Under the Radar Game of the Day: Iona at Valparaiso, 2:30 PM Eastern, espn3
There really was only one choice for today’s UTR Game of the Day as the favorites in two of the stronger UTR conferences meet up in Valparaiso, Indiana. The MAAC’s Iona Gaels enter today’s game (their first on the young season) with one of the deadliest mid-major backcourts in the entire nation. They are led by A.J.English, who should win his conference’s Player of the Year award. English averaged 20.1 point and 5.1 rebounds per game last season, and could score even more now that last season’s second leading scorer, David Laury, is gone. Schadrac Casimir and Isaiah Williams join English in the backcrout to provide the Gaels with a three-headed monster that very few teams will be able to slow down. Last year, Iona dominated the MAAC, going 17-3 in conference play before falling to Manhattan in the conference tournament title game and winding up in the NIT.
Iona will start their season today with a very tough road test at Valpo. The Crusaders appear to be loaded this season, and are the clear favorites to repeat their Horizon League regular season and tournament championships. They are led by Alec Peters, who averaged 16.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game last year, and led the way with 24 points and 7 boards in the team’s win Friday night over IP-Fort Wayne. Valpo has a chance to make a statement win today, and will get more with trips to Rhode Island, Oregon, Oregon State and Belmont all looming ahead over the few months (together with a home game against the same Belmont team). A solid record in these key non-conference games, combined with a Horizon League regular season championship, may be all the Crusaders will need this year to punch a dance ticket — even if something goes wrong in the conference tournament.