2021-22 MAAC preview: Will Iona win 6th straight tournament?

Rick Pitino’s maiden voyage at Iona resulted in MAAC championship, and first full season may only be the beginning as Gaels enter this year as consensus league favorite. (Photo by Iona College Athletics)

Now that Rick Pitino needed only four months to win a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship at Iona, one question is central to anyone following the MAAC this season:

Who, if anyone, can stop the Gaels from tightening their stranglehold on the MAAC tournament, an event that has seen the maroon and gold cut the nets five consecutive times?

Pitino smartly reloaded in the wake of graduating Isaiah Ross and Asante Gist, landing Elijah Joiner, Tyson Jolly and Quinn Slazinski in the transfer portal from Tulsa, SMU and Louisville, respectively. The trio joins returning starters Berrick Jean-Louis and reigning MAAC Rookie of the Year Nelly Junior Joseph to form one of the more intimidating top fives in recent conference history. Moreover, senior Dylan van Eyck is back as a sixth man of sorts, and if sophomore Ryan Myers — lauded by Pitino this offseason for his shooting improvement in the Hall of Fame coach’s vaunted player development sessions — can take an incremental leap, the high expectations already placed in and around New Rochelle may very well be exceeded.

Leading the challengers will be the three New Jersey schools, each of whom brings back a significant piece from its past. Saint Peter’s, arguably the most fearless team in the MAAC, was able to bring KC Ndefo back for his senior season after it was widely assumed he would not return when he entered the transfer portal. Ndefo, along with Daryl Banks III and the most underrated point guard in the conference in Matthew Lee, will be the keys for Shaheen Holloway to slay the giant. The Peacocks also return twins Fousseyni and Hassan Drame, along with Doug Edert, Marty Silvera and Oumar Diahame while welcoming a hungry, young core that will be able to make an immediate impact.

Monmouth lost Deion Hammond and Melik Martin from a roster that found a way to share of the regular season crown last year, but the Hawks retained George Papas after the Garden State native elected to come back to West Long Branch, as did Marcus McClary. King Rice added a trio of incoming freshmen and a pair of transfers in Shavar Reynolds (Seton Hall) and Walker Miller (North Carolina) to solidify his program’s habitual place among the top half of the MAAC. Rider is one of two schools to attract a former player back, as two-time first team all-MAAC forward Dimencio Vaughn has resurfaced in Lawrenceville to use his COVID year after a season at Ole Miss. Dwight Murray, Jr., who should have been a first team all-conference selection last year, will co-anchor the Broncs’ efforts, with help from a supporting cast headlined by transfers Mervin James and Sedrick Altman, as well as Allen Powell and point guard Corey McKeithan, who has recovered from a torn ACL to free up Murray to be more of a scoring threat.

Fairfield, last year’s MAAC tournament runner-up, has a pair of seniors in Taj Benning and Jesus Cruz to team with Jake Wojcik and Caleb Green as head coach Jay Young continues to change the culture in the Stags’ program. Elsewhere in the Nutmeg State, Quinnipiac also saw a familiar face come home again, as Kevin Marfo transferred back to Hamden from Texas A&M. Along with Jacob Rigoni, Tymu Chenery and Luis Kortright; plus a healthy Elias King, Baker Dunleavy has quite possibly his most potent arsenal in what is now his fifth season at the helm.

Siena, the regular season champion of the past two seasons, has a new look about them after Manny Camper turned pro, while Jalen Pickett and Jordan King transferred to Penn State and East Tennessee State, respectively. Head coach Carmen Maciariello recruited the transfer portal more actively than anyone this offseason, bringing Anthony Gaines, Jayce Johnson, Colby Rogers, Jordan Kellier, Michael Baer and Mike Tertsea to the Capital Region to mesh with returning forward Jackson Stormo and sophomore point guard Aidan Carpenter to keep the Saints forwardly placed. Marist brings back the bulk of its roster as Jordan Jones anchors the paint and Ricardo Wright leads the backcourt in his sophomore season, but head coach John Dunne has been high on incoming freshman Jao Ituka, who will contend for all-rookie honors alongside fellow newcomer Noah Harris.

Niagara also has its most experienced roster coming back under Greg Paulus, with Marcus Hammond returning for his senior season to lead a supporting cast that includes Raheem Solomon, Justin Roberts, Greg Kuakumensah and South Alabama graduate transfer Sam Iorio. Crosstown rival Canisius has a promising core in place behind Malek Green, Jordan Henderson and Ahamadou Fofana. Finally, Manhattan has its deepest and most talented roster since winning the MAAC championship in 2015. Newcomers Josh Roberts and Jose Perez join Anthony Nelson, Warren Williams, Elijah Buchanan, Samir Stewart and Samba Diallo to give Steve Masiello a multitude of options as the Jaspers seek their first winning season since winning it all six years ago.

Projected Order of Finish

1) Iona — Bet against Rick Pitino at your own risk, even though the Gaels’ road to the top will not be the runaway most people expect.

2) Saint Peter’s — KC Ndefo’s return was the biggest boost to a scrappy Peacocks team that finds ways to win better than most. Shaheen Holloway should have a more cohesive group this season, and will no doubt have his team ready for all situations.

3) Monmouth — The Hawks have been one of few constants atop the MAAC the past several years, and that should not change this season. Shavar Reynolds and Samuel Chaput will give King Rice an interchangeable point guard pairing to free up George Papas and Marcus McClary. If Walker Miller can use his size efficiently, Monmouth could finish even higher.

4) Fairfield — The Stags may be the most deceptively strong team in the MAAC between its steady backcourt play and suffocating defense. Jay Young has not gotten anywhere near as much credit as he deserves for turning Fairfield into a quiet contender.

5) Siena — Carmen Maciariello has made over the roster in the offseason, but the Saints are faster and more athletic this year, and should have no problem exceeding expectations.

6) Marist — John Dunne’s group will have legitimate hype this season. The Red Foxes will need Jordan Jones and Ricardo Wright to take the next step in tandem with their supporting cast.

7) Rider — Dimencio Vaughn’s return cannot be understated, as he and Dwight Murray will help the Broncs make up a lot of ground this year. Corey McKeithan’s arrival at point guard will allow both Vaughn and Murray to intimidate defenses off the ball easily.

8) Manhattan — Steve Masiello brings into Riverdale the most talent in the program since its back-to-back MAAC championships in what will be a pivotal year for the Jaspers.

9) Quinnipiac — Kevin Marfo’s second stint in Hamden should allow Jacob Rigoni to be more comfortable as a shooter, while the Bobcats’ depth could be the strongest in the conference.

10) Niagara — The good news for the Purple Eagles is that Greg Paulus has his most experienced roster. The bad news is that the MAAC as a whole has improved just as much.

11) Canisius — Malek Green will need to be the X-factor for the Golden Griffins, but Reggie Witherspoon has always gotten his role players to improve. Expect more of the same this season.

All-MAAC Preseason Predictions

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

Preseason Rookie of the Year: Jao Ituka, Marist

First team

Marcus Hammond, Niagara

Nelly Junior Joseph, Iona

Dwight Murray, Jr., Rider

KC Ndefo, Saint Peter’s

Dimencio Vaughn, Rider

Second team

Daryl Banks III, Saint Peter’s

George Papas, Monmouth

Jacob Rigoni, Quinnipiac

Warren Williams, Manhattan

Jake Wojcik, Fairfield

Third team

Taj Benning, Fairfield

Malek Green, Canisius

Jordan Jones, Marist

Kevin Marfo, Quinnipiac

Anthony Nelson, Manhattan

Jackson Stormo, Siena

Unfinished business brought Rutgers seniors back for one more run

Geo Baker (0) and Ron Harper, Jr. (24) both flirted with NBA Draft process, but each returned to Rutgers with unfinished business and larger goals at hand. (Photo by NJ Advance Media)

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — In the wake of Rutgers’ second-round NCAA Tournament loss to Houston, several events transpired that shaped the narrative for the year ahead.

