Iona Selected as Preseason Favorite in Men's Basketball
MAAC Sports
EDISON, NJ – The 2014-15 regular season champion, Iona College, has been chosen as the preseason favorite to win the 2016 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Men’s Basketball Championship, according to a vote of the leagues 11 head coaches. The Gaels, who have made three consecutive MAAC Championship final appearances, received 10 of 11 first place votes for 119 points.
Iona College enters the season as the two-time defending MAAC regular season champions after posting a league-best, 17-3 mark and 26-9 overall record. The Gaels are coming off of their sixth consecutive 20 win season and fifth consecutive post-season appearance after appearing in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) in 2015. Iona returns senior guard A.J. English, who enters the 2015-16 season as the league’s top returning scoring threat. English led the league in three point field goals made during last year’s campaign and averaged 20.1 points and 5.1 assists. English will be joined by fellow classmate, guard Isaiah Williams and 5-10 sophomore guard Schadrac Casimir. Williams, who was a member of the 2015 All-Championship Team, averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.4 steals last year. Casimir, one of the league’s top returning three-point threats, was named the unanimous MAAC Rookie of the Year, was a member of the All-MAAC Second Team, and was named a freshman All-American last season.
Finishing in second place, Monmouth University is coming off of an 18-15 overall record and 13-7 MAAC mark in 2014-15. The Hawks made a run to the MAAC semifinals before falling to top-seeded Iona. Monmouth returns All-MAAC First Team choice Justin Robinson at the guard position. Robinson averaged 13.4 points, 3.6 assists, and 1.7 steals last season. Also returning for the Hawks is one of the league’s top free throw shooters in senior guard Deon Jones. Named a member of the All-MAAC Third team, Jones was Monmouth’s second leading scorer behind Robinson averaging 12.8 points last year and will be the Hawks leading returner in the rebounding department.
Two-time defending MAAC champion Manhattan College, was voted tied for third after making its second consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament and posting a 13-7 MAAC record and 19-14 overall mark. The Jaspers, which led the conference in steals with 8.0 thefts per game, return the senior guard duo of Shane Richards and RaShawn Stores. Richards, was a member of the 2015 All-Championship team and ranked second in the MAAC in three pointers made per game (2.8). Stores was the league leader in assists to turnover ratio last season and finished as one of the top ranked players in assists, steals, and three point field goal percentage.
Also picked tied for third is 2014-15 regular season runner-up and College Basketball Invitational (CBI) participant, Rider University. The Broncs posted a 15-5 MAAC mark and 21-12 overall record last year after being one of the league’s top scoring defenses during the season. Rider will be led by 2014-15 All-MAAC Second team member, senior guard Teddy Okereafor. Okereafor averaged 11.2 points per game last season and ranked in the top five of the conference in assists, steals, and assists to turnover ratio. Joining Okereafor in the backcourt is junior Jimmie Taylor. Taylor, was one of the league’s top three point treats last season finishing fourth in three point field goal percentage and eighth in three pointers made.
Rounding out the top five is Siena College, who finished the 2014-15 campaign with a MAAC record of 7-13 and overall record of 11-20. The Saints ranked second last season in both steals and offensive rebounds. Siena returns junior guard Marquis Wright, who ranked first in the conference with 5.1 assists per outing last season. The Saints will also return redshirt junior Brett Bisping after a medical redshirt season in 2014-15.
Monmouth, the second place finisher in the poll received 105 total points. Manhattan and Rider each finished with 91 points, while the Jaspers’ earned the final first place vote, followed by Siena, which earned 84 points. Canisius earned 67 points, followed by Quinnipiac (49), Fairfield (42), Saint Peter’s (37), Marist (23), and Niagara (18).
2015-16 Preseason Coaches’ Poll
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1.
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Iona (10)
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119
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2.
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Monmouth
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105
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T3.
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Manhattan (1)
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91
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T3.
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Rider
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91
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5.
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Siena
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84
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6.
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Canisius
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67
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7.
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Quinnipiac
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49
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8.
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Fairfield
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42
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9.
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Saint Peter’s
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37
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10.
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Marist
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23
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11.
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Niagara
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18
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