Iona returns from pause yet again to begin MAAC tourney

Rick Pitino and Iona open MAAC tournament Tuesday against Quinnipiac. (Photo by The Journal News) 

Brutally honest to a fault, Rick Pitino wasted little time last week in assessing Iona's situation as the Gaels return from a fourth COVID-19 pause on Tuesday, when they open their Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament experience.

“It hasn’t gone well for us, because we’ve missed two months of practice and games,” Pitino bluntly stated as Iona (8-5, 6-3 MAAC) takes on Quinnipiac Tuesday in what will be the Gaels’ first game since February 20, and only the sixth contest since December 23. “We’re trying to make the best of it in very difficult times.”

“We probably have been hit harder than any program in the nation, but that being said, I’m very proud of our guys because they’ve hung in there. They’ve basically been in jail four different times for 14 days. It has not been easy, but we’ll try to make the best of it heading to Atlantic City.”

Iona meets a Quinnipiac team that defeated the Gaels, 74-70, at the People’s United Center on February 17 in the only one-off affair between MAAC schools in this condensed and unorthodox campaign, but familiarity with the opponent at hand takes a back seat to making sure a full complement of players is not only available, but in game shape, an even greater concern as Isaiah Ross has battled a back injury after returning to workouts following a positive COVID test.

“Every time we’ve tried to get the players back in shape, we’ve had players pull hamstrings, pull groins,” Pitino remarked. “So I’m going to go very slow this time. We tried to put (Ross) through some shooting drills and he immediately blew out his back, so we’re going to take it slow with the guys — especially Isaiah Ross — and see if we can get them back in shape. If not, they’re going to play less minutes than they’ve played in the past.”

A factor that will help mitigate the roster stress is Iona’s deep bench and talented group of underclassmen, which has shown flashes of brilliance in forward Nelly Junior Joseph — projected to be the MAAC Rookie of the Year — and Christ the King product Ryan Myers, among others.

“What I like to do is develop players to become professional basketball players,” said Pitino. “It doesn’t have to be the NBA, it could be the Euroleague, it could be the Champions League. And when you’ve got a player like Nelly Joseph, who’s going to be a professional basketball player at some level, you try to take your young players like Ryan Myers and create a culture that’s going to make them grow aspirations of being a professional. We’re trying to get excellence in every phase, and our young players are falling in line.”

Iona’s latest pause is unlike the others that preceded it in the event that the Gaels will now be thrown into the conference tournament fire. Even with Pitino and his experience winning conference tournaments at Kentucky and Louisville prior to winning a pair of national championships, he knows he and his players will be attempting the improbable this week in Atlantic City. Regardless, all are prepared for the challenge that lies ahead.”

“This time around, it’s a little bit different,” Pitino reiterated. “In order for us to progress to the NCAA Tournament, we’d have to win four games even though we’re 6-3, and that’s not easy to do coming out of a pause, being out of shape. That’ll be a tall order, but we’ll give it our best shot, play it one game at a time.”