First, Myles Johnson and Jacob Young transferred to the Pac-12, with Johnson enrolling in a graduate engineering program at UCLA while Young headed to Oregon. Shortly thereafter, Montez Mathis took his talents across the Hudson River, opting to spend his final two years with Mike Anderson and St. John’s. Between all the shuffle, the futures of Geo Baker and Ron Harper, Jr., the Scarlet Knights’ top two players, hung in the balance while each tested the NBA Draft waters.

Baker was first to announce his return after an anticipation period lasting most of the spring and summer. Then, after initially leaning toward turning pro, Harper soon followed. The pair, and fourth-year junior Caleb McConnell, had a common denominator in their decisions to remain on the banks:

Unfinished business.

“I think it was a combination of things,” Baker admitted with regard to his offseason decision. “I definitely learned a lot during the process, I went up against some really good players, but (with) the COVID year (and) not ending on a good note, losing that game against Houston, I think those were two things that are important. And I want to take one more crack at it with my brothers. I feel like we have a really good time, and I’m excited to do it.”

“To be honest, I didn’t see myself coming back to Rutgers for my final year,” Harper, the native New Jerseyan, revealed. “I was still always around here working out and playing pickup with the guys, and this team just attracted me like nothing else. I wanted to play for this team, I wanted to play with these guys, and ultimately, I came back because I wanted to be a part of this group one more time. Me and Geo would talk a lot of times about the process and what we wanted to do, and we thought that if we came back and we ran it back one more year, it’d be a truly special year. We both agreed that we’ve got a special group of guys, and we can’t wait to work with them. This season’s gonna be a fun one, and I can’t wait to put my heart on the line every day for these guys.”

Harper was noticeably vocal about how the team bonded in the offseason, citing its impact on the Scarlet Knights being more connected on the floor, which is also a byproduct of head coach Steve Pikiell’s infectious energy that McConnell feels was a major influence in the trio choosing to play in Piscataway.

“I wanted to be a culture changer,” McConnell proudly declared. “I wanted to come here and change the program around, and this is a place that I knew I could win at. If your leader is saying those things and preaching those things, I feel like that’s a big thing, especially when choosing a school.”

“We fell in love with Pike when we came here, and we made a difference. We changed the culture, and now we’re trying to keep it going and raise the bar higher. As a whole, if we set the bar higher, can’t nobody stop us.”

The return of an experienced core, as well as a raucous crowd at the RAC, has players and fans naturally dreaming big on the heels of waters that had not been navigated since 1991. Normally, expectations would be tempered for a group of this ilk, but with Pikiell being the first to embrace the lofty goals, his players have once again followed suit in the latest affirmation of trust in their leader.

“I’ve been here at Rutgers through it all,” said Harper. “We finished 12th when I got here my freshman year, so it’s just come full circle. I believed in Coach Pikiell’s vision just because of that. He told me he was going to bring this group back to the NCAA Tournament. He did, and we have so much more to accomplish.”

“Being able to share that with the guys that were here last year is an honor, but everybody in this room will tell you that we wanted to go further. And we will go further this year. We have high expectations for ourselves and each other, and we’re going to have a great year.”

Baker, perhaps the owner of the grandest scale on the team, has an even bigger stage on his agenda.

“I think that’s something that’ll be great for everybody to get that experience, (for) fans and players to really feel the love and the environment,” he said. “But we’re not even thinking NCAA Tournament, we’re thinking national championship. That’s what we really want to do.”

Rutgers’ NCAA Tournament encore begins with high expectations, cautious optimism

Steve Pikiell replaces three of his top six players this season as Rutgers hopes to return to NCAA Tournament, but is quietly excited about Scarlet Knights’ potential. (Photo by the New York Post)

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Now that the 30-year drought has been put to rest, the next step in the journey begins in earnest.

Now only seven months removed from the NCAA Tournament after its three-decades-long albatross was lifted last March, Rutgers now sets its sights on furthering the build back to respectability, and even in the face of losing three of the program’s top six players in Myles Johnson, Montez Mathis and Jacob Young, still believes it can reach the same heights that redefined the perception of Scarlet Knights basketball once and for all.

“The preparation this offseason was tremendous,” Caleb McConnell remarked Friday as Rutgers held its preseason media day on campus. “The younger guys worked their asses off. It was amazing to see everybody in the gym. The previous years, there was usually a couple of guys here and there, but this year, I could say it was damn near everybody in the gym just coming in here trying to get better, and I feel like that really shows this year.”

“We had a great summer, by far our best,” head coach Steve Pikiell concurred. “I’m excited about my roster. They’re coachable, they play hard. We’ve got a lot of challenges, but I think we’re ready for them. Their chemistry’s been awesome. We’ve been grinding them, (and) they come back the next day and watch the most film of any group and they’re in the gym more than any group I’ve had. They’re into it, they put the time into it, and it’s a nice blend. We have veteran guys, and then we have young guys hungry to play. We’ve got gamers, Cliff (Omoruyi) works harder than any big guy we’ve had ever, and I’m able to do a lot of different things with this group. I’m excited about that.”

Omoruyi, now the go-to option for Rutgers in the post after Johnson transferred to UCLA in the offseason, has taken on the lion’s share of the work down low, and along with San Jose State graduate transfer Ralph Agee, has given Pikiell what he termed his best production at the center spot since his arrival on the banks in 2016. The duo, with Mawot Mag and an improved Dean Reiber behind them, are replacing a vital cog in the machine, but have lived up to the task as judged by one of the Scarlet Knights’ elder statesmen.

“I saw Cliff working every single day in the offseason, so I know he’s prepared for this,” Geo Baker said, giving the Roselle Catholic product a glowing testimonial heading into his sophomore campaign. “He’s ready to take that role, and then Ralph’s an older guy who really understands the game. He’s really patient on the post, so I’m excited. We’ve been really focusing on rebounding and defense, so I know they’re going to be ready to defend, ready to contribute and ready to win.”

On the heels of a pandemic-restricted season wherein there was minimal contact even within the walls of the locker room, Rutgers has worked on fortifying the bonds and camaraderie between players and coaches, and the ability to once again enjoy normal lives on and off campus has bred a cooperative environment on the court as well.

“We really just bonded a lot more as a team this year,” Ron Harper, Jr. gushed. “Whether it was playing (NBA) 2K or just hanging out in the dorms going to the dining hall, or hanging out (and) going out together, a bunch of things like that makes everything on the court that much easier. I feel like I’ve got a lot of brothers on this team. All those guys, I’d pour my heart out for them, and that just doesn’t happen overnight. This team is the tightest team I’ve been a part of.”

“I feel like a lot of our young guys are ready to produce,” Harper continued. “Jaden Jones is going to be a great, versatile scorer, he can break you down off the dribble and hit an open jump shot, and Jalen Miller’s a tenacious defender who doesn’t let up. He’ll pick you up 94 feet, and he kind of reminds me of JY on defense. He’s come a long way this offseason. He has no ceiling.”

On top of the quick study each of the underclassmen have proven to be, Paul Mulcahy has become an even more gifted passer and consummate teammate, and each player has already helped solve the rebounding woes that plagued last year’s squad, which came three points away from a Sweet 16 appearance.

