MAAC
Saint Peter’s looks to defend its MAAC tournament title by being even uglier this season. That’s a compliment of the Peacocks’ style that relies on defense and physicality, not smooth offensive production. Bashir Mason’s squad must replace the production of last year’s top player Corey Washington (transfer to Wichita State).
Since the MAAC lacks offensively-gifted squads, defense-first teams like Marist, Rider and newcomer Merrimack are also in contention, but Quinnipiac is No.1 in the coaches preseason poll based on its inside-outside trio of Savion Lewis (7.3 APG) at guard and Paul Otieno (league best 63.8% FG%) next to the Preseason Player of the Year Amarri Monroe (12.9 PPG, 6.9 RPG) down low.
John Dunne’s Marist squad will rely on a pair of sophomores Jadin Collins-Roberts (started all 31 games last year) and Josh Pascarelli (10.7 PPG) to run his deliberate offense geared to keep the game in the low 60s.
Rider needs holdovers Tariq Ingraham and T.J Weeks Jr. to replace all the work Mervin James did on the offensive end last season for the Broncs.
Tobin Anderson went portalling to get Iona back to the top of the standings, a regular occurrence under his predecessors Rick Pitino and Tim Cluess. The Gaels starting five could be the best in the MAAC because whoever it ends up being, is experienced and likely was playing in a higher conference a year ago.
From an overall handicapping standpoint, here is what to expect from the MAAC. These squads will beat the hell out of each other during the regular season with many low scoring affairs during their Friday-Sunday games. Come tournament time in Atlantic City, where now only the top 10 schools get an invite, the winner will be the team that essentially outlasts its opponents during physical games, not necessarily by just outsourcing them.
