona (W 77-70)

Next Game: Wednesday 2/24 at Siena, 7 p.m.

9) Rider (4-11, 4-8 MAAC)

Last Week: 10

Last Game: Saturday 1/23 vs. Marist (L 76-67)

Next Game: Saturday 2/20 at Quinnipiac, 4 p.m.

10) Fairfield (5-14, 5-9 MAAC)

Last Week: 11

Last Game: Sunday 2/14 at Saint Peter’s (L 66-49)

Next Game: Friday 2/19 vs. Canisius, 5 p.m.

11) Quinnipiac (5-9, 3-7 MAAC)

Last Week: 7

Last Game: Saturday 2/13 vs. Canisius (L 89-70)

Next Game: Wednesday 2/17 vs. Iona, 4 p.m.