“We will, 100 percent, be better,” Pikiell said, stressing Rutgers’ improvement on the boards. “We already are. We’re a better block-out team right now as we speak, we’re bigger, our length is bigger and we’ve added extra size. Ralph’s been our best offensive rebounder since our first practice. We’ve just put a huge emphasis on it.”

Adding to the optimism is the return of fans to the RAC seats, a fervor that has already produced multiple sellouts before the ball has been tipped, with the expectation that every home game will attract a capacity crowd of 8,000 by the time the season officially commences on November 10. For McConnell, such an affirmation and endorsement carries extra meaning as he remembers how it was in the infancy of his career, when tickets could be procured minutes before tipoff.

“It’s really exciting, and that’s kudos to us,” he said. “It really started when I was a freshman. There wasn’t nobody coming to our games, there was barely even any media my freshman year. That just goes to us, the people who start at the bottom and keep on working, fighting through perseverance. Eventually, you’ll win. That’s something that Pike always preached. He said, ‘if Rutgers were a stock, go ahead and buy it now because eventually, it’s going to blow up.”

“We always expected to win and they did, too,” Pikiell reiterated. “Now they’re coming to our games and they’ll help us win. I’m excited that they’re going to be there and help us win games. I look forward to going back to the day before (a game) and people talking about games. That wasn’t the case during COVID and you had none of that homecourt advantage.”

Naturally, expectations are at an all-time high after experiencing the adrenaline rush of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since George H.W. Bush was president of the United States, when the Scarlet Knights were still in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Pikiell admitted the first act to follow would not be smooth, but did say he was grateful for the experience and fortitude his team possesses.

“I think this team is going to have some obstacles, but they’ve got some good fiber about them and I really like that,” he stated. “I know I can count on that fiber right now. I’ve embraced the expectation since I’ve been here, I’ve always had those expectations, and I hope our players have them.”

“We’re still hunters,” Paul Mulcahy declared, citing the eighth-place prediction in the Big Ten Conference preseason poll and disappointing end to last season’s postseason run. “We haven’t really accomplished what we set out to do. We’re going to approach the first game of the year like the tenth game of the year, and I think if we can be consistent in that, we’re going to be solid.”

Paulus continuing to build identity with scrappy Niagara program in year three

Niagara’s growth has made Greg Paulus optimistic, but Purple Eagles’ head coach is still working to perfect his team’s identity. (Photo by The Buffalo News)

At just 35 years old, Greg Paulus may be one of the younger head coaches in the nation, but what the former Duke point guard lacks in time on earth, he more than makes up for with his understanding and knowledge of what it takes to build a college basketball program and his desire to perfect it much like the master craftsman for whom he once played, unwavering from his grand vision of what he believes it can ultimately be.

The former Mike Krzyzewski point guard now enters his third season as head coach at Niagara, where he has led the Purple Eagles to a pair of top-half Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference finishes, overcoming obstacles and hindrances most schools were not subject to, from a coaching change weeks before the season started to not knowing its postseason fate due to a late-season COVID pause, to inject new life into a program overlooked, but in many ways, overachieving.

“We’ve certainly made a lot of progress, on the floor and off the floor, as we’re trying to create the identity of our program,” Paulus said in the midst of his first true offseason since since assuming the reins on Monteagle Ridge. “Every year, each team is a little bit different, whether it’s guys returning in different roles or new guys coming in trying to learn that. This is the first offseason that we’ve had, so for us, we’re trying to still create that identity with this team. What you did the previous year doesn’t mean that that’s going to happen the following year.”

What Niagara did do, and has done since Paulus was named head coach in late October 2019, is habitually make believers out of cynics, including rebounding from its aforementioned February pause to being cleared to compete in the MAAC tournament and nearly upsetting eventual MAAC champion Iona in the semifinals, and complementing the success on the floor with a program record-setting grade point average in the classroom to give the architect of the latest iteration of hoops on the shores of Lake Erie even more reason to smile when recollecting on how far his journey has come.

“I was really proud of our team and how responded to that specific situation,” said Paulus of the Purple Eagles’ late-season showing. “We didn’t know if we were going to be able to play in the MAAC tournament, I think we only had one or two full team practices before we were able to do that, but if you look back at that whole entire season — not only on the basketball court but in the classroom as well, last year we had a program record-setting GPA in the fall with a 3.45 — to do that with the pauses, the COVID, the unpredictability of everything, I think it shows great resiliency from our guys and what we’re trying to do. When I take a step back and reflect on the season, I think the growth that the team showed throughout the course of it was something I was really proud of.”

Niagara’s latest challenge will be that of replacing all-MAAC forward Kobi Nwandu, who took his talents to the professional level last spring. In his stead, Marcus Hammond will become even more of a focal point as the former Cardozo standout enters his senior year in search of a third straight all-conference honor and a crowning moment to cap a stellar career.

“Kobi had a tremendous season,” Paulus said of Nwandu, whose transition to Division I from Le Moyne College proved seamless. “He did a great job of continuing to grow in player development, he took advantage of it, and that time and investment certainly showed throughout the season. He did a lot, we ran a lot through him and Marcus, but there are certainly going to be some other guys who are going to need to step up, and collectively as a group, going to need each other to create opportunities for us each time down the floor.”

“With Marcus, you were able to see where he got better and better as the season went on, but also the way that teams started to adjust what they did. There’s a lot of attention on him, whether it’s trying to take the ball out of his hands or pick him up full court and try to trap him with the ball screen. That’s different for a player to go through that when the attention on the scouting reports is focused on trying to disrupt you, and so for him to go through that experience and see how his approach has grown, he’s certainly somebody that’s going to have the ball in his hands for us, and we have great trust and confidence in his being able to make the right play for the team.”

Aside from Hammond, the Purple Eagles return their most experienced core in Paulus’ tenure. Raheem Solomon, Justin Roberts, Shandon Brown and Steve Levnaic all reprise their backcourt duties, while Jordan Cintron, Nicholas Kratholm and Greg Kuakumensah are joined up front by 6-foot-7 South Alabama graduate transfer Sam Iorio, giving Niagara a total of eight seniors and/or graduate students in a conference that has matured as a whole.

“There’s depth,” Paulus affirmed. “Everybody’s competing to earn that opportunity. It’s been fun, they’ve made each other better, and for us, that’s what we want. We’re going to have that all across the board. The level of competition has increased, and I think that as a result of those things, the competitive spirit in our program has grown. I’ve really enjoyed watching them compete each day.”

“When you’re able to have experience coming back, being able to have relationships with them, coach them and see their growth, you’re able to see them understand more and more as time moves forward the standards for our program, and being able to have those guys understand where we’re trying to go, I think it’s helpful for our younger guys to be able to look and see our older guys teaching them what our program is about.”

Niagara opens its season with two daunting non-conference tests against Xavier and Ohio State, where Paulus served as an assistant coach under Thad Matta for six seasons. But while Paulus would obviously like to win as many games as possible, his greatest objective is to simply expand his already budding foundation to create a more complete team heading into MAAC play.

“When you have a new team each year, hopefully you can develop an identity,” he reiterated. “We want to be a team that cares and is connected on both ends of the floor. We want to be a team that develops consistency, that takes care of the basketball. We want to build our identity, and that doesn’t happen from one year to the next. You’ve got to work at it. It takes time, and that’s something that we’re trying to create right now.”

“We have a saying in our program: Be better today than we were yesterday, be better tomorrow than we were today. And so for us, hopefully when you see us in practice to opening day, to January to February, there’s progression along the way. That’s what we’ll focus in on, so as we continue to grow our program, we continue to keep taking steps forward.”

