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MAAC MEDIA DAY PRESEASON POLL:
- Rider
- Iona
- Canisius
- Siena
- Quinnipiac
- Fairfield
- Mount Saint Mary’s
- Marist
- Niagara
- Saint Peter’s
- Manhattan
MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MAAC 1ST TEAM:
-Osborn Shema – SR, F – Iona
-Dakota Leffew – SR, G – Mount Saint Mary’s
-Matt Balanc – SR, G – Quinnipiac
-Mervin James -SR, F – Rider
-Allen Powell – SR, G – Rider
MEDIA DAY PRESEASON ALL-MAAC 2ND TEAM:
-Tahj Staveskie – SO, G – Canisius
-Caleb Fields – SR, G – Fairfield
-Isaiah Brickner – SO, G -Marist
-Paul Otieno – SR, F – Quinnipiac
-Michael Eley – SO, G – Siena
MEDIA DAP RESEASON ALL-MAAC 3RD TEAM:
-Xzavier Long – JR, F – Canisius
-Alexis Yetna – SR, F – Fairfield
-Joel Brown – SR, G – Iona
-Idan Tretout – SR, G – Iona
-Corey Washington – SO, F – Saint Peter’s
COMMENTS FROM DAVID GRIGGS:
-Rider won just 16 games a year ago, and while they were the 2nd place team in the MAAC, they were a full four games behind Iona and were as far ahead of 9th place as they were behind 1st place. I do think they will be a conference frontrunner, but I am a little surprised that the love for them is as seemingly unanimous as it is. Three veteran starters are back including Mervin James/Allen Powell, who were both double-digit scorers a year ago. They also have what appear to be some quality JUCO players transferring in, so they do have some pretty good pieces and the expectations should be high.
-The Rick Pitino era at Iona has ended and just one starter is back from a year ago, so the Gaels are tasked with turning other both their coaching staff and their roster. Here is the thing, though: Tobin Anderson takes over, and he is a very good coach who proved last year at Fairleigh Dickinson that he is capable of getting it done as the head man at a D1 program. The roster is very transfer-heavy (as you would expect) but some of these guys are proven players. Idan Tretout was a key player for Harvard last year, and they have some strong-looking JUCO players and freshmen coming in as well. I know they lost a lot, and it looks like they have an entirely new team this year, but the Gaels are my pick to win this league again. They were a constant frontrunner before Rick Pitino arrived and they have a good/proven coach stepping in to replace him.
-Canisius in 3rd place…but I am just not seeing it. They were good down the stretch and three starters are back, but they won just 9 D1 games a year ago, and while I believe experience can lead to success I just do not see them making this big of a jump. But…what the hell do I know? Tahj Staveskie is a really good guard and he will be one of the key contributors for the Golden Griffins this year.
-I seemingly always like Siena coming into the season and I once again like them this year. They were a streaky team a year ago, and they picked a bad time to go on a bad streak at the end of the season as they lost their last six games, but with three starters back and some key transfers coming in, I think they experience will pay off and the Saints will perform with more consistency this year. One thing that did hurt them is that several of their younger players who would have been contributors this year jumped into the portal, but Siena got some decent players in the portal themselves and I believe they are set up to be successful. Then again, I seemingly always believe that.
-Quinnipiac won 20 games a year ago and went on some streaks during the season that really made them jump out. They got off to a 7-0 start, and if I am not mistaken actually garnered a few votes (albeit VERY few) in some of the top-25 polls. They also had a stretch in the first half of conference play where they won seven of eight and appeared to be a contender, but then fell apart in the second half of conference play. With three starters back and an experienced Tom Pecora taking over as head coach, I would like to think that the Bobcats can be a bit of a dark horse and surprise some people this year. They appear to have a reasonable amount of talent in the frontcourt/backcourt and a reasonable amount of depth, so maybe we can see them make some noise this year.
-Fairfield had a rather unspectacular season last year and was just plain bad down the stretch. Three starters are back, but they have to replace their top player. They do have some notable transfers coming in, but it is looking like it is going to be tough for them to finish in the top half of the standings.
-Mount Saint Mary’s is another team that was underwhelming a year ago and is now tasked with replacing some of their key players who opted to transfer out. Dakota Leffew should give them some strength at the guard position, but he needs help from his supporting cast if the Mountaineers are going to have any success this season.
-After not looking all that good at all during any point of the season and finishing in last place, Marist made it all the way to the conference tournament championship game before losing rather handily to Iona. Three starters are back, and we should see them finish higher than…well…last, and I think they may have it in them to finish a little higher than where they are being picked, but I do not think they are at a point where I would expect them to finish in the top half of the conference.
-Niagara is experiencing a roster overhaul after some of their better players jumped into the portal, and while they finished .500 a year ago, which is at least respectable, what is left does not seem to be the makings of a team that can finish in the top half of the league this year.
-Saint Peter’s was in the Elite Eight just two years ago. It is not often you see a team from an Under the Radar conference in the Elite Eight, but it is even less common to see that team picked to finish just 10th in that same UTR conference just two years later. Having said that, I think the Peacocks are going to do better than 10th this year. Three starters are back including Corey Washington, who deservedly received some preseason all-conference honors. They have also rebuilt their roster what what appear to be some standout JUCO players who could step in and contribute. I think this team can finish in the middle of the pack, and if everything comes together perhaps even do a little better than that. To pick them 10th seems way too low. In contrast…
-Manhattan is picked last. That does NOT seem like it is way too low. My goodness the wheels have fallen off the car! Along with the doors, the windshield, and the engine. Much needs to be done to rebuild this program back into a conference frontrunner and new Coach John Gallagher has his work cut out for him.