Griffs return most of veteran core in preparation for MAAC season with tremendous upside

Now back to normal offseason procedures, Reggie Witherspoon and Canisius look to use abbreviated season last year as building block to MAAC breakout. (Photo by The Buffalo News)

Last year’s pandemic-afflicted season reared its ugly head across the entire college basketball landscape, but hardly any school was as affected as Canisius.

The Golden Griffins were already at a disadvantage from their Buffalo base having to travel across New York and into New Jersey or Connecticut in a normal year, but the curveballs of having to play eight straight contests away from the Koessler Athletic Center to end the season — and being paused from January 2, when the Griffs wrapped up a sweep of Saint Peter’s, to mid-February — as well as having to improvise in practice given the inability to hold workouts on campus — were only a sampling of what occurred on the shores of Lake Erie.

“I’m really proud,” head coach Reggie Witherspoon reflected when citing the trials and tribulations Canisius had to navigate just to get to the opening tip. “I was thinking about that with the guys and what transpired last year for them to persevere and get through that. We had some guys that were in quarantine for over 140 days, we had a 40-plus-day stretch between games, and of the 12 conference games that we played, eight of them were on the road. We played our last home game January 2, so those are just tremendously abnormal conditions with which to work and our guys persevered and had a five-game win streak through all that.”

“At this time last year, we were trying to do workouts outside in the parking lot with baskets that were meant to be in somebody’s backyard. We just dragged them out and tried to do what we could with what we had, but overall, I’ve never had a season that had all of those hurdles — nobody has — so for us, it was really challenging. I’m tremendously proud of the effort our guys put in just to get to playing games and all the travel. They deserve a lot of credit. Hopefully our guys grow from it, from the standpoint that they begin to realize that if you can get through some of those challenges, you can get stronger from them.”

The most encouraging sign for the Griffs is the return of nearly the entire roster from last season, save for Majesty Brandon and Jalanni White. With a supporting cast headlined by Jordan Henderson, Jacco Fritz and Armon Harried to join reigning Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Sixth Man of the Year Malek Green, Witherspoon feels the veteran leadership and return to something closer to a normal offseason when compared to last year’s ordeal can only benefit his retooled roster.

“We hope it’s really important and fruitful for us,” he said of the experience gained by the incumbent Griffs. “All of those things, we weren’t able to do last year, so hopefully we’ve grown from having the opportunity to do that and have the guys who went through it, and hopefully the new guys will be able to jump in and help us as well. The good news for us is a lot of those guys were in and out of different roles last year. Most of them were in situations where they had quality minutes, they were in games that were close, and I think you learn from that and how important those details are. It’s our hope that those experiences will allow them to anticipate action a little bit better, and my feeling is that they understand it and they’ll embrace this opportunity that’s in front of them.”

“Malek’s another one that had some challenges,” he added of Green, whose in-season knee surgery was mitigated by Canisius going on pause in the heat of the MAAC schedule. “I don’t know of another player that had knee surgery during the season and didn’t miss any games. That’s how long our layover was, but it was challenging for him, and even then, his surgery was delayed. It wasn’t like he had it January 3 or 4. He did have a lot of challenges, and the hope is that he stays healthy and gets better from it.”

In the backcourt, senior Ahamadou Fofana returns to reprise the point guard duties, while also mentoring a young group of reserves the likes of Akrum Ahemed, Asa Beyah and Siem Uijtendaal, with Scott Hitchon returning for a graduate season. In his first Division I campaign last year, Fofana blossomed as the year went on, becoming one of the MAAC leaders in assists per game on top of being a two-way player thrust into uncharted territory.

“He wants it badly,” said Witherspoon of Fofana’s determination and drive to improve. “He had a lot on him last year just being new, but also not having the time to amp it up prior to the beginning of the season, so he kind of had to do some things and just learn them on the fly. Hopefully he’ll be able to relax and enjoy the intense nature of the competition, and I know that he’s looking forward to the challenge.”

Incoming freshmen Xzavier Long and Tahj Steveskie join the fray this year, with junior college import Delveion Jackson giving Canisius a trio of new pieces that can, if able to adapt during the season, make an immediate impact on a roster that stands on the precipice of a potential breakout.

“As far as the newcomers, Tahj has an injury so we’re kind of in the wilderness with that, but Xzavier and Delveion have been on the floor and getting a lot of reps because we’ve had the usual preseason types of nicks and bruises to some of the other people,” Witherspoon said. “They have a lot to offer in the way of their love for the game and how hard they compete. If we can get them up to speed and keep them healthy, then we’re really looking forward to them having an impact on our program.”

“We have a lot of growing to do. We have guys back, but we just played 13 total games last year, so they’re back from half of a season. I’m excited about the guys that we have, so I’m really looking forward to it. I’m excited for the new guys coming in that they’re excited, and the guys that were here last year feel a little more in tune to the opportunity that’s in front of them.”

Monmouth leaning on consistency and senior core to get closer to elusive MAAC crown

King Rice has Monmouth positioned to once again be MAAC threat, building on Hawks’ success with returning experience and incoming transfers. (Photo by Vincent Simone/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

Iona may have a stranglehold on the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference’s recent postseason glory, and Siena has been one of the more dominant regular season programs over the past two years, but arguably the most consistent success outside of New York has called the Jersey Shore home.

Monmouth — darlings of the MAAC and nation in the latter part of the 2010s — has remained a force in the conference, rising above adversity and, in last year’s case, numerous pandemic-induced pauses to find its way back to the top half of a conference it has helped shape the perception of since arriving in 2013. And after finishing second to Siena last year, the most rewarding piece of the puzzle for head coach King Rice — always one to see the big picture in every situation — was not the finished product on the court, but rather the resolve his players displayed off it.

“I think the thing that I’m most proud of is how our guys fought through it to do well in school,” he remarked. “We got thrown for a loop — everybody did across the country — and I think I’m probably most proud that our team did well last semester. I think they were worn out, I think they were tired, getting shut down really wore on our minds, and for them to handle it on the court the way we did — just keeping their cool and doing what they were supposed to do is what I’m most proud of.”

“What I can take from that is we’ve got a resilient bunch of kids. It took all hands on deck for us to get through it, and I felt like our group — parents included — really worked together. It just shows that when our kids get their backs against the wall, they’ll do great things.”

Monmouth may not have its back against the wall yet, but the stakes have been raised in the MAAC in light of Iona’s latest NCAA Tournament appearance and Rick Pitino’s fairytale conquest. Rice has responded in kind, taking on a pair of graduate transfers in Shavar Reynolds and Walker Miller from Seton Hall and North Carolina, respectively, while adding a quartet of incoming freshmen that will fight for their share of minutes while also fending off their upperclassman teammates for a spot on the floor.

“I thought our league has been solid the whole time, but any time you bring in a Hall of Famer, it’s going to raise things and I’m all for that,” said Rice. “I think all of us are trying to find a new way of dealing with all of this stuff. This is new for all of us, and I learned from Coach (Kevin) Stallings that you have to change with the times, you have to be in front of things, but you also have to do things that fit you. We were fortunate to get two graduates to come here, and that’s going to help us tremendously, but we were also fortunate to land some young guys who we feel are going to help us have success in this league.”

“We’ve known Sam Fagan since he was a young kid, so I was super happy when he decided to come. Tadhg Crowley is huge, he’s a big, strong 6-foot-11 kid that nobody can move on our team right now. Jayden Doyle might be our most athletic guy we’ve ever brought in here, and he’s starting to figure it out, and then Tahron Allen’s a New York kid who can really score the ball. I’ve got to keep their heads clear and keep them in a good place. We’ve always had freshman breakthroughs, and I don’t think this year will be any different.”

As far as the Hawks’ returning contingent, George Papas has returned for his senior season after briefly testing the waters of the transfer portal, and has Monmouth’s traditional cadre of depth alongside him. Myles Ruth, instrumental last season at the point guard spot after Samuel Chaput was injured, will build on his rookie campaign in West Long Branch, with the front line of Jarvis Vaughan, Nikkei Rutty, Klemen Vuga and Myles Foster stepping up one year older and one year wiser.

“I think Myles has grown,” Rice said of Ruth, a St. Bonaventure commit swayed to the Hawks’ program after a phone call from Bob Hurley sold Rice on the guard’s potential. “I think his maturity off the floor has helped him understand the role he played for our team. After the season, he had to do some reflecting because he played a major role on the court, but he was a young guy and it was a lot of responsibility for him. I think Myles really matured in the offseason. He made big strides off the floor, in the classroom, so I think he’s ready.”

“Sam Chaput last year was about to have a big-time year and then was injured. Jack Holmstrom is a kid that does everything you could want a kid to do, and now the game is slowing down for him. We’re happy with his growth, and Klem also. Klem had appendicitis the day before practice started and lost his confidence, but he’s shown he’s made great strides this summer also. And then Myles Foster has totally changed his body, he's just grown up a year and he’s just been tremendous so far. What you’ll see is our guys had a tremendous summer in the weight room. Their bodies look a lot better. Jarvis is back healthy the whole way, he’s hitting on high cylinders now, ready to go, and Nikkei’s 100 percent.”

The influx of talent and returns of the incumbent pieces have also afforded Rice a luxury with which he was not presented until this season, the ability to play Marcus McClary at his natural wing position, where he feels the senior will be most effective and in line to play his best basketball.

“Marcus has been tremendous for us all four years,” Rice said of McClary. “He’s been one of our best defenders, and the cool thing right now is Marcus is at his true position, on the wing, and he’s playing tremendous basketball right now. He knows what he wants off the floor, he knows who he is on the floor, he’s embracing his role on the wing and just doing big-time things so far.”

“I don’t know if I can call it a breakout year, but I’m glad he’s back and I’m glad I can play him at his rightful position on the wing. He’ll be a problem for people to deal with because he’ll be playing against guys more his size, and now he’ll be able to have an advantage every night.”

Like most other teams welcoming back experienced players, Monmouth is hopeful that its own veterans will raise the bar and fix some of the issues that hindered the Hawks last year, while simultaneously upholding the uptempo style and defensive pressure that have been trademarks in Rice’s tenure.

“I think we’ll be better rebounding, we’ll be more versatile on defense,” Rice acknowledged. “I’m going to go back to some of the things that make people worry about our defense more. We’re still going to go super fast, but I think we’ll take care of the ball better because of the guys we have being older. We’re just a group that goes out and plays our hardest every night. It’s been fun for me so far because I have all these older kids. When you have veterans, you can talk to them differently, put things in front of them differently. There’s going to be a lot of ownership from our players, and I think we’ll be a fun group to see play.”

Siena reloads with new supporting cast in search of regular season MAAC three-peat

Carmen Maciariello overcame losses of Manny Camper and Jalen Pickett by finding depth in transfer portal as Siena defends its MAAC regular season championship. (Photo by the Albany Times Union)

The late-season surge of Iona this past March, coupled with the magnetism of head coach Rick Pitino as he has firmly positioned the Gaels to maintain their place at the head of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference table has shifted the majority of college basketball eyes to New Rochelle as the 2021-22 season commences in less than eight weeks.

But while Pitino commands the lion’s share of attention around the MAAC, Siena, the conference's regular season champion of the past two seasons is not resting on its laurels, welcoming a slew of newcomers to the Capital Region with the same goal firmly in place.

“I just see a hungry, motivated group, a bunch of guys who came to Siena for one reason, and that was to play meaningful games and win championships, regardless of what happens with preseason polls,” head coach Carmen Maciariello declared as the Saints begin a defense of an honor they hope to win for a third straight season, matching Fran McCaffery’s teams of 2007-2010. “My first year, we were picked sixth and we won it, last year, we were picked first and we won it. At the end of the day, the preseason polls mean nothing, and we’re kind of excited to continue to work in silence.”

“I thought the best thing, and we were the second-latest team to start, was we had a very resilient group. I didn’t try to run them into the ground, I made sure they were in a good mental space. I was just happy with the guys being able to have that resolve and still come together, and I didn’t have a full roster once, whether it was Aidan Carpenter, Nick Hopkins, Jordan King, Jalen Pickett. For me, it was a learning experience. It didn’t end the way we wanted, but when it’s all said and done, you have to play the cards you’re dealt and I thought our guys did a great job of just being resilient, enjoying playing Siena basketball, and a feather in their cap is they have something in the record books in their legacy. We had 16 straight wins, and they should be proud of that.”

With Pickett and King having transferred, and reigning MAAC Player of the Year Manny Camper taking his talents to the professional landscape, Siena will look largely different on the surface compared to what Saints fans had become acclimated to when Maciariello assumed the reins from Jamion Christian in 2019. But with the transfer portal affording the third-year coach the flexibility to adjust his roster, balance it and also offer immediate impact opportunities, the dropoff in Loudonville will be minimal, if that. In fact, Maciariello is banking on being able to push the tempo more than he did in his first campaign at the helm.

“I’m hoping we can play a little faster,” he said, with inflections of excitement audible in his intonation. “Year one, we led the league in scoring, year two was kind of a different style, we were a little more deliberate. But I want to play fast.”

“We have Aidan Carpenter, Nick Hopkins, Jackson Stormo all back, and they know how we want to play. And when you add to that a guy like Anthony Gaines from Northwestern, who should be a double-double guy for us like Manny was, you look to see who wants to fill those other starting roles. Jackson’s going to be the headliner, and I think he’s got a chance to be one of the best bigs, if not the best, in the league. And all those other guys with the experience they have, I think Nick and Aidan will definitely bring that to the table, knowing how we want to play and how we do things. I’m looking for both of them to have big years. Nick’s a very cerebral player, makes winning plays. He’s just a calming influence out there.”

Siena’s supporting cast has been an integral part of the recent success for one of the MAAC’s flagship programs, as Stormo, Hopkins and Kyle Young all supplemented Pickett, Camper and King the past two seasons. Now, the former trio becomes a unit of leadership for the likes of Gaines, Colby Rogers and Jayce Johnson, with several others also primed to bring new looks and high-level basketball to the Times Union Center floor.

“Those two guys, I personally knew, Colby from when I got the job and Jayce when I was an assistant,” Maciariello said. “You can also talk about Jordan Kellier, who came from Utah, and Mike Tertsea, who came from Gannon. I think all those guys will have a chance to play meaningful minutes. We’re hoping to be able to play nine or ten guys, and I haven’t even spoken about Michael Baer, who has been just awesome with his ability to pick up things and be a sponge. He wants to play, he wants to win. Coming from Iowa, he’s got some great basketball etched in his mind. He was guarding Luka Garza every day, so guarding Jackson isn’t as tough as you would think. I’ve got a great group of guys who are working hard, and great freshmen in Javian McCollum and Jared Billups, so hopefully it’s going to be a little faster pace than we played last year and in my first year.”

“Colby’s a guy who can handle the ball and create his own shot, can score, he wanted to come to winning program. Jayce is a Swiss Army knife, he can play one through four, he was a college-recruited quarterback, he was first committed to Wagner to play football. I mentioned Jordan Kellier, he’s probably a combo forward more than a three, a physical lefty who can make a mid-range jumper and put it on the floor a bit, bully you to the rim. And then Mike Tertsea and Michael Baer will play up front, so I’m really excited about the depth we were able to build through the portal, and also the class difference. Anthony Gaines will probably stay one year having already started working on his Masters at Northwestern. Jayce has two, Jordan has three, Colby has three, so we were able to kind of build it a little bit where we don’t have to worry about guys playing meaningful minutes one year and then bouncing.”

In McCollum and Billups, and also Taihland Owens as he continues to recover from a knee injury that has hampered him during the summer, Maciariello sees opportunities for each to step in and assert themselves as the latest iteration of incoming talent to don the green and gold of Siena while also expanding their respective skill sets.

“I think we’re looking for attitude, energy, effort, appreciation,” he said when asked how he and his staff assesses each prospective recruit. “We’re looking for these guys to be thankful for what they have here at Siena and that gratitude, and they all have it. Javian is a quick guard, can shoot it from anywhere on the floor, and he’s a point guard who can pass it, make great plays, and create his own offense as well. And then Jared Billups is probably our second-best athlete behind Anthony Gaines, and that’s really speaking volumes about him and Anthony. But Jared’s college-ready, probably one of our better defenders already.”

“What you look for in these freshmen is the ability to learn and be coachable, and I think those guys do a great job just listening and understanding what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Maciariello had the opportunity to have the entire team on campus for eight weeks this summer, a time period he heralded for his players and staff being able to build bonds with one another in a relatively short time period, which becomes even more important as mid-major recruiting has turned into a consistently evolving landscape with the transfer portal being used as a vehicle to attract higher-level talent while also poaching players looking to take a bigger jump.

“I think the reality of it is, you’re going to have teams for two years,” he admitted. “I think there’s going to be two-year builds or two-year seasons where you’re trying to build for that second year. But obviously every year at Siena, we want to win, and that’s the goal as well.”

Siena will begin that quest on November 9 at St. Bonaventure, opening a non-conference schedule with the Atlantic 10 favorite Bonnies, one of several attractive opponents also including the likes of Ivy League powers Harvard and Yale, as well as defending Big East tournament champion Georgetown.

“That was the goal,” Maciariello reiterated when discussing how the stakes have been raised in light of Siena’s resurgence. “I wanted to help restore that prestige and that allure of the uniform. We want to play meaningful games and we want to challenge ourselves in everything we do. The fact that we can start a series with Harvard is great, we’re playing a Big East team in Georgetown, next year we’re in the Orlando Invitational and we’re going to Italy. We always want to grow, we always want to challenge ourselves. Every time we play, I want to play a team that’s competing to win their league. It shows we’re going up against the best.”

Sleep on Marist at your own risk as Dunne, Red Foxes carry tremendous upside into season

After scoring program’s highest MAAC finish in 14 years, John Dunne and Marist hope to build upon a solid foundation. (Photo by Hudson Valley Magazine)

In and around the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, everyone knows not to discount John Dunne, yet at the same time, it seems as though the grinding veteran coach is almost always flying under the radar each time the ball is tipped to start a season.

Such was the case last year, when a Marist team projected to finish near the bottom of the MAAC standings with a young roster that became even younger when Michael Cubbage was lost four games into a truncated season with a fractured foot ended up finishing fourth in the league only to post the program’s first winning season since 2007-08, an occurrence not lost on its leader.

“I was very satisfied as far as the regular season was concerned,” Dunne reflected. “We won three out of our last four, we were undersized, but we were playing well and with confidence. We really improved through the course of the year, but overall, I was pleased. We had such a new and young team, and you never know how that’s going to come together, so I was definitely pleased with that.”

With that said, though, Dunne stressed the need to build upon a burgeoning foundation by not only retaining the first-round bye it secured in this past March’s MAAC tournament, but also winning a game and advancing into the semifinals for the first time since 2006-07, when Matt Brady manned the McCann Arena sidelines and led the Red Foxes to a regular season crown.

“The goal every year is to get a bye,” Dunne reiterated. “Clearly, we want a winning season, but the goal has to be giving yourself an opportunity to make a run in the tournament.”

Marist will look to do that this season with a more experienced team that brings Jordan Jones back for an extra year to anchor its frontcourt while the likes of Ricardo Wright, Raheim Sullivan and Javon Cooley return to lead the guards and wings. In addition, Matt Herasme, Braden Bell and Victor Enoh are back to provide depth to a Red Foxes roster that also welcomes Samkelo Cele, a transfer from Southern University who instantly augments the toughness and gritty athleticism that has long been a hallmark of every Dunne-coached team.

“I just think Jordan’s a guy that’s probably the best back-to-the-basket scorer in the league,” Dunne said of Jones. “He’s really, over the period of his career, learned to play with poise down there. He’s really improved his game. He’s a very, very good shot blocker, and you might not notice because of Ndefo and how tremendous he was blocking shots, but Jordan Jones is a pretty good shot blocker in his own right. If he can play longer minutes, I think he’d be an all-league player. He helps our defense, he helps our offensive efficiency.”

“I think, at times, we lacked some toughness last year. I thought we needed to get a little bit stronger, a little bit tougher, and he brings that,” he added with regard to Cele, a 6-foot-5 South Africa native who can play on the wing and also as a stretch four if necessary in a smaller lineup. “He shot the ball at a 38 percent clip last year at Southern, so he definitely brings shot making, but his athleticism and toughness, and high character, makes him a good fit for the pieces we already have.”

In the backcourt, Sullivan and Wright will be the primary aggressors in a stable that introduces a pair of freshmen in Rutgers Prep standout Noah Harris, a combo guard whose strengths on and off the ball are equal, and Jao Ituka, who will help fill the void left by Hakim Byrd's transfer.

“I think he’s a guy that last year’s experience is going to help,” Dunne said of Sullivan, whose junior college experience aided his development as last season went on. “In the second half, I thought he was the best player on the court. If he can get more consistency, he’ll certainly have a chance to be an elite type of player. We have some options this year. You’ll see Noah on and off the ball. He shoots it at such a tremendous rate, but he’s not just a shooter, he’s a pretty good decision maker and we’ll get him into ball screens as well as off the bounce. I definitely have high expectations into the year, and certainly, he’s going to compete.”

“Ricardo Wright’s a guy that having to log so many minutes last year as a freshman is only going to help him. If he lowers his turnovers and continues to shoot the ball the way he’s been shooting it, he’s going to have a tremendous year. The one guy I do want to mention is Jao Ituka. I think you’re going to like him, he’s tough, he’s strong, 6’2, 210, sneaky athletic. He’s going to be a guy who’s going to compete for minutes for sure.”

All in all, one would be ill-advised to discount Marist again going into this season, but with most of the MAAC also improving along with the Red Foxes, a potential sleeper role is not out of the question. And after last season’s accelerated growth, Dunne truly believes his optimism for this year’s unit — a level of enthusiasm not seen in several years around Poughkeepsie — is truly warranted.

“The fact that those guys had pretty good success, I thought they learned through the course of the season how important it is to value the basketball, to bring that energy and focus,” he said. “Until you go through it, the new guys usually don’t understand that. They have a year under their belt now, and we certainly think our talent has risen.”

Saint Peter’s retools, but remains undaunted and unfazed in MAAC upswing

Shaheen Holloway loses KC Ndefo this season, but still has veteran roster as Saint Peter’s seeks third consecutive finish in MAAC’s top tier. (Photo by NJ Advance Media)

Looking back at last year’s Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference season, it would be easy for the casual fan to lose Saint Peter’s in the shuffle considering how Iona and Rick Pitino stole headlines in March on a postseason run following a 51-day pause.

However, the well-informed MAAC aficionado would know the Peacocks were perhaps the most consistent and stable program in the conference, the only one among the 11 league institutions to emerge from a tumultuous season without experiencing a single positive COVID-19 test. But while the good medical fortune kept Saint Peter’s in the mix, head coach Shaheen Holloway and his players were still victims of circumstance, having to shut down three times due to contact tracing and positive tests incurred by their opponents, adding to an unprecedented period of strife that affected the mental health of everyone in the locker room. Nevertheless, they pushed forward.

“I give everybody a lot of credit,” a candid Holloway, never one to mince words, reflected with regard to how his team traversed the pandemic-ravaged court of both sport and life through a season that saw the Peacocks finish 14-11 and tied for third in conference wins. “It was a life-changing thing for our kids. I didn’t let them do anything. Didn’t let them go to the barbershop, couldn’t see their family, they couldn’t do anything. So I give our kids a lot of credit, because that’s a hard thing for anyone to do.”

“As far as the basketball side, I was disappointed, but at the same time, happy. I’m disappointed because we could have — should have — had a better year. I was also happy because I didn’t know what kind of team I was going to have going into the season, losing two key players (Zarique Nutter and Dallas Watson). You just don’t know, and those guys were young. Everybody keeps thinking I had an old team. I had a bunch of sophomores and KC (Ndefo).”

Ndefo has since entered the transfer portal, rendering Saint Peter’s into a transitional unit without its leading scorer, rebounder, and defensive backbone. In his absence, though, his supporting cast — headlined by guards Daryl Banks III, Doug Edert and Matthew Lee, as well as twin forwards Fousseyni and Hassan Drame — is poised to become a more integral piece of the puzzle while Marty Silvera, Oumar Diahame and five incoming freshmen continue to learn the ropes in a program looking for a third straight finish among the MAAC’s top three.

“I’d be lying to you if I didn’t tell you we were going to miss him,” Holloway said of Ndefo. “He was the heart and soul of our team the last couple of years, he had a big presence for us and his personality fit my personality a lot, but it’s going to give other guys a chance to step up. It’s going to give the twins a chance to step up, it’s going to give Matt, Doug and Daryl a chance, it’s going to give Oumar a chance, it’s going to give Marty a chance, it’s going to give the new guys chances.”

“I’m expecting good things. We’ve got a good core coming back, five guys that played a lot as freshmen and sophomores, and it’s time for them to take a big jump. I thought this summer was really good for some of those guys, being able to get in the gym and work on their games, their bodies. But here’s the thing: I know what to expect from those five. I don’t know what to expect from everybody else. That’s kind of where we are right now. I went from being very small to very big. Now I’ve got 6’11, 6’10, 6’9, 6’8. We’re huge now.”

In Banks, a third team all-MAAC selection who could very easily have pushed for higher recognition, and perhaps the steadiest backcourt hand in the conference in Lee, the Peacocks remain forwardly positioned as Edert recovers from a bout with turf toe that hindered his sophomore season. Still, the loss of Ndefo has caused critics to wonder if Saint Peter’s can sustain its momentum, and while Holloway remained noncommittal, he did assure that one characteristic that has defined his program would be unaffected.

“You know me, I don’t say anything,” he said of potential naysayers. “We’re just going to come in, we’re going to scrap, we’re going to fight, and you’re going to be in for a war. I don’t know where we’re going to finish, I don’t know anything. But the one thing I do know is, when you come in to play Saint Peter’s, you’re going to be in for a war. Period. That’s what I can tell you.”

Rigoni, Marfo team up again to hopefully spark resurgence at Quinnipiac

Jacob Rigoni’s return for fifth season leads a cadre of experienced Quinnipiac returnees into pivotal season for Bobcats. (Photo by the Quinnipiac Chronicle)

After an inconsistent season last year, Quinnipiac was in need of stability.

The Bobcats received it when Jacob Rigoni, a recruit who upheld his commitment between the dismissal of Tom Moore and arrival of head coach Baker Dunleavy, decided to use the extra year granted to him in light of the pandemic to build on a senior campaign in Hamden that saw the Australian become the most prolific 3-point shooter in program history. On top of that, Kevin Marfo — who transferred to Texas A&M after leading the nation in rebounding during the 2018-19 season — saw the grass of the Southeastern Conference was not greener, returning to Quinnipiac to headline a formidable, experienced duo that aims to vault the Bobcats back into the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference’s upper echelon.

“Having Jacob back is a testament to our program,” Dunleavy said of Rigoni, who collected second team all-MAAC honors last season while leading Quinnipiac in scoring. “We’re really proud that he made the decision to come back. He’s a guy who’s played well enough now for us that he could have gone home to Australia to play pro ball, but we’re excited to have him back. I think having veterans gives everybody confidence.”

Kevin Marfo’s return gives Quinnipiac a rebounding and physicality boost Bobcats missed last season. (Photo by Rob Rasmussen/Quinnipiac University Athletics)

“We immediately become a wiser team, a more mature team, an elite rebounding team,” he added with regard to Marfo, whom he praised effusively as a smart basketball player. “I think that helps us right off the bat, but what gets me excited is us just being able to regain his mentality. He’s just a warrior, a guy that’s going to go into battle every game looking forward to being physical and competing, not only in games, but in practice. His competitive level is going to help our younger group hopefully take that next step.”

The Bobcats have a veteran backcourt trio in senior Tyrese Williams and juniors Matt Balanc and Savion Lewis to rely on, providing the fuel to a versatile and potent arsenal that also includes a pair of sophomores in Tymu Chenery on the wing and Luis Kortright dictating offense from the point guard position, forming one of the MAAC’s deepest guard stables to accentuate the Villanova influence Dunleavy brought with him after serving as Jay Wright’s apprentice for the bulk of the 2010s before skippering his own ship.

“Our backcourt dynamic changed a lot last year,” Dunleavy assessed. “One thing I was really impressed with, especially with Tyrese and Savion, was their ability to defend. We were one of the best defensive field goal percentage teams in the country last year and they were a big part of it, just physical, athletic, hard-playing guards. If we use that as our base this year, we’ve just got to be better offensively, but for us, it starts with the defensive end and I think there’s a lot to build on.”

“I think it’s important that Tymu and Luis not settle. Both of them had terrific freshman years, helped us win some games, and I think the sky’s the limit for both of those guys. I think there’s great opportunities in front of them, but like any other player, what you did last year doesn’t always translate into opportunity for the next year. You’ve got to go back and earn it again, and I think those guys understand that.”

Up front, Brendan McGuire and JJ Riggins return as well to complement Marfo, but the biggest buzz has been generated by Elias King, the 6-foot-9 sophomore whose rookie season was limited to just four games due to complications from contracting COVID-19.

“He was, arguably, our MVP through those four games,” said Dunleavy. “He was coming off the bench and he gave us exactly what we needed. We really missed him the rest of the way, but he’s full go and we’re excited to have him providing incredible frontcourt depth for us.”

Dunleavy admired the fact that each member of his 10-man rotation from top to bottom makes an immediate impact on every game, further lending to a consistency that was lacking last season amid a younger roster that is now hardened and forged by much-needed experience that should serve the Bobcats well in a season much closer to normal than last year’s aberration proved to be.

“It’s everything,” he concurred. “It’s one of those things when you go into a season knowing you’re going to play a couple of freshmen and sophomores in your top six, when you commit to that, you’ve got to have the courage to do it knowing that those guys are going to take their lumps, but are also going to be better for it down the road. When we made the choice to do that as opposed to bringing in a couple of transfers, we made a calculated decision.”

“We took a hard look in the mirror at ourselves and said, ‘Where did we leave some on the table?’ We were going to be youthful, maybe not as savvy in close games, but we were going to throw some of these younger guys to the fire and get them some experience quickly. I feel like we did that, and hopefully we’ll get some of the benefits of that this year.”

After MAAC title game appearance, Fairfield primed for greater jump on year three under Jay Young

Despite reaching MAAC championship game last March, Jay Young insists his Fairfield team still has room to grow. (Photo by the Hartford Courant)

One of the more unorthodox seasons in recent college basketball memory may have reaffirmed the recent status quo of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference when Iona defended its postseason crown and completed Rick Pitino’s fairytale comeback to the Division I ranks, but the team the Gaels upended to reach the NCAA Tournament was a somewhat unexpected opponent.

Very few would have expected Fairfield to make a late-season run to position itself as the potential Cinderella in the MAAC last year, but the timely surge and commitment to head coach Jay Young’s suffocating defense brought the Stags to the brink of the program’s first conference title in nearly a quarter-century. Five months later, as he returns nearly the entire group from last year’s COVID-riddled campaign, Young admits that while he and his team are proud of the growth displayed in trying circumstances, no one is truly satisfied with how it ended in Atlantic City.

“I think we were satisfied to a point where we got to the championship game, but the outcome was certainly not what we wanted,” the former Steve Pikiell assistant recollected as Fairfield brings heightened expectations into a year where the MAAC as a whole is projected to be on the rise, with the Iona team that denied the Stags a taste of March Madness the presumptive league favorite. “We wanted to go down there, and we talked about bringing a trophy back to Fairfield, and we fell short. So from that aspect, it was disappointing, but I thought we were talented enough and playing well enough at that point in the season to go down there and win the tournament. We felt we were good enough to win that game.”

“I think it was huge. We proved that we belonged and we could play with anybody, and we also have some confidence because we do have everybody back this year. The consistency of our roster, it’s the first year that I’ve had a consistent roster since I’ve been here, and you can even see it in the offseason with guys just hopping into drills and knowing what the drills are. I think we’re all confident that we can have a really good basketball team here, but we also know how much work is ahead of us.”

Coming off a 10-17 season in which Young pulled no punches about the Stags’ record not being where he and his staff want it to be, the third-year head coach is hopeful that his veteran leadership will guide Fairfield through the peaks and valleys in the early part of the schedule. Returning Taj Benning and Jesus Cruz to a rotation that also sees Caleb Green and Jake Wojcik — the latter for a full season — return to the backcourt was a shot in the arm for the program when both Benning and Cruz elected to use the extra years of eligibility afforded to them by the NCAA in light of the pandemic, and do so in familiar confines.

“We’re blessed to have good leaders with our upperclassmen,” Young gushed. “We’ve said this a bunch of times: Caleb’s probably — with a combination of student and leadership — one of the best I’ve ever had. He’s like having a coach on the floor, and I can say the same thing about Taj, Jesus and Jake. They make my job easier. They’re a player-coached team, and when you get to that point, that’s where you want to be as a program. It just shows our younger guys the level of work and culture of our program we need to have, so to answer your question, it’s a big advantage to have guys like that come back and be your leaders.”

In addition to his senior quartet, Young hopes to have Jalen Leach back at 100 percent for the season opener at Providence on November 9, targeting the end of September as an anticipated return to full participation in practice. Leach fractured his foot in the second of two games against Marist last year, and underwent surgery shortly thereafter, prematurely ending his freshman season.

“He’s got a skill that we need, he can score the basketball,” Young said of Leach. “He’s still not back, he’s missed the whole summer, but he was a guy who came in not knowing a whole lot about college basketball and gave us some really good minutes. I think he’s going to be a really important part of what we’re doing, but we’ve just got to get him healthy.”

Going into last season, Young lamented the inability to get his underclassmen into the gym for a full offseason of strength and conditioning, and has cited younger players such as Jason Edokpayi, Chris Maidoh and Allan Jeanne-Rose as some of the biggest beneficiaries this summer of having more time and more reps to further impact the Stags on and off the floor.

“Chris has put on a little extra weight,” Young said. “He got to 210 pounds and we threw a big party for him. He’s feeling more confident. Supreme (Cook) was playing his best basketball at the end of the year, and he’s continued to that into the offseason. Zach (Crisler) has a good IQ, he helps us in so many areas that don’t show up on the box score, and you saw the development of Jason. He had a brutal year with all the COVID issues, just a crazy freshman year. He really kind of helped us with that run we had at the end of the year, and then Shef (Tshiefu Ngalakulondi) has been more consistent, doing a better job in his role. I feel really confident that we’ve got some depth and some quality at the four and five spots.”

Fairfield also welcomes three freshmen to its ranks, as guards Christian Cevis and T.J. Long join the program alongside 6-foot-9 forward Makai Willis of Florida, who could eventually blossom into an all-MAAC forward with his size and burgeoning skill set.

“He’s been a really pleasant surprise,” Young revealed with regard to Willis. “We do have some frontcourt depth, so we’ll see how that’ll play out, but he’s skilled, he’s bouncy. He’s got a body that can play out on the perimeter a little bit, too, so I like what I’ve seen from him so far.”

“T.J.’s a tough kid who can stretch defenses. He’s been a little more scorer than shooter, which I like, and Christian’s a good physical guard to play along Caleb or back him up at the point position. We’ve got 14 scholarship players, so I’m sure we’ll be talking about redshirting a couple of guys at some point.”

Fairfield’s depth and growth will be tested in a non-conference schedule that features a pair of high-major opponents immediately in the opener at Providence and also at Boston College (November 14) to anchor a slate of winnable games that could vault the Stags right into the heart of a competitive MAAC gauntlet.

“I just want us to play good basketball,” a candid Young admitted. “We weren’t good at anything our first 13 games of the season, but we ended up playing the kind of defense I want to play late in the year, especially in the tournament. I just want us to pick up from there and think about how good we’re going to play on November 9 vs. Providence, and certainly do a better job than we did last year.”

With Alumni Hall having been demolished to make way for a new convocation center that will open in 2022, the Stags will once again be playing their home games at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport this coming year, perhaps affording the opportunity to create an uptick in fan support to supplement the buzz already created by the new building literally in the middle of the Fairfield campus.

“I think it’s a game-changer for us and for the campus, quite honestly,” said Young. “It’s going to be a centerpiece and it gives us a brand-new place where students can roll out of bed and create a real home-court advantage. I’m down there all the time yelling at the construction workers to keep going when they’re on their 15-minute break. The sooner we get in there, the better.”

Before the ribbon is cut on the future home of Fairfield basketball, however, the present remains in a season of upside, and Young is confident that the growth at the end of February and beginning of March will only manifest itself further and in greater detail over a full season.

“Guys enjoy playing here,” he said. “For us, I think it’s important that we build and get guys better. Sustained success for us is to develop guys and get them better. I like this group, and we’ve got a long way to go — I realize that — but I like where we’re at as a program. We’ve got to win more games, make that move now in year three, where we’ve got a winning record, competing again for another championship and playing in the upper half of our league. Those are my expectations for this year’s team.”

“We have a picture in our locker room of the final score of that game last year, and I don’t want our guys to forget that feeling. We want to get back there and win that game.”